Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Climber123]

Re: Re:

Yeah like last years Dauphne, great TT but took a few climbing stages to show form.

That was a MTT though, Wednesday's is pan flat. Big difference.

True, but the point is that race rhythm shouldn't factor in solo time trial efforts, regardless of parcours. As a runner at an admittedly much lower level I can testify to that, great time trial in training but takes me a few tune-up races to find my groove.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Contador should lose more than 1 sec/km if Froome isn't off-shape in which case it will be a very open TdF

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Contador should lose more than 1 sec/km if Froome isn't off-shape in which case it will be a very open TdF

It will be an open TDF if Froome isn't off-shape and Contador loses more than 1s/km

 

[LaFlorecita]

I think 35-40s is acceptable, actually. Then he would be able to limit his loses to under 30 in the TDF final ITT.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Contador should lose more than 1 sec/km if Froome isn't off-shape in which case it will be a very open TdF

It will be an open TDF if Froome isn't off-shape and Contador loses more than 1s/km

If Froome is off-shape obviously.

 

[dacooley]

Re:

Contador even with one leg, is capable of winning MTT. Last year he won the prologue in dauphine but he was in average shape. If he was in monster shape, he would put 30 seconds on froome

yeah, and would have put at the very least 1'30'' into Alaphilippe in the MTT on Paris-Nice when on form. Easily.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

Contador even with one leg, is capable of winning MTT. Last year he won the prologue in dauphine but he was in average shape. If he was in monster shape, he would put 30 seconds on froome

yeah, and would have put at the very least 1'30'' into Alaphilippe in the MTT on Paris-Nice when on form. Easily.

do you know what is a MTT?

 

[silvergrenade]

Re: Re:

Contador should lose more than 1 sec/km if Froome isn't off-shape in which case it will be a very open TdF

It will be an open TDF if Froome isn't off-shape and Contador loses more than 1s/km

If Froome is off-shape obviously.

When has Froome ever messed up his prep for the Dauphine and the Tour?
The greatest asset he has is the ability to peak when he wants.

Ofc, he might be *** in this Dauphine though. :razz:

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

Contador even with one leg, is capable of winning MTT. Last year he won the prologue in dauphine but he was in average shape. If he was in monster shape, he would put 30 seconds on froome

In this forum, he doesn't even need legs.
LOL.

 

[HelloDolly]

Saw Contador on ITV4 , being interviewed by Daniel Friebe and I got to say he looks good...better than I have seen him in awhile...I thought in 2015 and 2016 at this time he looked worn out ...this time I thought he looked very fresh , slim but in a strong way ...
Said he would follow wheels and see at the Dauphine...not really wanting the yellow jersey as he has not got the team to defend it ...more interested in staying safe and building for the Tour ....maybe he has learnt to bide his time

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Contador even with one leg, is capable of winning MTT. Last year he won the prologue in dauphine but he was in average shape. If he was in monster shape, he would put 30 seconds on froome

yeah, and would have put at the very least 1'30'' into Alaphilippe in the MTT on Paris-Nice when on form. Easily.

do you know what is a MTT?

not quite sure, but i'm obviously well aware what the hype is. take it easy no one wins time trials with one leg, that's just a typical fan exagerration. and yet, bertie was in pretty good shape in last year's dauphine, the stage win speaks for itself, but he finally didnt manage to maintain it on the stage to vaujany. that's sort of things which sometimes happen even when on solid form.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re:

I think 35-40s is acceptable, actually. Then he would be able to limit his loses to under 30 in the TDF final ITT.

Probably depends on Contador's current form versus Froomey's. They say Dawg is carrying more extra fat than Berto here..

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

I think 35-40s is acceptable, actually. Then he would be able to limit his loses to under 30 in the TDF final ITT.

Probably depends on Contador's current form versus Froomey's. They say Dawg is carrying more extra fat than Berto here..

Yes, of course, if Froome underperforms, Berto shouldn't lose 30s.
Who are "they"?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Saw Contador on ITV4 , being interviewed by Daniel Friebe and I got to say he looks good...better than I have seen him in awhile...I thought in 2015 and 2016 at this time he looked worn out ...this time I thought he looked very fresh , slim but in a strong way ...
Said he would follow wheels and see at the Dauphine...not really wanting the yellow jersey as he has not got the team to defend it ...more interested in staying safe and building for the Tour ....maybe he has learnt to bide his time

I did not see the interview but I trust you're right I think it also helps that he no longer has the pressure from Unkle Oleg on his shoulders, he puts enough pressure on himself, he doesn't need help with that from anyone in the team.

 

[Matteo.]

