Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[roundabout]

Serious question: why does Contador suck at Classics?

Is it a tactical deficiency in being unable to read more complex one day races or is it a physical one (eg not having the punch).

There was nothing complex about today.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I don't think he ever gave a very good shot at the classics. Today it didn't have anything to do with tactics, just bad shape. But he isn't very good at those either. Anyway, he has top10 Liege and Lombardia, podium La Fleche Wallone and won Milan-Torino so it's not atrocious. Also keep in mind that Contador's best cards are climbing (which today's route didn't really favour) and recovery (that doesn't matter in classics, just look at Dan Martin). He think he can handle the distance just fine.

"Suck" is a relative term here. Obviously most riders would be proud of his one day record. But by his own stage race standards he sucks.

Today he got dropped on a puncheur's climb. So yes, not a tactical issue on this occasion.

As for form, well he doesn't base his season around them, but it should be said that the likes of Valverde, Purito and Martin were all in the Vuelta too.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

There was nothing complex about today.

Quite. But I'm asking about many years of being consistently much worse at one day races than stage races.

 

[BlurryVII]

Serious question: why does Contador suck at Classics?

Is it a tactical deficiency in being unable to read more complex one day races or is it a physical one (eg not having the punch).

It has nothing to do with tactics. One day races are not more complex than a GT, far from that.

It's just about form, it's all about it. Contador never focused on classics, and his form is down at the moment. That's why he got dropped at the end, he's just tired, he's been up there since Tirreno/algarve.

Lots of classics would be within his reach if he was willing to peak for them, including LBL, Fleche Wallonne, Lombardy (old route with muro di sormano), even ronde van vlaanderen, he was among the best in the short cobbled climbs in the Eneco Tour 12' and he just came back to competition... but he doesn't care, he only seems motivated by stage races.
See this year, he would have had a great shot at FW and LBL after winning Pais Vasco but skipped it.

 

[LaFlorecita]

even ronde van vlaanderen, he was among the best in the short cobbled climbs in the Eneco Tour 12' and he just came back to competition... .

That was one cobbled climb... He'd be nowhere in de Ronde... also because it's too long.

 

[BlurryVII]

That was one cobbled climb... He'd be nowhere in de Ronde... also because it's too long.

I don't know which stage you talking about, but I remember him attacking up freaking Wall of Grammont, which was renowened as one of the hardest climbs in flanders. And he caused damages , keeping in mind that he came back from suspension and his form was average.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I don't know which stage you talking about, but I remember him attacking up freaking Wall of Grammont, which was renowened as one of the hardest climbs in flanders. And he caused damages , keeping in mind that he came back from suspension and his form was average.

Yeah, I am talking about that stage, duh. Like I said, that was one climb (let's just call it de Muur van Geraardsbergen, okay?). That does not mean he would do even remotely well in de Ronde. That's just silly. He did well there because of his climbing skills. You need a whole lot more than climbing skills to do well at RVV.

 

[BlurryVII]

Yeah, I am talking about that stage, duh. Like I said, that was one climb (let's just call it de Muur van Geraardsbergen, okay?). That does not mean he would do even remotely well in de Ronde. That's just silly. He did well there because of his climbing skills. You need a whole lot more than climbing skills to do well at RVV.

Alright, no need to be mean
I think in good form he'd do well but not sure about that.

 

[LaFlorecita]

My post was not intended to be mean but I am just in a *****y mood today

 

[ILovecycling]

Alright, no need to be mean
I think in good form he'd do well but not sure about that.

I agree with you bro.Its a bs that AC is not good in long races.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Alright, no need to be mean
I think in good form he'd do well but not sure about that.

I think in good form and with a lot of luck he'd manage a top 20.

But it's a useless discussion anyway since he'll never race it

 

[LaFlorecita]

I agree with you bro.Its a bs that AC is not good in long races.

His results suggest otherwise

 

[arvc40]

Horses for courses. Contador simply puts all energy into winning stage races. Stick to what your best at. No doubt he could place well regularly in certain races like LBL if he really wanted it.

 

[arvc40]

I would imagine if he did focus on classics he would regularly find himself with a Valverde type rider in the finish, and that means first loser every time. What's the point.

 

[BlurryVII]

My post was not intended to be mean but I am just in a *****y mood today

No problem

I agree with you bro.Its a bs that AC is not good in long races.

yeah long races are not a problem, but I don't know about vlaanderen. Length + repetitive cobbles...

 

[Red Rick]

He surely has the talent to be up there in a lot of hilly classics, but to suggest he'd be competitive in Vlaanderen is just lol

Biggest problem is that he has to finish alone if he's gonna win and the terrain is almost never really hard enough for him to drop everyone, so he's just way better of on winning lots of GT's

 

[LaFlorecita]

Horses for courses. Contador simply puts all energy into winning stage races. Stick to what your best at. No doubt he could place well regularly in certain races like LBL if he really wanted it.

I would imagine if he did focus on classics he would regularly find himself with a Valverde type rider in the finish, and that means first loser every time. What's the point.

Yep & yep.

Good points.

 

[LaFlorecita]

He surely has the talent to be up there in a lot of hilly classics, but to suggest he'd be competitive in Vlaanderen is just lol

Biggest problem is that he has to finish alone if he's gonna win and the terrain is almost never really hard enough for him to drop everyone, so he's just way better of on winning lots of GT's

There's a reason the only one day race he's ever won had a mountain top finish

I wonder who would win a worst sprinter competition.... Kind of like the Canadian sprint classic just with the worst two advancing to the next round

 

[BlurryVII]

but to suggest he'd be competitive in Vlaanderen is just lol

Querer es poder
But I don't think the "querer" is exactly there

 

[Dr. Juice]

There's a reason the only one day race he's ever won had a mountain top finish

I wonder who would win a worst sprinter competition.... Kind of like the Canadian sprint classic just with the worst two advancing to the next round

He would fight it out with Basso. But lose in the end. Basso the better sprinter. Won a 2-man sprint in the Criterium International if I remember correctly ( 2005 or 2006). Okay he was freaking out of this world then but I think Basso is just the average guy and Alberto in the last third of the peloton regarding sprinting quality.

 

[Red Rick]

There's a reason the only one day race he's ever won had a mountain top finish

I wonder who would win a worst sprinter competition.... Kind of like the Canadian sprint classic just with the worst two advancing to the next round

I don't think he's among the top5% worst sprinters

 

[Netserk]

He would fight it out with Basso. But lose in the end. Basso the better sprinter. Won a 2-man sprint in the Criterium International if I remember correctly ( 2005 or 2006). Okay he was freaking out of this world then but I think Basso is just the average guy and Alberto in the last third of the peloton regarding sprinting quality.

Basso has beaten Greipel in a sprint.

IIRC it was the same finishing loop as this year when Guardini won...

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=2643

 

[LaFlorecita]

I don't think he's among the top5% worst sprinters

Neither do I. He's bad, but still has some sort of punch. He sprinted well in Catalunya this year.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Neither do I. He's bad, but still has some sort of punch. He sprinted well in Catalunya this year.

Well, I also think he isn't that bad in an uphill sprint. He's average in that sort of finish, so against Valverde no chance but against other average fast climbers he has a chance. The more difficult the race is before the more it's important how much energy is left in the tank. There he has an advantage.

Where he really suffers is a flat finish in a little group.

 

[GJB123]

According to a Dutch website (nu.nl) AC has stated that he won't race Bejing due to further knee problems after his fall yesterday.