Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Angliru]

hmm..it looks like a little weak team compare to sky line up? Contador got Hernandez, Paulinho, Pires, Beltran for the mountain. This year route got some tough mountain, not sure who will left with Contador as the last man. He got no lieutenant at all, while sky bringing all their power climbers. Looks like Contador will have to fend off the sky team by himself? Should be an interesting Dauphene. Does this mean that Contador doesn't come to win instead just for warm up and test his form, unless an opportunity presented itself?

That's the strategy I hope he takes. Trying to battle against Sky's lineup would be a waste of valuable energies better saved for the Tour. I'd only shadow Froome and let the rest do as they please. If Contador feels the desire to get aggressive let it be on his terms or in countering a Froome attack.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador hasn't beaten Froome uphill since la Vuelta 2012. He can't be confident he'll be able to beat Froome unless he does so.

He doesn't have to win, but he has to beat Froome uphill. If he doesn't I highly doubt he'll be able to win the Tour.

 

[Jspear]

Contador hasn't beaten Froome uphill since la Vuelta 2012. He can't be confident he'll be able to beat Froome unless he does so.

He doesn't have to win, but he has to beat Froome uphill. If he doesn't I highly doubt he'll be able to win the Tour.

Didn't Contador beat Froome in Catalunya this year? That was uphill....

 

[Miburo]

Didn't Contador beat Froome in Catalunya this year? That was uphill....

Please don't use that race as reference. Vangarderen was 3rd which says it all.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Didn't Contador beat Froome in Catalunya this year? That was uphill....

Beating an off-form Froome in a last k sprint uphill by a handful of seconds. Mighty impressive. That isn't going to win him the Tour.

 

[christopherrowe]

The top fifteen on that Catalunya stage, which was raced on March 26th, actually makes for very interesting reading.

1 Rodr?guez Joaquim | Team Katusha | 04:50:55
2 Contador Alberto | Tinkoff-Saxo | +:05
3 Quintana Nairo | Movistar Team | +:09
4 van Garderen Tejay | BMC Racing Team | +:11
5 Froome Christopher | Team Sky | +:13
6 Pozzovivo Domenico | AG2R La Mondiale | +:14
7 Kelderman Wilco | Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | +:14
8 Talansky Andrew | Garmin Sharp3 | +:14
9 Bardet Romain | AG2R La Mondiale2 | +:14
10 Niemiec Przemyslaw | Lampre-Merida | +:20
11 Aru Fabio | Astana Pro Team | +0:23
12 Arroyo Duran David | Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | +0:23
13 Uran Rigoberto | Omega Pharma - Quick-Step | +0:23
14 Hesjedal Ryder | Garmin Sharp | +0:23
15 Pinot Thibaut | FDJ.fr | +:27

The next day was another mountain-top finish ("mountain-top?") and Contador put a further five seconds into Froome. It may not count for much, but it does count for something. Contador has beat Froome going up hill since the 2012 Vuelta. At least twice.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Those results are worthless. Froome was in very bad shape and it was pretty much a sprint uphill.

 

[Red Rick]

It's not gonna lose him the Tour either He could've dropped Froome like a stone if hadn't spend so much time watching Purito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEGpv0xn0E8
That's a bad Froome btw, even more hilarious than a good Froome, starts 8 minutes in

 

[christopherrowe]

Those results are worthless. Froome was in very bad shape and it was pretty much a sprint uphill.

Of little worth, possibly, though I will continue to insist that, given the presence of so many Giro protagonists and (likely) Tour and Vuelta protagonists in that race, they're at the least interesting.

Whatever your feelings about the relative value of a given race or result, the fact is that you said Contador hasn't beaten Froome uphill since the 2012 Vuelta, full stop. The record shows otherwise. It may be very productive and useful to assess the quality of the results that falsify your statement, of course, but I would suggest, in the most friendly manner possible, that the sweeping nature of your original claim invites fact-checking critiques.

