Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[HelloDolly]

Matt Stephens said yesterday on Eurosport that Riis was saying it wasn't great to be too thin at this time of the year ...it left you open to illness and Matt himself said it is very hard for a rider to maintain it for very long
Froome , Porte,Thomas & Poels are very thin at the moment ...it is paying off for SKY now but its is still just March ...long way to June yet

Quintana has just come from altitude in Columbia and so the climb in T/A was easier for him....plus he is naturally so small his weight is low anyways

It is so competitive now that riders cannot win all year round like in the older days If it happens like Wiggins in 2012 the rider is no where the next year ...

I do think Porte is Contador's best rival at the Giro with maybe Uran & Aru ....but I cannot see any of hem beating him for various reasons inc Uran not a top 3 week climber, Porte always has a bad day , Aru not quite there yet

As for the double this is a different matter...I think Froome & Quintana will be difficult to beat ...I think they have better team than TCS especially SKY ...TCS team so far are not looking so strong ...maybe should have bought a few more younger doms

Vuelta Catalunya will be a good race to test the TCS team ....SKY have their A team at this race ...Froome, Porte, Poels, Roche, Kennaugh,Konig, etc



I find it so strange the so called supporters of Contador go into metdown becasue he doesn't win every race...mental!!

 

[Netserk]

How can they test the team in Catalunya? Who can do the best ~3km lead out on a climb?

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

How can they test the team in Catalunya? Who can do the best ~3km lead out on a climb?

By trying to be on top of SKY for one ...and trying to take them on in whatever manner

But go ahead an be an sarcastic ass all you want ....you are so smart...NOT

 

[Netserk]

Do you actually know the route for Catalunya?

 

[phanatic]

Being down on Bertie's form for this year is a fan's delusion. He was very strong at Ruta del Sol. With the high speed crash in training, one would expect his form to suffer a bit. He has more than enough time to get back on track. I doubt any of his opponents (or haters) are going to be too swayed by the results of this race.

 

[Miburo]

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

 

[Jack_89]

of course I would have preferred that he had won yesterday, but I'm not at all worried.
do not forget that the targets are giro and tour, so how could withstand three peaks form? without doping is impossible.
So also for catalunya not delude ourselves: he may have good and bad days. keep calm.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

I would have thought that Mollema was second best unless running a clear second means something else.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Do you actually know the route for Catalunya?

I do...if you are trying to make a point why not just make it instead of sniping from the side lines ...
You obviously don't agree re TCS strength against SKY ...then why not make an argument ....You sarcastic manner is tiring & ridiculous

And Catalyuna has enough difficult terrain to test one team against another ...

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

I would have thought that Mollema was second best unless running a clear second means something else.

I don't agree, if quintana wasn't there contador could have waited until the end and win with 1 strong acceleration. kreuziger could have set the pace.

Contador spent himself with all these accelerations.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

I would have thought that Mollema was second best unless running a clear second means something else.

I agree with Miburo that he was 2nd best. He went at the right time. Alberto had 3 guys in his wheel and tried time and time again to drop them. He wasted a lot of energy with that. If he'd set a steady tempo and not cared about the riders on his wheel I daresay he'd have caught Mollema.

 

[ray j willings]

King Bertie is fine. It was only a few weeks ago that he dropped " conspiracy theory limbs " Froome and DEFEATED Mr Froome in a ITT. Bertie is not happy right now but all is fine and if the likes of Froomyak and Quintana "tinyman of power" had some big man parts they would go race the Giro and accept the Challenge of King Bertie, They know like most of you including "Sky fan boys" that Bertie would kick their bums.

I did not see this sort of intense analysis of Froome when Bertie gave him a beating going to Alto de Hazallanas
I suggest that the reason for this is that you all know Bertie is a notch above everyone else and DEFEATING Froome is normal and expected although not much fun for Froome /Sky Fans......How I laughed

 

[Singer01]

he has a good enough palmares that he doesn't need to be the one doing the chasing, leave it up to the bottom feeders to do the chasing alberto.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

Did we got an explanation from the second best rider why he made it so easy for the best rider to get away?

Or is the media too in love with Contador to actually ask him tough questions?

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

Did we got an explanation from the second best rider why he made it so easy for the best rider to get away?

Or is the media too in love with Contador to actually ask him tough questions?

Unlike some riders, AC talked to the media and he didn't make any excuses for himself.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-tirreno-hopes-melt-with-falling-snow

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

He was btw the second best rider yesterday. If quintana wasn't there, he could have easily won. Of course he should easily be doing better but no panic. The giro and the tour are important.

Did we got an explanation from the second best rider why he made it so easy for the best rider to get away?

Or is the media too in love with Contador to actually ask him tough questions?

You're talking about quintana? he was way better than contador, no one disputed that. If you're talking about bauke, contador was at that point spent and they just sat on his wheel the whole time.

 

[Netserk]

He's talking about how Contador dropped back and had a line of riders between him and Quintana, making sure the Colombian could attack without having Contador anywhere near he's wheel. It was moronic. Contador's racing was dumb on that climb. Quintana was smart. He was on the wheel of Contador the whole climb until he dropped back and gave him a chance to get away easily, which he grabbed instantly.

