Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[hiero2]

YAY BERTIE!

17:55:28 CEST

General classification:

1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 27:46:51
2 Chris Froome (GBr) Sky 00:00:08

Good to see him back.

 

[Jelantik]

Well done today Bertie. He beat Froome fair and square! Too bad he didn't have his teammate with him when they hit the last climb. But today, Froome's moppet turbocharge style (that everyone has been raving about) isn't a winning move against the beautiful salsa dancing of el pistolero

 

[Jelantik]

In Froome's book he describes staying up until 4am during the Wiggins TdF texting his girlfriend because he was all stressed and couldn't sleep. And he still did rather well in that race

Meh. not only there's no one stronger at that time, he most likely won't be doing texting until 4am this time around. Not when you got angry Contador roaring on his heel.

 

[SafeBet]

Meh. not only there's no one stronger at that time, he most likely won't be doing texting until 4am this time around. Not when you got angry Contador roaring on his heel.

And there'll be nobody to reply to his texts anyway.
Cound will be all over Twitter 24/7 battling the haters.

 

[Nilsson]

Contador was good today, but the team was terrible.

 

[Arkaitz]

Contador was good today, but the team was terrible.

Team has been horrible all the week. They'll suffer to control the stage tomorrow.

 

[Netserk]

Team has been horrible all the week. They'll suffer to control the stage tomorrow.

Control what?

 

[Jelantik]

Contador was good today, but the team was terrible.

i agree. At least, hernandez wasn't so bad. I thought the TdS team are a better line up. God knows why. TS didn't bring the A team to Dauphene. But today, it was just terrible.

 

[SafeBet]

Control what?

Exactly.
They have all the interest in letting a break take it.

 

[thehook]

i agree. At least, hernandez wasn't so bad. I thought the TdS team are a better line up. God knows why. TS didn't bring the A team to Dauphene. But today, it was just terrible.

Team was not good today. I fully agree. However bringing a weaker team to Dauphine to me. Just certifies Alberto's quotes. About using the race for training. But Alberto being Alberto saw he can win this race. So he does what he does best WIN!

Froome tried to destroy Alberto on Stage 2. Berto did the best thing he could do. Just sit on the wheels. That alone is a big smack to Froome's mind. And I'm sure Froome's coffee comments in the book do not help. Now the alien has seen the Berto is blazing.

As they say in the hood.
"Sh** just got real"

 

[MBotero]

Contador was good today, but the team was terrible.

Contador needs teammates only when he sucks.To me was looking pretty good today,so he can send them home They are not needed.

 

[Cimber]

Contador was good today, but the team was terrible.

Yep but most of the Tour team isnt riding the race. It will be a much different story in the Tour

 

[Cimber]

Contador needs teammates only when he sucks.To me was looking pretty good today,so he can send them home They are not needed.

Wel when he has the yellow he will want them. If not Froome will just play the wheelsuck game as Berto did on stage 2, and then strike when Berto has had to close Down other attacks. Hopefully Jesus will wake up tomorrow.

Luckily in the Tour, the team will be much stronger

 

[phanatic]

Contador was good today, but the team was terrible.

Nah, he was just following Sky's taxi service, and then attacked at the opportune moment. On stage 2, he held his super dom's wheel to the finish line.
Contador is entering full dyck mode, like when he peaked in 2011 Giro, antagonizing Nibali and punching stupid tifosi. I haven't seen him so determined since 2009. He might even beat Valverde.

 

[Afrank]

YAY BERTIE!

17:55:28 CEST

General classification:

1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 27:46:51
2 Chris Froome (GBr) Sky 00:00:08

Good to see him back.

Just logged on and this is the first new post I've seen. Yes, it requires 3. Nice riding Contador, finally someone that really can challenge Froome, the Tours gonna be good.

 

[richwagmn]

I think Bertie played Berties game, it's what he does and he does it damn well. This was about winding up Sky and Fwoomie and we can safely say that he got their attention"!!

Very happy to see Contador back on form. TDF will be great.

I'm also convinced Froome was hurting from yesterday's crash. Not once did he get out of the saddle to respond to AC today. That to me says, he has some real soreness on that left side.

For Contador, he must be a bit concerned about his team's performance. The sky train looked pretty decent today. Saxo looked weak.

So, we know Bertie has some great form. We also know Froome has some great form. And we know Nibali is in trouble.

Going to a great TDF.

 

[Jspear]

Yep but most of the Tour team isnt riding the race. It will be a much different story in the Tour

Thank you for bringing this up. I'm not worried about his team here at all, because this doesn't represent what we will see in July at all. Tinkov will be one of the strongest teams in July. On the other hand Sky will not be much stronger than what we see here. Alot of the guys we see with Froome here will be with him at the Tour. Sky will have their hands full come July.

 

[Jelantik]

Wel when he has the yellow he will want them. If not Froome will just play the wheelsuck game as Berto did on stage 2, and then strike when Berto has had to close Down other attacks. Hopefully Jesus will wake up tomorrow.

Luckily in the Tour, the team will be much stronger

You know that when contador hold a yellow jersey, he is hard to shake. I don't think contador will close down every attack like Froome stupidly did on stage 2. He'll just mark Froome. As far as contador concerns, yellow jersey is a bonus for his hard training.

But it's not the case for Froome. He just got his ego blown up to pieces today after thinking that he could decimate everyone and Contador on stage 2 (which he failed to do so). So, he got something to proof tomorrow, especially because he came to this race to win. So "The Frowg" will have to attack. And because of his arrogance and his ego, he bounds to do stupid thing too, just like some of you have said.