 

[Red Rick]

Btw, Laflo, by logic no results in 2013 count, cause Contador was in crap shape all year

 

[LaFlorecita]

Of little worth, possibly, though I will continue to insist that, given the presence of so many Giro protagonists and (likely) Tour and Vuelta protagonists in that race, they're at the least interesting.

Whatever your feelings about the relative value of a given race or result, the fact is that you said Contador hasn't beaten Froome uphill since the 2012 Vuelta, full stop. The record shows otherwise. It may be very productive and useful to assess the quality of the results that falsify your statement, of course, but I would suggest, in the most friendly manner possible, that the sweeping nature of your original claim invites fact-checking critiques.

I was just repeating what I posted in the Dauphine thread, but I forgot the "on-form" part.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Btw, Laflo, by logic no results in 2013 count, cause Contador was in crap shape all year

They do count. Contador got crushed by Froome last year. It is now up to him to show that he can beat an in shape Froome and last year was just the result of poor form.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I was just repeating what I posted in the Dauphine thread, but I forgot the "on-form" part.

................

Contador hasn't beaten an on-form Froome uphill since la Vuelta 2012. You don't think he wants to see if he can now?

 

[Bexon30]

................

I'd say Froome wasn't in top form there either (Vuelta 12) so then it's before that.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'd say Froome wasn't in top form there either (Vuelta 12) so then it's before that.

Fair enough

 

[christopherrowe]

I was just repeating what I posted in the Dauphine thread, but I forgot the "on-form" part.

Ah, I see. No worries!

 

[Netserk]

................

Froome has never, ever, ever beaten an on-form Contador either

 

[Jspear]

So from all the above posts I think it is fair to say that at this Tour we will see AC and Froomie face off for the first time with both of them in top form. Wonderful!

 

[Jelantik]

So from all the above posts I think it is fair to say that at this Tour we will see AC and Froomie face off for the first time with both of them in top form. Wonderful!

LOL... I like your conclusion

 

[christopherrowe]

So from all the above posts I think it is fair to say that at this Tour we will see AC and Froomie face off for the first time with both of them in top form. Wonderful!

Yes, here's hoping!

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

You all talk about Froome vs Contador while we all now Nibali will destroy both of them in Le Tour

Anyways, I do think that the whole "Catalunya thing" counts, at least for Alberto's morale. He was able to gap Froome on 2 mountain stages, so that could only boost his confidence. Also what happens in Dauphine will play a big role in Le Tour imo. I say that the one who has the most confidence in his powers after Dauphine is in pole position for the Tour win.

 

[Jelantik]

That's the strategy I hope he takes. Trying to battle against Sky's lineup would be a waste of valuable energies better saved for the Tour. I'd only shadow Froome and let the rest do as they please. If Contador feels the desire to get aggressive let it be on his terms or in countering a Froome attack.

hm.. interesting strategy indeed. If Sky can't get ride off him when he is without the backing of strong team, watch out then. Comes TDF, he will be supported with a strong team, froome and sky will have their hands full. Whoah.. I can't hardly wait for sunday to arrive...

 

[Jelantik]

You all talk about Froome vs Contador while we all now Nibali will destroy both of them in Le Tour

Hi hi hi hi hi....
Only if Froome and Contador compete with one leg and they ride tandem bike. I just can't see Nibali in the class of Froome, Contador and Quintana.

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

Hi hi hi hi hi....
Only if Froome and Contador compete with one leg and they ride tandem bike. I just can't see Nibali in the class of Froome, Contador and Quintana.

Even if Nibali competes with one leg and rides tandem bike with Pinot, he'll still **** on Froome downhill

 

[Butterhead]

It's not gonna lose him the Tour either He could've dropped Froome like a stone if hadn't spend so much time watching Purito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEGpv0xn0E8
That's a bad Froome btw, even more hilarious than a good Froome, starts 8 minutes in

Oh, the best GC rider of the century right?
Its pathetic, you can take a Contador who havent touch a bike in a year, and he would still outclimb this anorexic freak, and 100 times more graceful to.

I mean, just look at him, hes all over the road, he is even more ugly than CAS, and that is impossible.