Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[ExtraSpoke]

Anyone knows if:

1. Are they going to use "recta contador" in the next giro?

2. Has it ever happened for a rider to race on a road named after him?

 

[Publicus]

judging by the new article on the front page, Contador is going to dominate the likes of Aru next year (and not Nibbles).

 

[LaFlorecita]

judging by the new article on the front page, Contador is going to dominate the likes of Aru next year (and not Nibbles).

What a surprise

 

[ILovecycling]

What a surprise

but this is becoming fvcking ridiculous!

 

[cineteq]

judging by the new article on the front page, Contador is going to dominate the likes of Aru next year (and not Nibbles).

Very funny Keep the humor up!

 

[Publicus]

Very funny Keep the humor up!

No jokes involved. If Aru is the top GC candidate outside of Contador to arrive at the Giro, he's getting crushed 2011 style. I don't mean to be disrespectful of Aru, but he's young and he's got a lot of room to grow. But he's not growing that full amount by next May

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

If Nibali won't do the Giro it won't be because of Contador. It would be a lot easier to win the Giro against Contador than it would be to win the Tour against Froome and Quintana at their peak.

 

[Miburo]

If Nibali won't do the Giro it won't be because of Contador. It would be a lot easier to win the Giro against Contador than it would be to win the Tour against Froome and Quintana at their peak.

Must have missed 2011

Anyways that argument is irrelevant since nibali now knows that winning the giro will be very difficult, he has no guaranteed win which he would have if contador wasn't there.

So better go for the tour, better for the sponsors.

 

[Jspear]

Tinkov and team challenging the other big gc guys to race against AC in the Giro then the Tour.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-saxo-throws-down-giro-tour-challenge-to-grand-tour-rivals

Here's Tinkov's tweet.

https://twitter.com/olegtinkov/status/514493141639245824

I think they will all come up with convenient excuses about why they can't.

 

[Jspear]

Must have missed 2011

Anyways that argument is irrelevant since nibali now knows that winning the giro will be very difficult, he has no guaranteed win which he would have if contador wasn't there.

So better go for the tour, better for the sponsors.

Nibali's team has already hinted that he will probably defend his Tour title and Aru will take on the Giro....unfortunately.

 

[Red Rick]

It´s official

The Contador Challenge is on

 

[79pmooney]

I like this challenge. I think AC is using it to pump himself up to attempt what he has dreamed of for a while and realizes that it will probably play out as him winning the Giro then coming into the Tour at a disadvantage vs Quintana and Froome. But: Quintana and Froome better beat an equal who already has a GT win under his belt! And they have to beat Nibaly who we can expect to show up at his best. Also Froome and Quintana have to beat each other. I can imagine AC doing as little as possible the opening week and a half, hanging on to survive and minimize his losses, then seeking an opportunity to do real damage late. (And probably benefiting from a mishap to one of those three along the way.)

Anyone recall this year's Vuelta? AC's a tough, smart bulldog. He's racing three guys who "have" to win. I won't give AC even odds, but I won't put him far below that. The other three better be racing with their heads on. And who's going to have better incentive? Those racing to win their first or second Tour or the guy who will make history as one of a very select number?

Ben

 

[Electress]

I like this challenge. I think AC is using it to pump himself up to attempt what he has dreamed of for a while and realizes that it will probably play out as him winning the Giro then coming into the Tour at a disadvantage vs Quintana and Froome. But: Quintana and Froome better beat an equal who already has a GT win under his belt! And they have to beat Nibaly who we can expect to show up at his best. Also Froome and Quintana have to beat each other. I can imagine AC doing as little as possible the opening week and a half, hanging on to survive and minimize his losses, then seeking an opportunity to do real damage late. (And probably benefiting from a mishap to one of those three along the way.)

Anyone recall this year's Vuelta? AC's a tough, smart bulldog. He's racing three guys who "have" to win. I won't give AC even odds, but I won't put him far below that. The other three better be racing with their heads on. And who's going to have better incentive? Those racing to win their first or second Tour or the guy who will make history as one of a very select number?

Ben

I think Contador has thrown down the gauntlet to everyone. He's not a man to bet against in a fight. It's an impressive move in my book. Puts others a bit on the back-foot, having to respond / decide what to do. Not going looks like retreating from a challenge, and it'll only up the stakes if he does win the Giro, since he'd be racing the Tour to hold all three titles at once.

I like nothing better than watching a predatory Contador, lurking about waiting to attack. Just have to hope that his form holds, that he doesn't get injured. Hope we get a great Tour route for this to be played out on - not some TT dominated borefest.

And yeah, why else train your guts out - he's already addressed the 'Chris Froome nemesis' to some extent. Doesn't have an awful lot of other stuff to prove.

Wonder when he'll retire. Don't see him lingering about too long. Which is a sad thought...

 

[inri2000]

Doesn't have an awful lot of other stuff to prove.

Key point.

 

[Sciocco]

I think Contador has thrown down the gauntlet to everyone. He's not a man to bet against in a fight. It's an impressive move in my book. Puts others a bit on the back-foot, having to respond / decide what to do. Not going looks like retreating from a challenge, and it'll only up the stakes if he does win the Giro, since he'd be racing the Tour to hold all three titles at once.

I like nothing better than watching a predatory Contador, lurking about waiting to attack. Just have to hope that his form holds, that he doesn't get injured. Hope we get a great Tour route for this to be played out on - not some TT dominated borefest.

