Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Some one up thread said:

No matter how much he wants to win and be on form, he's no longer a factor.

Right,
like he wasn't a factor in preventing Dawg take the Vuelta.
Even a diminished Alberto can be
an unforeseen factor.
Hurray for that.

Damn right
And he is still one hell of a stylish rider

 

[Beech Mtn]

If Alberto can't win it, I want him to help Aru attack Sky.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

If Alberto can't win it, I want him to help Aru attack Sky.

I believe he would because he gets along really well with Aru - Berto was Aru's childhood idol but first let's see where Berto is at on the first rest day.

 

[rune1107]

Re: Re:

Some one up thread said:

No matter how much he wants to win and be on form, he's no longer a factor.

Right,
like he wasn't a factor in preventing Dawg take the Vuelta.
Even a diminished Alberto can be
an unforeseen factor.
Hurray for that.

Damn right
And he is still one hell of a stylish rider

It shouldn't come as a shock for me anymore, but jeeeeesus christ this thread sometimes bothers me. Look AC rode up to all of peoples expectations today and even a bit better than I personally expected. It's way to soon to start talking about him only playing a small role in this race, when he didn't drop more than 6 seconds today. Yes he didn't look like 2011 Giro/2014 Tour Contador, but it has been 3 years since he has reached that level. I think it is way too soon to throw this race in the bin. For me it looks better than it did yesterday, but perhaps that might be because my expectation were set realistically before the show began.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Some one up thread said:

No matter how much he wants to win and be on form, he's no longer a factor.

Right,
like he wasn't a factor in preventing Dawg take the Vuelta.
Even a diminished Alberto can be
an unforeseen factor.
Hurray for that.

Damn right
And he is still one hell of a stylish rider

It shouldn't come as a shock for me anymore, but jeeeeesus christ this thread sometimes bothers me. Look AC rode up to all of peoples expectations today and even a bit better than I personally expected. It's way to soon to start talking about him only playing a small role in this race, when he didn't drop more than 6 seconds today. Yes he didn't look like 2011 Giro/2014 Tour Contador, but it has been 3 years since he has reached that level. I think it is way too soon to throw this race in the bin. For me it looks better than it did yesterday, but perhaps that might be because my expectation were set realistically before the show began.

Very true. It was a par performance, arguably even slightly above par. But the ridiculous pre-race expectations from some fans that he was a genuine contender for the win, make it seem really disappointing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

For me a small loss (i. e. 6 seconds) is what I would have considered to be one of the more positive outcomes before the stage. But it isn't the time loss but rather the overall impression that's worrying me. He got dropped easily, managed to get back as the others slowed and then got easily blown away again. I'm afraid the harder mountain stages and larger climbs will be too much for him.

 

[TheYouyou7]

Re: Re:

Some one up thread said:

No matter how much he wants to win and be on form, he's no longer a factor.

Right,
like he wasn't a factor in preventing Dawg take the Vuelta.
Even a diminished Alberto can be
an unforeseen factor.
Hurray for that.

Damn right
And he is still one hell of a stylish rider

It shouldn't come as a shock for me anymore, but jeeeeesus christ this thread sometimes bothers me. Look AC rode up to all of peoples expectations today and even a bit better than I personally expected. It's way to soon to start talking about him only playing a small role in this race, when he didn't drop more than 6 seconds today. Yes he didn't look like 2011 Giro/2014 Tour Contador, but it has been 3 years since he has reached that level. I think it is way too soon to throw this race in the bin. For me it looks better than it did yesterday, but perhaps that might be because my expectation were set realistically before the show began.

Very true. It was a par performance, arguably even slightly above par. But the ridiculous pre-race expectations from some fans that he was a genuine contender for the win, make it seem really disappointing.

Of course all his fans wanted to believe him when he said that he had 2014 form

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

Contador rode smartly today, but isn't in 2014 shape. Had he been, he would have attacked with Aru and then Froome and Porte in person would have had to jump.

Aru has always made those bold attacks when he wins, taking advantage of his rivals frankly underestimating his potential, which may have been justified in the past, but now no longer. It will be interesting to see how Aru handles his new-found prowess, because he won't be given a leash at all from here on out. Not that he was given one today, because he simply was flying. And I said he would be, because I saw him win the Italian national championships after the Dauphine, where he was already very strong. Go Fabio! If only he were a better TTer, he could really stick it to Froome and Sky this time.

Sorry for the digression, but this does revolve around Contador, who must find it difficult to see a younger rider be able to light up a course the way he used to perform. It doesn't seem he is able to reach the level required any longer, though I wouldn't have thought, even at his age, considering his pedigree, he would not be able to still muster it with all out dedication. The only thing that can be hoped for Contador, is that he planned to reach peak form in the second and third weeks. But this is probably wishful thinking.

