Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Jack_89]

I think that next year he will do Giro for a number of reasons: it is his favorite ride, he does not participate for 4 years ecc.
so he can do some classics. for example ,new Milano-Sanremo is suitable for him with the climb of Pompeiana...

 

[murali]

do riding classics increase the uci points available to grab?

and do TS guys have to worry abt points anymore? i mean, with Kreu, majka, etc making pts, can AC do wht he wants from now on without points pressure?

 

[LaFlorecita]

so the argument is that he has the capability of winning.

if he targets Giro instead of Tour, then can he win any of the spring classics?

he had stopped racing after the Basque race.

Another doubt: shudnt he be having better sprinting skills to win the one day races?

Better sprint skills?

Stage 5 Results
SLO 1 MEZGEC, Luka (GIANT-SHIMANO) 5:16:00
FRA 2 ALAPHILIPPE, Julian (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP)
FRA 3 DUMOULIN, Samuel (AG2R LA MONDIALE)
GER 4 MARTENS, Paul (BELKIN)
NED 5 KREDER, Michel (WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT)
ESP 6 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF-SAXO)
GBR 7 YATES, Adam (ORICA GreenEDGE)
FRA 8 REZA, Kévin (EUROPCAR)
BEL 9 VAN DER SANDE, Tosh (LOTTO BELISOL)
ITA 10 VIGANO, Davide (CAJA RURAL - SEGUROS RGA)

Stage 7 Results
NED 1 WESTRA, Lieuwe (ASTANA) 2:36:14
GER 2 BURGHARDT, Marcus (BMC RACING) + 1:22
FRA 3 VOECKLER, Thomas (EUROPCAR)
POL 4 PATERSKI, Maciej (CCC POLSAT POLKOWICE) + 1:26
FRA 5 BAGOT, Yohan (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS) + 1:36
SLO 6 POLANC, Jan (LAMPRE - MERIDA) + 2:07
ESP 7 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF-SAXO)
FRA 8 BARDET, Romain (AG2R LA MONDIALE)
FRA 9 JEANNESSON, Arnold (FDJ.fr)
ESP 10 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Joaquin (KATUSHA)
DEN 11 FUGLSANG, Jakob (ASTANA)
BEL 12 BAUGNIES, Jérôme (WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT)
USA 13 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING)
USA 14 TALANSKY, Andrew (GARMIN SHARP)
COL 15 QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander (MOVISTAR)

 

[Bushman]

Those results will clearly win you classics

 

[LaFlorecita]

Those results will clearly win you classics

Well yes, a strong sprint can get you very far. It's not like he'll be racing against Martens and Kreder and the likes in LBL.

 

[Bushman]

Well yes, a strong sprint can get you very far. It's not like he'll be racing against Martens and Kreder and the likes in LBL.

My point is that the field wasn't particularly strong and sprints for positions doesn't say much.

However, I do believe he has the ability to win a race like FW or LBL and I think he could have lit up the racing and maybe could have won either of the two races this year.
I also dont think his sprint after a tough climb is that bad. His performance in FW 2010 was good and he also nearly game around Evans in the stage to Mur de Bretagne I think it was in 2011.

 

[sultanofhyd]

He doesn't need to sprint if he drops them like stones

 

[murali]

He doesn't need to sprint if he drops them like stones

that makes sense

 

[Jspear]

Lot of talk with AC and classics! A question. I don't watch a ton of interviews with him (because of the language barrier), so all I get is what the "english" papers spit out. I know that in the small circle of news I read he is not even shown any interest in doing the classics recently. Is this something in the last couple of years that he has said he would like to go after. I know he is capable of a lot when he puts his mind to it and works hard. But, if he isn't even really wanting or trying to win these races, he'll probably perform they way he has at the "harder" worlds courses.

 

[icefire]

He doesn't need to sprint if he drops them like stones

You just need to find a hill the size of Passo Lanciano

 

[LaFlorecita]

Lot of talk with AC and classics! A question. I don't watch a ton of interviews with him (because of the language barrier), so all I get is what the "english" papers spit out. I know that in the small circle of news I read he is not even shown any interest in doing the classics recently. Is this something in the last couple of years that he has said he would like to go after. I know he is capable of a lot when he puts his mind to it and works hard. But, if he isn't even really wanting or trying to win these races, he'll probably perform they way he has at the "harder" worlds courses.

Nah, he hasn't shown any interest.

