Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Matteo.]

This year porte will be more more dangerous, due to froome poor shape and his finally excellent shape.
I see porte ad the main favourite

 

[Katabatic]

Re: Re:

Last year, porte made top5 because the race was very conservative (bardet and yates the same). This year with contador, they will crack somewhere because contador is so unpredictable that he will put everyone on red at the beggining of a stage (for example)

What?
Porte wasn't on the podium because of the unfortunate puncture where he lost 2 mins.

He'll put everyone in the red? Lol. This isn't Vuelta.
If previous Tours are any indication, Froome would have domestiques stronger than Contador. :lol: :lol:

By previous Tours you mean 2015 after the Giro, right? Because he crashed out in 2016 and 2014.

It's moot anyway. Because if previous tours are any indication, Sky will have domestiques stronger than everybody.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Last year, porte made top5 because the race was very conservative (bardet and yates the same). This year with contador, they will crack somewhere because contador is so unpredictable that he will put everyone on red at the beggining of a stage (for example)

did you really just make that up?

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

Last year, porte made top5 because the race was very conservative (bardet and yates the same). This year with contador, they will crack somewhere because contador is so unpredictable that he will put everyone on red at the beggining of a stage (for example)

did you really just make that up?

Portugal11's posts are like weather predictions.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Porte was the second best rider in the Tour last year, so I don't know about that one.

 

[Squire]

I'm curious to know who else would've been in that top 5 instead of Porte, Bardet and Yates if the race hadn't been "ridden conservatively" (other than Valverde).

 

[portugal11]

Porte was the second best climber last year because the race was very conservative. Porte had a bad day on stage 19 (?) and lost some seconds but if contador was there, I'm pretty sure he would have lost minutes because contador would have put him in troubles a lot earlier

 

[lenric]

Re:

Porte was the second best climber last year because the race was very conservative. Porte had a bad day on stage 19 (?) and lost some seconds but if contador was there, I'm pretty sure he would have lost minutes because contador would have put him in troubles a lot earlier

Again you're showing you have no idea what you're talking about.
Porte punctured on stage 2 and lost almost 2 minutes. Before the ITT he had an accident (which obviously screwed him, especially on the ITT) and on stage 19 he was blocked by an accident (possibly involving Froome, but I'm not sure. Not sure also he himself didn't fall, by the way), thus spending more energy than required to chase those who were in front of him (even though he was helped by team mates).

Better to talk about something else, such as things you actually know, than to speak non-sense.

Unless you're trolling. And, if you are, you'll be reported.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Porte was the second best climber last year because the race was very conservative. Porte had a bad day on stage 19 (?) and lost some seconds but if contador was there, I'm pretty sure he would have lost minutes because contador would have put him in troubles a lot earlier

You have no idea - Porte attacked on the final climb ( which was a rarity for the field in the 2016 TDF ) got a gap but was brought back in the last kilometre and shed around 30 seconds to the GC group - And it was the hardest ridden stage of the TDF after Astana drilled it from the second last climb.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

are people still talking about him as if he's a contender?

Yes, you don't think he's a contender?

Yeah he might not be a favourite. But if he's not a contender who is? Just Froome and maybe Quintana? Because the only person who's been better than him in one week races so far is Valverde, and I don't see him winning the tour right now.

He's a contender. Still below Porte, Quintana and obviously Froome, but a contender obviously.
And I'd rate him higher than Quintana (because of the colombian riding the Giro) if not for his tendency to fall.

But I'm optimistic about Contador not falling anymore. I mean, he falls like 3 or 4 times a year and he has reached that quota in the spring.

I would agree. I think Porte is no.1 favorite who will challenge Froome judging how he has been climbing these season. Quintana? he has his Giro leg, not sure if he is going to be the main challenger. If he would be up there, it might be like his performance in the Giro. I do rated Contador above Quintana, as long as he is not falling. Chavez, don't expect too much. He injured his knee, so that might put a ding on his preparation.

 

[LaFlorecita]

 

[DanielSong39]

Here's my wish list for Contador in this year's Tour:

- No crashes
- Stays in contention into the 3rd week, enough to give his fans (false) hope
- Blows the race apart with a daredevil move in the final week, resulting in a change of the likely winner of the race

If he finishes on the podium that would be a bonus.

 

[Pennino]

Re:

Here's my wish list for Contador in this year's Tour:

- No crashes
- Stays in contention into the 3rd week, enough to give his fans (false) hope
- Blows the race apart with a daredevil move in the final week, resulting in a change of the likely winner of the race

If he finishes on the podium that would be a bonus.

