Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Rambo1970]

Contador has dealt with Froome. He has his measure. The only guy he will be scared of come Tour time is Andy

But you know. Frome can ride against the watch. Schleck not so much. I think the Tour this year will be bloody

 

[gregrowlerson]

Froome performed well in the Vuelta coming off the Tour and will be a major threat to Contador this year. At this point in time we can't consider Andy to be as big a threat, but based on his past climbing he remains a contender, and has 5 months to get himself together.

 

[movingtarget]

Froome performed well in the Vuelta coming off the Tour and will be a major threat to Contador this year. At this point in time we can't consider Andy to be as big a threat, but based on his past climbing he remains a contender, and has 5 months to get himself together.

I don't think five months will be enough for Schleck. He has finished one race since last June. He has lost ground to riders like Froome and Nibali maybe even Rodriguez and Wiggins. It's too bad cause the route will suit him but I think he will be a better chance next year if he gets a suitable route but next year will probably go heavier on the TT kms again which goes against him. I would like to see him do well to make the race more interesting but I am not convinced. Pelvis injuries can take a while to recover from properly. The best chance he has is if something goes wrong in the preparation of the other top contenders like injuries or illness. Strangely he may ride better without having to worry about Frank, tactically speaking. I always thought the brother thing just confused their tactics.

 

[airstream]

Am i the only one in here who thinks Froome also had moments of weakness in the Tour?

No time loss - no weakness otherwise weakness can be seen in anything.

 

[Pandora]

Blind dreamers. He won't win the Tour and won't start inthe Vuelta.

Who? Andy?
I agree

 

[airstream]

He almost got dropped at one point at La Toussuire. According to you Contador must have been in the shape of his life when he didn't lose time on Plateau de Beille in 2011

I would consider that episode a weakness, if Froome had hardly kept up and come last. However later on Froome made a furious 2-3km pull and was ready to sprint to the finish line powerfully. Though, if La Toussuire inspires you in this regard, ok

I never expressed on Plateau de Beille this way. I said Contador was prepared well for that Tour, not perfectly, but quite well

 

[Miburo]

I would consider that episode a weakness, if Froome had hardly kept up and come last. However later on Froome made a furious 2-3km pull and was ready to sprint to the finish line powerfully. Though, if La Toussuire inspires you in this regard, ok

I never expressed on Plateau de Beille this way. I said Contador was prepared well for that Tour, not perfectly, but quite well

Yea losing time on the first day being forced to race differently and falling 3 times is 'quite well'...

Or are you talking about the preparation prior to the tour? Don't go there

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

I would consider that episode a weakness, if Froome had hardly kept up and come last. However later on Froome made a furious 2-3km pull and was ready to sprint to the finish line powerfully. Though, if La Toussuire inspires you in this regard, ok

I never expressed on Plateau de Beille this way. I said Contador was prepared well for that Tour, not perfectly, but quite well

Like Wiggins, Froome gained most of his time through the time trials. Ive been rewatching mountain stages in last years tour and neither was a great deal stronger than Nibali. Throughout the whole tour they managed to gain only around 20 - 30 seconds in the mountains on GC rivals. We've all seen Alberto taking 3-4 minutes in the mountains over the course of a grand tour. Furthermore we've seen Alberto utterly destroy Nibali time and time again in the mountains.

With a much smaller cushion in terms of TT's this year, why do you favour Froome so much?

 

[LaFlorecita]

No Ardennes for Alberto

 

[cineteq]

No Ardennes for Alberto

So does it mean Andy will ride more than Alberto this year?

 

[LaFlorecita]

So does it mean Andy will ride more than Alberto this year?

that's not that strange is it

 

[gruppeto993]

Like Wiggins, Froome gained most of his time through the time trials. Ive been rewatching mountain stages in last years tour and neither was a great deal stronger than Nibali. Throughout the whole tour they managed to gain only around 20 - 30 seconds in the mountains on GC rivals. We've all seen Alberto taking 3-4 minutes in the mountains over the course of a grand tour. Furthermore we've seen Alberto utterly destroy Nibali time and time again in the mountains.

With a much smaller cushion in terms of TT's this year, why do you favour Froome so much?

Very good observation. wiggins and froome had the same climbing prowess as nibali. They only gained time on their rivals during the TTs. Having seen how contador annihilated nibali in the giro, one can predict that he'll do the same to wiggins and froome. He can gain around 2-3minutes during a mountain stage but the british duo won't be able to gain that much time on contador in a time trial. On Andy, yes they can make up good time on him in a tt but contador is a decent TT rider himself.

