Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Vino attacks everyone]

AC 2014:
2014 AC:
1st Pais Vasco
1st Tirreno-Adriatico
2nd Catalunya
2nd Dauphine
6 stage wins this season

VN 2014:
1st Tour de France
1st National Champ
6 stage wins this season

Leaving out AC's performance so far in this Vuelta, AC has done a lot better THIS year where he has been racing.

agreed. Nibali clearly was in the same form in Romandie as in the tour. It really doesn't matter what they do in the races leading up to their main goal. An the fact is that we didn't see them fight it out when they were in top shape. The only thing we saw was Nibali taking over 2 min on him + keeping his wheel on the only uphill finish they did togheter.
Unless AC destroys Valverde with well over 3 min on every mtf stage her on out, you wont be able to convince any objective cycling fan with you mad rambling. Jesus is the Messiah, not AC, or have you forgotten that?

 

[Jspear]

Maybe if he wins La Vuelta, but remember important races have more weight.

Yes, I totally agree. My point was/is where ever AC has raced this year and finished he has done extremely well. VN has not. If AC finishes this Vuelta (on the top) it will simply cement what so many AC fans have been saying this year about him and his form. Lets just wait a week and a half and then continue this conversation.

 

[rhubroma]

Maybe if he wins La Vuelta, but remember important races have more weight.

Like the Tour? He was on form to win that too, but for misfortune was negated. The Spaniard, over his career, has won more important races than any other "Big", in the Stage race and GT sense, in the modern era.

When he is on his game, furthermore, there is nobody in the business that can light up a race in the mountains like the Spaniard.

 

[LaFlorecita]

AC 2014:
2014 AC:
1st Pais Vasco
1st Tirreno-Adriatico
2nd Catalunya
2nd Dauphine
6 stage wins this season

VN 2014:
1st Tour de France
1st National Champ
6 stage wins this season

Leaving out AC's performance so far in this Vuelta, AC has done a lot better THIS year where he has been racing.

+ second at Algarve

 

[Forunculo]

Still no super from Alberto just the rest are little bit behind.

Given Tinkoff is on paper the weakest of GC teams race is not over.

Purito has been solid and if Nairo is ok I'm hoping bold moves.

Valverde and Froome don't seem to be rivals for GC but who knows.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The destruction of Valverde done by Nibali should atleast be some kind of measurment...

Can we ask the Clinic what they think of this? Valverde is always much better in Spain.

And can we just STOP this stupid, pointless discussion. Sheesh... this is the AC thread!

 

[Jspear]

agreed. Nibali clearly was in the same form in Romandie as in the tour. It really doesn't matter what they do in the races leading up to their main goal. An the fact is that we didn't see them fight it out when they were in top shape. The only thing we saw was Nibali taking over 2 min on him + keeping his wheel on the only uphill finish they did togheter.
Unless AC destroys Valverde with well over 3 min on every mtf stage her on out, you wont be able to convince any objective cycling fan with you mad rambling. Jesus is the Messiah, not AC, or have you forgotten that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-i21-TtKYqs#t=5515

A preview to what VN would have been dealing with....this wasn't even a proper climb.
Now over to the new thread created.

 

[Jspear]

agreed. Nibali clearly was in the same form in Romandie as in the tour. It really doesn't matter what they do in the races leading up to their main goal. An the fact is that we didn't see them fight it out when they were in top shape. The only thing we saw was Nibali taking over 2 min on him + keeping his wheel on the only uphill finish they did togheter.
Unless AC destroys Valverde with well over 3 min on every mtf stage her on out, you wont be able to convince any objective cycling fan with you mad rambling. Jesus is the Messiah, not AC, or have you forgotten that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-i21-TtKYqs#t=5515

A preview to what VN would have been dealing with....this wasn't even a proper climb. The acceleration that AC put in which quickly distanced VN was nothing like the attacks that AC showed he was capable of THIS year in the CD. He said in an interview that he was just "testing his rivals." He would have done even more in the mountains and that is where things would have been won.
Now over to the new thread created.

 

[Miburo]

This exactly. And no Nibbles either. This race is pretty much gifted away to this guy

How is nibali relevant? The guy only wins GT's against scrubs

I agree that quintana's crash was really good for Contador which i don't like and contador didn't need it too, he would have won against Quintana. Anyway this vuelta ain't over at all.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Grande Alberto

 

[gunara]

What's to do now, with this kind of team? Let the Dauphine scenario happens early and let go of the Red by keeping the loss attainable? If not, then what? Or is it manageable enough parcours?

 

[MoreGravityPerKilo]

It really doesn't matter what they do in the races leading up to their main goal. An the fact is that we didn't see them fight it out when they were in top shape.

Why shouldn't Dauphine matter? It was arguably next to Tirreno, the most exciting race this year by far. In both Contador played a key role by being damn impressive.

Isn't this all "only Tour de France matters" thing, something that should be frowned upon in cycling fan talks, since there are so many good races throughout the year, yet only the Peak/Tour de France is allowed to count, belittling any other achievements throughout the year?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Why shouldn't Dauphine matter? It was arguably next to Tirreno, the most exciting race this year by far. In both Contador played a key role by being damn impressive.

