Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[postmanhat]

I thought this team was going to be much stronger on paper. The fact that only one of them was able to ride with Alberto up the mountain today was a worrisome sign (especially when Sky had most of their team there).

Fingers crossed one or two of them will able to help him in a couple of months. They maybe able to relay off a few attacks to weaken the Sky train. Astana seem better paced to do it at the moment. It's hard to see an individual GC rider having a hope at the moment

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

he is way weaker now. that's why the pre-ban comparison don't make any sense.
this might be the plan i have no idea. now don't suddenly imagine that in le tour he will be dropped by kwiatkowski or santambroggio.

Agreed. The AC (and JRod for that mather) from the Vuelta was much better than this.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I guess age is really the problem then. He will only get worse. Oh well, he had 3 nice years.

 

[SeriousSam]

Contador fans are too pessimistic. He is still more likely to win the Tour than Froome though not by much.

 

[Netserk]

I guess age is really the problem then. He will only get worse. Oh well, he had 3 nice years.

'07, '09 and '10?

 

[Carols]

'07, '09 and '10?

he won 2 GTS in 2008 so that has to count

 

[Netserk]

he won 2 GTS in 2008 so that has to count

LaFlo logic says it's a wasted year, since he couldn't race the races he wanted to. If I understand her correctly.

 

[LaFlorecita]

LaFlo logic says it's a wasted year, since he couldn't race the races he wanted to. If I understand her correctly.

07 08 09, every year afterwards were taken away by the antidoping warlords. Pretty sad since things looked so promising in 2009.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador fans are too pessimistic. He is still more likely to win the Tour than Froome though not by much.

You serious Sam?

 

[Netserk]

07 08 09, every year afterwards were taken away by the antidoping warlords. Pretty sad since things looked so promising in 2009.

Okay. That clears it up.

 

[Cyivel]

I'm interested in seeing Froome vs Contador in a long time trial this year, it pretty much is going to impact on Alberto's tactics, if Froome can put a lot of time into him then he can't just decide to wait to the last km to attack as has been mooted by some (not that I want really to see him do that) but if he matches him then it does give him that option at least.

 

[Cavendash]

You have to presume Froome and Sky will be in tip top shape come July...

Contadors only chance is if the other teams with GC contenders all conspire together to disrupt Sky, sort of like what the 3 Spaniards did in the Vuelta last year, obviously that was on a smaller scale.

These lightweight random attacks wont win him the Tour thats for sure, Froome will own him in the TT to so they all need to come up with something, what?, who knows?.

For me we are seeing the normal Contador now which has basically put him back in the pack amongst the elite and not out on his own.

 

[LaFlorecita]

You have to presume Froome and Sky will be in tip top shape come July...

Contadors only chance is if the other teams with GC contenders all conspire together to disrupt Sky, sort of like what the 3 Spaniards did in the Vuelta last year, obviously that was on a smaller scale.

These lightweight random attacks wont win him the Tour thats for sure, Froome will own him in the TT to so they all need to come up with something, what?, who knows?.

For me we are seeing the normal Contador now which has basically put him back in the pack amongst the elite and not out on his own.

Yea, it's not like Alberto is one of the most talented cyclists ever so it's absolutely normal forr him to get beaten by half of team sky, Santambrogio, Kwiatkowski and Papy Horner

 

[Pentacycle]

Contadors only chance is if the other teams with GC contenders all conspire together to disrupt Sky, sort of like what the 3 Spaniards did in the Vuelta last year, obviously that was on a smaller scale.

Give me a break, Froome was simply dropped in the Vuelta. No conspiracy there or whatsoever. Just bad form, Sky failed there.

They know exactly how to win the Tour though. Contador's and in fact all the other contenders' chances depend solely on Sky's team strength.

 

[Cyivel]

I agree with pentacycle on the Vuelta but if Froome dominates the pre-tour races a la Wiggins and Porte wins P-N and Wiggins wins the Giro etc, then I would expect some opposition teams to be helping out each other, and I'd not have a single problem with it.

A few if's there mind.

 

[Angliru]

One of my favorite Berto interviews in English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KATucvlq9c

Surprisingly that is the first time I've seen that interview. I've read excerpts from online and in magazines. Thanks for posting that link!

 

[Carols]

07 08 09, every year afterwards were taken away by the antidoping warlords. Pretty sad since things looked so promising in 2009.

Geez I could have sworn I saw him win the Vuelta in 2012!

 

[DA_Man]

Hello! New here.

I think people are making a mountain out of a mole hole with Froome's early victories. Yes, he is a great champion but he is going to have to face another level of competition come July.

The TdF is an entirely different story.

 

[Carols]

Hello! New here.

I think people are making a mountain out of a mole hole with Froome's early victories. Yes, he is a great champion but he is going to have to face another level of competition come July.

The TdF is an entirely different story.

Welcome!!!

We shall see, but if isn't just Froome, it's all the Incredible Sky Domestiques escorting him..... Isolated Froome can be worked over. But how to isolate him????

 

[Dedelou]

This was a great stage no matter what...at least as a Tour preview. Contador messed up big time attacking from 6 km out, and again with 2 to go. He clearly lacked any tactical sense today. Like I said in another thread, Contador needs to stay behind the Sky train until the final few km's, and then go completely berserk. He did the exact opposite today. He's not far above anyone else, as if it was 2009, but this is reality. He needs to stop believing his fairytale self he once was, but he seems a little bit stuck there.

Time for AC to get serious and race more like Froome did today. Harsh for himself and his fans, but realistic.

will Froome lend him the "sky train" so he can ride like him? NO. Since that is not going to happen, best tactic is to keep pushing like he did today. Those are the very races to try such a tactics, and come July he could have the strength to actually stay away.

 

[gatete]

He should attack and attack and burn all those matches early in the season the worst that could happen is come July feeling cocky and find out then how strong the competition is. Now is the time to sacrifice a few race and don't blow the ones that really count.

 

[wwabbit]

You serious Sam?

He might be right, at least according to the bookmakers... http://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/tour-de-france/tour-de-france/winner

 

[DA_Man]

I still think you guys are giving Froome way too much credit. Yes, SKY are the new US Postal, but Froome is no Lance, and come July, with Bertie in full-frontal attack mode, along with many others, it'll be a different story.

I think Alberto is, above anything else, a smart rider, and is smart enough to spend the early part of the season taking mental notes as to who his potential enemies are, how to ride with them and what their weaknesses are.

Let's not forget that Alberto cracked big time at Paris-Nice 2009, only to come back in July and do what he did.

 

[gatete]

I still think you guys are giving Froome way too much credit. Yes, SKY are the new US Postal, but Froome is no Lance, and come July, with Bertie in full-frontal attack mode, along with many others, it'll be a different story.

I think Alberto is, above anything else, a smart rider, and is smart enough to spend the early part of the season taking mental notes as to who his potential enemies are, how to ride with them and what their weaknesses are.

Let's not forget that Alberto cracked big time at Paris-Nice 2009, only to come back in July and do what he did.

Oh yea I do remember Paris nice 09 and the infamous tweet " he has a lot to learn" just to crush everyone at the tour.

 

[airstream]

will Froome lend him the "sky train" so he can ride like him? NO. Since that is not going to happen, best tactic is to keep pushing like he did today. Those are the very races to try such a tactics, and come July he could have the strength to actually stay away.

Neither Contador nor God itself wouldn't neglect such team support as Froome has, it is 100%. It would have been just an ineffective use of team resource. He can ride like him? Sure. If Nibali and Santambrogiro can, all the more so Froome can do it too.