Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Cimber]

Alberto will equal Froome on this TT course i believe!
This Vuelta will be settled on the high grounds.

Think Froome will beat him. But wont be by a huge margin so all will be open when we get to the crazy stages

 

[Cookster15]

There needs to be a clinic thread about why Contador is not destroying the field so far at this Vuelta. I mean based on this forum I was expecting a highly motivated Contador ("the great one") to decimate the field in 2011 Giro fashion. A 2011 Giro Conti would not get caught by Valverde in a summit finish. If his form doesn't improve from here questions need to be asked.

 

[Carols]

There needs to be a clinic thread about why Contador is not destroying the field so far at this Vuelta. I mean based on this forum I was expecting a highly motivated Contador ("the great one") to decimate the field in 2011 Giro fashion. A 2011 Giro Conti would not get caught by Valverde in a summit finish. If his form doesn't improve from here questions need to be asked.

The man has had <20 race days in over a year; the form will come. Whether it comes soon enough to win la Vuelta is another story. Fingers crossed...

 

[maxmartin]

"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

 

[Cimber]

There needs to be a clinic thread about why Contador is not destroying the field so far at this Vuelta. I mean based on this forum I was expecting a highly motivated Contador ("the great one") to decimate the field in 2011 Giro fashion. A 2011 Giro Conti would not get caught by Valverde in a summit finish. If his form doesn't improve from here questions need to be asked.

The answer is simple: 6 months without competition. GTFO with clinic stuff

 

[burning]

I'm calmly waiting for TT and Saturday, everything will be much more clear at Saturday.

 

[Cimber]

"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

I am wondering - where the hell do they get the energy to have a conversation with 1k to go in a final like that?

 

[Cimber]

I'm calmly waiting for TT and Saturday, everything will be much more clear at Saturday.

Berti will lose time but if he keep it under 1min he is well within striking distance.

 

[Miburo]

There needs to be a clinic thread about why Contador is not destroying the field so far at this Vuelta. I mean based on this forum I was expecting a highly motivated Contador ("the great one") to decimate the field in 2011 Giro fashion. A 2011 Giro Conti would not get caught by Valverde in a summit finish. If his form doesn't improve from here questions need to be asked.

At 2011 he was already "caught". Stop with this bull****, what's the difference with 2011 considering that?

Nothing, idiots. Worst thing of all is that i read it aswell in a lot of newspapers.

I really hate journalists sometimes...Actually a lot of times.

 

[The Hitch]

At 2011 he was already "caught". Stop with this bull****, what's the difference with 2011 considering that?

Nothing, idiots. Worst thing of all is that i read it aswell in a lot of newspapers.

I really hate journalists sometimes...Actually a lot of times.

Calm down, the poster makes a legitimate point that Contador does seem to be a bit worse.

And i agree with you since he is passing the same controls as 2011 Giro, it suggests that clinic is probably not the reason for why Contador seems worse this year, but we will have to see in the coming years and coming TDFs if Contadors slight difficulties here are part of a permanent fall, or a temporary setback.

Would also be interesting to see, if Andy Schleck is able to outclimb everyone with ease, as logically, since they were on similar level, if Contadors ability drops to the rest of the gt riders, and Schleck remains the same, he should fly away next year.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Hitch you make me sad.

 

[Miburo]

Calm down, the poster makes a legitimate point that Contador does seem to be a bit worse.

And i agree with you since he is passing the same controls as 2011 Giro, it suggests that clinic is probably not the reason for why Contador seems worse this year, but we will have to see in the coming years and coming TDFs if Contadors slight difficulties here are part of a permanent fall, or a temporary setback.

Would also be interesting to see, if Andy Schleck is able to outclimb everyone with ease, as logically, since they were on similar level, if Contadors ability drops to the rest of the gt riders, and Schleck remains the same, he should fly away next year.

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.

 

[Cimber]

Calm down, the poster makes a legitimate point that Contador does seem to be a bit worse.

And the answer should be straight forward. LAck of racing miles. Ofc u are right that if he is below normal at the 2013 Tour as well then questions can be asked, but not necessarily clinic questions. But tbh that discussion is really not suited for the Vuelta 2012 since we all know why he isnt 100%: lack of racing myles. Tbh questions would need to be asked if he had been 100% and the Contador version Tour 2009 from day 1 in the Vuelta. Now that had been strange.

SO no I do not think its a legit claim that if he doesnt reach his former level in a GT after 6months absence clinic questions need to be asked. Its BS. PErsonally I think he will keep improving during the race, and possibly be good enough in the 3rd week to make the real difference. But I am not sure he will reach 100% of hes normal form - but he can win this race at 95%.

 

[Miburo]

Btw I wouldn't say he was absent for 6 months, rather a year.

After tour 2011 he didn't ride anything anymore beside san luis and 1 day in mallorco. So yeah 1 year I would say.

 

[Cimber]

Btw I wouldn't say he was absent for 6 months, rather a year.

After tour 2011 he didn't ride anything anymore beside san luis and 1 day in mallorco. So yeah 1 year I would say.

True and it would be very odd if he was at 100% when he returned.

 

[Forunculo]

I don't know why some of you insist on 6 months of no racing, actually it's 13 months since TdF 11, what he did in January barely counts as racing.


Look at Valverde he seems now, at the end of the season, the rider he was more or less.

I think TdF 2013 should be the real test to check if he is the same or it's worst because clinic reasons.


If he was in God-Mode right now I'm the first to open a thread in the clinic

 

[airstream]

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.

 

[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?