Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Nilsson]

Of course you can do too much, but there's a difference between a grand tour and a one day classic. It's very common to keep on training before a GT, because you have to get going rather than be completely fresh and focussed for that one day. In the last five days he will probably catch the last percentages of form and supercompensation, though.

I think that Majka, unless he really went down the drain or drank to much vodka in the last weeks, will be fine. The Giro gave him a very wide base and he can pick his days/moments to help AC. He can take it easy on the flat days, lose huge amounts of time, freewheel to the finish afther he's done his job and has no pressure. He just needs to believe in it and willing to this job.

 

[Red Rick]

Does anybody know how much training and resting people usually do in the last 2 weeks before starting a Grand Tour?

 

[webbie146]

Does anybody know how much training and resting people usually do in the last 2 weeks before starting a Grand Tour?

"
Tapering is the final segment of a training period preceding an important competitive event in the athlete’s season.

Its purpose is the recovery of freshness, reducing the physiological and psychological stress of daily training and optimizing race performance.

Every athlete has his or her own physical and emotional requirements. Coaches therefore must tailor tapering to each individual.

There are, however, certain factors that are useful for everyone.


- The primary aim of tapering is to reduce physiological fatigue from preparatory training for important competitions.

- For cyclists, tapering periods last from as many as ten to as few as five days, depending on the individual.

- Training volume should be reduced progressively to arrive at between 20% to 30% of habitual riding distance.

- It’s a good idea to maintain certain intensity levels, however, so as to maintain muscular and hormonal values reached during training. Average rhythm intensity and threshold, for example, should be maintained even as training volume is reduced.

- Weekly training frequency should be maintained, according to training habits and performance level of the athlete, even though in certain cases it’s helpful to insert one or more supplemental days of complete rest.

Good tapering strategy can usually produce performance enhancement of between 2%-4%."

 

[murali]

thank you webbie.

i am still worried abt AC over-training. i blame over-training for last years loss.

 

[webbie146]

thank you webbie.

i am still worried abt AC over-training. i blame over-training for last years loss.

Over-training might have played a factor in his performance last tdf, but that was mostly because he was working all year to catch-up because he lacked a solid base after the winter. I have confidence in Steven de Jongh. He will know when it's time to reduce the training volume

 

[Jelantik]

thank you webbie.

i am still worried abt AC over-training. i blame over-training for last years loss.

yeah me too. Because i heard Froome is taking easy prior to the TDF while AC is still busy training hard.

Second thought, this debacle with Kreuziger is just so ridiculous and we can start seeing how that affects TS now. They seemed to scramble bringing another climber. I still think bringing Majka is a mistake. He hasn't trained after the giro, he still felt the effect of 3 weeks GT, and don't forget that he is still young. Maybe he will pull the Roche 2013 La Vuelta performance or he could just sinking like a stone, or burn out like Kennaugh. All in all isn't a good moral for Majka. It's hard already to go to 3 weeks GT, it's going to be even harder to go to 3 weeks of suffering if you don't want to... to begin with. I hope that's not going to disrupt the harmony or the team, since as far as I'm concern, even though the news said that he accepted, but he probably as mad as hell and not happy camper at this point.

 

[Miburo]

thank you webbie.

i am still worried abt AC over-training. i blame over-training for last years loss.

So he overtrained a whole year? I guess you haven't read the interviews explaining what went wrong last year.

The training was an issue but overtraining wasn't the problem.

 

[Jelantik]

As mentioned above, I'm starting to come around to this way of thinking when at first I thought people were being ridiculous for calling him out. You know, you're right. Just do your damn job, sometimes it will be easier than you think it should be, oftentimes it will be harder. You're paid very well to do a job by your employers. They haven't asked you to do anything that's outside your job description. Suck it up and be a f**king man. If you don't like it, move on. You're not a superstar and haven't yet brought enough success to your organization that you have the leverage to plan your own program.

That said, I think it was a stupid decision by TS.

