Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Angliru]

**** next year. Just another Tour. This is the one that mattered. This is the one Sky were weakish in. You think next year they wont just train it up every climb?

You've gone from calling him "The Great One" to eagerly discarding him into the trash bin. Saying he's essentially deceived his team and the fans by talking optimistically about his chances when, in your opinion he should be riding for Kreuziger.

I'm of the belief that his history in grand tours grants him the latitude to ride his own race and have a team to ride for him. Even in this less than stellar form he sits on the 2nd step of the podium, although Quintana is likely to topple him from that position in the next 2 stages if things continue as they are. This is his first year that he hasn't won a grand tour since 2006!! That is 6 consecutive years of stellar grand tour performances. Is there any other rider of this generation that can match that record?

 

[Carols]

Alberto is fighting like real champion. He is trying as hard as he can.

He doesn't have legs but he is using every tactic he knows against stonger opponent(s). Most of the time it doesn't work, sure.
But, that makes race interesting and that makes him great rider.

Plus, I can't help myself thinking that getting second place on podium may get him win after all.

This 2nd step could be quite important in the future and he can't make the top step with these legs.

 

[Jelantik]

Ok missed that.

Btw Riis stated that they have to evaluate things after the Tour cos obviously Contaor isnt where he is supposed to be. About the rest of this Tour he sarcasticly said (maybe with a pun intented): "we cant just inject form into him"

Also Riis said that the attacks yesterday were stupic and that they werent called by him (but the riders themselves).

Maybe all of the above means he will take a little more control about preperation and tactics though he has stated he will do less of that?

well judging from the photo, he is a litlle fatty fat fat. If movistar or astana giro seems to be able to get close as far as team strength, so they must have doing something right with their training. Saxo team is very strong as a collective whole. But they are all almost equal to each other. So the training might start showing a little bit catching up but still far away. Kerrison said that not just training but nutrition as well. Now time to figure out the rigth nutrition on the top of new training regime.

Stage to Gap, I saw roche from behind on TV, boy he is fat. He got the biggest "arses" compare to voekler and the rest of his breakaway companion. Sky is very high on making rider skinny. Froome, wiggin, gerraint, they are all skinny and they are all now climb well.

 

[Carols]

You've gone from calling him "The Great One" to eagerly discarding him into the trash bin. Saying he's essentially deceived his team and the fans by talking optimistically about his chances when, in your opinion he should be riding for Kreuziger.

I'm of the belief that his history in grand tours grants him the latitude to ride his own race and have a team to ride for him. Even in this less than stellar form he sits on the 2nd step of the podium, although Quintana is likely to topple him from that position in the next 2 stages if things continue as they are. This is his first year that he hasn't won a grand tour since 2006!! That is 6 consecutive years of stellar grand tour performances. Is there any other rider of this generation that can match that record?

Bravo! Hitch my dear you've been hard on him just because he hasn't met your expectations. He can only do what he can do, and he has given everything he has.

Celebrate the joy he has given us over the years and commiserate with his gallant attempt despite the body that won't respond as it has in the past.

 

[Angliru]

I have no idea what he's doing.

Also, how difficult is it to lose at least some weight

My how times have changed. The speed at which some have turned on Contador is stunning. It's a bit disappointing. Some here go from one extreme level of fanatism to another with little in between.

I'm admittedly disappointed that he wasn't able to defeat Froome and Sky but he and Saxo have never given up battling even when all seemed lost. I'm personally proud of how he and his team have ridden this Tour.

 

[Jelantik]

I said anything about the tour?

are u saying that he shouldn't do the tour next year so he has the chance?

Hmm, i think you gave him too little credit for his talent and his achievement.

I believe he can win the tour next year. It's not going to be as easy as the previous year. Quintana is great, but I haven't seen him launching a stinging attack like alberto. Quintana is reminding me of rujano in Giro 2011. small, compact, but like a tissue that's stuck on a shoe, can't be shaken off that easy, very very strong. If contador gets his form, he can be as lethal as Quintana or more.

 

[Cimber]

You've gone from calling him "The Great One" to eagerly discarding him into the trash bin. Saying he's essentially deceived his team and the fans by talking optimistically about his chances when, in your opinion he should be riding for Kreuziger.

I'm of the belief that his history in grand tours grants him the latitude to ride his own race and have a team to ride for him. Even in this less than stellar form he sits on the 2nd step of the podium, although Quintana is likely to topple him from that position in the next 2 stages if things continue as they are. This is his first year that he hasn't won a grand tour since 2006!! That is 6 consecutive years of stellar grand tour performances. Is there any other rider of this generation that can match that record?

hey he might still wil the Vuelta

 

[Jelantik]

It's a changing of the guard.

Conador has been a fantastic champion, winning all three GT's and doing it in style.

