Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Red Rick]

Something you see in a lot of sports is that domination usually lasts shorter than a period in which an athlete CAN win the biggest titles. I don't think Froome is that far behind Contador in mileage he has at the same age. Froome started being a world beater at 26, but he'd ridden 3 GTs before that already, whereas Contador won the 2nd GT in which he participated. Also Contador didn't start doing doubles including the Tour until 2011, and after that Tour he had a period of more than a year in which he only rode Tour de San Luis. I think the slower build up Froome has been doing toward the Tour is more significant, but that's only been the last 2 seasons. I would hope Contador started doing that, but I don't think so.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

This rethoric that he should retire if he can't compete with Froome and Quintana anymore makes me sad. If he enjoys racing and is content with smaller and less important victories as well, then by all means he should continue.

Come on, he's a champion. Second is not good.

But creating havoc is.

 

[Singer01]

Re:

This rethoric that he should retire if he can't compete with Froome and Quintana anymore makes me sad. If he enjoys racing and is content with smaller and less important victories as well, then by all means he should continue.

is he content with smaller and less important victories though? if he goes to the tour next year and froome and quintana drop him at will again, it will be really depressing. like most other people here i'd far rather he did a Giro/Vuelta attempt next year.

 

[rhubroma]

Re: Re:

This rethoric that he should retire if he can't compete with Froome and Quintana anymore makes me sad. If he enjoys racing and is content with smaller and less important victories as well, then by all means he should continue.

is he content with smaller and less important victories though? if he goes to the tour next year and froome and quintana drop him at will again, it will be really depressing. like most other people here i'd far rather he did a Giro/Vuelta attempt next year.

Problem is that another Giro or Vuelta won't add anything to his legacy. Only a Tour would. And he needs to beat Froome on that turf. He himself seems aware of this, when responding le Tour, le Tour, le Tour.

 

[Amnes2015]

i'm gonna say it again

without crashing 5 times in 1 month COntador would have fought for the win at Vuelta

he can win TdF with one condition :

prepare like Nibali 2014 , he is to old to compete for the win in spring and peak in summer

if he arrives rested at TdF 2017 , without crashes and without illness that affect his training than he will be a competitor for win

ah, and a decent tour route , not like the crap from 2015

 

[DanielSong39]

I would prefer to see Contador compete at a Joaquim Rodriguez level for 2-3 years than to see him retire. He's still among the top 10 GT cyclists in the world and can occasionally provide some excitement.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The interview Pricey was talking about
https://twitter.com/Trudgin/status/774924751202574337?s=09

 

[HelloDolly]

Do I think a fit and rested Contador can beat Froome & Quintana at the Tour ...YES

BUT and this is a big but ...he needs a top team who can TT and climb...without that he is chaising the race ...He needs 3 top mountian doms and 2 very strong roulers plus a team that can really win TTT

I agree with Dave Brailsford when he says it is maginal gains that seperate the best Although it looks like Contador is far behind Froome and Quintana...he is not that far off ...Without the crashes and with a good team he would have been up there

SKY and Movistar have the 2 best teams in the peloton ...you have to have a team as strong to compete

The other thing Brailsford said when asked about Fromes performance in the TT ...he said it was more mental rather than physical strength...This is something I agree with totally
We often see a rider do well in a GT and then the next time have a set back and then never reach that level again ....Mostly its becasue they are chasing the race .Anxiety sets in ..They lose confidence and seem to go backwards even though they are as fit as they were on the previous occasions when they won
Since 2013 I have felt every time i see Contador he is chasing and desperate ....He so wants to beat Froome (especially) that his desperation is almost palatable ...No wonder he is always crashing

What I do know is these guys have great science at their finger tips ...they know what power they can do and what their opponents are doing ...If Contador can't do what Quintata and Frooem can do he would know this...He must know he can. But as I said power is not enough...most of the strength is mental ..so you dont make mistakes, chase the race, miss opportunites ,

He needs to change coach and get a trusted bunch of TOP riders around him to have a chance of wining the Tour imo
The current set up is not working ....But yes there is still hope

 

[webvan]

I'm surprised there have been no AC/Trek news since "they are going to sign on the rest day" CN article from the TDF. I'm guessing the blocking point has been Trek not willing to give him the money he wants and the Vuelta probably hasn't helped with that. So is he going to race in 2017 with an even inferior team as the past 3 years? Makes little sense...

 

[dastott]

Is it confirmed he is going to Trek? Will Trek have that powerful team which he needs? It doesn't seem so at present. I don't think he should retire yet. Purito and Valverde showed that he can still have a few good years left. Personally, I doubt he can out climb BOTH Quintana and Froome. Maybe one of them. He remains a marginally better TTer than Quintana but someway behind Froome in flatter TTs. To win the TdF again he needs a perfect course for him - short and steep MTT, rolling longer TT, no TTT, no cobbles and it might be possible to beat Quintana and Froome.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I'm surprised there have been no AC/Trek news since "they are going to sign on the rest day" CN article from the TDF. I'm guessing the blocking point has been Trek not willing to give him the money he wants and the Vuelta probably hasn't helped with that. So is he going to race in 2017 with an even inferior team as the past 3 years? Makes little sense...

Gazzetta reported he will be in Italy next weekend to make the signing official - not sure if that means he'll sign the contract or if it'll be announced

 

[bob.a.feet]

Let's not forget that although in the Vuelta Froome and Quintana looked unbeatable, in July they were far from it. Quintana was lucky to make it on to the podium, and Froome's climbing was matched by Bauke Mollema for the most part. Froome won the Tour mainly due to his exceptional time trialing - and Contador probably wouldn't be too far off.

Now, would it be unrealistic to think that Contador could manage to arrive at the Tour with climbing form better than Mollema? I certainly don't think so. And regarding his team, he might even Mollema as a domestique!