I agree. I think it's a mistake. Now TS got 3 Giro legs with one hasn't trained in the past 3 weeks. While other team bringing their fresh leg, we can't be so sure how rogers and nicho will perfom on the 3rd week. And Majka? no one sure how he is going to be either. This is quiet a gamble. Sure AC did it in 2008 when he was on the beach and went all the way to win the Giro. But Majka isn't AC, period. This could back fire.

Funny thing is right until last week, we, fans, are all so sure that TS will line up with the strongest team. Then CAFD decided to ruin the parade a week before TDF. Now, suddenly TS is scrambling finding the key helper for Contador with a week to spare? Interesting huh? reminding me of 2011, when there's a time gap issues with AC. Saxo finally decided not to contest it. I thought that's the way, the organizer tried to stop AC from winning or podium TDF at that year due to his pending doping issue.

 

[murali]

So he overtrained a whole year? I guess you haven't read the interviews explaining what went wrong last year.

The training was an issue but overtraining wasn't the problem.

i may not be as smart *** you, but please do read the statement before making such idiotic comments. I know that you are a froomeboy. My stmt said: "i blame..." which means, personally, i blame sth for sth.

and where do you get the whole year idea from?

i may not be British, but it seems i am not the person who needs english lessons.

Also, be a bit sensible while replying with a quote. if you didnt understand the context(which was in prev 2 posts), then please do not issue unwarranted BS.

Please dont make any post personal from henceforth. i dont like to enter personal squabbles anywhere, esp in a public forum.

 

[murali]

I agree. I think it's a mistake. Now TS got 3 Giro legs with one hasn't trained in the past 3 weeks. While other team bringing their fresh leg, we can't be so sure how rogers and nicho will perfom on the 3rd week. And Majka? no one sure how he is going to be either. This is quiet a gamble. Sure AC did it in 2008 when he was on the beach and went all the way to win the Giro. But Majka isn't AC, period. This could back fire.

Funny thing is right until last week, we, fans, are all so sure that TS will line up with the strongest team. Then CAFD decided to ruin the parade a week before TDF. Now, suddenly TS is scrambling finding the key helper for Contador with a week to spare? Interesting huh? reminding me of 2011, when there's a time gap issues with AC. Saxo finally decided not to contest it. I thought that's the way, the organizer tried to stop AC from winning or podium TDF at that year due to his pending doping issue.

well put.

but wud this mean a chance for beltran or valgren. i really like the way valgren got two very good results in the nationals.

the crucial stages are 16-18. i'm pretty sure skybots will work in the other mountains for AC. i feel those three stages are the places for "unorthodox" attacks.

 

[arvc40]

Contador will be flying at Tour.

 

[murali]

when will the team be travelling to Leeds?

i hope they go in a train. nothing better than sleeping in a train to recover from fatigue.

 

[LaFlorecita]

when will the team be travelling to Leeds?

i hope they go in a train. nothing better than sleeping in a train to recover from fatigue.

Per train to Leeds? From Lugano? No way.

And the team don't travel to Leeds together I think.

Edit: actually he might be in Pinto at the moment

 

[Beech Mtn]

I agree. I think it's a mistake. Now TS got 3 Giro legs with one hasn't trained in the past 3 weeks. While other team bringing their fresh leg, we can't be so sure how rogers and nicho will perfom on the 3rd week. And Majka? no one sure how he is going to be either. This is quiet a gamble. Sure AC did it in 2008 when he was on the beach and went all the way to win the Giro. But Majka isn't AC, period. This could back fire.

Funny thing is right until last week, we, fans, are all so sure that TS will line up with the strongest team. Then CAFD decided to ruin the parade a week before TDF. Now, suddenly TS is scrambling finding the key helper for Contador with a week to spare? Interesting huh? reminding me of 2011, when there's a time gap issues with AC. Saxo finally decided not to contest it. I thought that's the way, the organizer tried to stop AC from winning or podium TDF at that year due to his pending doping issue.

