Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Jelantik]

Why does he need to win one more time? 2/3 wins is fine. I don't like his TDF obsession. He'd be better off aiming for the Giro.

it's actually according to the road is 3 times. So next year 4th. And he'll go for another 5 to match his spain hero. I'm not sure why he has to target the Giro? He finally got his match for the tour, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be targeting the tour. Make his win even more sweeter because he beats the best in the planet. So my bet he is going to target Tour-Vuelta 2015 and 2106, he might try Giro-Tour Or he will retire after 2016. I read somewhere that his bro told the media, alberto contador will retire after another 2 years.

Depending who TS buys, next year TDF, TS will have a back up rider besides Alberto + Kreuziger. Majka might be lining up for next year TDF since he is currently on fire after his Giro.

Btw, does anyone hear anything about Mick Rogers. I thought this year is his last year? he said when he signed with TS, he'll retire after that.

 

[Sciocco]

it's actually according to the road is 3 times. So next year 4th. And he'll go for another 5 to match his spain hero. I'm not sure why he has to target the Giro? He finally got his match for the tour, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be targeting the tour. Make his win even more sweeter because he beats the best in the planet. So my bet he is going to target Tour-Vuelta 2015 and 2106, he might try Giro-Tour Or he will retire after 2016. I read somewhere that his bro told the media, alberto contador will retire after another 2 years.

Depending who TS buys, next year TDF, TS will have a back up rider besides Alberto + Kreuziger. Majka might be lining up for next year TDF since he is currently on fire after his Giro.

Btw, does anyone hear anything about Mick Rogers. I thought this year is his last year? he said when he signed with TS, he'll retire after that.

He doesn't have to do anything. The only reasons I'd like to see Contador do the Giro are the parcours, Giro mountains are much, much, much better than the Tour. I'd like to see him take one more Giro and one more Tour really, also Vuelta since it is home GT.

I hope Rogers doesn't retire he is really strong.

 

[LaFlorecita]

2-1-2-1-2
1st Jersey blue.svg Overall classification Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stages 4 & 5
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall classification Tour of the Basque Country
1st Stage 1
2nd Overall classification Volta ao Algarve
1st Stage 4
2nd Overall classification Volta a Catalunya
2nd Overall classification Critérium du Dauphiné

He has got nothing to prove,he was/is on better level than pre-ban,2011.Of course it would be good if he rides Vuelta in form and win.
I still wonder how anyone can doubt 7 GT winner,best rider of last decade.

Great post see those results? Those results prove he's still the same Contador, he doesn't need to win another stupid Tour for that

 

[LaFlorecita]

Yeah, that's a great set of results he's got there. But he's still missing a GT. He's a GT rider, GT's are the main goal of the season that he competes in all these smaller stage races to get ready for. GT's are a much different and bigger breed to small stage races. So IMO, it's not complete and he hasn't fully proven himself until he has that GT win.

Giro and Vuelta are GTs too, you know. And well, Alberto doesn't have to prove anything to us, he's in great shape and he knows it. We all would have liked him to win a GT this year, a stupid crash denied him another Tour win, so be it, but he doesn't have anything to prove

 

[LaFlorecita]

it's actually according to the road is 3 times. So next year 4th. And he'll go for another 5 to match his spain hero. I'm not sure why he has to target the Giro? He finally got his match for the tour, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be targeting the tour. Make his win even more sweeter because he beats the best in the planet. So my bet he is going to target Tour-Vuelta 2015 and 2106, he might try Giro-Tour Or he will retire after 2016. I read somewhere that his bro told the media, alberto contador will retire after another 2 years.

Depending who TS buys, next year TDF, TS will have a back up rider besides Alberto + Kreuziger. Majka might be lining up for next year TDF since he is currently on fire after his Giro.

Btw, does anyone hear anything about Mick Rogers. I thought this year is his last year? he said when he signed with TS, he'll retire after that.

Giro > Tour, and if he retires at the end of 2016 he better doesn't focus on the Tour the next two years, else he'd have lied when he said he would return to the Giro at some point. Riders obsessed with the Tour suck, he shouldn't be one of them.