 

[airstream]

Like Wiggins, Froome gained most of his time through the time trials. Ive been rewatching mountain stages in last years tour and neither was a great deal stronger than Nibali. Throughout the whole tour they managed to gain only around 20 - 30 seconds in the mountains on GC rivals. We've all seen Alberto taking 3-4 minutes in the mountains over the course of a grand tour. Furthermore we've seen Alberto utterly destroy Nibali time and time again in the mountains.

With a much smaller cushion in terms of TT's this year, why do you favour Froome so much?

If one equates Froome and Wiggins as climbers it is a jesture of desperate complacency.

What's the use to look into this situation this way, if Froome obviously worked for the team and never showed what he really could?

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

If one equates Froome and Wiggins as climbers it is a jesture of desperate complacency.

What's the use to look into this situation this way, if Froome obviously worked for the team and never showed what he really could?

Was he really working that much more than Wiggins? Yes he was directly in front of Wiggins most of the race but then had Porte and Rodgers et al in front of him.

I acknowledge that he was a better climber than Wiggins but you have implied before that the pace set on the climbs dictated that it was impossible to launch lasting attacks, and that is the formula that will keep Alberto and Andy at bay this year?

Froome faltered on La Toussuire and around the same time Pinot and a variety of other riders are flying off the front

 

[airstream]

Very good observation. wiggins and froome had the same climbing prowess as nibali. They only gained time on their rivals during the TTs. Having seen how contador annihilated nibali in the giro, one can predict that he'll do the same to wiggins and froome. He can gain around 2-3minutes during a mountain stage but the british duo won't be able to gain that much time on contador in a time trial. On Andy, yes they can make up good time on him in a tt but contador is a decent TT rider himself.

Following your scheme, I would just call Rodriguez #1 favorite, otherwise it doesnt work

 

[pedromartins]

Following your scheme, I would just call Rodriguez #1 favorite, otherwise it doesnt work

you just can't be without discussing all things alberto...

 

[airstream]

Was he really working that much more than Wiggins? Yes he was directly in front of Wiggins most of the race but then had Porte and Rodgers et al in front of him.

I acknowledge that he was a better climber than Wiggins but you have implied before that the pace set on the climbs dictated that it was impossible to launch lasting attacks, and that is the formula that will keep Alberto and Andy at bay this year?

Froome faltered on La Toussuire and around the same time Pinot and a variety of other riders are flying off the front

Wow, apparently we see different races or I see all the things differently.

It is a matter of necessity primarily. Why does one need to drop everyone on the climbs if one gained 2-3 minutes in TT and has one more in the bag? Do you seriously think one would attack in this situation?

I don't know it depends on how much Froome had in the tank while towing Wiggins. One can interpete this very differently. My opinion is he had a lot in his arsenal to surprise many people. But directors shouted to ride in a steady tempo and he had to obey.

Froome faltered on La Toussuire and around the same time Pinot and a variety of other riders are flying off the front

Poor tactics. It is like Contador and Rujano on Finestre if you like.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

Following your scheme, I would just call Rodriguez #1 favorite, otherwise it doesnt work

If Rodriguez could time trial as well as Wiggins, Froome and Alberto then that might be valid

But he can't.

 

[Ferminal]

All this talk makes it sound like 2007 Contador is returning.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

All this talk makes it sound like 2007 Contador is returning.

Contador 07, 09 or 11 would be fine ftw. Probably 10 as well

 

[LaFlorecita]

Source????

http://www.dhnet.be/sports/cyclisme...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

l'equipe is the source

 

[Ferminal]

Contador 07, 09 or 11 would be fine ftw. Probably 10 as well

Contador would have gone nowhere if Sky were on Etna.

 

[airstream]

I don't get why you guys fixed certain stationary places for riders in this improvised hierarchical stairway. Sorry, but measuring the guys by Nibali does not hold water IMO

 

[airstream]

Scarponi, the eventual number 2, couldn't follow the pace, every Sky rider but Wiggins and Froome would be smoked immediately

Hard to reason. A weak lead-out by Lampre entailed that attack. Sky train wouldn't obviously have let Contador attack so early. By the way, there are a lot of windy 4-5% sectors. For who it is more suitable?

 

[Publicus]

Contador would have gone nowhere if Sky were on Etna.

How do you come to this conclusion? In 2011 Porte rode for Contador at the Giro and was not much help. Froome was still somewhat an unknown quantity and Wiggins hadn't hired his swim coach (at least I don't think he had). I don't think Sky, in 2011, could have done anything to stop Contador on Etna (or any stage of the 2011 Giro).