The team has known for some time that there was a strong possibility this thing with Kreuziger would blow up before the Tour. They should have prepared a better backup plan.

 

[Red Rick]

Contador has won 7 Grand Tours before. He'll know what's necessary.

 

[Cimber]

well put.

but wud this mean a chance for beltran or valgren. i really like the way valgren got two very good results in the nationals.

the crucial stages are 16-18. i'm pretty sure skybots will work in the other mountains for AC. i feel those three stages are the places for "unorthodox" attacks.

Beltran wont go. He is not ready and didnt show much in DL. Valgren isnt ready either, but he just said that he hopes to do the Vuelta.

 

[Nilsson]

Per train to Leeds? From Lugano? No way.

And the team don't travel to Leeds together I think.

Edit: actually he might be in Pinto at the moment

Latest picture was in Lugano.

I'm pretty sure Contador travels with charter/private jet. He can afford it and it's comfy with Lugano airport within walking distance. I also think I've seen a picture of his brother in a plane with 'Fundacion Contador' on the seat. Also, if necessary, both Oleg and Saxo have private jets so it would be a very small gesture.

 

[Netserk]

As predicted long time ago it'll be last year's team with Mørkøv instead of Noval (and now Majka instead of Kreuziger).

 

[RobbieCanuck]

Hi guys, you've got a wrong translation I suppose. A better one based on original interview ....

Great post. Great to see a poster committed to accuracy and the truth.

 

[Jspear]

I agree. I think it's a mistake. Now TS got 3 Giro legs with one hasn't trained in the past 3 weeks. While other team bringing their fresh leg, we can't be so sure how rogers and nicho will perfom on the 3rd week. And Majka? no one sure how he is going to be either. This is quiet a gamble. Sure AC did it in 2008 when he was on the beach and went all the way to win the Giro. But Majka isn't AC, period. This could back fire.

Funny thing is right until last week, we, fans, are all so sure that TS will line up with the strongest team. Then CAFD decided to ruin the parade a week before TDF. Now, suddenly TS is scrambling finding the key helper for Contador with a week to spare? Interesting huh? reminding me of 2011, when there's a time gap issues with AC. Saxo finally decided not to contest it. I thought that's the way, the organizer tried to stop AC from winning or podium TDF at that year due to his pending doping issue.

Granted we can't be sure, but I wouldn't worry about these two. Rogers doesn't have many racing days in his legs and Roche has shown he can do very well in 2 gt's back to back. IMO they will be fine. Majka is a different story...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Latest picture was in Lugano.

I'm pretty sure Contador travels with charter/private jet. He can afford it and it's comfy with Lugano airport within walking distance. I also think I've seen a picture of his brother in a plane with 'Fundacion Contador' on the seat. Also, if necessary, both Oleg and Saxo have private jets so it would be a very small gesture.

https://twitter.com/Taboada_Raquel/status/482980060497203202

Hmm. Looks quite Spanish to me. But the picture might be taken earlier this year. I guess I thought that was Lugano lake on his last picture

 

[LaFlorecita]

As predicted long time ago it'll be last year's team with Mørkøv instead of Noval (and now Majka instead of Kreuziger).

Link?

12345

 

[ILovecycling]

https://twitter.com/Taboada_Raquel/status/482980060497203202

Hmm. Looks quite Spanish to me. But the picture might be taken earlier this year. I guess I thought that was Lugano lake on his last picture

Thats in spain for sure,I think its taken recently,cuz its not really cool to post old pics on twitter

 

[RobbieCanuck]

" Tapering is the final segment of a training period preceding an important competitive event in the athlete’s season.

Interesting general information. If you were Riis what would you recommend for Majka given he says he is still tired from the Giro?

 

[RobbieCanuck]

" Tapering is the final segment of a training period preceding an important competitive event in the athlete’s season.

What would you recommend for Majka coming off the Giro?