Shame about his scandal. It seems such a trivial offense.

Froome, IMO, will be even better next year and Contador will be even farther from his youthful prime.

I feel fortunate to have been able towatch him race, but the curtain is slowly dropping.

Maybe you are right. But you are basing your opinion of one season only. This year. Let's wait and see next year. The talk about him being too old, lost his touch etc, is just a talk. Don't you think right now AC won't be fuming seeing himself being kicked around the tour by even Mollema and Tendam? He is a competitor, that's why he vow to keep fighting even though the chance for him to even keep up when the road going uphill, is slim. Next year, he has learned his lesson already.

Bright side is, if he can keep 2nd spot *which is less likely with how he rode so far and how quintana rode*, people got to remember, he's is in such a bad shape but he still hanging on the podium. No one can claim that.

 

[Angliru]

hey he might still wil the Vuelta

Do you think he'll ride the Vuelta? I truly hope so, but at the same time I think this Tour has taken alot out of him, more than anyone he's done in the past. I do think that there will be pressure from Tinkoff and maybe even Riis based on their disappointment over his lack of success (wins) this year.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Alberto won't ride Vuelta I think.

 

[Cimber]

Do you think he'll ride the Vuelta? I truly hope so, but at the same time I think this Tour has taken alot out of him, more than anyone he's done in the past. I do think that there will be pressure from Tinkoff and maybe even Riis based on their disappointment over his lack of success (wins) this year.

No I dont think he will. I think he will end the season and evaluate what has gone wrong and then start prepping and planning for 2014

 

[ThirdWorld]

come on guys... Alberto is fat and not in top form.. and yet, he is in second place in this race... if he can focus like he did before.. he will win a lot yet!

 

[ILovecycling]

I hope he won't ride la Vuelta.He has to take a break and start winter preparation really early and work harder.

Still Im in doubts if he has got the right motivation.

 

[The_Juan]

Alberto is in such pathetic shape (in relation to his potential) it's not even funny.

 

[boladelmundo]

Alberto is in such pathetic shape (in relation to his potential) it's not even funny.

Well sometime reality is not similar to what's been planned, is it?
Where is the pathetic part? It's just part of life.

 

[Jelantik]

Do you think he'll ride the Vuelta? I truly hope so, but at the same time I think this Tour has taken alot out of him, more than anyone he's done in the past. I do think that there will be pressure from Tinkoff and maybe even Riis based on their disappointment over his lack of success (wins) this year.

I don't think so. He's already said about his lackluster performance all year long. He didn't have a good base to start. So I think he'll end his season, and refocus for next year.

 

[The_Juan]

Well sometime reality is not similar to what's been planned, is it?
Where is the pathetic part? It's just part of life.

The pathetic part is that he has the genetics and bravado to wipe Froome off the road. Instead he shows up looking like Dom DeLuise.

Another wasted year.

 

[The_Juan]

I don't think so. He's already said about his lackluster performance all year long. He didn't have a good base to start. So I think he'll end his season, and refocus for next year.

He should start riding like himself, not like Riis says he should.

All that military stuff Bjarne has them going through every spring has only produced 1 TdF winner so please spare the cyclists your team philosophy and let them ride as is in their nature.

 

[airstream]

Motivation, poor form, fat...Waterfall of exsuses. Everything as I predicted in October yet. Surely to admit the peloton has a way stronger rider is harder.

 

[boladelmundo]

The pathetic part is that he has the genetics and bravado to wipe Froome off the road. Instead he shows up looking like Dom DeLuise.

Another wasted year.

He doesn't have the legs, simple as that. As I said, you can plan ahead but it is not necessarily successful in application, specially when Froome is this strong since, dunno, how many months ago.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I agree that it's sad he's lost another year but since most of Berto's problems this year hail from last year's vuelta, I think it's better he doesn't ride vuelta this year.

 

[batchuba]

Keeping the weight off can be a different proposition in your 30's. What was once effortless may require careful attention.

Perhaps he just needs to adjust to not being a kid anymore. If he does, a long Indian summer is entirely possible. He should be GT competitive till about 35.

 

[del1962]

Perhaps the illness he had earlier in the year messed up his training, I wouldn't write his chances off for next year yet.

 

[webvan]

To think that last year the thinking was that Wiggins wouldn't bother coming back because Bertie would be around and would crushing. How things change...

So what when wrong with his preparation and why would the Vuelta 2012 be the cause of his poor form this year?

Maybe he can take comfort in the Hinault situation in 1984 when he came back after an injury and got trounced by Fignon and then he was the strongest rider in 1985 and 1986...of course Fignon was hurt, but still...

 

[roundabout]

Well, supposedly the Vuelta took too much out of Contador so he resumed training later than usual.