Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Miburo]

@jasenthorpe: Dear @albertocontador, it's ok, buddy. Better to attract bat****-crazy team directors and owners than bat****-crazy chicks. #tranquilo

I guess that guy doesn't know you.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Yes, Flo is more than one.

 

[Jelantik]

Is RK gonna be a big help though, im just thinking only way Kreuziger should ride is if Contador knows he is not as strong as Froome, as proved last year Kreuziger cant help him to WIN, may stop him losing time but no win. I really think Kreuziger deserves to ride the Giro/Vuelta, im sure if he had choice he'd do that aswell, before anyone thinks im having a pop at Alberto im not i just dont get what he gains, if AC is strong he does not need Kreuziger? And i think RK deserves his own chance not ahead of Contador but he should atlest get 1 GT as leader, Kreuziger was stronger last year, would have got 3rd without helping.[/QUOTE]

this is hard to say though. As much as I would love to see kreuziger leads GT, i think in last TDF, Quintana and Rodriguez were stronger than kreuziger. Maybe 4th place would be possible . But there's no way we could know that either since that's not what happen. Kreuziger doesn't seem having the confidence when he is the sole leader. He kept falling off whenever he was on the top spot. Maybe what he need it is the roche's vuelta experience. Maybe it's wasn't such a bad idea that he was slotted as back up, especially with tinkoff now owns the team. He can let alberto got the beating, and he can slowly working behind him to fulfill his potential..

 

[Jelantik]

http://www.ciclo21.com/contador-y-saxo-visitan-una-residencia-de-discapacitados/

I like how roche looks. He looks really lean.. or it's just a camera trick . Alberto still looks fat. anyway, it's good to be back. People are saying that Alberto can't win the tdf anymore. Well that's rubbish. If he just goes to race just to avoid clashing with froome and quintana, then might as well just quit your job. He is a champion, win or not, he makes the race interesting. I would certainly like to see he mixes with the like of froome and quintana at TDF. Besides, he is not the only one who's suffering the same thing. Cavendish is now got beaten by kittel and sagan. Even though, it's not exactly the same comparison and he got more win than bertie, but he is too are no longer the fastest men in the world. That's just how the quality of the field now. If you are a champion, you adept and find a way to win it. At least now alberto have try to find a way to figure out why this year preparation was bad. That means he still has the fire to win.. whether that's going to happen or not.. that's another story. But at least, if he is on form he will give anyone the run for their money. Froome or no froome.

 

[greenedge]

Kreuziger doesn't seem having the confidence when he is the sole leader.
He kept falling off whenever he was on the top spot.

Maybe what he need it is the roche's vuelta experience. Maybe it's wasn't such a bad idea that he was slotted as back up, especially with tinkoff now owns the team. He can let alberto got the beating, and he can slowly working behind him to fulfill his potential..

I agree with the first bit a little, but he did ride well as leader in the 2011 Giro.
That ties into Roche's Vuelta experience, which i think he has gained by now. The rider at this year's TDF was very good- so probably could podium if he had that form at another GT.

 

[LaFlorecita]

 

[Samson777]

"Alonso come and save me!"

 

[Zam_Olyas]

He is sad because oleg said eating steak is over.

 

[LaFlorecita]

He is sad because oleg said eating steak is over.

Lol of course

 

[Samson777]

He is sad because oleg said eating steak is over.

Pretty sure it will be the other way around, eating steak is back for real now

 

[velascoabuela]

He's not sad, he is angry and wants no part of this…arms folded indicates he is closed off.
it's going to be an interesting year!

 

[del1962]

I am not sure how motivated AC will be under Tinkov, doesn't bode well for AC next season.

 

[Carols]

I am not sure how motivated AC will be under Tinkov, doesn't bode well for AC next season.

He looked totally miserable throughout....this is a Nightmare for him

 

[The Hitch]

What, he just found out this morning? Everyone saw this a mile off. At the end of the day he will let bygones be bygones and take advantage of the opportunity

 

[Zam_Olyas]

He is a fighter though so he will be fine i think....Why am i actually praising contador?

 

[pastronef]

and Rijs will have full time to take care of Alberto instead of trying to find money for the team
that's good for Bertie

 

[LaFlorecita]

What, he just found out this morning? Everyone saw this a mile off. At the end of the day he will let bygones be bygones and take advantage of the opportunity

You know my opinion regarding this "opportunity"

 

[LaFlorecita]

He is a fighter though so he will be fine i think....Why am i actually praising contador?

