Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[perico]

LOL Who let Tinkoff on the forum

 

[Ted Striker]

I thought he was a generally awful teammate and opponent, but there were few people more entertaining to watch than him. I thought his 2007 battle with Chicken Rasmussen was some of the best cycling ever and his 2011 Giro win was one of the most impressive wins ever.

Easy now, you can’t go about saying unfounded rumours about saint Bertie on this forum

 

[rzombie1988]

Awful teammate, why?

TDF 2009

 

[LaFlorecita]

TDF 2009

Him being a poor teammate (or maybe his teammates were the poor teammates instead?) in one race doesn't really seem to warrant the title 'generally awful teammate'.

 

[Carols]

TDF 2009

LA was the awful teammate! Contador was wearing the number ending in 1 and was the strongest.

 

[perico]

TDF 2009

Bwahahaha to his holiness who should’ve never come back and did nothing all season to dislodge Contador? That’s funny. He came back to a team who had the man who had won 3 GTs in a row. He didn’t deserve leadership that year. Lance split what was the no question that best team in the world.

 

[rzombie1988]

Bwahahaha to his holiness who should’ve never come back and did nothing all season to dislodge Contador? That’s funny. He came back to a team who had the man who had won 3 GTs in a row. He didn’t deserve leadership that year. Lance split what was the no question that best team in the world.

He also attacked and dropped Kloden for no real reason.

 

[perico]

He also attacked and dropped Kloden for no real reason.

He attacked. Your criticizing Alberto for attacking. That’s the whole point of Alberto Contador. He attacks when he feels like it. Kloden was riding support. It wasn’t Alberto’s responsibility to protect Kloden’s 4th place. It was his responsibility to win the Tour. Should Thomas have not attacked to protect Froome’s position in 2018? Should LeMond have not attacked to protect Hampsten’s 4th place? Should Ullrich have not attacked to protect Riis in 1997?

The problem is that you are looking at it from the American narrative which has always been shaped by Armstrong. Step back and look at it objectively. During Armstrong’s 7 Tours, did he ever not attack to protect his teammates? No he attacked because he was the leader. Astana had one GC leader. Not two. Not 3. One. Guys like Mick Rogers, Porte, Peter Sagan, Koen de Kort etc have all talked about how much they loved riding with Contador. Contador wasn’t the problem in 2009.

 

[Carols]

The problem is that you are looking at it from the American narrative which has always been shaped by Armstrong. Step back and look at it objectively. During Armstrong’s 7 Tours, did he ever not attack to protect his teammates? No he attacked because he was the leader. Astana had one GC leader. Not two. Not 3. One. Guys like Mick Rogers, Porte, Peter Sagan, Koen de Kort etc have all talked about how much they loved riding with Contador. Contador wasn’t the problem in 2009.

I'm American and I see it as anyone who doesn't have their nose up LAs butt does.

 

[lenric]

Might be wrong, but I remember Contador helping Sagan gain points for the green jersey.
I don't rate Velasco as an awful team mate and comparing him to Armstrong, who was much more bossy and bully towards his team mates, is laughable.

 

[gregrowlerson]

He attacked. Your criticizing Alberto for attacking. That’s the whole point of Alberto Contador. He attacks when he feels like it. Kloden was riding support. It wasn’t Alberto’s responsibility to protect Kloden’s 4th place. It was his responsibility to win the Tour. Should Thomas have not attacked to protect Froome’s position in 2018? Should LeMond have not attacked to protect Hampsten’s 4th place? Should Ullrich have not attacked to protect Riis in 1997?

The problem is that you are looking at it from the American narrative which has always been shaped by Armstrong. Step back and look at it objectively. During Armstrong’s 7 Tours, did he ever not attack to protect his teammates? No he attacked because he was the leader. Astana had one GC leader. Not two. Not 3. One. Guys like Mick Rogers, Porte, Peter Sagan, Koen de Kort etc have all talked about how much they loved riding with Contador. Contador wasn’t the problem in 2009.

Love this post.

Even though I love Kloden.

 

[perico]

Love this post.

Even though I love Kloden.

I loved Kloden too. It just wasn’t Bertie’s responsibility to babysit Kloden’s 4th place.

 

[Red Rick]

I loved Kloden too. It just wasn’t Bertie’s responsibility to babysit Kloden’s 4th place.

Armstrong should thank him for that podium place

 

[perico]

Armstrong should thank him for that podium place

Yup

 

[Cookster15]

Alberto tweeted support for Richie Porte before today's TT (below is the quote). I know some say Porte wasn't great support for Contador during their time as teammates but AC himself doesn't seem to agree based upon this.

