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Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

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DFA123 said:
Netserk said:
DFA123 said:
arvc40 said:
Poor show today. To many Ice Creams and no motivation.
It's like he didn't even touch his bike since the Tour finished - to be in such bad shape. Just spent the time doing interviews and preparing his farewell tour. It's sad to see, but hopefully he can ride himself into some form and do something memorable in the last few stages.
Huh?! Wasn't it a gutsy ride today by Alberto?
That was the opposite of gutsy. That was the ride of a guy who is mentally finished with the sport already. Never seen Contador looking so bad in a GT.
Really gutsy how he soldiered on. He showed how much of a champ he is. Such bravery. Much courage.
 
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Valv.Piti said:
When I thought Quintana hit rock bottom attacking on Croix de Fer and dropping 5 minutes later, being completely empty and desperate, Contador performed this number. Honestly a quite pathetic performance. After seeing this it makes me wonder if we quite frankly has overrated Contador the last couple of years since he probably is the GC-rider which peaks the absolute hardest in the spring and therefore is left more empty in the summertime. We have long thought his spring would reflect his GT-performances, but they haven't come close in 2016 and 2017.He said it wasn't the case this year, he said he would take it a bit easier compared to other years, but its painfully obvious now after seeing a rider Bardet or Froome performing like this in July and August compared to what they and Contador did in March and April. Theres a world of difference between how they have trained and have attacked the season. Contador guns blazing as usual, but his body can't cope with it anymore.

Obviously this isn't his real level, we all know that, but it makes one wonder.
It's quite clearly that recovery is breaking down. He starts well in PN, and only gets worse throughout the season. And I'm not even talking just recovery between race days, but inbetween races and over the course of a season as well.

I don't think Contador can train as hard as he used to anymore, and if he does he builds up too much fatigue. This means that he can be very good when he enters a race, but after that fatigue gets too much and instead of supercompensating he just breaks down. So when Contador says his numbers are high before the start of a race, that might actually be true. But it also means that he's very fatigued when he's entering a GT. That's not the way to go.

Another thing is that right now almost everyone seems to not peak in the spring anymore when they aim for GTs later on. Valverde is an obvious exeption. Perhaps it's more clear that you can't be great in the spring and in the GTs anymore, and if that's the case across the peloton, then it could be a clinic thing, though you do have men like Porte riding around too.

And I really disagree about this being pathetic. He's past it. I get it. We all get it. I don't find it disgraceful that he wants to ride one last Vuelta in order to say goodbye. He won 9 GTs damnit, least thing he deserved is to go out on his own terms.
 
Pathetic was quite a harsh word. I mean, like Quintana, its hard to watch when they perform so drastically worse than what we are used to see. They shouldn't do that but they do and it sucks.

Maybe you are right. But I see some similarities to how Quintana's season in 16 and 17, very good in the spring but has trouble turning it up when it really, really matters. Well Quintana won the Vuelta, but still.
 
I agree that it is a sad sight to see. I don't necessarily think you can't be great in one of the spring races, but you really need to manage well. Given what Quintana did on Blockhaus, I don't think he was that bad, and crashes may have pushed him over the edge fatigue-wise. In 2016 I think he was too good too early. I think he shouldn't have done Pais Vasco last year. IIRC he was a bit ill then too. That drains you and slight after effects may linger unnoticed until you burn yourself out. Burnout is not consistent with with winning the Vuelta though.

As for Contador. I think he's self sabotaged a bit by racing so much and so hard in the spring. I think he could've done better if he'd done less in the spring, but I don't think he would've won. He burnt himself out in the Tour, and it's possible he's not recovered enough to do something decent in the Vuelta. I hope that I'm wrong though. Your last race isn't a good place to join your first grupetto. Mountain breakaways are the only thing I can hope for. I hope the crowds go wild.
 
Nov 29, 2010
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Yea Contador's just getting tired by the long season I think, even though he is aging he isn't this slow on the climbs.

Looking at his results I see he hasn't done the Tour/Vuelta double either before and from when he did his Giro/Tour it seems he's a rider that really feels effects the in the next GT of 2 in a row and we see his level drop (like most riders though.) Maybe not the wisest to go out on something untested.
 
Anyway, first big climb of the GT so who knows, maybe his form will improve more than his rivals'. Either way, this doesn't surprise me, neither did his performance in the Tour. Last year should have been a reality check for everyone, but, quite (not) surprisingly, it wasn't.

Retiring with a performance like this doesn't obviously bode well for him (for his self-image, I mean), but I honestly hope he can somehow find the legs to drag his ass into top-10. Seeing this is the Vuelta, that may very well be likely, especially considering the long ITT later in the race.
 
