Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Carols]

As always it depends on the legs and the fire within. Early in the season we will see where he stands.

The parcours do lend themselves to some surprise attacks but those stage are in the first 1/2 of the race. Are there any stages like the Vosges ones late in the race? I haven't finished looking at all of it yet.

Less ITTs suit him, however not the length of the one. The not to high or long mountains suit him now. Wow who would have believed that 2 years ago...

I do not have any hope that he will perform well (by his standards) so anything else will be above expectations. Maybe some flashes of the old brilliance will become apparent

 

[LaFlorecita]

@albertocontador: After seeing that there will be cobblestones in the Tour2014,I began to look and see what I've found.What a day!

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

@albertocontador: After seeing that there will be cobblestones in the Tour2014,I began to look and see what I've found.What a day!

Yea, a tt fight between Vino and Canc

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-froome-is-the-main-favourite

Riis attempting to motivate Contador? It is true that Contador is probably at his best when he is the underdog and has a point to prove. Actually, he is now the underdawg

 

[LaFlorecita]

Riis is just saying it how it is

 

[Pricey_sky]

I'm concerned that someone like Uran could even knock him down the pecking order (if Uran rides the Tour)

Im not sure, I don't think Uran could beat him in the Tour next year. If Contador even improves just a little bit he will finish 4th.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

There was never much hope. Only.....................



I agree. I can see him finishing 4th in the end behind Froome Quintana and Nibali but hopefully he will be in a bit better shape

I'm not sure if Nibali will handle those three consecutive Pyrenees stages all that well. Hautacam may do him in...

 

[Miburo]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-froome-is-the-main-favourite

Riis attempting to motivate Contador? It is true that Contador is probably at his best when he is the underdog and has a point to prove. Actually, he is now the underdawg

Contador is not even in the discussion anymore.

Sound harsh but it's true, the only way to prove it is in march-april.

If he still sucks i believe it's over with Contador as a GT-winner.

But don't disrespect Contador by thinking he needs more motivation, if the guy doesn't have enough motivation already he should just quit cycling.

He got destroyed this year, if i know the rider Contador well enough he should be right now in the mountains (or next month at least lol).

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

Contador is not even in the discussion anymore.

Sound harsh but it's true, the only way to prove it is in march-april.

If he still sucks i believe it's over with Contador as a GT-winner.

But don't disrespect Contador by thinking he needs more motivation, if the guy doesn't have enough motivation already he should just quit cycling.

He got destroyed this year, if i know the rider Contador well enough he should be right now in the mountains (or next month at least lol).

I wouldn't say that it's disrespecting him. It's natural that different athletes have different levels of motivation at different stage in their career. Froome for example had something to prove this year and was clearly supermotivated

 

[LaFlorecita]

I wouldn't say that it's disrespecting him. It's natural that different athletes have different levels of motivation at different stage in their career. Froome for example had something to prove this year and was clearly supermotivated

I don't think he wasn't motivated. His tour win got taken away. He wanted it back.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

I don't think he wasn't motivated. His tour win got taken away. He wanted it back.

Could be. I agree that he would have been motivated but It's all relative. If you were to ask him whether he was more motivated to beat Lance in 2009 or Froome this year I would guess it would be the former.

 

[The Hitch]

Contador is 2nd favourite for the Tour.

Quintana may be likely to beat him on gc but at the end of the day unless Froome crashes Quintana isnt going to win. Contador there is a small chance he will reach Froomes level as he has been there in the past, and there is also a chance that Saxo will win it tactically. We saw this year with Movistar they would rather lose and not bother, than to try something and win.

Nibali also, as great as he was in the Giro is not going to reach Froomes climbing and tt level. The only person who can do that is Contador, though it probably wont happen, there is that chance

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador is 2nd favourite for the Tour.

