Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

wut? froomey seems like the nicest guy ever

Not to me.

So avatar bet or not?

 

[jens_attacks]

Not to me.

So avatar bet or not?

no, i'm a wuss at these things. plus i promised to myself that i'll keep the killer avatar until the counter-analyses come negative and danilo will prove his absolute innocence ...

 

[LaFlorecita]

no, i'm a wuss at these things. plus i promised to myself that i'll keep the killer avatar until the counter-analyses come negative and danilo will prove his absolute innocence ...

ok.

Anyone else?

 

[Taxus4a]

Of course he didn't move to Lugano because of taxes. Half his ****ing team lives there.

And why they live there?

Anyway for Alberto you probably are right, now he has not Navarro beside him, and Noval is less strong this year, as happend with Alberto, so he is not going to the Tour. He need try with his team mates... but anyway, that could be done without change residence.

 

[LaFlorecita]

And why they live there?

Anyway for Alberto you probably are right, now he has not Navarro beside him, and Noval is less strong this year, as happend with Alberto, so he is not going to the Tour. He need try with his team mates... but anyway, that could be done without change residence.

When you spend more time together that's easier.

 

[Taxus4a]

Alberto is just being nice. He is too nice. He is nice to everyone but just a few people are nice to him. Just look at this picture. Alberto is smiling and being nice and Froome is just like "please get this Spaniard out of my face".

Some riders who are nice to Alberto: Lulu and Samu Sanchez, Tommeke, and, well, that's abput it. Alberto should be less nice.

By the way, yes Froome will win easily. Avatar bet?

I have talked with Alberto sometimes... just one but see him talk close several times... he dont look at my eyes as very nice in the face to face feeling...nor bad as well...

I was once as press in the Vuelta a Castilla y León... I saw him screamed his staff just for something wrong in his shoes. I was surprised that day.

Froome is a nice guy, polite, clear, that is the important thing, good person and clear, nothing to hide.

But that is not always the important, some really nice guys as Rubiera are not reliable persons in the sport.

I like when people follow a cyclist and defend him, it is nice and it is the spirit of cycling, but IMO you are wrong with Alberto. His best quality for me is his competitive character, and that he is still living in a worker quarter in Pinto.

For the rest, I could not talk very well.

I have been in an environement when I have felt the opposite than you, overprotection with him and a lot of radical fans who made impossible to talk againt his figure, talking even about one of the best riders in History, and things like that, even the best time trialist of the moment...

Media and spanish federation with him.

You could find a lot of people to enjoy with Alberto.

I think his brother is a good and efficient person to be an amateur..., but Jacinto Vidarte... I would prefer keep my opinion with me...

There are some things in my country that I understand when we go out how other people look at us...

 

[movingtarget]

How this collective plot can look like? What captains can want to sacrifice their chances for other captains?

Of course it would not happen at the beginning of the race but if some team captains are already out of contention later in the race or if Froome had a problem I think it's possible for combinations to merge. It's happened in the past especially where riders from other teams are friends. They won't sacrifice their own chances but nobody will work with Sky and plenty will be happy to see them lose as they are such a dominant team.

 

[airstream]

Like Wiggins, Contador doesn't like people too much. He is not a social person and always feels a lot of discomfort when cameras are directed on him. In his soul he's still a bashful hick from Pinto.

 

[Angliru]

wut? froomey seems like the nicest guy ever

He seems a very humble person. Some confuse his determination to prove himself in the Tour as deservedly Sky's leader and his public responses to Wiggins's flip-fooling of his season goals as arrogant but I see it as a rider that was promised one thing by his team & by Wiggins, with only Froome keeping it real about what was agreed upon. Management in opinion handled the whole situation badly, fearful of stepping on Wiggins toes but offending Froome in the process.

 

[ILovecycling]

ok.

Anyone else?

Me
If I win, you will have a Alberto avatar with inscription 'Sorry Alberto' ,cos you dont believe he will win this Tour.Ok?

 

[Publicus]

Like Wiggins, Contador doesn't like people too much. He is not a social person and always feels a lot of discomfort when cameras are directed on him.

And you know this how??? You know him personally and have made this observation based on your personal observations of his interactions with others or are you pulling this out of your nether regions?