Isn't this all "only Tour de France matters" thing, something that should be frowned upon in cycling fan talks, since there are so many good races throughout the year, yet only the Peak/Tour de France is allowed to count, belittling any other achievements throughout the year?

I agree the race was awesome, and ACwas bloody brilliant. It is a mute point though, when we are looking at what they can do at the very peak of their abilities, but there is a thread for this discussion now

AC FTW in this Vuelta!!!

 

[LaFlorecita]

What's to do now, with this kind of team? Let the Dauphine scenario happens early and let go of the Red by keeping the loss attainable? If not, then what? Or is it manageable enough parcours?

I'm not sure what would be good. Will be interesting to see what strategy TCS will go with.

 

[Forunculo]

I'm not sure what would be good. Will be interesting to see what strategy TCS will go with.

Tinkoff should exploit situations where teams want to win a stage or defend a top 5 or something like that.

 

[rhubroma]

I agree the race was awesome, and ACwas bloody brilliant. It is a mute point though, when we are looking at what they can do at the very peak of their abilities, but there is a thread for this discussion now

AC FTW in this Vuelta!!!

At the very, very peak...the Spaniard hands down.

 

[sacrifice&hardwork]

yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!! for getting the red jersey

nooooooooooooooooo!!!!! for the weak team he has next to him

Vamos Alberto, you can do it. If you can't do it then nobody can

 

[Netserk]

I'm not sure what would be good. Will be interesting to see what strategy TCS will go with.

This is the Vuelta and his opponents are known cowards like Valverde and Purito, so I don't think it'll matter that much.

 

[vcampbell]

I'm really happy about the red jersey! Alberto is a monster!

I still have to read the the last pages, but I have one thing about the strength of the team. Tinkoff is really weak, but after what we have seen Contador is the strongest rider currently. Now remember Giro 2011 and Vuelta 2012. The GTs where his team were also really weak, but he managed to win both of them. If he really feels he is the strongest, then he will not wait for the others to attack, but he will go. Still long way to go, but watching this Contador I can't see he will lose this. He is strong and he is smart and also he is Alberto Contador. The perfect combination.

 

[richwagmn]

Tinkoff should exploit situations where teams want to win a stage or defend a top 5 or something like that.

Might be very willing to let some breakaways gain some significant time too.

 

[gunara]

I'm really happy about the red jersey! Alberto is a monster!

I still have to read the the last pages, but I have one thing about the strength of the team. Tinkoff is really weak, but after what we have seen Contador is the strongest rider currently. Now remember Giro 2011 and Vuelta 2012. The GTs where his team were also really weak, but he managed to win both of them. If he really feels he is the strongest, then he will not wait for the others to attack, but he will go. Still long way to go, but watching this Contador I can't see he will lose this. He is strong and he is smart and also he is Alberto Contador. The perfect combination.

2012 team was not great, but I believe this one is weaker (and in 2012 he had a guest team mate for that one stage). All I can think of is Valverde's and Purito's tendencies, like Netserk said, and assuming those further down the GC are none strong enough to cause any trouble.

 

[vcampbell]

2012 team was not great, but I believe this one is weaker (and in 2012 he had a guest team mate for that one stage). All I can think of is Valverde's and Purito's tendencies, like Netserk said, and assuming those further down the GC are none strong enough to cause any trouble.

I know, and actually the Vuelta 2012 is a bit different, because Alberto wasn't the strongest only the smartest rider. About the riders in the top10/15, this is not a one week race. There will be some real fight, and on a proper mountain stage almost all of them will lose 1-2-3-4-5 minutes to Alberto. They will need much more time and much more luck than Talansky.
You know, when you watch Contador there is always a move when you know that he will win that GT. I just watched that moment today. He is not a talent, he is a perfect killing machine and today was the time when he took his gun out first. Now we have to wait for the shot.

 

[Jspear]

I know, and actually the Vuelta 2012 is a bit different, because Alberto wasn't the strongest only the smartest rider. About the riders in the top10/15, this is not a one week race. There will be some real fight, and on a proper mountain stage almost all of them will lose 1-2-3-4-5 minutes to Alberto. They will need much more time and much more luck than Talansky.
You know, when you watch Contador there is always a move when you know that he will win that GT. I just watched that moment today. He is not a talent, he is a perfect killing machine and today was the time when he took his gun out first. Now we have to wait for the shot.

It is an old 6 shooter. He shot once today. He will leave a big impression on 5 different stages.

 

[red_flanders]

I agree the race was awesome, and ACwas bloody brilliant. It is a mute point though, when we are looking at what they can do at the very peak of their abilities, but there is a thread for this discussion now

AC FTW in this Vuelta!!!

I offer this in the most helpful way: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moot_point

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

I offer this in the most helpful way: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moot_point

That was what I meant. English is not my exactly my language of prefrence
To me defence, it was written in a hurry