Quintana may be likely to beat him on gc but at the end of the day unless Froome crashes Quintana isnt going to win. Contador there is a small chance he will reach Froomes level as he has been there in the past, and there is also a chance that Saxo will win it tactically. We saw this year with Movistar they would rather lose and not bother, than to try something and win.

Nibali also, as great as he was in the Giro is not going to reach Froomes climbing and tt level. The only person who can do that is Contador, though it probably wont happen, there is that chance

True Hitch. 2nd favorite though likely to finish outside the podium. I can imagine that is confusing to some people

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Contador is 2nd favourite for the Tour.

Quintana may be likely to beat him on gc but at the end of the day unless Froome crashes Quintana isnt going to win. Contador there is a small chance he will reach Froomes level as he has been there in the past, and there is also a chance that Saxo will win it tactically. We saw this year with Movistar they would rather lose and not bother, than to try something and win.

Nibali also, as great as he was in the Giro is not going to reach Froomes climbing and tt level. The only person who can do that is Contador, though it probably wont happen, there is that chance

Don't agree with this at all. Quintana was arguably the best climber this year when you account for his early attacks in the first two GC-relevant mountain stages. He can only get better, whereas Contador will never reach his peak form again. It's blatantly obvious. Tactics won't help a guy who is clearly past it.

Quintana has a small chance to beat Froome, but no one else does under normal circumstances. Obviously Arenberg or an echelon stage could decide the race, but I don't see how that would make Contador 2nd favorite, just because he was once a great rider. He's not anymore so it's irrelevant IMO

 

[Miburo]

Contador is 2nd favourite for the Tour.

Quintana may be likely to beat him on gc but at the end of the day unless Froome crashes Quintana isnt going to win. Contador there is a small chance he will reach Froomes level as he has been there in the past, and there is also a chance that Saxo will win it tactically. We saw this year with Movistar they would rather lose and not bother, than to try something and win.

Nibali also, as great as he was in the Giro is not going to reach Froomes climbing and tt level. The only person who can do that is Contador, though it probably wont happen, there is that chance

This pretty much boils down to that unless a crash happens or Contador gets back to his superior level Froome wins it easy.

And yea i agree, nibali can't do it. Purito won't even try it, just like piti.

And quintana can't aswell imo unless he improves again A LOT.

Btw the contador we saw this year isn't 2nd favorite at all, but he's the only one who can do it though.

 

[the sceptic]

Don't agree with this at all. Quintana was arguably the best climber this year when you account for his early attacks in the first two GC-relevant mountain stages. He can only get better, whereas Contador will never reach his peak form again. It's blatantly obvious. Tactics won't help a guy who is clearly past it.

Quintana has a small chance to beat Froome, but no one else does under normal circumstances. Obviously Arenberg or an echelon stage could decide the race, but I don't see how that would make Contador 2nd favorite, just because he was once a great rider. He's not anymore so it's irrelevant IMO

Agree with this. The betting markets also have him as 4th favourite, ahead of little Ritchie at least

 

[Rollthedice]

Contador is 2nd favourite for the Tour.

Quintana may be likely to beat him on gc but at the end of the day unless Froome crashes Quintana isnt going to win. Contador there is a small chance he will reach Froomes level as he has been there in the past, and there is also a chance that Saxo will win it tactically. We saw this year with Movistar they would rather lose and not bother, than to try something and win.

Nibali also, as great as he was in the Giro is not going to reach Froomes climbing and tt level. The only person who can do that is Contador, though it probably wont happen, there is that chance

Maybe if we look at his past glory. Since he came back from suspension we wasn't capable to sustain a decisive attack on any mountain stage and this year he was weaker than his lieutenant in the only race where he did something, TdF. I personally see no reason to consider him a true contender for the win. Froome is above all, 54km ITT will finish Nairo and Nibali can't drop Froome on the mountain. Of course many things will happen but these are the main contenders. Not Alberto.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Don't agree with this at all. Quintana was arguably the best climber this year when you account for his early attacks in the first two GC-relevant mountain stages. He can only get better, whereas Contador will never reach his peak form again. It's blatantly obvious. Tactics won't help a guy who is clearly past it.