Imagine, for someone who is confidently thinking that he could assert his superiority over Contador by trying to stomp him on stage 2 and later on, just to got his a-ss handed to him on the queen stage by the same person he is trying to stomp for good, well looks like his ego just got stomped.

Btw, Kreuziger finished his ITT the same time as wiggins.

 

[webbie146]

Very happy to see Contador back on form. TDF will be great.

I'm also convinced Froome was hurting from yesterday's crash. Not once did he get out of the saddle to respond to AC today. That to me says, he has some real soreness on that left side.

For Contador, he must be a bit concerned about his team's performance. The sky train looked pretty decent today. Saxo looked weak.

So, we know Bertie has some great form. We also know Froome has some great form. And we know Nibali is in trouble.

Going to a great TDF.

He won't be concerned at all. This is the B-team riding in the Dauphine. TDF will be a completely different squad. They will be one of the strongest teams.

 

[Cimber]

Very happy to see Contador back on form. TDF will be great.

I'm also convinced Froome was hurting from yesterday's crash. Not once did he get out of the saddle to respond to AC today. That to me says, he has some real soreness on that left side.

For Contador, he must be a bit concerned about his team's performance. The sky train looked pretty decent today. Saxo looked weak.
So, we know Bertie has some great form. We also know Froome has some great form. And we know Nibali is in trouble.

Going to a great TDF.

No he wont be concerned with the team as only a few of his team mates will be on the Tour team (and there are even two neo-pros on the team). Kreuziger, Rogers and Roche will be there for the Tour. But Jesus needs to up his game of course. But really no need to be concerned about about the team for the Tour. Kreuziger and Rogers will make a huge difference.

 

[murali]

What an attack by AC!!!

He just did one strong attack, and then he just rode away. I watched the replay repeatedly, just to look at how he attacked comfortably.

The timing of attack was beautiful. they were just about catching Hesjedal, there was one rider a few meters ahead, and there was a sharp hairpin a bit further. even if someone had countered, he could have launched a second attack in the hairpin.
Also, I think he understood that Froome will rely on Porte, who had just taken over reigns about a 100m ago to ride tempo, instead of following AC's attack. No wonder dawg was distanced comfortably.

Also, I timed the difference between Berto and dawg at the KM flag. Exactly 20 secs. So even the late attack by the alien didnt really matter in the steep climbs.


One important thing I learned today is that the ES commentators are ultimate dawgfans. they were claiming that their fav alien was closing gap. they desperately wanted their icon to cover the final "100m" fast and were going "one two...." Meaning: never trust what these stupid commentators are saying regarding their "offhand" time gaps.


regarding the team, i think everyone will be there with him in tomorrow's stage. Today, there was no need for anyone to ride the high pace. i think this was a planned solo-attack. When there are 5 sky riders in front while hitting the final HC climb, there is no need for support riders. Sky will do the job. In the tour, i think the story will be different. AC will definitely have a rider or two with him or his main opponent throughout.

 

[Jelantik]

No he wont be concerned with the team as only a few of his team mates will be on the Tour team (and there are even two neo-pros on the team). Kreuziger, Rogers and Roche will be there for the Tour. But Jesus needs to up his game of course. But really no need to be concerned about about the team for the Tour. Kreuziger and Rogers will make a huge difference.

Paulinho and Hernandez would be on the tour team, my guess. Jesus wasn't so bad today. I guess my puzzle is always, (not just now or TDF but through out the season..) how come sky always has more riders on the last climb than TS. My guess is sky did a good job reading the numbers and signed them. They manage to string the amount of everyone max power output to put together a team. Maybe TS needs to start signing "rider with potential domestique" instead of spending too much money buying star riders.

 

[fantomas]

What an attack by AC!!!

[Snip]
Also, I timed the difference between Berto and dawg at the KM flag. Exactly 20 secs. So even the late attack by the alien didnt really matter in the steep climbs.

I just watched the final again. At 1K Contador had 19 seconds, Froome gained around 4, 5, 6 seconds on the 6 % gradient from there until around 3-400 metra when the gradient ****d up again, and Alberto then regained that time.
It really seems he is back being te stronger of the two on the steepest gradients.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Paulinho and Hernandez would be on the tour team, my guess. Jesus wasn't so bad today. I guess my puzzle is always, (not just now or TDF but through out the season..) how come sky always has more riders on the last climb than TS. My guess is sky did a good job reading the numbers and signed them. They manage to string the amount of everyone max power output to put together a team. Maybe TS needs to start signing "rider with potential domestique" instead of spending too much money buying star riders.

When theiir first man to drop is freaking Kyrienka, there is no wonder they have 5 man left out of 15. The Sky team is on paper filled with some of cyclings very best riders here in Dauphine, while the rest is here with thier b riders/just plainly not that good riders.

 

[TANK91]

One thing for sure in a fair fight neither can drop eachother. Contador needs 2 minutes in mountains in the TDF. Good luck with that. Froome ego is just fine Jelantik he stomped all over Contaodr past year, you think he is worried like you sound(im worried though). Froome cracked and the gap was 20 seconds a mighty 20 seconds, CF was putting minutes into him. If people are saying Alberto is best ever then it just proves how good Froome is don't it. It is taking Contador's very best to compete, where we have alot of doubts now about Froome. So all to play for, remember 18 seconds was when Porte was on front it is not like Alberto rode away from Froome mano mano isit.