Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Netserk]

I am not sure why people or fans are putting stock into this. He is at the Vuelta and is fine. He always down plays his chances.

" I never expected to be this good today"

I dont believe it. None of his rivals believe what he is saying either.

As far as Contador Tour form, who knows. Its impossible to say what he would have done, sure he has been good this year but the searing attacks of Verbier and those battles with Rasmussen are attacks that no one in the peloton could even come close to following. Since the ban, attacks are not sustained by Contador usually, its a gap and then he is caught. This year he was staying away but the explosion is not the same from my perspective.

Contador this July was ready for the most impressive climbing performances on this side of the bio passport.

 

[ILovecycling]

“Por supuesto que Contador está para ganar, ya lo he dicho desde el principio. Es capaz de lo mejor, es único en el mundo y si alguien que puede hacer lo que nadie piensa es él. Por eso Alberto es el mejor de la última década y el que diga lo contrario, se equivoca”.

Valverde told biciciclismo the same,they knew he is going to be 100% protagonist
And some nice words from Sammy.

 

[ILovecycling]

Contador this July was ready for the most impressive climbing performances on this side of the bio passport.

this,I think he can do something like giro 2011 in third week here,but he could do even better at Tour

 

[Carols]

Contador with one leg.... already third.

Love it!!!!! The fact that he considered finishing 'third' a 'victory' shows how unsure he was of his form and the leg. But even one legged he can take them on . Now his confidence is growing along with his form. Beware!

Also I think Froome and Quintana are not at their best just yet either. Nairo has no excuses except his youth. Purito has never found form since his Giro crash and Valverde is flying but won't last 3 weeks. And then there is the heat affecting all of them, some more than others I'd wager.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Contador this July was ready for the most impressive climbing performances on this side of the bio passport.

I already thought it wasn't an exaggeration when Riis said Alberto was the strongest since he joined the team - which of course includes the 2011 Giro. When you look what he did against Quintana in Tirreno, against Bala in Pais Vasco ( 15 sec on that 3 km climb at 10 % , like yesterday but shorter) , then his form towards the end of Dauphiné 6.39 W on a +30 min climb and still building up for the Tour. His TT, not beating Martin by 7 sec due to a chain problem and 2nd in the short TT behind Froome, was also the best since 2011.

430-440 W in his pocket IMO for Pla d'Adet, Hautacam or Chamrousse. I think he has lost some 7-8 % in power output after his injury. Next year he will crush them again.

 

[BlurryVII]

 

[Cycle Chic]

The Contador workout

He's on the STAIRMASTER again today

Maybe he's gona do a keep fit video.

 

[mrhender]

Someone to busy with his stem to have fun with the lads...

EDIT: Maybe what they are laughing at

 

[LaFlorecita]

LOL... nice pic

 

[Carols]

Someone to busy with his stem to have fun with the lads...

EDIT: Maybe what they are laughing at

I didn't want to be cruel and say that, but I sure did think it

 

[Alcanelo]

AC: "Did you see him yesterday with his head down looking at the stem the entire climb"
AV: "Ahahaha he's like a woman always with her head down focused on the job down below"
AV: "I bet he'll fall today"
AC: "Don't look now but the dumbass is looking at his stem again!"
CF: "I'm officially the whitest guy in the world now with my combo jersey, thank God for Daz, whiter than white!"

 

[ILovecycling]

AC: "Did you see him yesterday with his head down looking at the stem the entire climb"
AV: "Ahahaha he's like a woman always with her head down focused on the job down below"
AV: "I bet he'll fall today"
AC: "Don't look now but the dumbass is looking at his stem again!"
CF: "I'm officially the whitest guy in the world now with my combo jersey, thank God for Daz, whiter than white!"

hillarious

 

[mrhender]

hillarious

Indeed

I still wonder if it's a normal stem or a secret Cound webcam...

 

[Helvellyn]

Contador seems to have a hole in his shorts

 

[murali]

How was AC doing today? did i miss anything?