First he needs to get healthy. At least once in his life.
Then we will see what the road will say: I think the podium is a realistic goal but with the concrete chance of fighting for victory.
This season he did not seem so great but always extra-solid, always fighting with the best.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

Contador even with one leg, is capable of winning MTT. Last year he won the prologue in dauphine but he was in average shape. If he was in monster shape, he would put 30 seconds on froome

yeah, and would have put at the very least 1'30'' into Alaphilippe in the MTT on Paris-Nice when on form. Easily.

do you know what is a MTT?

not quite sure, but i'm obviously well aware what the hype is. take it easy no one wins time trials with one leg, that's just a typical fan exagerration. and yet, bertie was in pretty good shape in last year's dauphine, the stage win speaks for itself, but he finally didnt manage to maintain it on the stage to vaujany. that's sort of things which sometimes happen even when on solid form.

Of course I was exaggerating... he can't pedal with one leg. I used this expression only to show how superior is his "MTT ability"

 

[LaFlorecita]

Irizar did some great work today. He must be in the TDF team

 

[portugal11]

Contador "just" has to be safe in stages 2,3 and 4. If he doesn't crash in these stages, he will be fine. After PDBF, the peloton will be a lot more relaxed

 

[TheYouyou7]

Re:

Contador "just" has to be safe in stages 2,3 and 4. If he doesn't crash in these stages, he will be fine. After PDBF, the peloton will be a lot more relaxed

True and on stage 5 too, the first part is almost pan flat

 

[Pennino]

Re: Re:

Contador "just" has to be safe in stages 2,3 and 4. If he doesn't crash in these stages, he will be fine. After PDBF, the peloton will be a lot more relaxed

True and on stage 5 too, the first part is almost pan flat

True, they're gonna be crazy in order to begin the climb on first row.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

Contador "just" has to be safe in stages 2,3 and 4. If he doesn't crash in these stages, he will be fine. After PDBF, the peloton will be a lot more relaxed

True and on stage 5 too, the first part is almost pan flat

True, they're gonna be crazy in order to begin the climb on first row.

There are little hills when they approach PDBF (it isn't pan flat

 

[bajbar]

Stage 2 in the Tour is a classic sprint stage, stage 3 has a 1.5 km steep climb at the end so the positioning will be a big thing there as well. And stage 4 is said to have a big cross-wind potential apparently. And of course, the run in to PDBF will be frantic, since the group will still be very big (look at 2012 for example). After that, the level of danger should be a bit lower. But you are never safe in the Tour... He managed to survive all the tricky stages (including the cobbles) in 2014 without a single crash. And we all know what happened in the middle of a mountin stage...

 

[Pennino]

Re:

Stage 2 in the Tour is a classic sprint stage, stage 3 has a 1.5 km steep climb at the end so the positioning will be a big thing there as well. And stage 4 is said to have a big cross-wind potential apparently. And of course, the run in to PDBF will be frantic, since the group will still be very big (look at 2012 for example). After that, the level of danger should be a bit lower. But you are never safe in the Tour... He managed to survive all the tricky stages (including the cobbles) in 2014 without a single crash. And we all know what happened in the middle of a mountin stage...

True. I absolutely hate this. It's part of racing having a bit of that tense whether your favorite will stay safe or not, but Berto is a bit exaggerating it.

 

[LaFlorecita]

"Tomorrow morning I will go and see the parcours, to see if it's good for me or not," continued Contador. "But I will ride the time trial with no pressure. Of course, I will give it my all, but my focus is preparing for the Tour and in that way I will race to not jeopardize anything.

"I think Froome is very strong, he worked hard after Romandie and for him this is a very important race. For sure Richie (Porte) will also be strong, because he was already in a good level in Romandie, but also Valverde will be there, and other riders.

"I don’t see tomorrow as an indicator for the Tour's time trials. They are the first day, which is an explosive one, and the second-to-last day in Marseille, so they are at different times and hard to compare. Also, I think the legs I have now and the legs I will have at the Tour will not be the same – I will have better legs at the Tour."

"In the Dauphine in the past, I don't know why exactly, but always in the time trials I have lost a lot of time," added Contador. "Tomorrow we will see what can happen. For the moment I am okay, I am working well, and the team is very concentrated. I am happy."

 

[bajbar]

It is interesting. Froome saying that the TT tomorrow will be simmilar to the two in the Tour and that the results will be a real indicator, while Contador seem to think the exact oposite. Just hoping not to see a repeat of 2013 TT... that was terrible... Porte catching Contador and all... Well, it can't happen this year. It will be more like Contador catching Vuillermoz. That should be fun