Quintana has a small chance to beat Froome, but no one else does under normal circumstances. Obviously Arenberg or an echelon stage could decide the race, but I don't see how that would make Contador 2nd favorite, just because he was once a great rider. He's not anymore so it's irrelevant IMO

Maybe if we look at his past glory. Since he came back from suspension we wasn't capable to sustain a decisive attack on any mountain stage and this year he was weaker than his lieutenant in the only race where he did something, TdF. I personally see no reason to consider him a true contender for the win. Froome is above all, 54km ITT will finish Nairo and Nibali can't drop Froome on the mountain. Of course many things will happen but these are the main contenders. Not Alberto.

I wonder, did you two understand hitch's post?

 

[Rollthedice]

I wonder, did you two understand hitch's post?

I guess. Basically the only one who could beat Froome could be Contador but it won't happen. Right?

 

[LaFlorecita]

I guess. Basically the only one who could beat Froome could be Contador but it won't happen. Right?

Yes exactly but it is very likely he will finish 4th or lower in the end

 

[Rollthedice]

Yes exactly but it is very likely he will finish 4th or lower in the end

Let's not get to depressed. The race is still far away. You know the sudden onset of superhuman abilities of Mr. Froome could as well vanish overnight. You know, Porte can't get the kryptonite cause he's riding the Giro, maybe Nibs will crash on a wet descent and Nairito could catch a cold a la Wiggo.

 

[The Hitch]

I guess. Basically the only one who could beat Froome could be Contador but it won't happen. Right?

Its like this. Its a hillyish stage at the Tour with a flat run in.

The betting sites have Cav as a bigger favourite to win the stage than they do, say, Jakob Fuglsang, but on the head to head Fuglsang is a bigger favourite.

Because while Fuglsang is guaranteed to finish with the pack but behind the winner, no matter what happens, Cav, depending on how things go, could finish 180th on the stage or could finish 1st. So on the win he is favourite over Fuglsang.

Thats cycling. Sometimes the favourite for a win isnt the favourite on a head2head.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Its like this. Its a hillyish stage at the Tour with a flat run in.

The betting sites have Cav as a bigger favourite to win the stage than they do, say, Jakob Fuglsang, but on the head to head Fuglsang is a bigger favourite.

Because while Fuglsang is guaranteed to finish with the pack but behind the winner, no matter what happens, Cav, depending on how things go, could finish 180th on the stage or could finish 1st. So on the win he is favourite over Fuglsang.

Thats cycling. Sometimes the favourite for a win isnt the favourite on a head2head.

Don't be rediculous.
Fuglsang would win the sprint from a reduced groupe easily. So Astana would just keep it going until it was 40 guys left and then let the bird sprint to victory.

Silly boy Hitch

 

[Pentacycle]

Yes exactly but it is very likely he will finish 4th or lower in the end

Riders rarely have the same form the next season. None of the GT winners of 2011 and 2012 stood on another GT podium the seasons afterwards. It would surprise me if all of Froome, Quintana, Horner and Nibali will have the same form as they had this year. And some 'disappointments' of this season such as Wiggins, Hesjedal, Henao, Schleck and Contador could have much better years if they have a good winter, and don't suffer from illness and other reasons you get behind on your training.

All I'm trying to say is to wait for the first races of 2014 and then gauge the favourites form. Says a lot about the podium of le Tour. Every rider who wore yellow in Paris over the last five editions won one or more WT stage race(s) in the spring.

 

[The Hitch]

Don't be rediculous.
Fuglsang would win the sprint from a reduced groupe easily. So Astana would just keep it going until it was 40 guys left and then let the bird sprint to victory.

Silly boy Hitch

same fuglsang who with 2 bites at the cherry couldn't even win a sprint from a reduced group of 2?