Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[DenisMenchov]

I figured 33 is the age of fall when VO2 max start to decrease. Contador is too young.

Well, I said that he is too young, Carrols is the one who's claiming the opposite

 

[Kender]

I don't blame you, you've reasons to hate on him but i just don't feel like doing it. It's still early in the tour, many things still can happen.

He looks like absolute **** right now, i realise that but yea i still have some hope. I won't be crushed when Froome wins it, it's only normal but i still think he can pull it off.

Besides I rather see Contador doing crazy stuff to win it than do absolutely nothing to try and win the tour that way. I didn't really like the tour 2010 although he won it.I really enjoyed the tour 2011 (last week) even though he lost it.

he didnt win it

 

[Kender]

I'm much younger then you are, but the Fall is inevitable. Almost no one leaves on his best, Federer, Schumacher, Ronaldinho, Jordan... Not to mention cyclists.

Funny thing is I hated the 2009 Tour Contador, he looked so inhuman, nothing around him was interesting for me. Then he was so dominant at 2011 Giro, i even liked him less. But in 2011 Tour he looked like human, he was getting dropped on mountain stages, but refused to give, that's where he got my sympathy, and eventually in 2012 Vuelta, he never looked the strongest, but won. So unlike many, I now support Contador, maybe even like him.

well he had just competed in the giro (cant say won, he was stripped) so was cooked for the tour

 

[Carols]

Well, I said that he is too young, Carrols is the one who's claiming the opposite

Only going by what I am seeing on the road. Yes he is still young, but he Burned Brightly at a young age, hence he has had the 6 years of peak performance generally granted to the best already.

2011 TdF he was still a major force, his showing was from Giro fatigue and injury. When he felt good he attacked and looked like Alberto of old.

2012 Vuelta he won on race savvy and tactics but the light of greatness was dimming. The acceleration was there but no stamina to hold it. I thought it was just race rust and his semi classic win bore that theory out to a degree.

2013 he has never shown any form of note, has been unable to find it and in this Tour has shown all the indicators of collapse The swift and hard collapse that the greats are prone to.

That doesn't mean he can't recover and become just a very good rider, garnering podiums and even wins in the right circumstances. Just that the burning light of greatness might no longer be there.

Geez I even selected him to be 2nd behind Froome on GC in the poll. Due to Hope. But his interview today put a wet blanket on hope

 

[hfer07]

A message to Contador & Riis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB2yqeD0Nus

 

[Afrank]

Blind optimism probably not the best idea on the eve of the tt. Yall be back to hitting the bottles in 15 hours.

Nah, just got to not emotionally invest yourself too much in hoping for a great performance. Besides, life's no fun when you expect failure and take a sad sack approach to racing. I've taken that approach to my own racing this year, and it sucks, no more though.

 

[LaFlorecita]

he didnt win it

He did win.

 

[LaFlorecita]

No seriously. If this isn't a work (i dont think it is, though i suppose it could be) then he either played all his fans for idiots this last year, talking himself up while knowing he wouldn't be good, OR, he really is an idiot. There are tests riders do before races. Riders who have won as many gts as Contador has knows what being in good form for a gt is. Contador knows this cos he has that climb he always does before a gt. Did he not do it this year or did he do it, see his time was minutes off his best but still thought he was going to win the Tour?

He is trying to keep hoping hitch! And you know that. Don't pretend you don't know that. Gee Hitch you're not a fair weather fan are you!

 

[nikohale]

I am very confident Alberto will find a way to crack Froome in the mountains, and crack him really big!

Also my advice is not to count him out from TTs as well. Maybe the good old Alberto will have a few surprises for you even today!

 

[Gugashwill]

He did win.

... A vacation.

 

[LaFlorecita]

... A vacation.

That also.

 

[The Hitch]

I am very confident Alberto will find a way to crack Froome in the mountains, and crack him really big!

Also my advice is not to count him out from TTs as well. Maybe the good old Alberto will have a few surprises for you even today!

Depends if losing time to valverde will count as a surprise

 

[LaFlorecita]

isn't his saddle too high

 

[infeXio]

Yes, they havent conducted any tests or tried out saddle heights in order to optimise his performance...

Or something like that

 

[King Boonen]

Yes, they havent conducted any tests or tried out saddle heights in order to optimise his performance...

Or something like that

Are they trying to one-up Sky in the stupid stakes after they said Froome hadn't been in a wind tunnel until this year?

 

[darwin553]

I'm expecting Contador to lose 2 mins on today's TT

 

[Taxus4a]

It can. I am 62, I've seen it happen to Hinault, LeMond, Indurain and Pantani. Read about it for Merckx; only had newsreels back then, he was done at 30. I did see Merckx in person when he was still riding though.

If they hang on grimly trying to recapture the magic it sometimes burns brightly again for a short time.

