Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Fidolix]

Contador

He hasn't race for a while and needs racing in his legs, he is good, competitive and is 3rd on GC but looks nervous because he attacks when he shouldn't do.


Froome

It's the favourite for the ITT but he was struggling at Montjuic, when he passed him he was parked, catched Contador but Purito was impossible.

Vuelta
The galician weather is colder, it's course suits him, he is on good form despite wasn't the plan so he wants to enjoy and try to fight as long as he can. He is enjoying and thinks he is performing well. He thinks this is his best moment of the season and wants to take advantage.

About Cobo he said he is supporting him willingly, holding in the peloton as much as he can to help

Thank you very much!
I don´t think AC is nervous, just restless like a racehorse before a race, he loves to race and is just impatient, but it makes him do some mistakes, he´s never been known for his great tactical skills, but I guess he really never needed to either in the past, but I´m confident Riis will take control in the important stages and make the right calls.

 

[ILovecycling]

I love the man Lol did you see the person at 0.07 grabbing his shoulder, lol everyone want to touch him, they think he is a god

Yeah,its crazy...and I dont know god,so maybe Alberto is it...btw I like your new/edited signature
And Sorry for my poor english

 

[sacrifice&hardwork]

http://www.esciclismo.com/ampliada.asp?Id=23203&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

A little something on Alberto's press conference today

 

[Fidolix]

Bradley McGee in an interview today:

It´s not been to stage wins yet despite some attacks, but Alberto Contador is exactly where he should be after the first nine stages of the Tour of Vuelta a España.

Sports Director at Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank Bradley McGee is extremely pleased with the Spaniard's performance so far after Contador's long doping suspension.

- It was impossible to know what we could expect from Alberto, so we wondered not too much. We knew what he showed in the Eneco Tour before the Vuelta, was fine, and we knew that he had trained well, which he always does, says McGee on the race first rest day.

- So in that way he was physically ready. But of course there is a difference between training and racing. It takes time to get into the competition beat - especially at the level Alberto moves on.

- He's finding his good leg, and they're almost there. But it's also about how comfortable and easy, you sit down in the field, and how to analyze the race, says McGee.

 

[icefire]

http://www.esciclismo.com/ampliada.asp?Id=23203&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

A little something on Alberto's press conference today

He confirms he didn't know yesterday's finish and attacked in the wrong place

 

[Cimber]

He confirms he didn't know yesterday's finish and attacked in the wrong place

So u think he should have denied it?

 

[The Hitch]

I stopped reading when he said Purito would do a good tt.

 

[Cimber]

More or less what he said in that interview but now in plain English:

“It's been a long period of time without competing for me and the parcours have so far been suitable for explosive riders. Now it will be suitable for me and the climbers. We're going into a terrain where I feel more comfortable. It's seems to be a pretty good time trial for me but also for the other three in the top of the GC. There's one climb and one descent and that's better for a rider like Joaquin (Rodriguez) than if it were a purely flat time trial. I think the four of us will perform well and the outcome of that stage will decide the tactics in the big mountains”, the Spaniard concluded.

http://teamsaxobanktinkoffbank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3764&lang=uk

 

[The Hitch]

To cheer up his doomesdayer fans, he basically said that he wants the mountains to arrive already, so lets put off the end times postings till Asturias.

Interesting that he thinks having Tour in legs would be better than no races at all.

Next year Tour then Vuelta perchance?

 

[icefire]

So u think he should have denied it?

If you read the stage thread you'll find messages from some posters questioning the fact that he made a mistake because he didn't know the finish.

 

[icefire]

More or less what he said in that interview but now in plain English:

“It's been a long period of time without competing for me and the parcours have so far been suitable for explosive riders. Now it will be suitable for me and the climbers. We're going into a terrain where I feel more comfortable. It's seems to be a pretty good time trial for me but also for the other three in the top of the GC. There's one climb and one descent and that's better for a rider like Joaquin (Rodriguez) than if it were a purely flat time trial. I think the four of us will perform well and the outcome of that stage will decide the tactics in the big mountains”, the Spaniard concluded.

http://teamsaxobanktinkoffbank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3764&lang=uk

Wrong translation. The original in Spanish says that the climb is good (not better) for Purito.