And yeah, why else train your guts out - he's already addressed the 'Chris Froome nemesis' to some extent. Doesn't have an awful lot of other stuff to prove.

Wonder when he'll retire. Don't see him lingering about too long. Which is a sad thought...

I wouldn't be surprised if he retires after 2015, 2016 or 2017.

If he pulled off the triple, or maybe even the triple in 2015 I could see him retiring on the final podium right after they hand him the mic. But I also wouldn't be surprised to see him sign a one or two year deal. Maybe he wants the record for most Vueltas, maybe he wants to target the 2017 Giro (100th edition, I believe?), maybe there are some week long stage races he wants on his palmares, maybe he will give it his all in some of classics he has some potential in? If he is interested in any of that I see him staying for 2016-2017. But 2018, he would be 35 years old for the season and I can't imagine him wanting to race then. Of course he could surprise us.

Side note, Contador riding the Giro is proof that dreams come true.

 

[Electress]

I wouldn't be surprised if he retires after 2015, 2016 or 2017.

If he pulled off the triple, or maybe even the triple in 2015 I could see him retiring on the final podium right after they hand him the mic. But I also wouldn't be surprised to see him sign a one or two year deal. Maybe he wants the record for most Vueltas, maybe he wants to target the 2017 Giro (100th edition, I believe?), maybe there are some week long stage races he wants on his palmares, maybe he will give it his all in some of classics he has some potential in? If he is interested in any of that I see him staying for 2016-2017. But 2018, he would be 35 years old for the season and I can't imagine him wanting to race then. Of course he could surprise us.

Side note, Contador riding the Giro is proof that dreams come true.

Yeah, if he pulled off the triple, I can see there being little point in going on. One reason I could think he'd go on under those circumstances is whether he'd then want to beat the most GTs ever (since he clearly counts the ones which have been stripped, wouldn't he only need 1 more?).

If he didn't get the triple, he could sign an extension and give it one more shot I guess. So, yes, I agree, I suspect it's not far away. My guess is he's got a plan. He always strikes me as a man with an idea of the long game.

2017 will be the latest in my book, unless he's on the cusp of getting the most GTs ever, then he might just hang on.

 

[The Hitch]

lol at talk he will do the tripple. Its impossible. The energy you lose over 2 gts is just too big.

 

[Sciocco]

lol at talk he will do the tripple. Its impossible. The energy you lose over 2 gts is just too big.

Currently, it looks like he has an easy Giro win lined up followed by an extremely difficult Tour. If he somehow pulls the double off I bet he'll go for it in the Vuelta. I think the triple is definitely dam near impossible and he won't do it, because I don't think he is going to win the Tour. I think Contador is going to win the Giro, podium the Tour and declare the double impossible without great luck and the triple impossible regardless.

If Contador pulled off the double, who would he end up facing in the Vuelta anyway? Think any of Froome, Quintana and Nibali will line up just to stop him(rescue their season)?

I'm also really interested to see how his season's schedule is going to look next year, maybe two stage races pre-Giro, nothing in between Giro and Tour?

 

[Netserk]

Nationals or nothing between Giro and Tour. I think the lightest possible program before the Giro would be Algarve - Catalunya - Castilla y Leon - Giro. Would be great if he rode Trentino, but I very much doubt that.

 

[Cimber]

Olegs way of putting it:

Oleg Tinkov@olegtinkov · 12h

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-saxo-throws-down-giro-tour-challenge-to-grand-tour-rivals … Are @chrisfroome chicken? Or Brailsford is not a Sir to defend his pride?


Oleg Tinkov@olegtinkov · 1m

Big 4 riders have to do all 3 Grand Tours, sign binding document and go for it. Now they're playing w each other, we wanna now who is #1.

 

[Cimber]

If Cookson's plan to make Vuelta and Giro 2 weeks long from 2017 that would make the trible much more possible. Alas, he might be to old by then.

 

[Netserk]

If Cookson's plan to make Vuelta and Giro 2 weeks long from 2017 that would make the trible much more possible. Alas, he might be to old by then.

It would make it meaningless.

 

[Cimber]

It would make it meaningless.

Wouldnt say that. My guess is that the Vuelta and Giro would simply leave out most ofthe "easy" stages, making it 2 super tough weeks from the get go. But it would make the trible possible (though still very hard) opposed to impossible (even for Contador) as it is today.

That said, I would really loath if they shortened the Giro and Vuelta. They should be 3 weeks just as the Tour. I dont mind that the trible is impossible. But, damn it would be interesting is indeed Froome, Nairo and Nibs agreed to Tinkoffs challenge. Would also mean that 2nd row GC favorites would be in the mox for the Tour and especially the Vuelta. Would make all the GTs much more interesting.

 

[fauniera]

It would make it meaningless.

This.

But, damn it would be interesting is indeed Froome, Nairo and Nibs agreed to Tinkoffs challenge. Would also mean that 2nd row GC favorites would be in the mox for the Tour and especially the Vuelta. Would make all the GTs much more interesting.

Would make them much less interesting in my opinion. Always the same riders in contention? Boring.

 

[Cimber]

Would make them much less interesting in my opinion. Always the same riders in contention? Boring.

No that is exactly what wouldn't happen. Ok in the Giro it might be the top 4 only, but in the Tour and especially in the Vuelta the 2nd row favorites who normally wouldnt stand a chance would actually be in the mix for the win since Nairo, Chris, Alberto and Vincenzo would be tired. So those 2 GTs would be wide open for everyone.