My friend, tomorrow you have a great opportunity, FULL GAS!!!

 

[SHAD0W93]

I loved Kloden too. It just wasn’t Bertie’s responsibility to babysit Kloden’s 4th place.

Hey! That 4th could have been 3rd!
But the point is mute. After seeing Klöden was dropped he stopped working. If the Schlecks attacked or upped the pace he was leaving. And Contador and Klöden were talking to the other.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Alberto tweeted support for Richie Porte before today's TT (below is the quote). I know some say Porte wasn't great support for Contador during their time as teammates but AC himself doesn't seem to agree based upon this.

I've seen them interact on social media several times this TdF I guess it kinda disproves the comment further upthread that Alberto was a "generally awful teammate". I don't think him and Porte seemed particularly close during their time on Saxo together yet they seem to be on good terms still.

 

[Red Rick]

I've seen them interact on social media several times this TdF I guess it kinda disproves the comment further upthread that Alberto was a "generally awful teammate". I don't think him and Porte seemed particularly close during their time on Saxo together yet they seem to be on good terms still.

Literally the only one he's publicly on bad terms with is Lance frigging Armstrong.

If that's not a badge of honor I don't know what is

 

[Leinster]

Literally the only one he's publicly on bad terms with is Lance frigging Armstrong.

If that's not a badge of honor I don't know what is

When Bertie was ploughing through backmarkers up the Mortirolo chasing Astana in 2015, with his own team long distanced, he found many friendly wheels to sit on for varying lengths of time.

 

[perico]

When Bertie was ploughing through backmarkers up the Mortirolo chasing Astana in 2015, with his own team long distanced, he found many friendly wheels to sit on for varying lengths of time.

Yep specifically remember Igor Anton giving him a wheel.
There was also his final ride up the Angliru. Both Yates, Bardet, and of Enric and Marc Soler all led him out.

 

[houtdffan]

LOL Who let Tinkoff on the forum

maybe it's Lance instead

 

[Carols]

maybe it's Lance instead

Yeah he's a big enough As^&&e to do that!

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Two things: 1) I’ve even seen Contador and Lances best bud/ co-host George Hincapie interacting on social media and George has not taken part when Lance has gone off on his podcast about Contador, as far as I’m aware; 2) Lance will sometimes mention things he saw on the internet (picture of Roglic and Bernal from 2016 Tour of Slovenia, for example) that we’re posted on here; I’m sure all of this is posted elsewhere, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if he’s a reader or even a poster.

 

[perico]

I was reading Vaughters book this weekend and came across this nugget about Contador. I had heard similar stories about Alberto’s pretty stunning natural ability, but this Vaughters has seen Contador’s blood values in 2009. Here is what he said:

“I know that some people thought that there were potential doping issues around Alberto, and, obviously, he did later test positive for clenbuterol. So why was I interested in him? Well, because I believed—and still do—Alberto to be the most talented GC rider of his generation. I believed he could win a Grand Tour clean, and that the stricter the anti-doping controls became, the more he would win due to his physiological superiority. I drew that conclusion from a few points of reference.

One was Iñigo San Millán, who had tested Alberto at a very young age. Iñigo said it was the most remarkable and eye-opening physiological test he’d ever conducted. Iñigo had conducted a lot of tests, on both clean and dirty riders.

Alberto gave us no cause to worry. He released all his blood values and his biological passport to us and our doctors. They reviewed them and said there was nothing remarkable to be seen in the blood tests, which, in light of how well Alberto was riding in 2008 and 2009, is really a statement. The 2007 season was pre–biological passport, so 2008 was as far back as we could review.

Anyway, clean rider versus clean rider, Contador wins. That’s why I liked him.”

Excerpt From
One-Way Ticket
Jonathan Vaughters

‎One-Way Ticket

‎Sports & Outdoors · 2019

books.apple.com

This material may be protected
[/QUOTE]

 

[LaFlorecita]

I was reading Vaughters book this weekend and came across this nugget about Contador. I had heard similar stories about Alberto’s pretty stunning natural ability, but this Vaughters has seen Contador’s blood values in 2009. Here is what he said:


Excerpt From
One-Way Ticket
Jonathan Vaughters

‎One-Way Ticket

‎Sports & Outdoors · 2019

books.apple.com

Yeah, I remember similar comments from San Millan surfaced quite a few years ago. I think it was something about him producing very little lactate even during big efforts. I wonder how his test values compare to Pogacar's, as San Millan stated Pogacar scored highly on recovery values compared to some other very successful riders.