Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Seems to me the only off year he had was 2010.

I hope you're right. As I said I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[roundabout]

Did'nt Giuseppe Martinelli say after Etna that Contador was better Armstrong and Indurain?

I stopped paying attention to Martinelli in 1999. I suggest you also do the same.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Did'nt Giuseppe Martinelli say after Etna that Contador was better Armstrong and Indurain?

That's just silly. Rujano could keep up with him. How is that a great performance? (by Alberto of course)

 

[jsem94]

Alberto's return can't come any sooner..

 

[LaFlorecita]

obviously. The girl is in crysis right know, after watching this stage tailor made for il pistol

 

[LaFlorecita]

I miss Alberto, I really do. Just watching him race will be great, he doesn't even need to win.

 

[Forunculo]

I hope you're right. As I said I'll believe it when I see it.

So I was right when i voted for Contador/Samu/Spanish fanboys

The problem with Sky it's they maximizing the tactical conservatism of most of the riders. A full gas TTT last 5 km. You can disrupt Sky train with brave tactics like Andy and Leopard last year but with Cadel and Menchov as rivals you haven't that problem. Only Nibali but he hasn't the level yet.

Even Wiggins had problems to follow Froome who is a real contender with Andy and Alberto for a standard GT and younger. Political power hold him at the moment. When will be his time to fly alone?

 

[Carols]

LaFloricita why so glum???

Alberto would have danced away from that lot (except maybe an unleashed Froome!) like they were plante'; stretched the elastic with a couple of changes of pace and then just ridden away!!

Geez I Miss that Panache!!!!

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

I agree. He looks to be Andy and AC's biggest rival in the coming years. Having said that he has still to prove himself against them.

AC was great in 2009, below his best in 2010 and great again in 2011. For me, the stage he gifted to tiralongo in the giro demonstrated his superiority.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I will see in la Vuelta, what happens there will tell us whether Alberto lost it or not.

 

[c&cfan]

I will see in la Vuelta, what happens there will tell us whether Alberto lost it or not.

he is coming from a ban... you have to wait until next year.

 

[Carols]

Actually I'm hoping he isn't over training.....plus he will need some race miles in his legs. Even if he is below par he should still win the Vuelta...but you probably won't see the 2011 Giro AC until 2013.

 

[LaFlorecita]

he is coming from a ban... you have to wait until next year.

Okay that is a fair point.

 

[Nilsson]

That's just silly. Rujano could keep up with him. How is that a great performance? (by Alberto of course)

Wasn't there a pretty strong headwind? Combined with the lack of real steepness and Rujano's posture I guess AC probably put out an incredible amount of power compared to Rujano (maybe even up to around 8 percent, which is significant to say the least...)

 

[Forunculo]

Actually I'm hoping he isn't over training.....plus he will need some race miles in his legs. Even if he is below par he should still win the Vuelta...but you probably won't see the 2011 Giro AC until 2013.

I disagree, the Giro 2011 came after a strong calendar because CAS audience was in June and he rode from Algarve in February till the end of May without a break, later he went to the Tour but was of course out of his range and still he did magnificent performance. Add the stress and the mental fatigue because clembuterol case.

I expect from him a giro 2011 performance but I think he have something better under his sleeve with a perfect season plan. And 2013 should be the answer. Probably raw material to the Clinic

 

[Carols]

I disagree, the Giro 2011 came after a strong calendar because CAS audience was in June and he rode from Algarve in February till the end of May without a break, later he went to the Tour but was of course out of his range and still he did magnificent performance. Add the stress and the mental fatigue because clembuterol case.

I expect from him a giro 2011 performance but I think he have something better under his sleeve with a perfect season plan. And 2013 should be the answer. Probably raw material to the Clinic

I Hope you are Correct!!!! That would be a thing of beauty to behold

 

[LaFlorecita]

Actually I'm hoping he isn't over training.....plus he will need some race miles in his legs. Even if he is below par he should still win the Vuelta...but you probably won't see the 2011 Giro AC until 2013.

I am very worried he is overtraining.. he doesn't seem to spare himself one bit. I hope he knows his body well enough to know when to stop.

I think Giro 2011 form is enough to win the Tour by 2-3 minutes, he can probably win la Vuelta by about that much time, as there won't be really strong opposition.

 

[Fidolix]

I agree. But I don't think he could've ridden away.