I can see a slightly better version then AC in Vuelta 2012 coming out on the other side which doesnt say much with a higher level here. What we saw today was just that far off.

 

[Melo]

Not quite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfMNDkoWjpc

now I'm sad. He wasn't even breathing

Alas those days are gone. No grimace, not even a deep breath, rides away.....

He is a Great Champion in decline, age brings all of them down. I am just happy to have seen the Legend that is Alberto Contador. You all can disagree but I've followed this sport for 50+ years and he is one of the Best to ever throw his leg over a bike in those 50 years.

Hopefully he has enough left to give us a show, if not his legacy is not diminished. His star has dimmed but the Glory of 2007-2015 will always be with us. I have it all on dvd .

In Contador's defense, he feels much better on a rainy, cold day than a hot day like it was today. But I agree, he's not on the same level like he was on 2014, but I think he'll surprise us as the days go on. I still hope he's gonna have a monster day this Tour.

 

[rune1107]

Re:

For me a small loss (i. e. 6 seconds) is what I would have considered to be one of the more positive outcomes before the stage. But it isn't the time loss but rather the overall impression that's worrying me. He got dropped easily, managed to get back as the others slowed and then got easily blown away again. I'm afraid the harder mountain stages and larger climbs will be too much for him.

Yeah but this is what I mean. What do you mean by too much for him? Unless you are still expecting him get on the same level as Froome or Aru, he still has great chance to fight it out with Yates, Bardet, Majka, Quintana etc. From my point of view, 95% of this thread are still dreaming of him miraculously reaching a shape he hasn't had in 3 years. If you can move past that phase of always expecting him to win, it is actually quite enjoyable to watch AC race, even in his declining years. If you continue to expect him to win the TDF, you will just carry on ruining your summers every year

 

[Valv.Piti]

Contador isn't a great source of information when it comes to his own form, everybody know that. He has led people to believe (some) too many times that he is better than he actually is... doesn't change the fact that some have unreasonably high expectations.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Objectively speaking if I was told Contador would lose 10 seconds to Martin and 6 to Porte in a 2km to go steep uphill charge I would usually think he'd done well. In the absence of Valverde, Martin is the gold standard for that sort of thing. I agree with those who say that it seemed like a worse performance than the clock shows.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Actually I wouldn't be surprised if his numbers in training were truly similar to 2014. It seems the miles leading up the the final showdown are just much harder on his legs these days. It would explain why his best performances in recent years have been in (M)TTs and it also makes me worried for the tougher mountain stages.

 

[perico]

Just watched the replay and have to say that Alberto's comeback was impressive as f---. That wasn't a letup by Porte and Froome. That was strength on Alberto's part and bodes well. They all looked on the limit.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Actually I wouldn't be surprised if his numbers in training were truly similar to 2014. It seems the miles leading up the the final showdown are just much harder on his legs these days. It would explain why his best performances in recent years have been in (M)TTs and it also makes me worried for the tougher mountain stages.

Thats a decent point - Contador has become a considerably worse rouleur since his glory days, so that might explain something. Still not everything, mind.

 

[bajbar]

Just watched the replay and have to say that Alberto's comeback was impressive as f---. That wasn't a letup by Porte and Froome. That was strength on Alberto's part and bodes well. They all looked on the limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbpM9ZLpnOM

Yep, it was a nice thing to see! From 0:20 to 0:50 in the video he closed a huge gap!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

For me a small loss (i. e. 6 seconds) is what I would have considered to be one of the more positive outcomes before the stage. But it isn't the time loss but rather the overall impression that's worrying me. He got dropped easily, managed to get back as the others slowed and then got easily blown away again. I'm afraid the harder mountain stages and larger climbs will be too much for him.

Yeah but this is what I mean. What do you mean by too much for him? Unless you are still expecting him get on the same level as Froome or Aru, he still has great chance to fight it out with Yates, Bardet, Majka, Quintana etc. From my point of view, 95% of this thread are still dreaming of him miraculously reaching a shape he hasn't had in 3 years. If you can move past that phase of always expecting him to win, it is actually quite enjoyable to watch AC race, even in his declining years. If you continue to expect him to win the TDF, you will just carry on ruining your summers every year

I didn't expect him to win but I hoped he could prove me wrong and battle it out with the best one last time. And don't worry about me carrying on ruining my summers every year because he won't be anywhere near the TDF ever again, fortunately and I can stop caring about this stupid borefest of a race. If it was up to me he'd have done the Giro-Vuelta double every year since 2013.
I do agree it's enjoyable to watch him drop out the back of the favorites group in the sense that it feels a bit like a tragic comedy. You know it's coming and you brace yourself and then when it happens you can't help but laugh.

