Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Jelantik]

Oleg is crazy. But can't blame the guy. His intention is great. If all the best GT rider competes on all 3 GT. But I don't believe Froome will go for Giro. His dream is to win 7x in a row. So this year was a great disappoinment for him. Quintana, is eager to win his first TDF. So he is not going to reduce his chance by trying to do Giro-Tour double next year. If he win TDF next year, he'll most likely to try Giro-Tour double in 2016. Nibali? hmm... he said he wants to try giro-tour double. At that time he must have thought.. at least he could guarantee to win Giro. And TDF.. who knows maybe someone get crashed again. Then Contador said he will do Giro too. Now sudddenly winning Giro for Nibali will not be too certain as before. Besides, kazak people wants him to defend TDF. I don't know how much chance Nibali got if Froome and Quintana are in 100%. (I kept failing to see Nibali in the class of Froome and Contador). Unless of course they are all crash, then we will got pinot and barguil to round the podium (yawn!).

At least Contador is confirmed to ride the Giro. I don't care who shows up. Maybe tandem duo sky porte and roche. Either way, the weaker the field, at least one win in the bag.. *of course easier said than done*. But one thing for sure, I can't wait for the Giro to start..

 

[Jagartrott]

but did you read the part about Valverde riding E3 and not moaning about it like you do? and YES- its neither RVV nor PR, but its a cobble race

Valverde has proven he can win (hilly) classics.
He didn't do too poorly at E3, but ending 63rd at a 200 km cobbles race is something else entirely than Contador competing for the win in a 260 km cobbles race.

Surely you can see that?

 

[Netbalp]

LOL @ Tinkov saying Contador was only at 75% in the vuelta.

Then again on that one hilly finish in the tour (he couldn't do that in the vuelta against valverde) he absolutely destroyed valverde which is a finish that should suit him. And contador wasn't even breathing.

The level of Valverde's form in the Tour is prudently jumped in the lake and taken out of the brackets. Reality distorted by sore polarized fan imagination for the millionth time.

 

[jens_attacks]

what about that aston martin to majka, oleg? eh?

 

[Walkman]

LOL @ Tinkov saying Contador was only at 75% in the vuelta.

Then again on that one hilly finish in the tour (he couldn't do that in the vuelta against valverde) he absolutely destroyed valverde which is a finish that should suit him. And contador wasn't even breathing.

Vuelta piti > Tour piti. Always.

Something about the law and the customs in France, not really sure exactly what though.

 

[staubsauger]

So the Giro was designed softly to allow Contador a attempt at the Giro-Tour double!?

Well Pantani won a Giro without any rest days and a Tour originally handed on a silver platter to Ullrich! So hopefully "el conejo" will fail big another time with this laughable attempt!

#allezfroome

 

[Jspear]

So the Giro was designed softly to allow Contador a attempt at the Giro-Tour double!?

Well Pantani won a Giro without any rest days and a Tour originally handed on a silver platter to Ullrich! So hopefully "el conejo" will fail big another time with this laughable attempt!

#allezfroome

They said they did it with Niabi in mind as well.

 

[LaFlorecita]

So the Giro was designed softly to allow Contador a attempt at the Giro-Tour double!?

Well Pantani won a Giro without any rest days and a Tour originally handed on a silver platter to Ullrich! So hopefully "el conejo" will fail big another time with this laughable attempt!

#allezfroome

yeah it's Alberto's fault the Giro organizers designed an easy parcours for Nibali

 

[Carols]

yeah it's Alberto's fault the Giro organizers designed an easy parcours for Nibali

Easy? 43,000 vertical meters of climbing, a 60km ITT, a 263km stage, 6 MTF. Easy? Not by any stretch of the imagination! Built for a complete rider and pretty close to balanced. Certainly Not an easy parcours!

Unless there is next to no competition Alberto will be tired after the Giro .

It is the lack of long transfers that will make it easier, not the parcours.

 

[Jelantik]

Easy? 43,000 vertical meters of climbing, a 60km ITT, a 263km stage, 6 MTF. Easy? Not by any stretch of the imagination! Built for a complete rider and pretty close to balanced. Certainly Not an easy parcours!

Unless there is next to no competition Alberto will be tired after the Giro .

It is the lack of long transfers that will make it easier, not the parcours.

He indeed will be tired. But have a faith, my friend. If anyone can do it, it is him. He now has more organized and better training method than using his feeling and guts to measure his form. So he should be able reach his peak potential ceiling. SO I BELIEVE!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Easy? 43,000 vertical meters of climbing, a 60km ITT, a 263km stage, 6 MTF. Easy? Not by any stretch of the imagination! Built for a complete rider and pretty close to balanced. Certainly Not an easy parcours!

Unless there is next to no competition Alberto will be tired after the Giro .

It is the lack of long transfers that will make it easier, not the parcours.

I was replying to staubsauger, obviously.

 

[Jack_89]

He is the rider with the fastest time of recovery. is the only one can do double and it is right that he try.

As already said, if he has 80% shape can win quite easily the Giro that it is not very hard and suits him. The only problem may be the presence of Nibali that would push Alberto to spend more energy

 

[Jagartrott]

I find the level of confidence of being able to pull off a double (Giro-Tour or Tour-Vuelta victories) in modern-day cycling slightly bemusing. On the basis of what is this? No-one has achieved this since many years, and cycling is so focused that no-one will be able to succeed in a feat like this unless calamities happen. I'm quite confident of that.

