Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[The Hitch]

Don't think anyone doubts his commitment. I, for one, doubt his domestique abilities.

"I do not doubt his heart, only the reach of his arm"

 

[murali]

rout d sud then....

if he matches valverde then fine. otherwise he should get replaced imho



(i really miss the like button in this forum)

 

[infeXio]

Rather naive to expect Roche to follow Valverde, I'd say.. but hey! that might just be me.

 

[Publicus]

rout d sud then....

if he matches valverde then fine. otherwise he should get replaced imho



(i really miss the like button in this forum)

so basically he should get replaced because even on HIS best day he couldn't match Valverde. Who, besides Alberto and MAYBE Roman, can satisfy this standard??? This has to be a joke/sarcasm...

 

[ILovecycling]

rout d sud then....

if he matches valverde then fine. otherwise he should get replaced imho



(i really miss the like button in this forum)

thats nonsense.Domestique doesnt have to match the leader,of course usually - he cant.

Lets say if he show something in the mountains (stage,top 10 etc)

 

[Angliru]

thats nonsense.Domestique doesnt have to match the leader,of course usually - he cant.

Lets say if he show something in the mountains (stage,top 10 etc)

Show something? Show what? He's to be riding in the service of his team's leader. Blocking the wind, fetching bottles and gels, marshaling his leader through the peloton, etc....If it is the plan to have him go off into a break or two so that his team doesn't have to chase then he will do that. All the things that he did in the Giro that many here are choosing to ignore or just simply failed to recognize as a rider doing his job. I just don't get it I guess.

 

[ILovecycling]

Show something? Show what? He's to be riding in the service of his team's leader. Blocking the wind, fetching bottles and gels, marshaling his leader through the peloton, etc....If it is the plan to have him go off into a break or two so that his team doesn't have to chase then he will do that. All the things that he did in the Giro that many here are choosing to ignore or just simply failed to recognize as a rider doing his job. I just don't get it I guess.

I was talking about sud,not Tour.I think it is clear from the quote.

 

[Angliru]

I was talking about sud,not Tour.I think it is clear from the quote.

I was speaking in general terms in response to those that have stated that they don't think he is good domestique. I simply don't agree.

 

[Donkey]

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/06/n...e-of-the-most-exciting-tours-of-recent-years/


The latest interview with Nicolas Roche for any of those who doubted his commitment to being part of Contador's success

thanks for this.
Without the interview I wouldn't have known he sacrifised himself for Majka during this Giro. I have a wrong TV probably.

 

[Publicus]

thanks for this.
Without the interview I wouldn't have known he sacrifised himself for Majka during this Giro. I have a wrong TV probably.

lol. i thought the same thing when i read that. perhaps he has a strange idea of what it means to sacrifice oneself for the benefit of another

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd....20x720/996833_636940623000131_433855633_n.jpg

Feel free to insert captions...

 

[peloton]

lol. i thought the same thing when i read that. perhaps he has a strange idea of what it means to sacrifice oneself for the benefit of another

Really? He was pulling on the confusing Stelvio stage sleeveless

I don't agree at all that he's a bad dom, if he was he wouldn't be in that role to begin with.

 

[Publicus]

Really? He was pulling on the confusing Stelvio stage sleeveless

I don't agree at all that he's a bad dom, if he was he wouldn't be in that role to begin with.

I'd had forgotten about that stage. I stand corrected.

 

[inthepink]

thanks for this.
Without the interview I wouldn't have known he sacrifised himself for Majka during this Giro. I have a wrong TV probably.

What a crap thing to say...you don't know because you and others on here don't know what is involved in racing and what goes on before the race comes on air and what work riders are doing in the team. And you don't know what orders a rider gets from his DS on how to ride each stage

Roche didn't climb as well as he could in the Giro I grant but he did work as a domestique and he rode at the front up the Stelvio and chased down the break away from over 5 minutes to less than 40 secs but then most of the peloton stopped at the top and the work was lost. Plus every break away he went in was decided by the team. That is how it works

Do you think Bjarne & Contador would have him in the team if not a strong helper ...Contador may not necessarily need him as a climber , but he could need someone who can chase breakaways or be in breakaway to bridge to etc. BUt you have one simple view on a team and how it works which fits the SKY model...Kreusiger, Rodgers and Roche all staying with Contador till 2 kM is not necessarily required.....The SKY team at Dauphine stayed with Froome BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE IN THE END...He still didn't win the crucial stages or catch the breakaway. You deplore SKY tactics of riding a train up a mountain but seem to castigate a rider who doesn't do this or isn't required to do this by DS in your own team.... What inane bunch you are

WTF ...he should only be in the team if he matches Valverde??? ...how many Tinkoff riders beside Contador can match Valverde...But its ok to place that expectation on Roche but not on the 7 other helpers in the Tour ..What deplorable double standards

If you don't like him fine but talking the same ******** over a over again it doesn't make it true..... I am out of here !!!