 

[Netserk]

Re:

Objectively speaking if I was told Contador would lose 10 seconds to Martin and 6 to Porte in a 2km to go steep uphill charge I would usually think he'd done well. I agree with those who say that it seemed like a worse performance than the clock shows.

It was a cat. 1 climb, with a longer duration than Peille. Contador should outclimb Martin here.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Actually I wouldn't be surprised if his numbers in training were truly similar to 2014. It seems the miles leading up the the final showdown are just much harder on his legs these days. It would explain why his best performances in recent years have been in (M)TTs and it also makes me worried for the tougher mountain stages.

Thats a decent point - Contador has become a considerably worse rouleur since his glory days, so that might explain something. Still not everything, mind.

Also he's much worse at positioning these days. A lot more wasted energy sprinting out of corners and at roundabouts when you're way back in the bunch.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Just watched the replay and have to say that Alberto's comeback was impressive as f---. That wasn't a letup by Porte and Froome. That was strength on Alberto's part and bodes well. They all looked on the limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbpM9ZLpnOM

Yep, it was a nice thing to see! From 0:20 to 0:50 in the video he closed a huge gap!

he will not give up without a fight, that is certain

 

[Angliru]

Re:

Contador rode smartly today, but isn't in 2014 shape. Had he been, he would have attacked with Aru and then Froome and Porte in person would have had to jump.

Aru has always made those bold attacks when he wins, taking advantage of his rivals frankly underestimating his potential, which may have been justified in the past, but now no longer. It will be interesting to see how Aru handles his new-found prowess, because he won't be given a leash at all from here on out. Not that he was given one today, because he simply was flying. And I said he would be, because I saw him win the Italian national championships after the Dauphine, where he was already very strong. Go Fabio! If only he were a better TTer, he could really stick it to Froome and Sky this time.

Sorry for the digression, but this does revolve around Contador, who must find it difficult to see a younger rider be able to light up a course the way he used to perform. It doesn't seem he is able to reach the level required any longer, though I wouldn't have thought, even at his age, considering his pedigree, he would not be able to still muster it with all out dedication. The only thing that can be hoped for Contador, is that he planned to reach peak form in the second and third weeks. But this is probably wishful thinking.

10 years is a long time to be riding the wave of an athlete's elite level of performance. I would think that eventually it becomes harder and harder to maintain that same dedication to training and dietary discipline. Obviously he is still at an elite level in his discipline but the years take their toll on every man (and woman). Valverde is the exception to all of this and that may be because he simply loves riding his bike. I really doubt there is any period of more than a week (and I doubt that long) during the year where he isn't on his bike either training, tooling around, or riding with his "crew".

 

[Climber123]

He looked really strong, not sure why everyone is worried.

 

[Carols]

Not quite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfMNDkoWjpc

now I'm sad. He wasn't even breathing

Alas those days are gone. No grimace, not even a deep breath, rides away.....

He is a Great Champion in decline, age brings all of them down. I am just happy to have seen the Legend that is Alberto Contador. You all can disagree but I've followed this sport for 50+ years and he is one of the Best to ever throw his leg over a bike in those 50 years.

Hopefully he has enough left to give us a show, if not his legacy is not diminished. His star has dimmed but the Glory of 2007-2015 will always be with us. I have it all on dvd .

In Contador's defense, he feels much better on a rainy, cold day than a hot day like it was today. But I agree, he's not on the same level like he was on 2014, but I think he'll surprise us as the days go on. I still hope he's gonna have a monster day this Tour.

I do live in hope that flashes of that invincible, effortless monster of old will appear . I would have been happy with 20 seconds lost to Froome today and it was 6. But it was the way he looked...he was in the head tilt, his tell, with a long way to go. He came back nicely but as soon as he tried an attack he blew himself up. Not Good.... Also Froome, wasn't Froome so that 6 doesn't mean as much.

He'll still have a say in this race I believe, but doesn't look good enough to win. But he'll try something dramatic and hopefully give us a thrill Maybe race savvy and experience will make up for loss of power and explosiveness. We shall see. Vamos Berto!!!!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

He looked really strong, not sure why everyone is worried.

even he himself said he did not feel good, that is worrying

two positive notes - he limited his losses to just 6 seconds and he has seemingly learned how to pace himself

 

[Carols]

Just watched the replay and have to say that Alberto's comeback was impressive as f---. That wasn't a letup by Porte and Froome. That was strength on Alberto's part and bodes well. They all looked on the limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbpM9ZLpnOM

Yep, it was a nice thing to see! From 0:20 to 0:50 in the video he closed a huge gap!

he will not give up without a fight, that is certain

Oh I'll have to watch that again!