 

[Dr. Juice]

I find the level of confidence of being able to pull off a double (Giro-Tour or Tour-Vuelta victories) in modern-day cycling slightly bemusing. On the basis of what is this? No-one has achieved this since many years, and cycling is so focused that no-one will be able to succeed in a feat like this unless calamities happen. I'm quite confident of that.

If you have a good recovery it's perfectly possible. People overestimate the effects of a ( normal hard) GT ridden before.
Almost nobody tried in the last 15 years. If Basso was able to win the Giro in 2005 ( he was, before his problem he was the strongest, after his problem TT win and mountain stage win ) and able to climb with Armstrong in the Tour , then I see no reason why Contador couldn't.

Contador 2011 had two or three reasons why it didn't work out:

1.) hardest GT in the last 2 decades
2.) Tour was not planned, last minute decision -> attacked a lot in the Giro
3.) crashes ( minor effect) -> time loss + always bad for an ideal recovery / form rebuilding

Next year we'll know better. Giro + Tour planned before the season is a whole different game.

 

[Jagartrott]

A lot of speculation, no hard facts.
The fact that no-one has done this lately and few have tried, speaks much louder.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-is-it-possible-to-win-the-giro-tour-double

 

[LaFlorecita]

A lot of speculation, no hard facts.
The fact that no-one has done this lately and few have tried, speaks much louder.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-is-it-possible-to-win-the-giro-tour-double

Exactly. Perhaps if more had tried, someone would have managed it.

You talk about hard facts, show us hard facts that prove it's impossible.

 

[Dr. Juice]

A lot of speculation, no hard facts.
The fact that no-one has done this lately and few have tried, speaks much louder.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-is-it-possible-to-win-the-giro-tour-double

Those were facts in regard to how a Giro - Tour double might be compromised. You'll see next year if Contador doesn't crash.

They didn't try because most are business oriented puss...
Especially some team managers. And a lot of riders don't have the panache. It's as simple as that.

 

[Carols]

A lot of speculation, no hard facts.
The fact that no-one has done this lately and few have tried, speaks much louder.

Those who never try to do something will never accomplish it.

Alberto at least has the cojones to try . Will it be difficult? Damned Right it will! Doesn't mean he shouldn't give it a go!

 

[Dr. Juice]

Exactly. Perhaps if more had tried, someone would have managed it.

You talk about hard facts, show us hard facts that prove it's impossible.

He sells the "not having tried" argument as a fact which proves it's impossible. I gave the Basso 2005 example ( one of the few riders who planned the double ) and there are not many more examples.

If everyone thought like that we would have 200 Armstrongs.

 

[Jagartrott]

'Prove to us that all swans are white'.
I've not said it's impossible, I've taken objection to the confidence with which it is almost taken for granted here. There are strong reasons why this is very unlikely to achieve, which is why so few try it in the first place - that's the whole point.

I think we can agree that it is impossible to be '100'% in two consecutive GCs. So that would imply you need to win at least one not being your best. How often have we seen a GC victor not at his best beating contenders at their best?

 

[LaFlorecita]

'Prove to us that all swans are white'.
I've not said it's impossible, I've taken objection to the confidence with which it is almost taken for granted here. There are strong reasons why this is very unlikely to achieve, which is why so few try it in the first place - that's the whole point.

I think we can agree that it is impossible to be '100'% in two consecutive GCs. So that would imply you need to win at least one not being your best. How often have we seen a GC victor not at his best beating contenders at their best?

No one is taking it for granted. I think everyone realizes that it will be very, very difficult to achieve. But he does not have to be 100% to win a GT - see 2008 Giro, 2012& 2014 Vuelta. If Uran and Aru will be his main competition, he won't have to go very deep.

 

[ILovecycling]

'Prove to us that all swans are white'.
I've not said it's impossible, I've taken objection to the confidence with which it is almost taken for granted here. There are strong reasons why this is very unlikely to achieve, which is why so few try it in the first place - that's the whole point.

I think we can agree that it is impossible to be '100'% in two consecutive GCs. So that would imply you need to win at least one not being your best. How often have we seen a GC victor not at his best beating contenders at their best?

giro 14, vuelta 12, vuelta 10, tour 10 ...

 

[TheEnoculator]

One reason it is impossible to win Giro-Tour double these days: there will be riders who are focusing on winning one of them, so they will either skip the Tour or Giro to fully concentrate on one of them. They will be 100% fresh and ready. Can you be fresh enough after 3 weeks of hard racing to beat guys who are 100% fresh? Unless you are several leagues above the rest, it's impossible in modern day cycling.

Contador used to be leagues above everybody else. Not anymore. He doesn't dominate GTs like he used to. Froome, Nibali, Valverde, Quintana, even Purito won't be dragged into the Giro-Tour double thing and they will give Contador a run for his money by focusing on either one of the GTs.

 

[arvc40]

Contador will win Giro Tour double next year. He's ultra confident. You will all see.

 

[arvc40]

Roll on 2015 Tour when everyone else is looking down pretending the gears are faulty !