Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[gunara]

Re: Re:

And sneaky Valverde posting a picture of a struggling Contador in 2013 with him on the wheel (I think Ax-3-Domaines?) on Twitter, whereas Purito is posting a picture of 2012 Alberto on Fuente Dé. Yes, the stage where he himself was robbed of his first and only GT

That was a beautiful and touching gesture by Purito.

Thats Purito, such a warm person with a great personality.. the end of an era, only Valverde can stop that in 2018.

Purito, sweet Purito. Ah, I imagine I will enjoy cycling very differently when all three of them gone. My cycling knowledge from before their era was very thin, and I think I'll be soon too old to examine the details of younger generation, so these three are always my superstars.

As for Alberto's 'decision', I just noticed it a few minutes ago, can't say I was too surprised, but still, it's one of the biggest names of our time announcing retirement, and also the athlete that have my emotional attention the most in this planet, I have to swallow it first before really feel anything

 

[Jungle Cycle]

sad day indeed.. always entertaining and will leave cycling even more predictable and "pasteurized"...
hope some young star absorbs any of his talents but above all his all-in attitude...

 

[ferryman]

I'm just glad I was around to see the grand master. 9 Gts and countless moments in between. He beat my boy Schleck most of the time in the days but hey ho. Over to you Landa...

 

[Leinster]

Re:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/40848355

Awful comments here by people with clearly little knowledge of the sport and its past, and blindly nationalistic.

Adios campeon

2nd comment;

2. Posted by footyfan94 on
7 Aug 2017 13:19
Could, should and would have won many more if it were not for the drug cheat Lance Armstrong.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/40848355

Awful comments here by people with clearly little knowledge of the sport and its past, and blindly nationalistic.

Adios campeon

FFS :sad:

 

[movingtarget]

The first time I saw Contador was in the 2005 Tour Down Under. His first win after his brain operation. I also remember being impressed with the win and also the comments of Paul and Phil who were singing his praises and talking about Contador's ability and future in the sport.

 

[Carols]

I am touring in Scotland and just heard the news... it is good I am busy! congrats to grande Campeon, one of the very best I have witnessed in the last 50+ years! Long may his Legend live on to inspire new cyclists. He will be sorely missed

 

[mariposa]

Re:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/40848355

Awful comments here by people with clearly little knowledge of the sport and its past, and blindly nationalistic.

Adios campeon

One reason why I choose not to read comments sections in the mainstream press in the UK. Generally arrogant self righteous often homicidal idiots commenting on matters they know little or nothing about. To say nothing of the nationalistic blinkers worn by most of them. I suppose we should at least be grateful that there weren't the usual rants about cyclists on the UK roads , running red lights etc etc. Well I assume there weren't as I must admit I couldn't face reading them all.

Anyway I am very sad to see Alberto retiring. I count myself as being very fortunate and privileged to have seen him racing and winning many times. I will miss his style and panache. I have often thought that he was never really looked after well enough by the teams he has ridden for. For me he has for the most part been treated as a commodity rather than a person to be nurtured and supported. I wish him well for the future and will be cheering for him in Spain later in the month.

 

[arvc40]

Re:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/40848355

Awful comments here by people with clearly little knowledge of the sport and its past, and blindly nationalistic.

Adios campeon

That's the BBC for you.

 

[ad9898]

A sad day yesterday, as with all grand champions, time catches up. Contador's panache and style along with his phenomenal ability on a bike will be sorely missed. Two stages will always stand out for me, Indurain on La Plagne in '95 and Contador on Verbier in '09, different styles but both utterly devastating. Indurain with his immense 500+ watts for 30 mins and Contador's 7.1w/kg for 20 mins. It'll be a long time before we see talents like this again, I feel lucky to have seen them both

Chapeau Alberto !

 

[Lexman]

http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170808_03008439

Trek will be the first team on the startlist and so Contador will be honoured to wear the number one for his last race

 

[LaFlorecita]

That's a nice gesture

 

[rick james]

I am touring in Scotland and just heard the news... it is good I am busy! congrats to grande Campeon, one of the very best I have witnessed in the last 50+ years! Long may his Legend live on to inspire new cyclists. He will be sorely missed

Hope you're enjoying your tour, weather hasn't been the best for the start of August, where I live(Stirling) has been really busy with tourist

 

[DFA123]

Re:

http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170808_03008439

Trek will be the first team on the startlist and so Contador will be honoured to wear the number one for his last race

If the rumours of the rift with Trek are true, maybe they'll give the number one to Degenkolb instead. Hopefully they won't sink to Tinkov levels of pettiness though.

 

[Ariane]

There is a (mostly) nice run of Contador photos taken throughout his career on L'Equipe: There is a particularly appealing one of a little 10 yr old Bertie! https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Diaporama/Alberto-contador-le-roman-photo-du-pistolero/6276

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170808_03008439

Trek will be the first team on the startlist and so Contador will be honoured to wear the number one for his last race

If the rumours of the rift with Trek are true, maybe they'll give the number one to Degenkolb instead. Hopefully they won't sink to Tinkov levels of pettiness though.

Source?

Seems like it is purely speculation (wishful thinking) from your hand...

 

[perico]

Re: Re:

http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170808_03008439

Trek will be the first team on the startlist and so Contador will be honoured to wear the number one for his last race

If the rumours of the rift with Trek are true, maybe they'll give the number one to Degenkolb instead. Hopefully they won't sink to Tinkov levels of pettiness though.

Source?

Seems like it is purely speculation (wishful thinking) from your hand...

