Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[arvc40]

Nice video

Nice skill to have. If you can't beat the best going uphill, take risks going down as its the only way you might beat them. Although didn't work against Wiggins who is weakest GT Winner.

Nibali did nice ride today.

 

[hrotha]

Of course you have to eat, but you are going at 70km/h! When I go at that speed, I worry more about having both hands on the handlebar than eating. He could eat on the climbs.

Fact is pros regularly eat during the descents. Eating on the climbs can be tricky, as stomach cramps are a concern.

That said, I doubt he was actually eating if that particular patch of road was bumpy.

 

[TheEnoculator]

downhill needs concentration, every pro knows that especially when the road condition is not ideal

You don't need to be a pro to know that. I have gone down at 70km/h numerous times during a race and I never take either hand off the handlebar, even if the roads were perfect and straight. I don't take risks like that. It's surprising if Contador was really eating at that speed.

 

[maxmartin]

You don't need to be a pro to know that. I have gone down at 70km/h numerous times during a race and I never take either hand off the handlebar, even if the roads were perfect and straight. I don't take risks like that. It's surprising if Contador was really eating at that speed.

In a statement issued this evening, his manager at Tinkoff-Saxo, Bjarne Riis, said: “Alberto crashed on a fast and straight part of the descent. He was reaching for his pocket and the bike was swept away under him probably because of a bump or hole in the road.

Some riders who saw Contador crash gave their own version of what had happened. According to a tweet from Danish journalist Mikkel Condé, Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang said: “Contador took a big risk. On a descent with bad asphalt, he passed us, went 10-15 km/h faster. 1k later he fell on his ***."

http://road.cc/content/news/123735-alberto-contador-abandons-tour-de-france-knee-injury

 

[arvc40]

Don't you just hate Tours Won by default.

That's just a comment for the wind up merchants.

 

[TheEnoculator]

Fact is pros regularly eat during the descents. Eating on the climbs can be tricky, as stomach cramps are a concern.

That said, I doubt he was actually eating if that particular patch of road was bumpy.

Fine, then eat at the summit. It only takes you 5 seconds to take the food out of the package and into your mouth.

My point is, I hoped Contador crashed was simply bad luck. Crashing because you were eating isn't the smartest way to DNF.

 

[ILovecycling]

Fine, then eat at the summit. It only takes you 5 seconds to take the food out of the package and into your mouth.

My point is, I hoped Contador crashed was simply bad luck. Crashing because you were eating isn't the smartest way to DNF.

It wasnt only bad luck,it was his fault (+ bad luck of that pothole).

 

[purcell]

You don't need to be a pro to know that. I have gone down at 70km/h numerous times during a race and I never take either hand off the handlebar, even if the roads were perfect and straight. I don't take risks like that. It's surprising if Contador was really eating at that speed.

I usually have hands off the bars on major downhills, one or both, it's a perfect time to rest the shoulders and hands a bit, eating is perfect t for downhill stretches.

I spend a lot of time riding the passes in the Rockies where 70 or 80 kmh, solo, is easy to hit. Often without one my hands on the bars.

 

[fantomas]

Someone mgith already have posted this, but Riis said that Contador went faster than others because he wanted to get in front of riders he didn't feel safe riding behind on that descent. Among those were Van Den Broeck.

 

[Red Rick]

Why are we still posting anything that Fuglsang says

 

[jens_attacks]

Of course you have to eat, but you are going at 70km/h! When I go at that speed, I worry more about having both hands on the handlebar than eating. He could eat on the climbs.

man these are pros.
and between petit ballon descent and platzerwasel start of the climb there was zero meters of flat

before the stage, i posted this photo:

Mihai Cazacu
‏@faustocoppi6o
The end of Petit Ballon descent(left) and start of Platzerwasel(right).Ridiculous tiny road. If wet>>>chaos. #tdf2014

alberto crashed somewhere on that straight descent. that's it shiit happens. to be honest now, thinking more after the event, it could have been much worse. vuelta or not, knowing alberto, he will come back. and very strong. vamos campeon!

 

[Red Rick]

Contador was dealing with it like a boss when the team bus arrived at the hotel. He came out the bus first with his leg in a brace, answering the press. Tomorrow he'll fly to Madrid in Oleg's private jet, probably to do further research. He said he will ride the Vuelta, unless a doctor convinces him otherwise.

