Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Can you translate it into English for us?

There is no google translate in ausland?

 

[Carols]

After emotions abated and with as unbiased reflection as possible the conclusion is that Berto is in decline I've seen no hint of the 2007-2011 Alberto.

He isn't even at 2012 Vuelta level. He hasn't made a single attack this race; because he cannot; it would be suicide the way he is looking on the climbs. Tinkov should stop putting pressure on him!!!! Riis shouldn't be putting pressure on him!!! I'm sure he is putting enough pressure on himself.

Maybe he will really peak in week 3 and find good enough form to attack from way out, maybe he can sustain a Fuentes De type attack. Actually Berto has looked better in the 2 TTs than on any climb so far!!!

He needs to find Legs If he does it will be fireworks!!!!! His team is strong and should be able to give him the opportunity. If no form comes, he has a realistic shot at taking 2nd and that would be a very positive result considering his lack of form this entire season. But he'd more likely roll the dice and go for it all LOL! And that is why I love him; that attitude. Now he just needs the legs!

 

[Pentacycle]

That explains these moves on A3D, which I found very odd at the time.

Contador was really ****ed at Valverde for sitting in his wheel, tries to lure him into closing that gap but ends up doing it himself.

 

[Angliru]

http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/5598/Sportco...alverde-hebben-een-grafhekel-aan-elkaar.dhtml

I did not believe in this info... that valverde and ac dislike each other... in the dauphine some years ago, AC did help Valverde against Evans...

And the reason that Thijs said that valverde dislike contador is because of what happened in last year vuelta... I remember that vavlerde was sad with sky, not with Alberto...

And it is normal to Valverde be enthusiastic with the time that he is ahead of contador.. it is the first time that this happen in a GT!

I agree. I can't see how or where their relationship may have soured over time. I recall during 2008 at the Vuelta them sharing a laugh at a service station during the final stage. I follow both riders fairly closely and I'm certain that if there was truly any bad blood between them that I'd have heard about it. I don't believe it exists. Especially not based on anything that happened in last year's Vuelta. I can understand Valverde being disappointed in how his chance to win was essentially ended by Sky's unsportsman like decision to continue with their aggressions when the ride leader was down.

 

[The Hitch]

See I don't think it is as simple as you put it to be. People like an under-dog to which Contador is one now.

Despite this, I still regard people who attack Froome but follow Contador as hypocrites for following him considering his past.

I thought your iq was low before but now im beggining to think it must be some sort of record.

Theres more to cycling than doping. People can like who they want for whatever reasons they want thank you very much mr Taliban.

 

[Publicus]

(snip).

Yet again you project too much. How i feel about the two, as athletes, has nothing to do with the other. I dont dislike Froome because I like Contador or vice versa. As for Froome's performance, all I can say is it looks other worldly--especially in light of his prior talent levels.

 

[spalco]

There is no google translate in ausland?

Google translate dutch to english is really good actually, but sometimes funny. Is "flying banana" some kind of idiom in dutch?

And man, Valverde is good at keeping a grudge apparently. Or maybe he was envious of Contador's success in the years before that Vuelta already, with him getting in his mind unfairly punished and Contador riding to his greatest triumphs and even returning to his winning ways after the ban.

 

[The Hitch]

Tinkoff seems very [ I don't know how to say it in English] épatage only on twitter. In Eurosport interviews he's quite reserved and says he realizes how it is difficult and too competitive to win the Tour.

This is the guy who when he bought his own team a few years ago registered himself as a rider and rode as a domestique in some of the smaller races.

that is the coolest thing anyone has ever done in cycling. The guy is clearly a wildcard

 

[The Hitch]

http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/5598/Sportco...alverde-hebben-een-grafhekel-aan-elkaar.dhtml

I did not believe in this info... that valverde and ac dislike each other... in the dauphine some years ago, AC did help Valverde against Evans...

And the reason that Thijs said that valverde dislike contador is because of what happened in last year vuelta... I remember that vavlerde was sad with sky, not with Alberto...

And it is normal to Valverde be enthusiastic with the time that he is ahead of contador.. it is the first time that this happen in a GT!

Valverde did say 2 years ago that he would love to ride as a domestique for Contador in a TDF so that he could be on a tdf winning team.

But we have no idea what their personal relationship is like and there are plenty of reasons why it might have soured.

 

[Carols]

http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/5598/Sportco...alverde-hebben-een-grafhekel-aan-elkaar.dhtml

I did not believe in this info... that valverde and ac dislike each other... in the dauphine some years ago, AC did help Valverde against Evans...

And the reason that Thijs said that valverde dislike contador is because of what happened in last year vuelta... I remember that vavlerde was sad with sky, not with Alberto...

And it is normal to Valverde be enthusiastic with the time that he is ahead of contador.. it is the first time that this happen in a GT!

Wow that is an incredibly strongly worded article. Does this guy have an insider with Movistar? Has Valverde ever spoken in public like this? Is this a news or gossip column?

Sky is the one that caused Valverde to crash and lose the jersey. I don't remember Saxo working on the front, Katusha backed off when they heard he was down. Berto and Froome did have a little adventure off the front much later. Was Valverde still in hard chase mode then or had he spit the bit?

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Google translate dutch to english is really good actually, but sometimes funny. Is "flying banana" some kind of idiom in dutch?

Nope no idiom as far as I know, he just randomly calls Froome a flying banana. The sentence really means 'That a flying banana from Kenya was busy deciding the Tour, was apparently of secondary importance'.

 

[roundabout]

Valverde was about to catch the group

 

[Leadbelly]

Sky is the one that caused Valverde to crash and lose the jersey. I don't remember Saxo working on the front, Katusha backed off when they heard he was down. Berto and Froome did have a little adventure off the front much later. Was Valverde still in hard chase mode then or had he spit the bit?