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

"Evolution" indeed, someone going from unable to ride alpe dhuez sub-50 minutes to tour winner by a ridiculous margin.

Thats a big ignorant, if you had a hunger knock you wouldnt be able to climb the Dom stairs, would you?

 

[movingtarget]

how do we know that he had at the time all the necessary preparation to go all-out, or if he even went all-out? there are way too many factors
i kind of like the jokes about froomey and remember that i was the first who hyped him to to the moon a magical spring or a magical grand tour can happen without having lots of talent, you just need an extremely big stock of magic. but chris is already in his third year of top class world cyclist. and you can't make it if you aren't a super engine and huge talent. and the peloton seems to agree with me.

and alberto too

but in no way, froome will win this easily i'm sure of it. andy and alberto will attack him non stop. even purito will harras him with his 400 meters attacks

Forget Andy he won't even be in a position to attack Froome. See where Andy is on GC at the end of the first week. As for Rodriguez, Froome won't care if Rodriguez makes up a few seconds at the end of stages, there are no time bonuses like the Vuelta and Rodriguez has to go against Froome in the TTs where Rodriguez will lose minutes. Rodriguez blew his best chance to win a GT in the Vuelta. He has no chance of winning the Tour. He would have to put decent time into Froome on every MTF and I don't think he can do that.

 

[airstream]

And you know this how??? You know him personally and have made this observation based on your personal observations of his interactions with others or are you pulling this out of your nether regions?

We share opinions there, don't we? By saying 'to love people' I mean human openness, desire to share positive emotions and be glad towards people. I'm sure Contador is not among people like that.

 

[Angliru]

Of course it would not happen at the beginning of the race but if some team captains are already out of contention later in the race or if Froome had a problem I think it's possible for combinations to merge. It's happened in the past especially where riders from other teams are friends. They won't sacrifice their own chances but nobody will work with Sky and plenty will be happy to see them lose as they are such a dominant team.

I especially see Movistar's not hesitating to stick it to Sky in any way they can after what happened to Valverde at last year's Vuelta while wearing the race leader's jersey.

 

[Publicus]

He seems a very humble person. Some confuse his determination to prove himself in the Tour as deservedly Sky's leader and his public responses to Wiggins's flip-fooling of his season goals as arrogant but I see it as a rider that was promised one thing by his team & by Wiggins, with only Froome keeping it real about what was agreed upon. Management in opinion handled the whole situation badly, fearful of stepping on Wiggins toes but offending Froome in the process.

He comes across as a VERY likable guy in interviews. He does, however, have a real mean streak on the bike (I mean that in a good way). Very formidable competitor. I hope teams have realized that the Froome Team Sky TdF team will NOT race like the Wiggins Team Sky TdF team. Froome won't race defensively. Even when he's leading . . . which may, in the end, be his undoing. But I do like his propensity to go for the kill.

Also [it is his thread after all]: contador seems like a great guy in person (watched him meeting fans before a group ride), who has a similar killer instinct on the bike but he's had DS who were able, for the most part (Hi Kloden ), his impulses to attack even when leading. I have the feeling his experiment with Riis' build plan (versus his previous approach) will yield some benefits in a few weeks. Judging from the Dauphine and Tour de Suisse, the TdF team should be strong. Strong enough to beat Sky remains to be seen, but I think it is possible (give me another couple of weeks before you ask me if it is PROBABLE )

 

[Publicus]

We share opinions there, don't we? By saying 'to love people' I mean human openness, desire to share positive emotions and be glad towards people. I'm sure Contador is not among people like that.

So you're just pulling it out of your nether-regions. Got it. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[Angliru]

We share opinions there, don't we? By saying 'to love people' I mean human openness, desire to share positive emotions and be glad towards people. I'm sure Contador is not among people like that.

You don't know him personally so you really can't be "sure" of that now can you?

 

[airstream]

You don't know him personally so you really can't be "sure" of that now can you?

abundant life experience allows me to judge about that.

 

[Angliru]

abundant life experience allows me to judge about that.

That explains Frank Schleck slipping under your character radar.

 

[Gregory]

I was once as press in the Vuelta a Castilla y León... I saw him screamed his staff just for something wrong in his shoes. I was surprised that day.