Also, anyone getting a feeling that AC is not actively looking for gaining a few seconds here and there.
(i think i am in Fleur mode now. i wish he wins stage 9)

 

[Alcanelo]

He was good. Was always near the front of the peloton and the team did well to support him for the vast majority of the race. He also was the one who tried to sprint with Froome and was helped by Valverde so he definitely is doing all he can. I don't think he needs to try and gain a few seconds here and there atm. There's 20 seconds between the big four with a lot of racing to go. The fact is, it's pretty remarkable that he's in 3rd position at the moment with nothing between him and Valverde. He could only have dreamed of this a few weeks ago.

 

[trevim]

How was AC doing today? did i miss anything?

Also, anyone getting a feeling that AC is not actively looking for gaining a few seconds here and there.
(i think i am in Fleur mode now. i wish he wins stage 9)

I think he's more worried about his knee at this point, not bonus seconds. He's probably the worst sprinter of the peloton so he wouldn't get anything

 

[Red Rick]

Contador is probably among the worst group of sprinters in the peleton. He has absolutely no top speed. Even his positioning on the bike is crap. He is pretty explosive however, which means he can accelerate even when everyone is at his limit. He also able to recover from this very quickly, which is why he has the unique style of stopping and attacking so hard.. This quality is useless when the gradient is too flat and/or nobody is tired. Basically all the sprints he won were with two in a situation when the other guy was also a useless sprinter and/or after a climb on full gas. The best he has ever done in sprints was in the MTF of this years Tirreno (everyone was dead, Contador was simply the one with some energy left) and Mur de Bretagne (everyone was dead, he got 2nd behind Evans).

The fact that he lost a couple of seconds means nothing, neither does the fact that Froome decided to sprint.

 

[Jspear]

He was good. Was always near the front of the peloton and the team did well to support him for the vast majority of the race. He also was the one who tried to sprint with Froome and was helped by Valverde so he definitely is doing all he can. I don't think he needs to try and gain a few seconds here and there atm. There's 20 seconds between the big four with a lot of racing to go. The fact is, it's pretty remarkable that he's in 3rd position at the moment with nothing between him and Valverde. He could only have dreamed of this a few weeks ago.

He didn't try to sprint with Froome. He got on to the wheel of Valverde because he thought Valverde would close the gap to Froome. He was surprised that Valverde didn't go.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-nobody-pulled-in-front-when-froome-crashed

 

[Electress]

I was thinking today AC looked a bit more fluid standing out of the saddle and more his usual self. I only catch the highlights, so maybe I've not seen enough, but I think he's looking pretty comfortable. Tinkoff also seem to be pretty on the ball despite the team not being as stellar as it might be.

As for Froome…I like the guy but it feels like Team Sky and Froome have been on the back foot at least since the TdF - I honestly don't think seconds here and there are going to cut it. As I'm not a fan of the TT - I like races to be won on the road, really - I'm hoping that it won't come down to his TT skills.

Also - I don't know about Quintana. I wouldn't be surprised to find that it ends up being Valverde who's the real contender. I know Quintana is better in the high hills, and that he's hard to read (pokerface!) but I wonder if he's not quite ready to be no. 1. It is easier to surprise people (like his TdF a couple of years back) than it is to have the expectation he has this year.

And LOL - I was waiting for people to say 'Contador didn't really break his leg'. I am wondering how long it'll be before someone suggests he faked all that blood so he didn't have that bad a cut either…maybe it was all a big plot to train in secret for the Vuelta??!! I really do not understand why the guy gets all this nonsense conspiracy theory stuff directed at him! I think he's being pretty straight about things where his leg is concerned, it's just that being realistic doesn't mean he doesn't still want to win and won't try his best to do so. Who wouldn't downplay expectations in the his circumstances? He may feel better than he's let on, but he still won't be 100% or even 75% confident that he knows that his leg can manage 3 weeks of racing at this level.

 

[BlurryVII]

Contador this July was ready for the most impressive climbing performances on this side of the bio passport.

Agreed. I'll add this in my signature, it's not even speculation for me

 

[gregrowlerson]

Agreed. I'll add this in my signature, it's not even speculation for me

Nice signature add

I'd add it too, but well, my signatures kinda full

 

[rune1107]

Excting to see Robert Kiserlovski join the team next year! He will be a great addition to the TDF team, if Kreuziger is banned.

 

[Netserk]

With Majka also doing the Tour next year, I think the mountain support is sufficient with Rogers, Kiserlovski, Majka and Hernandez.

 

[Alcanelo]

They really should have kept Roche as well.