Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Publicus]

"I knew that Joaquim knew the climb really well, so I sat on his back wheel for as long as possible. He told me there was no way Alberto could maintain that kind of pace all the way to the finish, and he was right. It was a very tough climb, with constant changes of rhythm" from Valverde

seems JR knows his opponents very well

Interesting. I'm loving this race and all the uncertainty the first week is creating. I think Contador is getting stronger. As Carols said, the question is does he return to close to full strength before the end of the Vuelta.

 

[Panda Claws]

sorry, but a bit hilarious to read the thread, it's quite sensible to think Froome and Contador started the Vuelta in comparably equal conditions: participation in the tour and olympics vs a half-yearly ban. but If Froome wins the Vuelta, a few will remember it's his 2nd gt, but almost any will say about "lack of racing miles" or "still about below par compared to the 2011 giro" and so on. but the biggest riddle for me - why people like to neglect Froome's strength that much. apparently it's fear of the future.

You keep talking about fear of the future.

First we have to fear Andy, and now we have to fear Froome.

Who's next? Vladimir ****ing Karpets?

 

[Froome19]

You keep talking about fear of the future.

First we have to fear Andy, and now we have to fear Froome.

Who's next? Vladimir ****ing Karpets?

lol if you dont see Froome being capable of winning the Tour then

 

[airstream]

first of all, i don't get so-called theory 'it's up to Alberto' which is not posted straightly, but lots of reasonings are based on that. gc contention is predetermined by all gc riders and their shape rather than the only contador. and contador show himself so well as his opponents let him do that. and it's really the only way to try to look at that more or less unbiasedly because otherwise everything will inevitably boil down to "oh, he wasn't so good like in the 2009 tour or 11 giro which gave opponents some chance". i can understand some bias, unlike rivals' underestimation.

 

[markene2]

You keep talking about fear of the future.

First we have to fear Andy, and now we have to fear Froome.

Who's next? Vladimir ****ing Karpets?

Oh god, my sides!

 

[Panda Claws]

lol if you dont see Froome being capable of winning the Tour then

That's not the point as Andy has the talent to do so too.

It's just that airstream always talks about 'fear of the future' when someone brings up a factor that makes Contador perform below his usual level.

 

[Angliru]

This...he is not strong Someone remind of where and when if they ever saw Alberto get caught at the top of a climb in a GT when he was loose on the lead and going for a win?

He waited and waited and waited, saving every ounce of energy he had for one attack and weakened at the end Good news is he didn't get dropped which is what I feared would happen.

Either he will ride himself into shape or this is going to be a race of seconds!!!

Good news is Froome was dropped, hoping for more of that I don't think Purito will make it all the way through the 3 weeks and a 40km ITT doesn't suit even with his new ITT position and power. Definitely podium material though. Valverde is worrisome, he can win a GT; has done it and he looks good.

Rest well Alberto big days coming!

Well it was definitely a big positive for Contador. The rider that could threaten or beat Contador in the ITT he finally drops, showing a ***** in Froome's armor. I think it supports his reasoning for the lost 13 seconds in the last mountain/hilly stage. Shows he's slowly finding his form. Created that separation and this time Froome couldn't reel him back in. Rodriguez knows the climb like the back of his hand and Valverde figured on that and stuck on Purito's wheel. Exciting stuff. Next two weeks should be quite entertaining.

 

[Angliru]

Well maybe I'm needlessly worried he doesn't have good enough form....but I'm worried none the less

I can't understand why you're worried when he's finally shown that he can drop Froome. There were many that doubted that was possible. Personally I've been put at ease by his showing today. When, at any time this year, have we seen anyone do this to Froome?

 

[Angliru]

contador fans that are happy because of la's verdict bring on nothing but perplexity

A rider finally pays for his indiscretions after years of playing as the cycling version of the Teflon Donn and folks can't take pleasure in him getting his comeuppance?

 

[Carols]

sorry, but a bit hilarious to read the thread, it's quite sensible to think Froome and Contador started the Vuelta in comparably equal conditions: participation in the tour and olympics vs a half-yearly ban. but If Froome wins the Vuelta, a few will remember it's his 2nd gt, but almost any will say about "lack of racing miles" or "still about below par compared to the 2011 giro" and so on. but the biggest riddle for me - why people like to neglect Froome's strength that much. apparently it's fear of the future.

AAAhhh always trying to start a polemic; that's our Airstream

 

[movingtarget]

Well it was definitely a big positive for Contador. The rider that could threaten or beat Contador in the ITT he finally drops, showing a ***** in Froome's armor. I think it supports his reasoning for the lost 13 seconds in the last mountain/hilly stage. Shows he's slowly finding his form. Created that separation and this time Froome couldn't reel him back in. Rodriguez knows the climb like the back of his hand and Valverde figured on that and stuck on Purito's wheel. Exciting stuff. Next two weeks should be quite entertaining.