All this and much more was said on De Avondetappe, which will be there prolly some time after the current episode has finished. It's all in dutch though
http://nos.nl/dossier/644527-tour-de-france-2014/tab/923/avondetappe/

 

[forumlurker]

What a bummer!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador was dealing with it like a boss when the team bus arrived at the hotel. He came out the bus first with his leg in a brace, answering the press. Tomorrow he'll fly to Madrid in Oleg's private jet, probably to do further research. He said he will ride the Vuelta, unless a doctor convinces him otherwise.

All this and much more was said on De Avondetappe, which will be there prolly some time after the current episode has finished. It's all in dutch though
http://nos.nl/dossier/644527-tour-de-france-2014/tab/923/avondetappe/

I loved that clip with Vos, just lovely. Alberto is such a great guy.

And it's so clear everyone on the team loves Alberto <3

 

[infeXio]

Contador was dealing with it like a boss when the team bus arrived at the hotel. He came out the bus first with his leg in a brace, answering the press. Tomorrow he'll fly to Madrid in Oleg's private jet, probably to do further research. He said he will ride the Vuelta, unless a doctor convinces him otherwise.

Sounds promising! Though without any solid indications of the length of the break from cycling he's forced into, it's all hopeful speculation.

Hoping for a speedy recovery regardless!

 

[Red Rick]

In other news, RTL nieuws ****ed up majorly with their report of Contador's injury. Instead of showing images of the TdF, they showed images of results of war in the middle east. When they say he fell, they show results of bombing on some middle eastern city and when they say he was too injured to continue, they showed people lying in a morgue

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/6609134/b31d3ff1/rtl_nieuws_maakt_awkward_foutje.html

I'll probably go to CN-forum hell for this

 

[RownhamHill]

Just caught up with today's stage. That effing sucks.

Get well soon Alberto, I hope you're back soon.

 

[LaFlorecita]

In other news, RTL nieuws ****ed up majorly with their report of Contador's injury. Instead of showing images of the TdF, they showed images of results of war in the middle east. When they say he fell, they show results of bombing on some middle eastern city and when they say he was too injured to continue, they showed people lying in a morgue

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/6609134/b31d3ff1/rtl_nieuws_maakt_awkward_foutje.html

I'll probably go to CN-forum hell for this

Holy f...

 

[moi123]

In other news, RTL nieuws ****ed up majorly with their report of Contador's injury. Instead of showing images of the TdF, they showed images of results of war in the middle east. When they say he fell, they show results of bombing on some middle eastern city and when they say he was too injured to continue, they showed people lying in a morgue

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/6609134/b31d3ff1/rtl_nieuws_maakt_awkward_foutje.html

I'll probably go to CN-forum hell for this

Saw it too. Unbelievable.

I have to say, I think it's very ignorant and maybe even disrespectful of you to say: 'some middle eastern city', while everyone knows there's a horrible attack on Gaza happening at the moment. It's not even a war, just the bombing of innocent defenceless people. Puts things in perspective.

 

[Jancouver]

I don't buy the "team car ran over it" story (my dog ate my homework) BS from Specialized.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...ls-alberto-contadors-tour-ending-crash_336328

Berti hit a pothol > Berti's frame cracked > Berti vent down > Berti out of TDF

 

[Hakkapelit]

I don't buy the "team car ran over it" story (my dog ate my homework) BS from Specialized.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...ls-alberto-contadors-tour-ending-crash_336328

Berti hit a pothol > Berti's frame cracked > Berti vent down > Berti out of TDF

A random Katusha guy said the same story to Lemonde straight after the finish though, are all teams in on the conspiracy?

 

[maxmartin]

A random Katusha guy said the same story to Lemonde straight after the finish though, are all teams in on the conspiracy?

yep, that is the director of Kurusha, he pointed out it was the Belkin team car which did the deed. No reason for Kutusha to lie, they are not riding Specializd

 

[Rollthedice]

The story at CN. He crashed two times. Nobody understands what Contador was thinking.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-crashed-twice-on-one-descent

 

[maxmartin]

The story at CN. He crashed two times. Nobody understands what Contador was thinking.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-crashed-twice-on-one-descent

my theory is to attack Nibali on the descending, if succeeded that would be genius and huge blow to Nibali's confidence. Or he thought Nibali would attack, so he want to move to a better position.

 

[blutto]

yep, that is the director of Kurusha, he pointed out it was the Belkin team car which did the deed. No reason for Kutusha to lie, they are not riding Specializd

....that being said the picture of the bike shown in the Velonews article does not, at least to my eyes, show any signs of damage that would likely occur if a vehicle ran over the bike ( like crushed tubes ).....

Cheers