Like last year when the only clique at Tinkoff seemed to revolve around the boss, not the leader. Kreuziger had his feud, but he was the only one. Majka has praises Contador and the time he spent riding for him. Sagan has never belittled him. Juul Jensen loved riding for Contador, as did Rogers, Basso, and Nico Roche. Sean Yates stated that he loved directing Contador last year.

Tinkov was an idiot to think he could manage a team as well as Bjarn Riis, who most of the riders had signed their contract believing they would be riding for.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170808_03008439

Trek will be the first team on the startlist and so Contador will be honoured to wear the number one for his last race

If the rumours of the rift with Trek are true, maybe they'll give the number one to Degenkolb instead. Hopefully they won't sink to Tinkov levels of pettiness though.

Source?

Seems like it is purely speculation (wishful thinking) from your hand...

The source is Contador and his brother both saying/implying that signing a new contract was imminent and almost a sure thing. Followed by the very abrupt u-turn announcing his departure.

Read into it what you will, but not sure why it would be 'wishful thinking' on my behalf. That makes no sense at all (for a change ). Imo it is a shame if a breakdown in the relationship has resulted in a slightly earlier retirement.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't know about this being a rift between Trek and Contador. If that were the case, couldn't he have gotten a one year deal somewhere else. If it were really only about the Giro even a pro conti team would've been possible.

 

[contador_attacks]

Re: Re:

And sneaky Valverde posting a picture of a struggling Contador in 2013 with him on the wheel (I think Ax-3-Domaines?) on Twitter, whereas Purito is posting a picture of 2012 Alberto on Fuente Dé. Yes, the stage where he himself was robbed of his first and only GT

That was a beautiful and touching gesture by Purito.

Thats Purito, such a warm person with a great personality.. the end of an era, only Valverde can stop that in 2018.

Purito, sweet Purito. Ah, I imagine I will enjoy cycling very differently when all three of them gone. My cycling knowledge from before their era was very thin, and I think I'll be soon too old to examine the details of younger generation, so these three are always my superstars.

As for Alberto's 'decision', I just noticed it a few minutes ago, can't say I was too surprised, but still, it's one of the biggest names of our time announcing retirement, and also the athlete that have my emotional attention the most in this planet, I have to swallow it first before really feel anything

Boonen, Cancellara, Freire, Hushovd... We had the privilege to see these heroes in action.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

I don't know about this being a rift between Trek and Contador. If that were the case, couldn't he have gotten a one year deal somewhere else. If it were really only about the Giro even a pro conti team would've been possible.

Perhaps it's not a rift, but something has happened that has resulted in him apparently changing his mind in the last few days. Maybe he has been forced to go to the Vuelta against his wishes and thinks it would take too much out of him for next season. Or maybe he has sounded out other teams, and no-one was willing to pay his salary demands.

Whatever the reason, it seems a bit strange after all the signals that he was going to continue for another year.

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

I don't know about this being a rift between Trek and Contador. If that were the case, couldn't he have gotten a one year deal somewhere else. If it were really only about the Giro even a pro conti team would've been possible.

Perhaps it's not a rift, but something has happened that has resulted in him apparently changing his mind in the last few days. Maybe he has been forced to go to the Vuelta against his wishes and thinks it would take too much out of him for next season. Or maybe he has sounded out other teams, and no-one was willing to pay his salary demands.

Whatever the reason, it seems a bit strange after all the signals that he was going to continue for another year.

He's made a career sending signals that later on haven't matched the facts.

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

I don't know about this being a rift between Trek and Contador. If that were the case, couldn't he have gotten a one year deal somewhere else. If it were really only about the Giro even a pro conti team would've been possible.

Perhaps it's not a rift, but something has happened that has resulted in him apparently changing his mind in the last few days. Maybe he has been forced to go to the Vuelta against his wishes and thinks it would take too much out of him for next season. Or maybe he has sounded out other teams, and no-one was willing to pay his salary demands.

Whatever the reason, it seems a bit strange after all the signals that he was going to continue for another year.

Agree with this. The marginal benefit of Contador to Trek this season was likely lower than his marginal cost, which decreased the power of the spaniard to negotiate his schedule or whatever.
And since he hasn't found a team who would be willing to pay what he think he deserved, or didn't have the patience to have a hard time at negotiating (contrasting with some years ago), he decided to retire. Perfectly fine, he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, nor does he need the money.

Screw that anyway, maybe we'll have Contador: the cycling commentator.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I don't know about this being a rift between Trek and Contador. If that were the case, couldn't he have gotten a one year deal somewhere else. If it were really only about the Giro even a pro conti team would've been possible.

Perhaps it's not a rift, but something has happened that has resulted in him apparently changing his mind in the last few days. Maybe he has been forced to go to the Vuelta against his wishes and thinks it would take too much out of him for next season. Or maybe he has sounded out other teams, and no-one was willing to pay his salary demands.

Whatever the reason, it seems a bit strange after all the signals that he was going to continue for another year.

He's made a career sending signals that later on haven't matched the facts.

Yes, he has lied/misled a lot about various things through his career. But this is a bit different, it's not like the old adage of feigning weakness when your strong etc... It's difficult to see the motivations for lying (or at least misleading) about retiring; unless it was part of a game of brinkmanship with Trek or other potential employers.

 

[arvc40]

He is retiring because he cant win races anymore. I am sure he is well aware of the years that have passed since he did anything in the Tour. Crikey, even Froome was struggling to drop anyone in the mountains this year.