Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Did that take into account the mechanical troubles ? Or did mechanical amount to no impact?

I don't think he had any mechanical troubles. It's just something Riis makes up. He's done it every single time Contador did badly over the past few years. Every single time it was either a hunger flat or a mechanical. Sure.

 

[indianfanboy]

Stop with your petulant whining. Anything can still happen and fortunes can change quickly. I'm not saying Contador will win but he certainly still has a good chance if he has good legs in the mountains. It might very well come down to the last TT.

You also have a guy such as Valverde to consider. He will also be a factor.

yeah Valverde might be an ally for Contador for long range attacks but Valverde usually has 1 bad day in the mountains..Contador on form is one of the most consistent riders in grand tours..he has amazing recovery.

 

[arvc40]

Nibali wont be winning TDF any time soon. Not this year or next.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Nibali wont be winning TDF any time soon. Not this year or next.

You are very confident I like that. Hope you're right.

 

[No_Balls]

I disagree, it would have been a pretty even fight between Contador and Nibali, Nibali can take time on the descents, Contador time uphill.

Before today the consesus (given pre-season results) was that it would be a challenge between Dawg and Contador. 2007 Rasmussen-Contador even. Nibali was discussed as a distant third place finisher. Now, with this amount of time and with Froome out, we have to discuss Nibali due to the situation at hand. But then we are back at what Miburo says, IF he cant take time out of Nibali he would not have stood a chance against Dawg so its all pretty fair.

Now that Nibali has an advantage of more than 2.5 minutes it should be a walk in the park. Contador will still try but will be going nowhere and eventually blow up.

For someone as pessimistic as you, you yourself, cant believe in this.

By the way, this is coming from someone who basically knew Contador was going to lose a bucket load of time today]

Well, you implied that he would crash so today must be considered a huge step forward

 

[Futuroscope]

Whatever

As I said, childish.

 

[arvc40]

You are very confident I like that. Hope you're right.

He is in Awesome shape. Today he was being careful not to **** it all up !

 

[LaFlorecita]

Well, you implied that he would crash so today must be considered a huge step forward

I didn't, I had a feeling he'd lose a lot of time. Which he did.

 

[LaFlorecita]

As I said, childish.

Who cares. You don't know me.

 

[LaFlorecita]

He is in Awesome shape. Today he was being careful not to **** it all up !

Yeah, he was very careful and I'm happy he didn't crash.

But where the hell was his team? Very disappointed.

 

[LaFlorecita]

For someone as pessimistic as you, you yourself, cant believe in this.

Hey, you never know, he might win. It would be a huge surprise to me though. I think he'll be better uphill but 3 minutes is a whole lot of time. I don't expect Nibali to crack like Contador consistently did last year. So it'll be very difficult to close the gap.

I'm just very sad he lost so much time this way. Disappointed. I really thought this would be his year, but it just isn't meant to be. I guess.

 

[SeriousSam]

What does it say about me that I don't think sports are about entertainment? They are for phenomenal human beings to show their strength. We can enjoy that. But we shouldn't be selfish.

You are factually wrong if you don't think sports are about entertainment, in the sense that us plebs being entertained is what allows Contador to make million riding a bicycle around France.

You are free to engage with the sport and riders in whatever way you want, as is anyone. It's just bizarre to get angry with people following the sport for the spectacle, though. Not everyone wants to be Contador's Cound.

 

[Futuroscope]

Who cares. You don't know me.

I don't but reading your posts you don't know yourself either. It's pretty obvious from reading your constant barrage of contradictory posts.

 

[indianfanboy]

Contador on Facebook:
"From here I want to give support to Chris Froome, months of work and everything gone.A big loss for the Tour. See you here next year"

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

Evans then Uran had the Giro sealed up this year, then came Quintanas terrain. If Alberto has the form he has displayed so far this year then he will beat Nibali.

 

[djpbaltimore]

But where the hell was his team? Very disappointed.

True, that should be the most troubling part for Contador. So far in the two stages that mattered, the team has vastly underperformed. Contador doesn't need a train to make his attacks, but it is starting to look like shades of the Dauphine again.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I don't but reading your posts you don't know yourself either. It's pretty obvious from reading your constant barrage of contradictory posts.

I know one thing and that is that I am terribly sad and disappointed today

 

[Justico]

i guess TinkoffSaxo celebrated to early (Froome exit) and lost focus

2'30" to Nibali is a LOT

excluding crashes / viruses i don't see how Contador can take that back from turbo Nibali.

 

[LaFlorecita]

You are factually wrong if you don't think sports are about entertainment, in the sense that us plebs being entertained is what allows Contador to make million riding a bicycle around France.

You are free to engage with the sport and riders in whatever way you want, as is anyone. It's just bizarre to get angry with people following the sport for the spectacle, though. Not everyone wants to be Contador's Cound.

Oh dear... why so mean? My only issue is that so many people seem to want Alberto to go all out and burn himself up. Let him do what he thinks is best. Don't expect him to light up every race he starts. That is just selfish. He's riding to win, not to entertain us.

 

[rhubroma]

Evans then Uran had the Giro sealed up this year, then came Quintanas terrain. If Alberto has the form he has displayed so far this year then he will beat Nibali.

I don't know about that in today's cycling to take back a couple of minutes, rather than gaining that time, on a super in form contender (i.e. that's clearly Nibali), unless he cracks, is really, really difficult. Even for a top AC. His Tour is not lost, but it was seriously comprimised today.

 

[SeriousSam]

Oh dear... why so mean? My only issue is that so many people seem to want Alberto to go all out and burn himself up. Let him do what he thinks is best. Don't expect him to light up every race he starts. That is just selfish. He's riding to win, not to entertain us.

No one expects riders to sacrifice victory to provide entertainment (though Tommy V probably does). No one claimed Contador ought to deliberately try and lose some time to make things entertaining (that would be him not doing his best to win). Neutral fans hope for, and welcome, a situation where the Tour is an entertaining closely fought contest. Contador is an entertaining rider when he attacks, which is why neutral fans were hoping for a situation where he'd have a strong incentive to attack, and are glad that situation became reality.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I don't know about that in today's cycling to take back a couple of minutes, rather than gaining that time, on a super in form contender (i.e. that's clearly Nibali), unless he cracks, is really, really difficult. Even for a top AC. His Tour is not lost, but it was seriously comprimised today.

Hey rhubroma, I know we disagreed a couple days ago about which colors look good on a jersey p) but now I fully agree with you.

 

[Futuroscope]

I know one thing and that is that I am terribly sad and disappointed today

I understand but you almost sound like a spurned lover. That level of obsession is not healthy. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't visit these forums that often.

 

[LaFlorecita]

No one expects riders to sacrifice victory to provide entertainment (though Tommy V probably does). No one claimed Contador ought to deliberately try and lose some time to make things entertaining (that would be him not doing his best to win). Neutral fans hope for, and welcome, a situation where the Tour is an entertaining closely fought contest. Contador is an entertaining rider when he attacks, which is why neutral fans were hoping for a situation where he'd have a strong incentive to attack, and are glad that situation became reality.

But that is assuming Contador would have smashed Nibali anyway. Which I don't think he would have. Of course others will disagree, but Nibali looks in very good shape, Giro 2013 probably. In that case, he would have matched Contador if they started the mountains with no major time gap between them. Which would mean he will quite easily beat him now, not losing lots of time if any at all in the mountains.

 

[Liquigas]

Evans then Uran had the Giro sealed up this year, then came Quintanas terrain. If Alberto has the form he has displayed so far this year then he will beat Nibali.

Horner will be the Quintana of the Giro.