I think Froome made a tactical mistake. When he got the gap on Valverde and Rodriguez, he should have kept going. Even if Contador who was sitting behind him won the stage, Froome still would have collected the time bonus for second. Now he has lost 15 seconds and missed the time bonus. Could not understand Sky's tactics. So far this race also created a good argument to include time bonuses. The mountain stages have been much more exciting than the Tour and the Giro MTF's but I suppose it also shows when so far, the top four riders are much better than everyone else in the race after the first week. Valverde is the surprise for me. Not so surprised by Contador because he has been out of competition. Froome worked hard for Sky in the Tour and if he tires in the third week he could miss the podium which was unthinkable before the Vuelta started. He has to do a really good time time trial to be a chance I think. Rodriguez will also be dangerous if he can replicate his last TT in the Giro which was the best of his career. If he keeps picking up time bonuses like Valverde the pressure goes back on Froome and Contador who don't have the sprint the other two possess.

 

[The Hitch]

If AS will get his level back of 2010, that's still unclear but even then AS at 100 % is not as good of a climber as Contador so I'm not sure how that would work and Froome never raced against them before.

Btw in a interview of a few months ago Contador said he broke his training record twice, last time he did that was before giro 2011. I don't see Contador as the guy who would lie about that.

Yeah i was thinking the same and i agree. To me the most likely answer is that contador is merely getting back into form but i won't count chickens until they are hatched.

 

[The Hitch]

Roger hammond said that contador.looked like he changed his gear after he.looked over his shoulder and saw no one there which is why he faded.

He also said that when froome stopped peddling it may have been something else like a radio order as he stopped peddling very rapidly rather than easing off.

 

[movingtarget]

Roger hammond said that contador.looked like he changed his gear after he.looked over his shoulder and saw no one there which is why he faded.

He also said that when froome stopped peddling it may have been something else like a radio order as he stopped peddling very rapidly rather than easing off.

That seemed pretty weird to me. He was in a good rhythm riding with Contador and they were opening the gap on the others. Froome does better when riding at his own pace. He just does not have the change of pace the other's have. Contador seemed to be going nowhere at the finish and was in a very low gear.

 

[airstream]

I can't understand why you're worried when he's finally shown that he can drop Froome. There were many that doubted that was possible. Personally I've been put at ease by his showing today. When, at any time this year, have we seen anyone do this to Froome?

No one knows. Possibly it was the worst Froome's day in the Vuelta.
How much will Contador catch in TT? Opinions?

A rider finally pays for his indiscretions after years of playing as the cycling version of the Teflon Donn and folks can't take pleasure in him getting his comeuppance?

But they had the same manager and so to speak technologies of an ascension. birds of a feather

 

[LaFlorecita]

I was just thinking, no actually I was thinking last night, does Majka have to sleep alone cos Alberto rooms with Jesus or Benja, the other one with Dani, two Portuguese are a couple and the two grandpas, is young Majka all alone

 

[CasperVg]

I was just thinking, no actually I was thinking last night, does Majka have to sleep alone cos Alberto rooms with Jesus or Benja, the other one with Dani, two Portuguese are a couple and the two grandpas, is young Majka all alone

Maybe he gets to sleep with Riis?

 

[airstream]

I think Froome made a tactical mistake. When he got the gap on Valverde and Rodriguez, he should have kept going. Even if Contador who was sitting behind him won the stage, Froome still would have collected the time bonus for second. Now he has lost 15 seconds and missed the time bonus. Could not understand Sky's tactics. So far this race also created a good argument to include time bonuses.

i understand froome therein. if as you say he went on the front and started pulling contador, anyways alberto would have attacked a bit later. probably with 2km to go or so, we don't know. so froome offered contador to collaborate, he turned down and froome preferred not to work alone.

 

[Michele]

I was just thinking, no actually I was thinking last night, does Majka have to sleep alone cos Alberto rooms with Jesus or Benja, the other one with Dani, two Portuguese are a couple and the two grandpas, is young Majka all alone

In this case usually the 9th rider share the room with a DS or team staff.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Maybe he gets to sleep with Riis?

Maybe

 

[LaFlorecita]

In this case usually the 9th rider share the room with a DS or team staff.

Ok I am less worried about little Majka now

 

[jyhjyh]

I was just thinking, no actually I was thinking last night, does Majka have to sleep alone cos Alberto rooms with Jesus or Benja, the other one with Dani, two Portuguese are a couple and the two grandpas, is young Majka all alone

I think Majka rooms with Nicki S.
Nicki is used to take care of GT-rookies.

So dont' worry

 

[burning]

“I think he was a cyclist who always showed such strength, great intelligence and spectacular physical conditioning,” said Contador, who is third overall at the Vuelta.



Why would he even say something like that???

 

[T-Nielsen]

Ok I am less worried about little Majka now

Were you volunteering to share a room with him if not ?

 

[Arnout]

“I think he was a cyclist who always showed such strength, great intelligence and spectacular physical conditioning,” said Contador, who is third overall at the Vuelta.



Why would he even say something like that???

Because he was in the same team in 2009, where DNA was found of 7 out of 8 cyclists on dodgy equipment.

Alright, clinic, I know.