Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[inri2000]

You guys gotta relax, for me personally it also ruins my next week cause i was looking forward to this tour a lot but hey life goes on.

Besides Froome will be in the vuelta, it'll be entertaining to see him go full ***.

Froome vs. Quintana could be entertaining but with Majka doing the Tour there is no one from Tinkoff Saxo to at least try and compete with them unless Contador somehow recovers.

 

[nowhereman]

Me too, yesterday was the day this cycling season died, at least for me.

Sadly, I'm almost totally on board with that comment. This Tour had so much potential for a Battle Royal, now it's simply a Tour of attrition. As is the rest of the year, as we wait and see how long it takes to see some major players recuperate from some pretty traumatic injuries. Somehow, I'm not seeing La Vuelta as the next Big skirmish. I don't see Alberto properly restored by then, and Froome will be sketchy himself. Wilco Kelderman is looking better and better by the moment, as is Wiggins. But Nairo Quintana looks the odds on favorite to take his second GT in one year, in Spain. But right now my heart is broken on the roads of France, for Alberto.

 

[Publicus]

Seems to me that the riskiest thing Contador did was reaching for food on the descent. But that's a risk ALL cyclist take on a stage like this (no real flat parts). Birdsong and JDVB can't think a crash would have been avoided if he was going 50-60 km/h and hit a pothole/bump with one hand on the handlebars right? It seems to me it was one of those things that happened in a blink of an eye.

Also, from Roche's article, Saxo had planned to break Nibali and the peloton yesterday. A shame they didn't get the chance to try. Rest and recuperate Contador. You've weathered worse.

 

[The_Juan]

Roche says Contador's bike was broken in the crash and he held the broken bike waiting for the team car. The Saxo director says the broken bike was Contador's spare and was broken in an incident with team cars. Has there been any resolution to whether there was a bike fault, or why there are different stories? Just seems a little odd.

If the bike were not broken there would've been no reason for Roche to give Alberto his... and then have Roche slowly make it down the mountain on Alberto's bike until Riis got to him.

Roche did not get on Contador's bicycle because it was broken.

 

[djpbaltimore]

Also, from Roche's article, Saxo had planned to break Nibali and the peloton yesterday. A shame they didn't get the chance to try. Rest and recuperate Contador. You've weathered worse.

In a postrace interview on NBC on Saturday, Rogers indicated that TS were planning to attack every day in the mountains so I am not surprised by that admission from Roche. But I do wonder why they would put so much effort into a climb that probably only nets them a handful of seconds. Contador must've been very confident of his form.

 

[LaFlorecita]

http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/07/15/inenglish/1405419338_987772.html

 

[ggusta]

I know how you feel. I feel likewise. I just really hope he can motivate him self to once again prepare this well for the 2015 Tour. Or maybe even skip the damn Tour de Crash and do Giro and Vuelta.

Over the years of watching him, I get the sense that getting motivated to win is just natural for him. Not that others are not of course, but for him the fire blazes quite a bit hotter.

 

[Carols]

http://www.cadenaser.com/ciclismo/a...ecuperacion/csrcsrpor/20140715csrcsrcic_1/Tes

Ah geez that picture has me tearing up all over again

Get Well Soon Alberto!!!!

 

[Angliru]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but... Contador only crashed once and his bike did break from hitting the pothole?

Is that what Roche is saying?

From I understand he crashed once. His bike was broken, as has been mentioned either in this thread or the actual thread for the stage (can't remember which), when the Tinkoff team car carrying the bikes attempted to squeeze by the Belkin team car on a narrow road. I believe the bike fell from the car and was run over by either the Belkin car or another race/team vehicle (or something like that).

Edit: So many different versions. I'm inclined to believe he crashed once and as someone mentioned, when Roche came upon him after giving him his bike, Contador had pulled over to confer with the medical staff of the Tour as they weren't there immediately after the crash occurred.

 

[cineteq]

Roche says Contador's bike was broken in the crash and he held the broken bike waiting for the team car. The Saxo director says the broken bike was Contador's spare and was broken in an incident with team cars. Has there been any resolution to whether there was a bike fault, or why there are different stories? Just seems a little odd.

Read this => So what really happened to Alberto Contador's Specialized Tarmac yesterday at the Tour de France?

 

[Rollthedice]

 

[ILovecycling]

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=73376

“Las semanas antes del Tour a veces soñaba con que tenía algún problema y me preguntaba por qué se iba todo al traste. Luego te despertabas y veías que no era cierto. Pues esta vez sí, sí que es cierto. La sensación es bastante dura porque ha sido muchísimo, muchísimo lo que me he sacrificado. Creo que tenía una oportunidad muy buena delante de mí, creo que iba a disfrutar mucho en este Tour, pero así es el ciclismo, es lo que me ha tocado”

He had bad dreams about injury before Tour,and those came true

 

[LaFlorecita]

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=73376

He had bad dreams about injury before Tour,and those came true

Damn

I remember thinking before the Tour that even though he's crashed occasionally, he's never gotten a really bad injury during a GT that forced him to quit damn it

 

[jens_attacks]

and now he just reminds me of my stupid dream with alberto crashing on that descent and got in an ambulance, back in dauphine. damn

 

[ILovecycling]

We should know more this evening I hope.His examination by that Real M. doctor should be done in late afternoon imo.Hopefuly journalists will write something before night.


edit: @jens yeah,I remember this one.

 

[TANK91]

Yesterday i nipped out to the shop after break was formed come back with like 60 kms left and he was off the back. I was shocked really. So wierd how life works, if Contador crashed, well Froome would be confident of handling Nibali and same vice versa Alberto was probably very confident. Yet we lose not one but two favs. He looked crushed getting into that team car, hopefully his injury ain't a carear threatning one.

 

[LaFlorecita]

 

[Futuroscope]

He has to be going out of his mind with frustration, knowing he would have destroyed Nibali in the mountains. He and his team where ready to attack. Nibali fans are delusional if they think Nibali would have dominated the race anyways. Only Froome can match Contador in the mountains when he is in peak shape (maybe Quintana).

 

[Jack_89]

Please stop posting these photos.
Makes me more sad.

 

[ILovecycling]

I think he will make it! He survived at least 2 worse moment in his life.Life threatening injury and unfair ban (thats what he thinks,I dont want clinic talk).

 

[TourOfSardinia]

http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/07/15/inenglish/1405419338_987772.html

Contador said:

"I was hoping it was a bad dream on waking, but no, this is the reality. I slept very badly, I lost the chance to win the Tour and it hurts me because I had made more sacrifices and preparation than ever. Was to win the Tour "said the Spaniard cyclist.

 

[thehook]

As a huge Conta fan. I'm gutted/sad to see those photos. Dude was going to dynamite this tour! And he knows it. He was going to give the fans what they have been waiting for. Alot of hard work and this is how it goes. Dam!

But as AC fans. What I think he would want us to do. Is conduct ourselves with the same class he does. No need to bash Nibs or who ever else wins this tour. We tip our hat to them and come back stronger. As AC did after last years tour.
IMHO

I will still watch the tour because I love the sport. But it has lost a lot to me.

 

[LaFlorecita]

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador said:

So sad

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Please stop posting these photos.
Makes me more sad.

from Lorca's
Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias

The Spilled Blood

I will not see it!

Tell the moon to come
for I do not want to see the blood
of Ignacio on the sand.

I will not see it!