 

[alin.constantin89]

Giro and Vuelta are GTs too, you know. And well, Alberto doesn't have to prove anything to us, he's in great shape and he knows it. We all would have liked him to win a GT this year, a stupid crash denied him another Tour win, so be it, but he doesn't have anything to prove

crash or not, no chance for him to win THIS Tour. Maybe another time.

 

[LaFlorecita]

crash or not, no chance for him to win THIS Tour. Maybe another time.

No chance? Maybe it wasn't a certainty, but he definitely had a chance. Sorry.

 

[alin.constantin89]

No chance? Maybe it wasn't a certainty, but he definitely had a chance. Sorry.

Sorry for you, keep dreaming. We are busy watching LeTour

 

[LaFlorecita]

Sorry for you, keep dreaming. We are busy watching LeTour

Eh? another Nibali fan who says people who believe Contador could have won the Tour live in a fantasy world. How awesome funnily enough only Nibali fans believe Contador didn't have a single chance

 

[Forunculo]

Good Morning guys, I bring some caps from yesterday.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Awww great pictures Foronculo I especially like the first one

 

[Forunculo]

Awww great pictures Foronculo I especially like the first one

There was a contrast between Majka's win and the scene of his crash/abandon.

 

[LaFlorecita]

There was a contrast between Majka's win and the scene of his crash/abandon.

Yeah, he looks really sad, poor guy

 

[ILovecycling]

crash or not, no chance for him to win THIS Tour. Maybe another time.

10characters

 

[Miburo]

Saxo their team is sky 2012 level btw.

There's an argument to be made that they've one of the strongest teams in the tour. And they've no jesus (still ok climber), no kreuziger (top 5) and no Contador (top 1).

Their team would have been ridiculous.

 

[BlurryVII]

Almost 1 week now since alberto's crash, and I still can't seem to get over it to be honest. That was a gold opportunity to win this Tour; Did you see what he said? "Las sensaciones eran buenissiiiimas" He really emphasized it yesterday, not only once.

He is also counting the days left before the Vuelta kicks off, still wants to participate.

He said while laughing, he tried to get on his home trainer, just to see if it was possible to gently spin the legs, but he had to go back on the sofa

 

[LaFlorecita]

He said while laughing, he tried to get on his home trainer, just to see if it was possible to gently spin the legs, but he had to go back on the sofa

Awwwwwww

 

[murali]

I too think like Afranka and Netserk tht he will return to win one more Tour.

But i really want him to wait till all three parcourses are announced before making tht call.

I expect Quintana to skip Giro next yr. I want AC to target Giro-Tour double, if the giro course is not a brute. (An AC-Quintana clash can wait for one more year.)


I hope he wins Giro to get back into the winning habit. the rest can follow.

Also, i dont believe the he should retire by 34 BS. I think he would like to retire with a high.
so 2016 tour and retire. but giro-veulta double for next yr.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I too think like Afranka and Netserk tht he will return to win one more Tour.

But i really want him to wait till all three parcourses are announced before making tht call.

I expect Quintana to skip Giro next yr. I want AC to target Giro-Tour double, if the giro course is not a brute. (An AC-Quintana clash can wait for one more year.)


I hope he wins Giro to get back into the winning habit. the rest can follow.

Also, i dont believe the he should retire by 34 BS. I think he would like to retire with a high.
so 2016 tour and retire. but giro-veulta double for next yr.

Wow dude, you're all over the place

I expect Quintana to skip Giro next yr. I want AC to target Giro-Tour double
and
An AC-Quintana clash can wait for one more year

I want AC to target Giro-Tour double
and
but giro-veulta double for next yr.

Also, i dont believe the he should retire by 34 BS
and
I think he would like to retire with a high. so 2016 tour and retire

 

[ILovecycling]

Almost 1 week now since alberto's crash, and I still can't seem to get over it to be honest. That was a gold opportunity to win this Tour; Did you see what he said? "Las sensaciones eran buenissiiiimas" He really emphasized it yesterday, not only once.

He is also counting the days left before the Vuelta kicks off, still wants to participate.

He said while laughing, he tried to get on his home trainer, just to see if it was possible to gently spin the legs, but he had to go back on the sofa

I think he said that he would like to gently spin,but instead he is suppose to be on sofa.
But maybe my spanish is not as good.