Now if he can avoid crashing, I think we are in for one final performance for the ages.

 

[pablopaul]

Re: Re:

I'm surprised there have been no AC/Trek news since "they are going to sign on the rest day" CN article from the TDF. I'm guessing the blocking point has been Trek not willing to give him the money he wants and the Vuelta probably hasn't helped with that. So is he going to race in 2017 with an even inferior team as the past 3 years? Makes little sense...

Gazzetta reported he will be in Italy next weekend to make the signing official - not sure if that means he'll sign the contract or if it'll be announced

With Trek you mean?

Very quiet at the moment. Even rumours of Alberto having other options, which he could have if the contract still hasn't been signed (unless some sort of pre-contract has already been signed.) Pantano (when he signed) seemed sure he would be riding with Alberto in 2017.

 

[webvan]

Italy because of Segafredo ? Are they taking over as the main sponsor ?

 

[LaFlorecita]

He'll be in Italy anyway for a sponsor event, he'll ride Gavia and Mortirolo with his youth team and fans. And of course Guercilena is Italian and Contador lives in Lugano anyway so Italy would make sense for both parties.

 

[fantomas]

Re: Re:

Crashes are no serious excuse, other than the fact that they take an increasingly hard toll, the older you get.

AC is no longer the rider I fell for in 2005, and I started coming to terms with that in 2012 - seeing him not being able to drop J-Rod and Valverde - even more so in 2013, then seeing my hopes rise again in 2014, only to have any hope crushed since then.

No matter what happens from now on, he'll still stand out, when history is written. Seeing Froome trying to drop Quintana made me think of Contador and Rasmussen in 2007, only back then in 2007 Contador did multiple sustained efforts. Epic.

I beg to differ with your opening statement (bolded). I don't know if you remember the nights after the last time you fell, or if you ride at all. Falling is serious. Not resting at night, no recovery because you can't find a good spot is serious. And when you finally fall asleep, then you wake up and you have to pull the glued sheet from your body, it's serious. C'mon man...

Having said that, I stand by my statement: if you're Alberto Contador, famous for "second place is not good", how about fourth? I was predicting/wishing that Berto would win the TdF, then the Vuelta, leave on top. Instead, if he continues, we'll see Ali in the '80's or Borg's failed comebacks, it will be painful. Federer. Or Merckx in '77: 6th place is not good. Is it?

Contador is the third best GT rider, right now. Hoping that he dodges the other two and win another GT is setting the bar really low IMO. The tales of going for a polka dot jersey ("he would look good"), give me a break . He's not Roche or Delgado: he's fre..ing Alberto Contador.

I understand his fans. I was watching the Borg comebacks, I wanted him to win again. In retrospect, that was selfish of me. Nostalgia. Yes, Contador will decide, he's not going to listen to me. His call. Not ours, not mine. I think he's smart enough to draw his own conclusions.

I do ride, MTB, and yes, when you crash, the next couple of days your body feels like you've been beaten with a baseballbat, but what I meant was, that even barring crashes I just don't believe he would be able to compete with Froome and Quintana.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-slates-movistar-in-chasing-chaves-for-vuelta-a-espana-podium/

He also admitted that he had made an error, "because I should have tried to have gone with Chaves when he attacked, but I thought it was a long way to go to the finish, so I didn't.

"I'm not so much disappointed as losing the podium as I am on losing the win overall. But when you win you don't learn much and when you lose you learn a lot more, and that's going to help me for next year.

"My congratulations to Nairo for his win, Froome for his race, and more than Chaves, Orica, for their strategy."

 

[snccdcno]

This is one intriguing discussion about Alberto Contador I must say.

 

[Thepirateisgood]

Calm down people, wth..
I have no idea who Carols is but surely this can't be the way to drive any way of argument.

If this person was so unreasonable, that persons arguments can stand on their own.

I can't see in the forum rules that being reasonable is anything either, if it was - would here be anyone commenting at all?

 

[lenric]

If you think you read personal attacks, then use the report feature, as I'm sure you have already done. Just beware of the definition of personal attacks and baiting, which was your sin. Not mentioning nicknames doesn't absolve anyone.

 

[Sciocco]

Lot of angry posters today...

I'm hyped for Contador 2017!

Definite victories:
PN/TA (whichever he chooses to ride)
VPV
Giro/Tour (whichever he chooses to ride)
Vuelta (if Giro beforehand)
Milano-Torino

 

[Thepirateisgood]

Ok, like Sciocco - back to topic!

I would love him win another GT, but as most see it will be extremely difficult. I've said it before in other threads, but I would absolutely love him to do a "mentor" like Valverde has for Quintana.

I don't in any way think that would deminish him in any way as regards his history - in fact, in my view it would only make him greater.

The 100th giro, on the other hand - is his.

He should sign with FDJ or AGR, some heavy tour team to have his own not-tour team, for one more year, then go to DD after Cav is gone.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

This is one intriguing discussion about Alberto Contador I must say.

Lol, good one Brother

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Lot of angry posters today...

I'm hyped for Contador 2017!

Definite victories:
PN/TA (whichever he chooses to ride)
VPV
Giro/Tour (whichever he chooses to ride)
Vuelta (if Giro beforehand)
Milano-Torino

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

He should sign with FDJ or AGR, some heavy tour team to have his own not-tour team, for one more year, then go to DD after Cav is gone.

Such random teams. Why a French team? And why of all teams Dimension Data?
He needs a team that can support him, and if he wants to continue in a mentor-type of role (I doubt he does) he should go to Bardiani (Luca Bardiani loves him), Androni (Savio loves him) or start his own team and ride with his boys. I don't see any reason to go to Dimension Data.