I'd add a massive stage win.
Or just a stage win. At least I need to see that goddamn pistol shot one more time. It's like an addiction.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Here's my wish list for Contador in this year's Tour:

- No crashes
- Stays in contention into the 3rd week, enough to give his fans (false) hope
- Blows the race apart with a daredevil move in the final week, resulting in a change of the likely winner of the race

If he finishes on the podium that would be a bonus.

I'd add a massive stage win.
Or just a stage win. At least I need to see that goddamn pistol shot one more time. It's like an addiction.

After 2015 Paris attacks he promised not to use the pistolero sign again in France

 

[movingtarget]

Just like the Giro the TTs will be important with only one ITT plus the TTT and the mountain stages don't look especially hard compared to other years. Depending on Froome's form this could be another very close race with the top five riders.

 

[Singer01]

Re:

Just like the Giro the TTs will be important with only one ITT plus the TTT and the mountain stages don't look especially hard compared to other years. Depending on Froome's form this could be another very close race with the top five riders.

What TTT?

 

[Valv.Piti]

If Contador takes a more relaxed approach this year, i.e. his top-level is higher than in the spring, I think he easily can win TdF with some fine luck. There's Froome and then there's Porte, Contador, Quintana and Valverde next in line, basically the only 5 who can win this year's Tour. There are question marks attached to all those 4 riders, actually 5 if you include Froome (there might not be in two weeks time...), so I think its up for grabs.

Just gotta stay upright which seems to be a tough ask, then he is in it.

 

[lenric]

Bardet has been crappy all year long, but if he finds his legs again (and he has another motivation this year with Pinot's Giro 4th place) he may be a considerable wild car.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Bardet has been crappy all year long, but if he finds his legs again (and he has another motivation this year with Pinot's Giro 4th place) he may be a considerable wild car.

I really don't think so. While Bardet is a nice and attacking rider, he doesn't (and never will) have the top-level that you need to win Tour de France in my book. And his TT is horrible.

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

Bardet has been crappy all year long, but if he finds his legs again (and he has another motivation this year with Pinot's Giro 4th place) he may be a considerable wild car.

I really don't think so. While Bardet is a nice and attacking rider, he doesn't (and never will) have the top-level that you need to win Tour de France in my book. And his TT is horrible.

Didn't say he could win. My point is that he may create havoc. The type of havoc that could screw some of the riders you referred, such as Valverde and Contador.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Bardet has been crappy all year long, but if he finds his legs again (and he has another motivation this year with Pinot's Giro 4th place) he may be a considerable wild car.

I really don't think so. While Bardet is a nice and attacking rider, he doesn't (and never will) have the top-level that you need to win Tour de France in my book. And his TT is horrible.

Didn't say he could win. My point is that he may create havoc. The type of havoc that could screw some of the riders you referred, such as Valverde and Contador.

Oh yeah, I misread your post then. I would be disappointed if he didn't, same with Chaves (altho I will wait and see how good he is in Dauphine first).

 

[DanielSong39]

Well, I suppose Contador is among the top handful of contenders. Here is how I see it:

Near-lock to win:
Chris Froome

Longshots:
Richie Porte
Nairo Quintana

Needs a miracle:
Alberto Contador
Alejandro Valverde
Romain Bardet

Might sneak into the top 3 with a great performance: (if they start)
Esteban Chaves
Simon Yates
Louis Meintjes
Rafal Majka
Primoz Roglic
... and a few more than I'm probably forgetting.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Bardet has been crappy all year long, but if he finds his legs again (and he has another motivation this year with Pinot's Giro 4th place) he may be a considerable wild car.

He wasn't that bad, except for that dreadful TT in Pais Vasco (Tour of Oman is not important). Paris-Nice should have tell us what his spring level was, but cars.

 

[Red Rick]

I honestly don't see why we should make rankings based on spring, and sometimes the last few years when the Dauphine starts in a few days. When Froome's back to strangling Dauphine's, I'll bet the metaphorical house.

 

[Hayabusa]

Re: Re:

Here's my wish list for Contador in this year's Tour:

- No crashes
- Stays in contention into the 3rd week, enough to give his fans (false) hope
- Blows the race apart with a daredevil move in the final week, resulting in a change of the likely winner of the race

If he finishes on the podium that would be a bonus.

I'd add a massive stage win.
Or just a stage win. At least I need to see that goddamn pistol shot one more time. It's like an addiction.

After 2015 Paris attacks he promised not to use the pistolero sign again in France

So he just has to win Stage 1 or 2 then