Lance was aided, he admitted everything up to his return in 2009. I don't believe his returned clean story.

Maybe I'm wrong; praying I am but it is like watching history repeat itself. The same history I've witnessed for decades; The fall of a Great Champion

Well, some people say that in spanish forums...

if Evans finished better this Tour, after made podium at Giro, what would you say?

There is a long time Evans losed Giro at Passo Coe...
Time han changed a lot... now Trek want with them fortys Voigt and Horner...

But anyway Contador is 30, Indurain was at his best in that age.
Even Valverde is older...

Has Contador rode more than Valverde or Evans??

Ou, well, if you win a Tour, is very different than if you do second, the people who win finish his career much earlier...



NO WAY IMO

 

[LaFlorecita]

Yes, they havent conducted any tests or tried out saddle heights in order to optimise his performance...

Or something like that

it's just a question. I mean look at the difference with Roman.

I've always been told it's not good to have your leg stretched completely at the lowest point.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Well, some people say that in spanish forums...

if Evans finished better this Tour, after made podium at Giro, what would you say?

There is a long time Evans losed Giro at Passo Coe...
Time han changed a lot... now Trek want with them fortys Voigt and Horner...

But anyway Contador is 30, Indurain was at his best in that age.
Even Valverde is older...

Has Contador rode more than Valverde or Evans??

Ou, well, if you win a Tour, is very different than if you do second, the people who win finish his career much earlier...



NO WAY IMO

You're like airstream. You'll never agree with anything a AC fan says.

The truth is, carol has a point and I'm sorry, I prefer to believe a 60 year old woman who's been saying this for a while now, who has seen multiple greats fail and fall, than a spanish bloke who defends chris froome and hates Alberto Contador and that's about it.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Frits van der Heide ‏@Fritsvdheide 2m
Coureurs aan t zweten en staff hangt maar wat rondt en eet ijs ! pic.twitter.com/2gQOXLWKp0

Hahahaha

 

[Taxus4a]

You're like airstream. You'll never agree with anything a AC fan says.

The truth is, carol has a point and I'm sorry, I prefer to believe a 60 year old woman who's been saying this for a while now, who has seen multiple greats fail and fall, than a spanish bloke who defends chris froome and hates Alberto Contador and that's about it.

I quote Carols,... and you didnt disscus my questions.
Focus the message, not the messeger.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I quote Carols,... and you didnt disscus my questions.
Focus the message, not the messeger.

Okay

Well, some people say that in spanish forums...

I don't care.

if Evans finished better this Tour, after made podium at Giro, what would you say?

That depends on where cadel finishes. If Alberto finishes top 10 and cadel finishes better, I'd say, well done cade;

There is a long time Evans losed Giro at Passo Coe...

I don't know what you mean

Time han changed a lot... now Trek want with them fortys Voigt and Horner...

yes. that doesn't tell us anything about Alberto.

But anyway Contador is 30, Indurain was at his best in that age.
Even Valverde is older...

Every cyclist is different as carol has been trying to tell us for ages now. The greats burn out faster so no use comparing him to valverde.

Has Contador rode more than Valverde or Evans??

No. That doesn't mean he can't be declining.

Ou, well, if you win a Tour, is very different than if you do second, the people who win finish his career much earlier...

That is not the point. The point is that Alberto is one of the greatest cyclists ever and Evans isn't. That's what carol's been trying to tell us. They come fast, burn very brightly and then all of a sudden the light switches off.

NO WAY IMO

Cool.

 

[Taxus4a]

Okay





Every cyclist is different as carol has been trying to tell us for ages now. The greats burn out faster so no use comparing him to valverde.

.

That has no sense. Every cyclist burn out depend his genetics and depend on what thay rode in his career or what intensity...
evans has been froom paso Coe in the fight of GT, but not only GTm as well classic and a lot of races, winning from February to Octover, Valverde the same...
I know that Alberto has won important things, that is a fact, Lance as well, but I dont Know if he is greater than Valverde or Evans

 

[LaFlorecita]

That has no sense. Every cyclist burn out depend his genetics and depend on what thay rode in his career or what intensity...
evans has been froom paso Coe in the fight of GT, but not only GTm as well classic and a lot of races, winning from February to Octover, Valverde the same...
I know that Alberto has won important things, that is a fact, Lance as well, but I dont Know if he is greater than Valverde or Evans

Then there is no use discussing this with you. Have a nice day.

 

[xrayvision]

You're like airstream. You'll never agree with anything a AC fan says.

The truth is, carol has a point and I'm sorry, I prefer to believe a 60 year old woman who's been saying this for a while now, who has seen multiple greats fail and fall, than a spanish bloke who defends chris froome and hates Alberto Contador and that's about it.

Flo you think you could avoid quoting him please? He´s in iggy land, for a reason.