Flo you are losing faith again, what is wrong with you girl?
I missed him so much today, its getting boring watching the UK postal tju tju train, this is turning out to be a boring tour once again.

AC would have crashed them today on this climb.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Flo you are losing faith again, what is wrong with you girl?
I missed him so much today, its getting boring watching the UK postal tju tju train, this is turning out to be a boring tour once again.

AC would have crashed them today on this climb.

Look I prefer to stay realistic, if I expect him to be that good I can only end up disappointed. Besides he is only human, you can't expect superhuman performances.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I disagree, the Giro 2011 came after a strong calendar because CAS audience was in June and he rode from Algarve in February till the end of May without a break, later he went to the Tour but was of course out of his range and still he did magnificent performance. Add the stress and the mental fatigue because clembuterol case.

I expect from him a giro 2011 performance but I think he have something better under his sleeve with a perfect season plan. And 2013 should be the answer. Probably raw material to the Clinic

That would be very nice, I'd love that.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

"The second half of the event starts with the only individual time trial of the 67th Vuelta. The starting ramp will be set up in the town of Cambados, the home of Albariño wine, which will thus take its place in the history of this cycling competition.
The forty-kilometre time trial includes a third-category climb at Alto Monte Castrove, before finishing in Pontevedra. The three best times in the climb will count towards the mountain classification. It is a very technical stage, especially in the descent, which is fast with a lot of bends."

Description of the itt in the vuelta. Florecita - does this alleviate your concerns about Andy beating Alberto? If it rains then the gap will be even greater

 

[Carols]

"The second half of the event starts with the only individual time trial of the 67th Vuelta. The starting ramp will be set up in the town of Cambados, the home of Albariño wine, which will thus take its place in the history of this cycling competition.
The forty-kilometre time trial includes a third-category climb at Alto Monte Castrove, before finishing in Pontevedra. The three best times in the climb will count towards the mountain classification. It is a very technical stage, especially in the descent, which is fast with a lot of bends."

Description of the itt in the vuelta. Florecita - does this alleviate your concerns about Andy beating Alberto? If it rains then the gap will be even greater

Andy won't even finish never mind win LOL!

 

[LaFlorecita]

"The second half of the event starts with the only individual time trial of the 67th Vuelta. The starting ramp will be set up in the town of Cambados, the home of Albariño wine, which will thus take its place in the history of this cycling competition.
The forty-kilometre time trial includes a third-category climb at Alto Monte Castrove, before finishing in Pontevedra. The three best times in the climb will count towards the mountain classification. It is a very technical stage, especially in the descent, which is fast with a lot of bends."

Description of the itt in the vuelta. Florecita - does this alleviate your concerns about Andy beating Alberto? If it rains then the gap will be even greater

Poor Andy.

 

[Publicus]

Actually I'm hoping he isn't over training.....plus he will need some race miles in his legs. Even if he is below par he should still win the Vuelta...but you probably won't see the 2011 Giro AC until 2013.

If I remember correctly he's been training as if he wasn't banned--forcing himself time off to recover after hitting his peak. I would have preferred a different race than the Eneco Tour, but I think it is actually perfect--no climbing (so he won't be tempted to go deep or won't have the pressure), has a TTT (team can work out tactics) and an ITT (he can get some quality TT kms in prior to Vuelta), and he'll end up with a 1,000KM in his legs prior to the Vuelta with a little rest between the end of Eneco and the start of the Vuelta (5 days).

I think if he had been banned for more than 6 months, there would be a greater risk of overtraining, but I think this may work out for him (assuming no crashes or injuries at a Eneco).

 

[LaFlorecita]

If I remember correctly he's been training as if he wasn't banned--forcing himself time off to recover after hitting his peak. I would have preferred a different race than the Eneco Tour, but I think it is actually perfect--no climbing (so he won't be tempted to go deep or won't have the pressure), has a TTT (team can work out tactics) and an ITT (he can get some quality TT kms in prior to Vuelta), and he'll end up with a 1,000KM in his legs prior to the Vuelta with a little rest between the end of Eneco and the start of the Vuelta (5 days).

I think if he had been banned for more than 6 months, there would be a greater risk of overtraining, but I think this may work out for him (assuming no crashes or injuries at a Eneco).

IIRC he also wants to ride San Sebastian.