Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[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

 

[The Hitch]

Man must people be picky if they get so annoyed by a custom celebration.

Yeah so much more entertaining if they all just put their hands in the air.

 

[jilbiker]

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.

In soccer there is what is known as "match fitness" very different from regular fitness. I think we are now realizing what this means in cycling. AC has enough experience as a pro that he knew it would be a factor. But it is a 3 wk race which is good and so he can sharpen his skills, gain some confidence. A win would have been good from a mind fitness point, but it is more important to get the win this week rather than last. i am not ruling out a win in the ITT, I think he has planned for it and it will be be just perfecto for confidence and sharpness going into saturday.

 

[ferryman]

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.

Agreed. But I noticed from one of the comments from AC in admitting he messed up his attack Sunday that he felt good and could have gone with Gilbert. Given that Froome was out on his feet already that would have been interesting. Just saying

 

[Panda Claws]

Agreed. But I noticed from one of the comments from AC in admitting he messed up his attack Sunday that he felt good and could have gone with Gilbert. Given that Froome was out on his feet already that would have been interesting. Just saying

If that's true indeed... Contador would likely have gotten seconds for 3rd place and they would probably have gotten more than 12 seconds.

 

[ferryman]

If that's true indeed... Contador would likely have gotten seconds for 3rd place and they would probably have gotten more than 12 seconds.

Well read PC. That was what I was inferring.

 

[UpTheRoad]

If that's true indeed... Contador would likely have gotten seconds for 3rd place and they would probably have gotten more than 12 seconds.

Well read PC. That was what I was inferring.

It would have been nice to see AC start behind CF in the time trial, and he likely would have gotten the few seconds needed if he didn't mistime that ending on Sunday.

 

[trevim]

Man must people be picky if they get so annoyed by a custom celebration.

Yeah so much more entertaining if they all just put their hands in the air.

I can understand that: it gets too mechanical and predictable to celebrate always like that. I prefered his celebration when he won a stage in Murcia 2011 (I think). Full of emotion and rage, just like it should.

 

[Panda Claws]

Well read PC. That was what I was inferring.

Why thank you.