Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Where did I say anything about this year

I already said months ago I thought contador would win the tour this year.

Though after romandie I'm leaning slightly to froome again.

This is how I feel too, Dauphiné will give us some answers.

Though in the past whenever Contador was good he won. He finds a way to win. Hope this year is the same.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Just the one?

There is only one???

 

[ILovecycling]

And in the ITT

Thats why I said 'mountains',as tt and cobbles are my nightmares!..but nvm if he is 2011(09) in mountains.
If Froome sees Alberto is behind his rear wheel lesser than 3k to go he will sh... his pants:-D

Where did I say anything about this year

I already said months ago I thought contador would win the tour this year.

Though after romandie I'm leaning slightly to froome again.

oh cmonnnn this is Alberto Contador ((Velasco) - for zam)

 

[LaFlorecita]

Thats why I said 'mountains',as tt and cobbles are my nightmares!..but nvm if he is 2011(09) in mountains.
If Froome sees Alberto is behind his rear wheel lesser than 3k to go he will sh... his pants:-D

oh cmonnnn this is Alberto Contador ((Velasco) - for zam)

I want to see Froome attacking all out and Alberto hanging on he will go insane!

And then he is mentally broken, and he'll have to watch Berto dance away from him

 

[murali]

Yes it's true but this year it'll be different

yep... this year will be totally different.

the clinic wont crash for weeks at a time.

also, this year AC looks a lot more fitter, a lot more meaner and a hell of a lot more stronger.

Last year, he made some mistakes. saxo had to take a different call for getting the team prize. this year will be totally different.

this year rogers looks super-motivated. who are going to be supporting AC? any ideas??

 

[BigMac]

I want to see Froome attacking all out and Alberto hanging on he will go insane!

And then he is mentally broken, and he'll have to watch Berto dance away from him

 

[LaFlorecita]

this year rogers looks super-motivated. who are going to be supporting AC? any ideas??

Imo

Contador
Kreuziger
Rogers
Hernandez
Paulinho
Sutherland
Tosatto
Bennati
Mørkøv/Breschel

But I wouldn't be surprised if Roche gets in instead of Sutherland

 

[Jelantik]

Well, well.. now that we are getting closer to TDF, I remembered last year we were grabbing straw in the hope of contador would show some flash that reassure us, he could challenge Froome. As we all know, he faded badly and this forum felt like a cemetery with people wrote things as if contador is dead or something

This year, we got the confirmation early about Contador. And now, the debate has starting to heat up . (like diehard froome fans TANK91 has already started to stirr up the topic). I believe Contador is in much better place and form than last year and he will have a strong team to back him up. The fact that Froome wasn't as dominated as last year makes people think that he won't be as strong as last year. But I believe, Froome is going to be just as strong. They might even matched in the mountain (we shall see in Dauphene for indication). With cobble is just a matter who has the better luck. However, Froome's edge comes in the form of ITT. We saw some flash of Contador's ITT, but I'm not feeling reassured yet. For me, Froome is still much better ITT than Contador. (I hope contador proofs me wrong, but all sign points that way at the moment).

Nonetheless, we shall finally see the clash of the big titans as it deserves. So, may the best man win.

 

[Publicus]

Imo

Contador
Kreuziger
Rogers
Hernandez
Paulinho
Sutherland
Tosatto
Bennati
Mørkøv/Breschel

But I wouldn't be surprised if Roche gets in instead of Sutherland

At this point, I would. Roche isn't very good (IMO) at being a domestique (still harbors visions that he is a potential GT-podium finisher/winner). Maybe Bruno Pires makes the team instead of Bennati or Morkov/Breschel (if the team wants another climber)

 

[LaFlorecita]

At this point, I would. Roche isn't very good (IMO) at being a domestique (still harbors visions that he is a potential GT-podium finisher/winner). Maybe Bruno Pires makes the team instead of Bennati or Morkov/Breschel (if the team wants another climber)

I agree re Roche. He is a class rider but not a good domestique imo.

With Pires they would have 4 climbers, 2 flat/cobble domestiques and 2 allround domestiques. I think it would be better to have 3-3-2 considering Kreuziger is super strong but that is just my opinion

 

[christopherrowe]

What about Karsten Kroon? The team has consistently given him a GT ride per year and he wasn't at the Giro. Is he too far past his prime to be of use to Contador on the cobbles or elsewhere?

 

[LaFlorecita]

What about Karsten Kroon? The team has consistently given him a GT ride per year and he wasn't at the Giro. Is he too far past his prime to be of use to Contador on the cobbles or elsewhere?

Fair point, I just believe there are other riders who can support Contador better. Maybe he'll ride Vuelta? I reckon Boaro will go for the Vuelta too, he raced il Giro the past two years, but not this year.

 

[murali]

thank you flo.

but you didnt mention CAS

I think Roche will ride TdF as he totally missed out in Giro. What i really want is a tonymartin like engine to support AC.


and those who try to portray ITT as a big thing, you are going to be surprised. AC may not beat froome. but he wont be losing much time as many here are expecting.

Froome has to deal with wiggins, porte. Sky pulled Porte to TdF. most of the Sky domestiques are not performing as good as expected. last yr, forum crashed. Sky cant let forum crash two years on a row.

after last year's loss, AC promised that he would take his vengeance. his only goal for this season is TdF. If someone can win a GT with pure will power, then it has got to be AC.

All bets are off if forum crashes, of course!!

 

[GuyIncognito]

and those who try to portray ITT as a big thing, you are going to be surprised. AC may not beat froome. but he wont be losing much time as many here are expecting.