 

[inri2000]

What a crap thing to say...you don't know because you and others on here don't know what is involved in racing and what goes on before the race comes on air and what work riders are doing in the team. And you don't know what orders a rider gets from his DS on how to ride each stage

Roche didn't climb as well as he could in the Giro I grant but he did work as a domestique and he rode at the front up the Stelvio and chased down the break away from over 5 minutes to less than 40 secs but then most of the peloton stopped at the top and the work was lost. Plus every break away he went in was decided by the team. That is how it works

Do you think Bjarne & Contador would have him in the team if not a strong helper ...Contador may not necessarily need him as a climber , but he could need someone who can chase breakaways or be in breakaway to bridge to etc. BUt you have one simple view on a team and how it works which fits the SKY model...Kreusiger, Rodgers and Roche all staying with Contador till 2 kM is not necessarily required.....The SKY team at Dauphine stayed with Froome BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE IN THE END...He still didn't win the crucial stages or catch the breakaway. You deplore SKY tactics of riding a train up a mountain but seem to castigate a rider who doesn't do this or isn't required to do this by DS in your own team.... What inane bunch you are

WTF ...he should only be in the team if he matches Valverde??? ...how many Tinkoff riders beside Contador can match Valverde...But its ok to place that expectation on Roche but not on the 7 other helpers in the Tour ..What deplorable double standards

If you don't like him fine but talking the same ******** over a over again it doesn't make it true..... I am out of here !!!

Please forgive the ignorance of some posters, I am as confused about their short sighted assesment of Roche as you are considering the great fighting spirit he showed time and time again at last years Vuelta.

 

[Afrank]

inthepink, please tone it down a notch. No need to be rude.

 

[HappyLoser]

thanks for this.
Without the interview I wouldn't have known he sacrifised himself for Majka during this Giro. I have a wrong TV probably.

Interview:

I did a lot of work for the team and Rafal [Tinkoff Saxo team-mate Rafal Majka, who finished sixth. It was very important because until the last three days of the Giro, he was racing for a podium. He really sacrificed himself last year for me in the Vuelta and it was only fair that I did the same this time around.

Roche is such a superb dom, he'll be the one dropping Froome during LeTour...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Please forgive the ignorance of some posters, I am as confused about their short sighted assesment of Roche as you are considering the great fighting spirit he showed time and time again at last years Vuelta.

Who is ignorant here? For the umpteenth time, he is good as a rider, but not as a domestique. What he did at last year's Vuelta does not say anything about his abilities as a domestique.

Inthepink says Saxo need guys to chase down the breakaway too. Well, guess what, 10 other riders on the team can do that just as well as Roche.

Anyway, I am annoyed that Sutherland will most likely not be selected for the team, while he's shown 10 times the domestique qualities of Roche. But Roche is a big name Seriously, just give him a free role at the Vuelta. He'll be off to another team at the end of the year, give him a chance to score some points.

 

[LaFlorecita]

"I do not doubt his heart, only the reach of his arm"

Exactly

 

[murali]

My earlier point was: If Roche is out of form, then there is no point having him in the team.

I would definitely expect him to be riding near Valverde. He needs to be there and thereabouts, or else he cant be taken in as a climbing dom. If he loses a min or two in the mountains after a Valverde attack, i dont mind.

an in-form Roche is a very good rider. But an out-of-form Roche will just be a burden to the team. with Roche and Rogers, whats wrong in expecting one of them to podium?

 

[LaFlorecita]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd....20x720/996833_636940623000131_433855633_n.jpg

Feel free to insert captions...

Oh dear

 

[inthepink]

inthepink, please tone it down a notch. No need to be rude.

Yes ...sorry about the harsh words..go a bit carried away. Must remember to not post when drunk

I do respect everyone's opinion ....just disagree

I think I agree with the original poster who said Roche probably will not be at Tinkoff Saxo next year ...especially now that they are talking to Mollema

And I do think that Alberto Contador will win the Tour as he is the best GC rider

 

[infeXio]

A snide little remark for Froome?

"Having a little coffee in the middle of training. How good it's after 3 intense hours. Tinkoff Saxo"

 

[trevim]

The "three amigos"

 

[Publicus]

A snide little remark for Froome?

"Having a little coffee in the middle of training. How good it's after 3 intense hours. Tinkoff Saxo"

Ordinarily I would say no, but Jesus actually responded to one of Alberto's tweets a few days ago about light training, noting that they also stopped for coffee. So yeah, they are tweaking Froome's nose.