 

[Forunculo]

Some interesting points from Alberto yestarday:

He didn't crash twice, just one. The famous scene where he is minutes stopped is 700 m ahead. He inmmediately got up and take Nico's bike, he felt pain and saw a deep wound but after 500 the wound of the knee started to bleed a lot and had to stop. He could pedal climbing off the saddle but on the flat he couldn't push with the knee and couldn't follow his teammates. His first aim was to finnish the stage.

His wound need at least 3 weeks to heal and he has to be motionless to prevent infection, the worst scenario.


The Vuelta nearly impossible but he wants to ride something at the end of the season. And is happy because the injury not prevent a normal preseason, he is going to follow the same plan, altitude trainings, late start and Tour as the main goal.

He talked too about Dani Navarro saying it's difficult he returns because the signings are going to be "few and well studied".

 

[ILovecycling]

Here is the video of Tinkof from yesterday,very emotional and worth watching.
http://tour2014.tv2.dk/2014-07-19-tinkov-græder-af-glæde-vi-har-fortjent-det


Props to T-Nielsen for source.

 

[jilbiker]

Alberto retire?

Looking at Nibali, I would say that Bertie would not have beaten him at the TDF. Nibali is quite strong and I think he would have followed AC's attacks. Its the second time that cobbles has been Bertie's undoing, he should have taken it very seriously and practiced vigourously on cobbles. In 2010, he lost time to Schleck on Cobbles and had to do the chaingate thing which I sometimes wonder if he has forgiven himself, Bertie is such a nice guy. I think his 2 minute loss to Nibali forced him to take unnecessary risks and led to the crash. So Nibali won that battle, lets stop saying it is a cheap TDF victory.

I think this year Bertie made a lot of sacrifice for the TDF, perhaps staying away from family more than he would like. Bertie seems like one who would want a commited family life with wife and kids. 2013 was his first married year, I wonder if that was part of the reason he boinked that year. But 2014 he jad to shape up, pressure from Oleg and now stronger opponents. Can he do it again? at 32, 33, 34? It becomes more difficult as you get older, plus bambino may soon come and he would want to be there.

Should he retire? I am a Bertie fan but I really can't see him winning another GT, hope I am wrong

 

[LaFlorecita]

Looking at Nibali, I would say that Bertie would not have beaten him at the TDF. Nibali is quite strong and I think he would have followed AC's attacks.

Perhaps, perhaps not. We'll never know.

Its the second time that cobbles has been Bertie's undoing, he should have taken it very seriously and practiced vigourously on cobbles.

I'd say he did pretty well in 2010.

In 2010, he lost time to Schleck on Cobbles and had to do the chaingate thing which I sometimes wonder if he has forgiven himself, Bertie is such a nice guy.

I'm sure he's forgiven himself, he may be a nice guy but he's ruthless on the bike

I think his 2 minute loss to Nibali forced him to take unnecessary risks and led to the crash. So Nibali won that battle, lets stop saying it is a cheap TDF victory.

I don't think so, he just hit a hole in the road. Could have happened to anyone.

I think this year Bertie made a lot of sacrifice for the TDF, perhaps staying away from family more than he would like.

Yeah, I think so too, but he's already said he'll do the exact same thing next year.

Bertie seems like one who would want a commited family life with wife and kids. 2013 was his first married year, I wonder if that was part of the reason he boinked that year.

That was 2012, actually, but I see your point.

But 2014 he jad to shape up, pressure from Oleg and now stronger opponents. Can he do it again? at 32, 33, 34? It becomes more difficult as you get older, plus bambino may soon come and he would want to be there.

I think he can do it one more year at least, will it be enough to win, I'm not sure, but I definitely think he can go through the same process again. Other cyclists have shown a family life and cycling career can be combined.

Should he retire? I am a Bertie fan but I really can't see him winning another GT, hope I am wrong

Now? No, no way. In 2 or 3 years? Maybe. Depends on his motivation. I can see him winning another GT, if he focusses on the Giro-Vuelta double instead of the Tour.

 

[Miburo]

It stuns me how people are still whining about chaingate.

If Contador didn't get a mechanical at the end of the cobbles stage in 2010 he wouldn't have lost those extra 20 sec. Normally he should have gotten the time of the vino group but the jury screwed him over.

And in cycling no one with a right mind will stop racing when someone can't use his bike properly at the end of a mountain near the end of the finish.