Mostly because if Froome wastes every possible watt of energy like he did last year, he'll be struggling by the middle of the third week again, and the TT is right at the end

 

[Publicus]

I agree re Roche. He is a class rider but not a good domestique imo.

With Pires they would have 4 climbers, 2 flat/cobble domestiques and 2 allround domestiques. I think it would be better to have 3-3-2 considering Kreuziger is super strong but that is just my opinion

When you break it down that like, that is a more balanced line up.

 

[murali]

i just hope AC does TT after froome. that is enough to know the result.


why 3-3-2? i thought 3-2-3 would be better.

whatever is the combination, there should be someone up ahead in stage 16. and AC should attack long range in the HC climb. he needs at least a 1-min adv at the end of stage 16.

 

[Miburo]

Sadly enough i'll only truly believe Contador can win the tour if he can ride away from froome.

Just once is enough to give me faith, even if it's just a few sec. Dauphine or tour.

The moment i see Contador looking back forcing Froome to drop, only then.

No one has done it in the last 2 years against a 100% Froome. You can argue last days of the tour 2013 but meh it didn't matter anymore.

It needs to be this man, less won't do it. If it's this man, we'll get the best tour in the last 10 years. Of that i'm 100% sure.

His mentality and strength of 2011. That is until now the best Contador i've ever seen.

 

[offbyone]

Nonetheless, we shall finally see the clash of the big titans as it deserves. So, may the best man win.

I think this year's tour will be epic because there are so many strong contenders. However, I don't think the clash of the titan type battle you are describing will be on. That requires mountains and this year's tour doesn't have much to offer in that. This will be a more tactical tour.

 

[GuyIncognito]

This will be a more tactical tour.

The worst possible news for Sky

 

[CyclingEnthusiast]

If you read Roche's diary it says his next stop is the tour so and I would assume he'd be guaranteed a place as a domestique for Contador and to go stage hunting a couple of times much like the giro only he should be on better form

 

[Jelantik]

thank you flo.

but you didnt mention CAS

I think Roche will ride TdF as he totally missed out in Giro. What i really want is a tonymartin like engine to support AC.

i think that would be the job of Bennati and Tossato. Last year they both were the engine of splitting the peloton on the crosswind. I remembered even Contador was saying that they were like a motorcycle.

Roche this year seems to be up and down since he got injured. He was on the breakaway all the time, but seemed not to have the venesh and timing aptitude like Rogers. I thought Rogers is less climber compare to Roche (or maybe a match but certainly not above). But in the Giro, the last man for Majka was always Rogers. If Rogers can keep his form or he is not peaking yet, he could be the last person for Contador.

Btw wiggins and sky are targetting tour switzerland. I really want to see Kreuziger either win it, podium or finish ahead of wiggins.

 

[SeriousSam]

Sadly enough i'll only truly believe Contador can win the tour if he can ride away from froome.

so you're ruling out that he wins by putting time into froom in the time trial? a very bold conjecture

 

[Butterhead]

Roche forced his preparations upon his injuries in the spring, and that is why he couldn´t perform as expected in the Giro, there wasn´t enough time. I would expect him to be in absolutely perfect condition when the tour starts, like the rest of the bunch, and if this goes down to be a battle of the best team, I have no doubt whatsoever that Tinkoff will win the battle, and with a big margin.

I have no illusions that AC should be able to follow Froome in the TT, the only way he can win is by dropping Froome, and I think he will be able to in the 3rd week. It will be a long and hard battle in every aspect, but with the best team and the best fighter and the best tactician in the car behind, I´m confident they can pull it off.

 

[trevim]

If you read Roche's diary it says his next stop is the tour so and I would assume he'd be guaranteed a place as a domestique for Contador and to go stage hunting a couple of times much like the giro only he should be on better form

Roche won't be stage hunting anything in the Tour unless Contador crashes out. A team captain like Contador deserves/requires that all his domestiques are completely commited unlike a young leader like Majka who is still getting experience and not riding GT's to win.
Precisely because of this, I would prefer Roche to be out of the Tour team: he's still the same guy that got angry because Gadret didn't care for his stupid 15th place in the Tour. Let him prepare for his beloved Vuelta, he can help Contador there if he rides it. Otherwise he can be a useful domestique for Majka, like he did in the Giro, missing out in every single important mountain stage.

 

[Jelantik]

Roche won't be stage hunting anything in the Tour unless Contador crashes out. A team captain like Contador deserves/requires that all his domestiques are completely commited unlike a young leader like Majka who is still getting experience and not riding GT's to win.
Precisely because of this, I would prefer Roche to be out of the Tour team: he's still the same guy that got angry because Gadret didn't care for his stupid 15th place in the Tour. Let him prepare for his beloved Vuelta, he can help Contador there if he rides it. Otherwise he can be a useful domestique for Majka, like he did in the Giro, missing out in every single important mountain stage.

i agree. there's no way Riis will let Roche moonlighting for stage win in the Tour. Froome and sky team is not a walk in the park. All hands on deck to support AC. I wasn't very impressed with Roche form on the Giro, especially because he was the designated co-leader. I thought that it might be expected since he barely race during the early season races due to his injury. I have a mixed feeling about his place in TDF squad, but he has a history of doing better on his GT race (according to what I read from his interview).

Is he going to line up for Tour of Switzerland with Kreuziger? or is he going straight to altitude training joining contador & co. after they finish Dauphene. If he doesn't line up for TDF who's replacing him? Sutherland?He doesn't seem strong enough to handle fast pace sky metronomic rhythm. Beltran? He doesn't seem ready enough for GT race. CAS?..