It's just that we would like it a lot

 

[Carols]

Lot of talk with AC and classics! A question. I don't watch a ton of interviews with him (because of the language barrier), so all I get is what the "english" papers spit out. I know that in the small circle of news I read he is not even shown any interest in doing the classics recently. Is this something in the last couple of years that he has said he would like to go after. I know he is capable of a lot when he puts his mind to it and works hard. But, if he isn't even really wanting or trying to win these races, he'll probably perform they way he has at the "harder" worlds courses.

No he hasn't said anything. We are just speculating and wishing while we wait for le Tour to start

 

[Jspear]

Nah, he hasn't shown any interest.

It's just that we would like it a lot

Well then call him. Surely he values the opinion of his CN board of trustees.

 

[Carstenbf]

I read he is not even shown any interest in doing the classics recently.

I reckon Riis' lofty ambitions when signing him (3xGT, classics, etc) followed by a pretty abysmal season, has had him go back to the basics season-planning wise. He even said as much iirc.

Also while certainly a very explosive climber, so is a lot of other guys. Almost all of them with a better finish. Two weeks into a GT, different story. Recovery was always his greatest asset. (imo)

 

[Donkey]

I reckon Riis' lofty ambitions when signing him (3xGT, classics, etc) followed by a pretty abysmal season, has had him go back to the basics season-planning wise. He even said as much iirc.

Also while certainly a very explosive climber, so is a lot of other guys. Almost all of them with a better finish. Two weeks into a GT, different story. Recovery was always his greatest asset. (imo)

And psyche. Whilest one-day races contains a great deal of luck, three-week races are not won by a coincidence (save 2006 ) and Alberto is the rider who simply always does his best, no matter who's in the front and who's at the back. By a comparison, Froome would not finish in top 10 having Alberto's 2011 TdF legs and he wouldn't finish 4th last year either. Instead he would book all Zigmund Freuds

 

[Jelantik]

do riding classics increase the uci points available to grab?

and do TS guys have to worry abt points anymore? i mean, with Kreu, majka, etc making pts, can AC do wht he wants from now on without points pressure?

not for point though. but it's more for winning or at least podium. He got paid tons of money, so he can't just participate in classic just because? Point or no point, imho he always have a pressure to perform well (means winning or podium). Oleg is business man, so everything is ROI.

 

[ILovecycling]

not for point though. but it's more for winning or at least podium. He got paid tons of money, so he can't just participate in classic just because? Point or no point, imho he always have a pressure to perform well (means winning or podium). Oleg is business man, so everything is ROI.

cycling is not really good on making money imo...its more passion for cycling,to have access,new people etc for Tinkoff

 

[Jelantik]

cycling is not really good on making money imo...its more passion for cycling,to have access,new people etc for Tinkoff

you are right. But what i mean by ROI, isn't about making the money. It's about investment that Oleg has been making to get the results. Oleg paid Contador 4M euro salary (or whatever he got paid) to perform well in the race = winning races. So my ROI refers to.. if you paid lots of money, you want your guy who got paid that much to bring you the win. Not necessarily about making money. That I understand, cycling isn't a place for making money.

 

[Red Rick]

Is he riding the nats? Would be nice to see him in some red and yellow

 

[trevim]

Is he riding the nats? Would be nice to see him in some red and yellow

I don't think he is. And he shouldn't considering the last time he tried he ended up losing to Rojas. I know it was a sprint but it was also freakin Rojas

 

[Cimber]

Is he riding the nats? Would be nice to see him in some red and yellow

Speaking of which, the nationals should be rescheduled. To many riders have begun to skip it because it messes with their Tour prep.

 

[murali]

absolutely.
I think UCI should really fix the calendar. They cant leave fans without races for two weeks for the sake of one TdF.Why should TdF be the first race where the riders wear the national colors?

If UCI worlds are towards the end of season, then they should put nationals also late in the season.

If nationals were part of the training regime towards worlds, then it would make a lot more sense.

 

[42x16ss]

I don't think he is. And he shouldn't considering the last time he tried he ended up losing to Rojas. I know it was a sprint but it was also freakin Rojas

What about the TT Nats? Don't forget what happened last time he TT'd in the champs kit

 

[LaFlorecita]

Most Spanish riders on foreign teams are boycotting the nationals.

 

[LaFlorecita]

What about the TT Nats? Don't forget what happened last time he TT'd in the champs kit

I would have liked to see him ride the TT nats at least, after all he hasn't ridden a single long flat TT sing last year's TDF. But he would never be able to beat Castroviejo.