 

[Cookster15]

I understand AC is lacking racing miles leading into this Vuelta. But wasn't he 'sitting on a beach' prior to being called up for the 2008 Giro ? He still won then even if it wasn't crushing like 2011 Giro. He should still be able to win the Vuelta although Froome seems his greatest obstacle.

 

[Publicus]

I understand AC is lacking racing miles leading into this Vuelta. But wasn't he 'sitting on a beach' prior to being called up for the 2008 Giro ? He still won then even if it wasn't crushing like 2011 Giro. He should still be able to win the Vuelta although Froome seems his greatest obstacle.

He had a few races in the months prior to the 2008 Giro, so it's different thant the current situation where he essentially has zero race miles (unless you count Tour de San Luis).

 

[LaFlorecita]

Wrong translation. The original in Spanish says that the climb is good (not better) for Purito.

Good for Purito thus better for Purito than if it were completely flat.

 

[LaFlorecita]

To cheer up his doomesdayer fans, he basically said that he wants the mountains to arrive already, so lets put off the end times postings till Asturias.

Interesting that he thinks having Tour in legs would be better than no races at all.

Next year Tour then Vuelta perchance?

Why not? It was the plan for this year as well.

 

[LaFlorecita]

If you read the stage thread you'll find messages from some posters questioning the fact that he made a mistake because he didn't know the finish.

So ?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Valverde says the ban has hurt Contador's chances for the Vuelta while Anton still thinks Contador is the favourite to win it.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2012/08/27/contador_layoff_spanish_vuelta/

Oh really Alejandro

 

[Miburo]

Why not? It was the plan for this year as well.

I think he wanted to do that for a long time already.

2011 obviously wasn't possible, 2009 and 2010 they were team problems and the clinic-affaire.

I think he should have went in 2009 though. He didn't went all out in tour '09. He could have won the vuelta that year for sure.

 

[ebandit]

Vuelta Stage 14

is this when we see the 1st win from alberto?

will he be 'playing cowboy' with his 6 shooter

or has he grown up in the 6 months that he was away

and learnt that sagan does the victory salute better?

 

[LaFlorecita]

is this when we see the 1st win from alberto?

will he be 'playing cowboy' with his 6 shooter

or has he grown up in the 6 months that he was away

and learnt that sagan does the victory salute better?

Nah.. playing cowboy

 

[LaFlorecita]

I think he wanted to do that for a long time already.

2011 obviously wasn't possible, 2009 and 2010 they were team problems and the clinic-affaire.

I think he should have went in 2009 though. He didn't went all out in tour '09. He could have won the vuelta that year for sure.

2009 would've been best but as you mentioned there were team problems.

 

[Angliru]

He confirms he didn't know yesterday's finish and attacked in the wrong place

It was quite obvious to the average cycling fan that this was the case.

 

[Carols]

More or less what he said in that interview but now in plain English:

http://teamsaxobanktinkoffbank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3764&lang=uk

Yeah except for the 'We have experienced a few days of fatigue and tiredness' part I'd be happier. Hopefully he feels better for the upcoming ITT and heavy mountain stages!!!

 

[Angliru]

Oh really Alejandro

In a way he's right. Not racing for 6-8 months can't be thought of as ideal preparation for contending in a grand tour. Likely under normal conditions he would have arrived in prime race form and potentially would have a more advantageous position in the standings.

 

[ILovecycling]

Oh really Alejandro

Don't be worried,Piti is on a good side...he probably believes in him but says that with better preparation Alberto would be better already in the first week (what a breaking news ...).
Anyway its pretty obvious that Piti was bored today,like all of us