Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

He claims he chose the wrong gear:



Contador said he was surprised Nibali was going so well. He said he only pushed forward after he realized someone was ahead of him.

Could you explain this part?

 

[maxmartin]

Insult?

10 c

stop trolling, keep your topic on AC, otherwise get the f... out

 

[LaFlorecita]

yeah many people said he was looking down his gear.
http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/12-...ava-tappa-gerardmer-salita-801215709056.shtml

Choosing the wrong gear =/= mechanical problem. You look down when you have a mechanical, not when you choose the wrong gear.

 

[Publicus]

Could you explain this part?

Maybe it's a poor translation, but here's the quote in English:

I wanted to see how Nibali was doing and I was surprised he kept so close. I wasn't sure whether there was anyone ahead of me, that's why I moved. I saw there was someone ahead of me and then I decided to take a little bit of time off Nibali.

 

[LaFlorecita]

stop trolling, keep your topic on AC, otherwise get the f... out

I've reported a couple of your posts. Just so you know.

 

[Publicus]

stop trolling, keep your topic on AC, otherwise get the f... out

I think you need to warm down on the rollers for a few minutes

 

[LaFlorecita]

Maybe it's a poor translation, but here's the quote in English:

Ah, okay, it makes more sense now

 

[Afrank]

Keep this thread about Contador, and drop the personal comments about each other.

 

[thehook]

Looked like AC is measuring Nibs. Not a climb to take much time back. To short.TS know that tomorrow is not a stage to take back time. It is a stage to wear out Nibs/Astana. Monday there will be fireworks no doubt!

Looked to me that Nibs was breathing hard in that last 1k. AC was just turning over the gear. Horner raised a very interesting point the other day about Nibs on the climbs. A violent kick but short and then has to bring it back way down.

We shall see. I have to say this is a great Tour so far.

 

[maxmartin]

Looked like AC is measuring Nibs. Not a climb to take much time back. To short.TS know that tomorrow is not a stage to take back time. It is a stage to wear out Nibs/Astana. Monday there will be fireworks no doubt!

Looked to me that Nibs was breathing hard in that last 1k. AC was just turning over the gear. Horner raised a very interesting point the other day about Nibs on the climbs. A violent kick but short and then has to bring it back way down.

We shall see. I have to say this is a great Tour so far.

it is double blade, they are also wearing themselves out, the real fight should be monday

 

[maxmartin]

Looked like AC is measuring Nibs. Not a climb to take much time back. To short.TS know that tomorrow is not a stage to take back time. It is a stage to wear out Nibs/Astana. Monday there will be fireworks no doubt!

Looked to me that Nibs was breathing hard in that last 1k. AC was just turning over the gear. Horner raised a very interesting point the other day about Nibs on the climbs. A violent kick but short and then has to bring it back way down.

We shall see. I have to say this is a great Tour so far.

yep I posted that interview over here

 

[maxmartin]

“The team was extraordinary and the legs responded well,” said Contador. “We’ll have to see day by day. Nibali is a great rider like all the great riders ahead of me. I must keep hoping and try to take time with each stage.”

Read more at http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...-nibali-leads-tour_335840#WGt4M5rqqBYO1JJK.99

 

[Cimber]

The time differences Means nothing but the psychological effect of distancing Nibali at the end is important.

 

[Carols]

I envy your situation.

you get to cheer whoever wins.

Indeed But it is still agony!!!

I think Bastille Day has guaranteed fireworks now!!!

the only qn is whether they will allow a french man to win again like today or will they try for glory themselves.

No Frenchmen allowed. Alberto will win on Monday, he will fly away. And I will be happy and sad at the same time......

 

[LaFlorecita]

Indeed But it is still agony!!!

No Frenchmen allowed. Alberto will win on Monday, he will fly away. And I will be happy and sad at the same time......

I so hope Alberto can take his first Tour stage in 5 years

 

[inthepink]

I've been re-reading our correspondence after a day at work and I think I have answered pretty much anything to the post above before you even posted it?