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Valv.Piti said:
Pathetic was quite a harsh word. I mean, like Quintana, its hard to watch when they perform so drastically worse than what we are used to see. They shouldn't do that but they do and it sucks.

Maybe you are right. But I see some similarities to how Quintana's season in 16 and 17, very good in the spring but has trouble turning it up when it really, really matters. Well Quintana won the Vuelta, but still.
strange and irrelevant comparison by and large. Quintana didn't win the Vuelta at 34 after dominating grand tours for 8-9 years.
 
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lenric said:
Retiring with a performance like this doesn't obviously bode well for him (for his self-image, I mean), but I honestly hope he can somehow find the legs to drag his *** into top-10. Seeing this is the Vuelta, that may very well be likely, especially considering the long ITT later in the race.
I really don't think there's a difference between 12th or 9th.
A stage win would be much bigger than a top-10. I hope he realizes that. He needs to go out on a high note.
 
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LaFlorecita said:
lenric said:
Retiring with a performance like this doesn't obviously bode well for him (for his self-image, I mean), but I honestly hope he can somehow find the legs to drag his *** into top-10. Seeing this is the Vuelta, that may very well be likely, especially considering the long ITT later in the race.
I really don't think there's a difference between 12th or 9th.
A stage win would be much bigger than a top-10. I hope he realizes that. He needs to go out on a high note.

Both of those scenarios aren't mutually exclusive, fortunately.
 
Re: Re:

lenric said:
LaFlorecita said:
lenric said:
Retiring with a performance like this doesn't obviously bode well for him (for his self-image, I mean), but I honestly hope he can somehow find the legs to drag his *** into top-10. Seeing this is the Vuelta, that may very well be likely, especially considering the long ITT later in the race.
I really don't think there's a difference between 12th or 9th.
A stage win would be much bigger than a top-10. I hope he realizes that. He needs to go out on a high note.

Both of those scenarios aren't mutually exclusive, fortunately.
Possibly, but I think it's highly likely we'll see a repeat of the TDF, he'd have to be allowed to ride away or get into a break to win a stage. At least there are many opportunities.
 
wheresmybrakes said:
You don't know what you gonna get with him recently. He could be out of contention before they get to Spain! I'm hoping he has a good last GT and gets at least a podium, also to give his die hards something to enjoy during his last major race. Good luck to him.

At least he got to Spain. I don't see him finishing this race.
 
Aug 6, 2015
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Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Pathetic was quite a harsh word. I mean, like Quintana, its hard to watch when they perform so drastically worse than what we are used to see. They shouldn't do that but they do and it sucks.

Maybe you are right. But I see some similarities to how Quintana's season in 16 and 17, very good in the spring but has trouble turning it up when it really, really matters. Well Quintana won the Vuelta, but still.
But contador is a shadow of his golden years because he is old, meanwhile quintana should be in his "best years".
 
Re: Re:

LaFlorecita said:
lenric said:
Retiring with a performance like this doesn't obviously bode well for him (for his self-image, I mean), but I honestly hope he can somehow find the legs to drag his *** into top-10. Seeing this is the Vuelta, that may very well be likely, especially considering the long ITT later in the race.
I really don't think there's a difference between 12th or 9th.
A stage win would be much bigger than a top-10. I hope he realizes that. He needs to go out on a high note.

Agreed. At the Tour there would be, but placings aren't as prestigious at Vuelta
 
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Amazinmets87 said:
Jspear said:
The most recent CN article quotes him saying he has no idea why he was so weak. He hasn't felt that weak in a long time. Interesting. He will continue. There's so many opportunities...fingers crossed for a stage win.
I'm thinking it's a clinic issue

Don't bring that here. That's not the issue. He's been great after 2010. That's not his problem. His performances this year have been way worse than in previous years. From an athletic point of view he's simply older.
 
Shocked at the time loss for Contador. If he made his decision to retire during the Tour I wonder if the motivation is starting to take a hit as well ? Although you would think he would want a good finish in his home GT. Maybe just a bad day, he said he knew early in the stage it wasn't going to be happening. for him.
 
Aug 6, 2015
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Re: Re:

Amazinmets87 said:
Jspear said:
The most recent CN article quotes him saying he has no idea why he was so weak. He hasn't felt that weak in a long time. Interesting. He will continue. There's so many opportunities...fingers crossed for a stage win.
I'm thinking it's a clinic issue
It is just hilarious how I'm always banned for clinic stuff and this type of comments is allowed. (Now, don't ban me and him)
 
So Contador has finally ran out of gas, inspiration, desire who knows. The posters who still feel they need to post in this thread and make derisory
comments make me laugh. You really know *** all about cycling. Contador is simply THE best GT rider we have seen in the last 30 years, bar none.