Because you are secretly a fan

 

[Christian]

It's an odd thing with Contador. Despite being the red-hot favourite in any GT he entered for several years in a row, I feel like he always had relatively "weak" teams compared to his competition. Then he was in a team that was actively working against him. Last year I think was the strongest team he ever had (lest I forget). I never really understood why he couldn't seem to get the support he deserved. Maybe it's just that he had his "guardia de corps" that he took from one team to the other and since he doesn't really need a modern "train" in the mountains, teams didn't feel it was necessary to recruit many "big names" in his support. Maybe he didn't want any either.

And now this with Tinkov. It must be hard working for someone like that, especially since I assume Contador is not really doing it for the money. But he has always been able to overcome adversity, even within his own team. On Astana when Bruyneel and Lance were doing everything they could to make it difficult for him, he just put his head down and won by a whopping 5 minutes (or more). So I could see this happening again in this situation - the adversity actually making him stronger

 

[Samson777]

It's an odd thing with Contador. Despite being the red-hot favourite in any GT he entered for several years in a row, I feel like he always had relatively "weak" teams compared to his competition. Then he was in a team that was actively working against him. Last year I think was the strongest team he ever had (lest I forget). I never really understood why he couldn't seem to get the support he deserved. Maybe it's just that he had his "guardia de corps" that he took from one team to the other and since he doesn't really need a modern "train" in the mountains, teams didn't feel it was necessary to recruit many "big names" in his support. Maybe he didn't want any either.

And now this with Tinkov. It must be hard working for someone like that, especially since I assume Contador is not really doing it for the money. But he has always been able to overcome adversity, even within his own team. On Astana when Bruyneel and Lance were doing everything they could to make it difficult for him, he just put his head down and won by a whopping 5 minutes (or more). So I could see this happening again in this situation - the adversity actually making him stronger

Why do you assume that

 

[Angliru]

He is a fighter though so he will be fine i think....Why am i actually praising contador?

...because you can't help yourself. He deserves your praise!

 

[Jelantik]

aiiiii... his body language speaks a thousand words!!!!.... Even though he said he intents to stay with Riis until 2015.. Well the word is "intent" and "Riis".. if whatever that Dane official finding... and ended up making Riis out.. The intent and the Riis part are no longer relevant

As far as motivation.. Contador won't leave a team without a big bang. If he can get back to his old form and wins races again, lots of team would be willing to buy him out. He got something to loose to just not being motivated. Besides he got something to prove at least to himself that he still can perform to his best. Just my rumbling opinion as usual.

 

[straitjacker]

Although Contador doesn't look happy, I don't think the new arrangement will necessarily be bad for him.
Tinkov might be known for putting too much pressure on riders, but he doesn't interfere in training and planning. I'm sure Tinkov won't have nothing against Contador's intention to replicate his build up from successful years.
Both Riis and Tinkov have seen the effects of a change in the approach during the 2013..

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

It's an odd thing with Contador. Despite being the red-hot favourite in any GT he entered for several years in a row, I feel like he always had relatively "weak" teams compared to his competition.

07 - He was on a really strong team. It was just that he and Rasmussen was minutes better than anybody else. So they were alone most of the climbs (Leipheimer and Popo was doing very well that year)
08- had a very strong team, especially in the Vuelta (giro team was not in top shape, for well known reasons)
09 - Lance fight, so yea
10 - strong team in the mountains, Vino, Tira and a Navarro that was arguebly the strongest super domestique in the field that year (Col du Madeleine was very impressive)
11 - yea, not much help there
12 - strong enough team, but aslo here the big 3 (or 4 if we count Quintana ) were miles infornt of the rest when Froomey went out of gas
13 - strong team again.

Really only in 11 his team has been really weak.

 

[Jelantik]

Although Contador doesn't look happy, I don't think the new arrangement will necessarily be bad for him.
Tinkov might be known for putting too much pressure on riders, but he doesn't interfere in training and planning. I'm sure Tinkov won't have nothing against Contador's intention to replicate his build up from successful years.
Both Riis and Tinkov have seen the effects of a change in the approach during the 2013..

I have think the same thing too. even though I hate the fact that tinkoff is the one that owns Saxo team now (no matter what). Now they have the money to hire more people to catch up with sky's scientific approach. Talent is one component, but to take advantage of their full potential is something else. Sky has made a no house hold name rider to some rockstar domestique or even the best rider in the world. So they must have done something right. And money is what makes that happen. For contador, roche, kreuziger.. They now have Riis 100% attention to work with them which Riis hasn't been able to do it for long time. Yeah, i know, know.. it's kinda opposite of what i have been saying about Oleg. Just because there's a silver-lining underneath all this.. still doesn't change the fact that Oleg is a jerk and it's going to be a pain in the *** to work for someone like him.