Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Rollthedice]

Let's not forget Contador started the fire on Jenkin Road. I'm sure it was a first taste of what Froome will have to face in all of this Tour. Chris the Inhaler is tactically inept, he has proved this over and over, he relies only on brute force. He is desperate to show off as seen in Dauphine, he wants to drop everybody and throw his spider arms in the air on the finish line. Contador and Nibali will take every opportunity to harass him and I think there will be a point in the tour when he will crack big time. At least I hope.

 

[MartinGT]

Let's not forget Contador started the fire on Jenkin Road. I'm sure it was a first taste of what Froome will have to face in all of this Tour. Chris the Inhaler is tactically inept, he has proved this over and over, he relies only on brute force. He is desperate to show off as seen in Dauphine, he wants to drop everybody and throw his spider arms in the air on the finish line. Contador and Nibali will take every opportunity to harass him and I think there will be a point in the tour when he will crack big time. At least I hope.

Amen to that!

 

[amih77]

I know it has been discussed here during the Dauphine but, again, I saw yesterday that on Jenkin Rd. climb Alberto's pedaling style off the saddle is not looking as nice and fluid as it did couple of years ago.

Does anyone has some info/input about it?

 

[LaFlorecita]

I know it has been discussed here during the Dauphine but, again, I saw yesterday that on Jenkin Rd. climb Alberto's pedaling style off the saddle is not looking as nice and fluid as it did couple of years ago.

Does anyone has some info/input about it?

He also isn't as skinny as he was a couple of years ago. He also has more wrinkles. Things change with age.

 

[amih77]

He also isn't as skinny as he was a couple of years ago. He also has more wrinkles. Things change with age.

And the point of adding this entire introduction to your (non) answer?

 

[LaFlorecita]

And the point of adding this entire introduction to your (non) answer?

My answer: things change with age. So his style is not as fluid as when he was 5 years younger? Sounds logical to me.

 

[Carols]

I know it has been discussed here during the Dauphine but, again, I saw yesterday that on Jenkin Rd. climb Alberto's pedaling style off the saddle is not looking as nice and fluid as it did couple of years ago.

Does anyone has some info/input about it?

He is spinning less, using a bigger gear and more body in the pedal stroke. It is no longer as poetic as it once was but if it gets the job done I'm fine with it .

 

[Angliru]

I can definitely see how that could be misinterpreted, poor choice of words on my part

In our haste to post and contribute, sometimes our actual meaning and intent can get lost. I know when posting on my tablet, I better proof it before sending it out there or the slightest mispelling could completely alter the post.
Good know exactly what you meant.

 

[Angliru]

Haha ye tha was what I thought too. Maybe he thought it was Nibali. But it was really dumb. He wasted energy chasing down a domestique which opened up for an succesful attack by one of his rivlals.

Anyways, regarding Contador he wasnt attacking. He went to the front to control things and avoid any surprises:
https://translate.google.com/transl...TourdeFrance/2014/07/05/230047.htm&edit-text=

He was also second wheel going up the climb behind a Cannondale rider who I couldn't identify. The Cannondale rider pulled off leaving Contador on the front and he simply led the group from there, accelerating or increasing his effort as the grade steepened.

 

[Cimber]

Contador: "Yesterday's fight was for the show"
Questioned on the start line by France Televisions, Alberto Contador said: "I'm feeling good. Until we reach the mountains, we don't know who is going well or not. Yesterday, the fight was for the show. The terrain didn't really allow us to attack seriously."

 

[ILovecycling]

He also isn't as skinny as he was a couple of years ago. He also has more wrinkles. Things change with age.

I think he is more or less skinny like his best years,and I dont think his style has anything to do with age either,I assume its probably more effective acc to his trainers.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I think he is more or less skinny like his best years,and I dont think his style has anything to do with age either,I assume its probably more effective acc to his trainers.

I thought high cadence was more effective? That is what Sky tell us.

And I didn't mean he has a higher fat percentage, but that his upper body is much bigger than it used to be. So not as slender as a couple years ago.

 

[arvc40]

Contador doing Super job staying at front there today.

 

[ILovecycling]

I thought high cadence was more effective? That is what Sky tell us.

And I didn't mean he has a higher fat percentage, but that his upper body is much bigger than it used to be. So not as slender as a couple years ago.

I think it depends on body 'structure' (dont know how to say in english),for someone its more effective to push bigger gears.

2nd parag. Ohh yeah,thats very true

 

[murali]

I thought high cadence was more effective? That is what Sky tell us.