I find it quite possible that he is a nervous person, with a tendency to erupt, both on the bike and off the bike. It can have positive effects as it makes him more likely to attack, but negative ones as well.
Check for example his reaction to people running too close to him on Verbier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6jtYQftW88
(see 15:22)
Of course, their behavior was pretty irresponsible and wrong, but they seemed to be cheering for him and encouraging him.
Compare Nibali's behavior in similar situation (look from 2:55)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U--B2HbT1ic

To justify Contador's behavior, he was under a great duress at the time, because of unhealthy atmosphere at the team and pressure from Lance.

 

[Jelantik]

I find it quite possible that he is a nervous person, with a tendency to erupt, both on the bike and off the bike. It can have positive effects as it makes him more likely to attack, but negative ones as well.
Check for example his reaction to people running too close to him on Verbier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6jtYQftW88
(see 15:22)
Of course, their behavior was pretty irresponsible and wrong, but they seemed to be cheering for him and encouraging him.
Compare Nibali's behavior in similar situation (look from 2:55)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U--B2HbT1ic

To justify Contador's behavior, he was under a great duress at the time, because of unhealthy atmosphere at the team and pressure from Lance.

contador 2.0 is a lot mature and calm, I think. His past trouble probably has have shaped his outlook for his life moving forward. TST team has supported and sticked with him while he was in probation. For that, i think he felt very grateful. (Won't you?) The entire team of TST and the sponsors stood by on his side!!! Even saxo bank used contador image to advertise their brand. So he might not be erupting as easy as that anymore especially to the team staff member and teammate who have been there for him all a long. But again that's just my wanna be psychologist diagnosis

 

[Gregory]

contador 2.0 is a lot mature and calm, I think. His past trouble probably has have shaped his outlook for his life moving forward. TST team has supported and sticked with him while he was in probation. For that, i think he felt very grateful. (Won't you?) The entire team of TST and the sponsors stood by on his side!!! Even saxo bank used contador image to advertise their brand. So he might not be erupting as easy as that anymore especially to the team staff member and teammate who have been there for him all a long. But again that's just my wanna be psychologist diagnosis

Let's hope it's true...

 

[Jelantik]

Nobody sacrifice his chances, this is not everybody againts SKY, but it is true, that could be, one day Valverde attack, another Contador, another Purito, or maybe that in the same day.

It could happend but at the end everybody has his interest and even the plot could be with SKY if something is interested.

It is possible to see Nieve and Anton to help Contador, easier to help Froome, of course. We saw how Samu helped Contador, but, when the day was really hard, road put people in his place: Andy and Evans were the strongest.

we should see after they GC sorted out in ITT. If some of those contenders were far away from podium, they might just try to win a stage and at the end it will benefit Alberto. Evans isn't going to ally with anyone (I just don't see it). VDB is possible, but the question .. will he be strong enough? Purito and Valverde will depend how much they bleed in TT. Quintana, won't ally but he won't have problem to attack and follow Alberto. Mollema is probably an opportunist.

So far, it's really hard to call Froome the best climber. (well, what's the criteria anyway? hard to judge in the first place). But so far, his real skill somewhat masked by the strength of his team. If Dauphene and the rest of this year is the measure, so yes, he is the strongest by far. I hope there'll be a time when we can see mano a mano alone time in some 5-7km away of the GC contenders. So we can finally see how they rate against each other with all of them in their best form of their life. No buts, no ifs, no excuses.

As far as sky and controlling, I recall in one of froome's interview, that the sky mantra was about controlling as much as elements they can. Cycling is unpredictable, so If they can control as much as elements they can, they could control the outcome. That's what 'racing by number is for'. Controlling as much as you can to be able to have a more predictable outcome. So other team's job, are to disturb the control (not sure how they will be doing it with the speed of sky express that's barely make everyone under red zone). That's easier said than done. If everyone's shape is good enough to hang, and still have some left to sprint close to the finish line, then it's most likely, Froome will.. again like wiggins, winning it in ITT. Maybe this is the recipe of sky's winning formula? Forget mountain (just steady), then gain ridiculous time in ITT

 

[airstream]

I hope there'll be a time when we can see mano a mano alone time in some 5-7km away of the GC contenders.

Do you really think he can bump into serious problems?