As far as I remember Valverde was just about to bridge back up to the front group on the climb when Contador put in his little attack. If he hadn't done that then maybe Valverde wouldn't have lost time on that stage.

 

[Carols]

Valverde was about to catch the group

Well if Berto drove the pace up when he has about to catch on, then he has a legitimate gripe IMO. Could certainly lead to a later grudge.

But this columnist still has it totally wrong. "The basis of the conflict is the fourth stage of the Tour of Spain last year. Valverde rode in the leader's jersey when he crashed into the guardrail. The code of the pack requires then waits for the leader a chance to return. But that did not happen, the pace was just thrown up by a number of teams." It was Sky driving the pace, not Saxo.

 

[xrayvision]

As far as I remember Valverde was just about to bridge back up to the front group on the climb when Contador put in his little attack. If he hadn't done that then maybe Valverde wouldn't have lost time on that stage.

loool it´s professional cycling, accidents happens, and Valverde also knows that, it was SKY who set the pace where they shouldn´t have (according to the unwritten rules), and first much later on the climb that AC made his move, you can´t neutralize the entire stage, teams have their tactics planned from the morning, blame SKY not AC, if you can blame anybody, theres no rules, just gentlemen agreements.

 

[vcampbell]

He hasn't made a single attack this race; because he cannot; it would be suicide the way he is looking on the climbs.

Are you serious? I mean, there were two(!) moutain stages, in one of them he said, that he got a bad day, also Sky rode a brutal tempo. Only Quitana attacked then, but only on the penultimate climb, when there was a slower tempo.
On the second stage they were able to drop Porte, but it was impossible to hold a gap against Froome in a 30km long non technical descend.
The deal is, that this Tour de France sucks, just like most of them in the past few years. A few moutain stages because it is needed, but nothing serious. There is no place to attack, it's not the Giro, where a rider has 400 chance in 3 week.
Wait until Sunday.

 

[The Hitch]

Its human nature to blame someone you consider your friend who has wronged you, more, than someone you dont consider your friend who has wronged you more.

 

[The Hitch]

Riis about the tactics: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/539362/bjarne-riis-we-ll-isolate-froome.html

why is riis saying this? They already said they would do something in pyranees and did squat. There is no advantage to saying it. If they will really do it then well see when they do it.

 

[Sophistic82]

they had their chance, doubt that Porte is gonna dehydrate/recover that poorly again + kennaugh crashing. plus there is no room for tactics at the ventoux stage and the 2nd itt, by then froome will be >6mins ahead of conti.

 

[Carols]

Are you serious? I mean, there were two(!) moutain stages, in one of them he said, that he got a bad day, also Sky rode a brutal tempo. Only Quitana attacked then, but only on the penultimate climb, when there was a slower tempo.
On the second stage they were able to drop Porte, but it was impossible to hold a gap against Froome in a 30km long non technical descend.
The deal is, that this Tour de France sucks, just like most of them in the past few years. A few moutain stages because it is needed, but nothing serious. There is no place to attack, it's not the Giro, where a rider has 400 chance in 3 week.
Wait until Sunday.

Yes I'm serious. Attack is indeed the wrong word, there hasn't really been the opportunity since his meltdown on AX3.

But on what climb has he looked good???? There were 5 climbs on the next stage. On which one did he look good? He closed gaps to Froome, looked worn out and sent Roman to the front to control it so he wouldn't have to cover moves again.

If you've seen any spark of the old Berto in this entire race, please point it out to me because I've missed it. And he is still in a position to podium; pure class that one.

He needs Legs for Sunday...we shall see. If he has legs it will be awesome

 

[movingtarget]

they had their chance, doubt that Porte is gonna dehydrate/recover that poorly again + kennaugh crashing. plus there is no room for tactics at the ventoux stage and the 2nd itt, by then froome will be >6mins ahead of conti.

The heat could effect a lot of riders if it is extreme on the Ventoux stage. The stage before could be the tactical one.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Google translate dutch to english is really good actually, but sometimes funny. Is "flying banana" some kind of idiom in dutch?

And man, Valverde is good at keeping a grudge apparently. Or maybe he was envious of Contador's success in the years before that Vuelta already, with him getting in his mind unfairly punished and Contador riding to his greatest triumphs and even returning to his winning ways after the ban.

Ahaha no a flying banana from Kenya is Froome because he was flying, in yellow and apparently looks like a banana

 

[LaFlorecita]

I would be happy with just a stage win but no idea where he could get one. Gap stage maybe.

 

[Miburo]

I would be happy with just a stage win but no idea where he could get one. Gap stage maybe.

I just hope he'll still try and win this tour.

 

[Publicus]

Yes I'm serious. Attack is indeed the wrong word, there hasn't really been the opportunity since his meltdown on AX3.

But on what climb has he looked good???? There were 5 climbs on the next stage. On which one did he look good? He closed gaps to Froome, looked worn out and sent Roman to the front to control it so he wouldn't have to cover moves again.

If you've seen any spark of the old Berto in this entire race, please point it out to me because I've missed it. And he is still in a position to podium; pure class that one.

He needs Legs for Sunday...we shall see. If he has legs it will be awesome

If you have signed up for NBC Sports online service you can see the ENTIRE stage 9, where he looked QUITE good on the climbs (and I could finally see Saxo riding aggressively in the first portion of the stage that led to Sky's implosion). I think once the televised portion came on there was effectively a cease fire (and then the heat took its effect on the "peloton" as a whole). I do think they lost an opportunity to attack, even with the 30 KM to the finish, since Froome would have had to lead the chase and burn up some of his (apparently limitless) reserves. It could have affected his ITT performance. Who knows. All water under the bridge now.