And I didn't mean he has a higher fat percentage, but that his upper body is much bigger than it used to be. So not as slender as a couple years ago.

obviously sky was bluffing.


whata ride by berto today. he was there in the front till the 3 km marker and then slowly moved back to let sprinters do the job.

 

[Carols]

Indeed great job by TS and Berto today! Glad they made it in safely. All that work was worth it as the crash was in back of them

 

[hfer07]

My answer: things change with age. So his style is not as fluid as when he was 5 years younger? Sounds logical to me.

Flo- what happens is with age, a Rider becomes stronger & loses explosiveness so the change in style is because his physiology allows him to push a bigger gear while keeping his power output, rather than the younger version with more stamina & doing more RPM's

I have already posted some videos showing Alberto in the past (2005-2007) being able to grind big gears while climbing, so he's not doing anything new..

 

[Jelantik]

Let's not forget Contador started the fire on Jenkin Road. I'm sure it was a first taste of what Froome will have to face in all of this Tour. Chris the Inhaler is tactically inept, he has proved this over and over, he relies only on brute force. He is desperate to show off as seen in Dauphine, he wants to drop everybody and throw his spider arms in the air on the finish line. Contador and Nibali will take every opportunity to harass him and I think there will be a point in the tour when he will crack big time. At least I hope.

hear hear. froome is arrogant and like showboating his brute strength. Hopefully that's going to be his downfall for underestimating other's strength.

on contador, i thought he use more his body to do weight shifting like the cross country athlete.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Flo- what happens is with age, a Rider becomes stronger & loses explosiveness so the change in style is because his physiology allows him to push a bigger gear while keeping his power output, rather than the younger version with more stamina & doing more RPM's

I have already posted some videos showing Alberto in the past (2005-2007) being able to grind big gears while climbing, so he's not doing anything new..

That is exactly what I meant

 

[SeriousSam]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't renowned sports scientists Kerrison and Brailsford establish that a higher cadence is vastly superior? It decreases the anaerobic and increases the aerobic component of the work to be performed.

In other words, Contador may well be able to keep up on short punchy hills but once a sustained effort is required, Froome will dance on the pedals without even getting out of the saddle, and sail off into the distance.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't renowned sports scientists Kerrison and Brailsford establish that a higher cadence is vastly superior? It decreases the anaerobic and increases the aerobic component of the work to be performed.

In other words, Contador may well be able to keep up on short punchy hills but once a sustained effort is required, Froome will dance on the pedals without even getting out of the saddle, and sail off into the distance.

Yeah. We saw that at the Dauphiné.

 

[Angliru]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't renowned sports scientists Kerrison and Brailsford establish that a higher cadence is vastly superior? It decreases the anaerobic and increases the aerobic component of the work to be performed.

In other words, Contador may well be able to keep up on short punchy hills but once a sustained effort is required, Froome will dance on the pedals without even getting out of the saddle, and sail off into the distance.

To "dance on the pedals" is usually a reference to a riders supple style of out of the saddle climbing, not in the saddle, at least that is what I've understood it to represent. I definitely wouldn't describe Froome's pedaling style in or out of the saddle as "dancing".

I think it is recognized and understood that the higher cadence is more efficient but of course whether it is vastly superior depends on the rider. As mentioned before Jan Ullrich was pretty effective in the mountains using a pedaling cadence usually consisting of cranking a big gear. Different pedaling strokes for different folks.

 

[No_Balls]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't renowned sports scientists Kerrison and Brailsford establish that a higher cadence is vastly superior? It decreases the anaerobic and increases the aerobic component of the work to be performed.

It was Kerrison who established it, and Sir Brailsford was hooked, because once tested it gave his riders a six month peak. They might test another preparation this year though.

In other words, Contador may well be able to keep up on short punchy hills but once a sustained effort is required, Froome will dance on the pedals without even getting out of the saddle, and sail off into the distance.

He might still do it but it is rather unclear if Froome listened to his swimcoach. When asked on the issue of how he could bag Armstrong-times the answers was more in line of "ehh ehh" and that he "trained differently". No mention of Kerrisons discoveries and higher cadence.

 

[ILovecycling]

Yeah. We saw that at the Dauphiné.

Lol I have him on ignore but this post need some award!!! 'sail off into distance from berto' and 'will dance on the pedals' parts made me seriously rofl

 

[yespatterns]

They'll figure it out on the road for sure. MichelleCound, i mean SeriousSam, want to make an avatar bet?