If you re-read the post you originally responded to and the additional two responses I made, you will maybe find that your summary/interpretation of my posts where somehow also a bit off?
I may not have original tactics or/and may be way off, missing the psychological aspect of the race. But then why do a professional team as Tinkoff/Saxo do amlost exactly as my posts implied they should and probably would?
Was today really that bad tactics?

You were right they did exactly as you said and it worked

But I am with Greg Lemond on this...he felt as I do Astana should be made to do the work as it is over 2 weeks left and today's race will tire out TCS long before Astana

I would have preferred TCS saved today until Monday and got more than a few seconds ....Its a very long Tour yet and I wnat TCS , whose main doms have all ridden the Giro to last the course

 

[Carols]

I so hope Alberto can take his first Tour stage in 5 years

Holy crap, 5 years? Only because they were negated.

Yes I hope so and he looks strong enough to do it And Saxo looks strong enough to deliver him

 

[lenric]

To those who said that Alberto was just going to focus on Nibali; Alberto said that today was all about distancing the riders who were a threat ahead of him on GC. And he also said that it wasn't in his plans to distance Valverde, Porte and Nibali; but in the end he did.

Off course he said that, which doesn't mean it's the truth. He knows he's much better than Valverde, Porte or everyone else, but it would be arrogant to say "I only care about Nibali".

 

[Publicus]

You were right they did exactly as you said and it worked

But I am with Greg Lemond on this...he felt as I do Astana should be made to do the work as it is over 2 weeks left and today's race will tire out TCS long before Astana

I would have preferred TCS saved today until Monday and got more than a few seconds ....Its a very long Tour yet and I wnat TCS , whose main doms have all ridden the Giro to last the course

Astana was content to ride in at a leisurely pace. They wouldnt have done any more work than necessary to keep Nibali in yellow. So how does Lemond suggest you make them work?

 

[Publicus]

Off course he said that, which doesn't mean it's the truth. He knows he's much better than Valverde, Porte or everyone else, but it would be arrogant to say "I only care about Nibali".

Actually there is a lot of truth to what he says. Whatever you think about Porte, hes a decent time trialist. Contador needs to leapfrog him and give himself some cushion to win the overall (assuming Ritche doesn't have a bad day). Valverde's non-performance today was pretty surprising. This was his kind of climb.

 

[Netserk]

Holy crap, 5 years? Only because they were negated.

Yes I hope so and he looks strong enough to do it And Saxo looks strong enough to deliver him

I don't remember many stage wins in 2010 and 2011 that could have been negated...

 

[Alcanelo]

Very positive signs today....up 10 places in the GC, comfortably took 2nd place and definitely made psychological gains too....he's looking good. But what an effort from the team today, great stuff from TCS.

I said a few days ago here that I felt Nibbles pushed too hard the first few days and that he might pay for it for the rest of the Tour and this looks to be the first signs....so much effort so early in the Tour can kill a rider in the mountains....he's a class act though, Monday should be great.

Vamos Contador!!!

 

[maxmartin]

Astana was content to ride in at a leisurely pace. They wouldnt have done any more work than necessary to keep Nibali in yellow. So how does Lemond suggest you make them work?

that is a good point, I think Lemond is more worried Saxo can't keep riding this, but who knows? maybe a new sky train is born.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Holy crap, 5 years? Only because they were negated.

Yes I hope so and he looks strong enough to do it And Saxo looks strong enough to deliver him

No it is really 5 years ago... In 2010, 2011 and 2013 he didn't win any stages but I'm confident he will this year

 

[Publicus]

that is a good point, I think Lemond is more worried Saxo can't keep riding this, but who knows? maybe a new sky train is born.

I dont think the have to quite frankly. The upcoming mountain stages will be about attrition--the slopes themselves will sort lots of players out (tomorrow and Monday's stages look brutal). One thing im curious about is Nibali's ability to recover. He and Astana have worked really hard the last week(especially on stage 5)--that has to have cost them a great deal of energy. And reports are thst Fuglsang was suffering from a bug. I hope for their sake it is an isolated bug or it could get ugly for them.