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

Well at least the Giro will be a walk in the park. Richie is in really good form, dominating at PN and as we've been told, such good form cannot be sustained which is why bad form right now is to be celebrated for Giro/Tour peakers, so Porte will be a push over at the Giro and no help, if he rides, at the Tour.

No one is "celebrating" bad form, though it would truly be physically impossible to be that good now, and tops in May and July.

I truly hope the pundits are wrong, that is that the double is no longer possible, however, it will be really, really difficult.

To be honest with you, when I saw how thin Porte was and how good he was already in Australia I thought: either this guy has hit near peak way too early, or else Contador truly better be on his game at the Giro if he wants to win. With the science of preparation today and the talent that is out there, it might indeed be too much to ask to go for both.

I hope not, but the sport has changed and not really for the better. On the other hand, last year actually could have been his missed oppurtunity, because Quintana was not unbeatable at the Giro and the Tour would have been very open had he and Froome not crashed.

I'm sure this has been mentioned but it can't but be a plus that they've added Basso to the roster. With him being the rider that came the closest in relatively recent times to doing the double. He should be able to offer some insight into how best to train for such an endeavor.

As far as Contador's performance and form at this point in the season, I'm inclined to agree with those that say him being in world beating form now would be a big mistake. He can't have any other goals than the Giro and the Tour. I see it as a major plus that he's able to climb and compete with those that have Tirreno circled on their calendars as events that they hope to do well at.

I'd be curious to see what the typical grand tour gc contender's total race days are at the end of the season. I've seen where some are in the 70's. If that is the case then someone hoping to be competitive in 2 grand tours, while also racing in week long stage races (2-3) that about covers it plus some.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

He's talking about how Contador dropped back and had a line of riders between him and Quintana, making sure the Colombian could attack without having Contador anywhere near he's wheel. It was moronic. Contador's racing was dumb on that climb. Quintana was smart. He was on the wheel of Contador the whole climb until he dropped back and gave him a chance to get away easily, which he grabbed instantly.

exactly. If you read his comment on the interview, then it begs the question. why did he drop back or sit far back? it's very so uncharacteristic of him IMHO.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

The simple point is that Alberto can't be crushing them now. Do people even realize how hard the Giro is?

Then, there is the Tour. I bet Byarn and Co. are looking at Pantani 98 for a gauge. Where was Pantani in early March that year? Let us not discount this, since there are no other recent parameters.

Well it's kind of hard to use Pantani as a parameter. That year is the period plaque with the use of substance. That's why contador attempt is so mysteriously hard to figure out because no one knows how his form should be. He did it 2011, but finished 5th in the tour. So he might have some insight on how he should be around this time.

 

[arvc40]

Re: Re:

The simple point is that Alberto can't be crushing them now. Do people even realize how hard the Giro is?

Then, there is the Tour. I bet Byarn and Co. are looking at Pantani 98 for a gauge. Where was Pantani in early March that year? Let us not discount this, since there are no other recent parameters.

Well it's kind of hard to use Pantani as a parameter. That year is the period plaque with the use of substance. That's why contador attempt is so mysteriously hard to figure out because no one knows how his form should be. He did it 2011, but finished 5th in the tour. So he might have some insight on how he should be around this time.

Might have some insight !. I reckon he's got plenty.

 

[Miburo]

Contador has done it many times, dropping back to notice how good his opponents are.

From my mind i can almost only collect events when he's not reaally good that he did it.

Tour 2010 (1stage with andy), tour 2011 (dropping back a bit), vuelta 2012 (to see how good purito was).

It's simple, when he's good he just attacks. He then usually quicky looks back 2,3 times in a row and just goes.

Only event i can think off where he dropped back and he was the best was plateau de beille 2007.

 

[Miburo]

I'm still certain that contador could have easily pulled it off in 2011 with some luck. Now the competition is way harder of course.

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

The simple point is that Alberto can't be crushing them now. Do people even realize how hard the Giro is?

Then, there is the Tour. I bet Byarn and Co. are looking at Pantani 98 for a gauge. Where was Pantani in early March that year? Let us not discount this, since there are no other recent parameters.

Well it's kind of hard to use Pantani as a parameter. That year is the period plaque with the use of substance. That's why contador attempt is so mysteriously hard to figure out because no one knows how his form should be. He did it 2011, but finished 5th in the tour. So he might have some insight on how he should be around this time.

Might have some insight !. I reckon he's got plenty.

Basso would know.

 

[rhubroma]

Re: Re:

The simple point is that Alberto can't be crushing them now. Do people even realize how hard the Giro is?

Then, there is the Tour. I bet Byarn and Co. are looking at Pantani 98 for a gauge. Where was Pantani in early March that year? Let us not discount this, since there are no other recent parameters.

Well it's kind of hard to use Pantani as a parameter. That year is the period plaque with the use of substance. That's why contador attempt is so mysteriously hard to figure out because no one knows how his form should be. He did it 2011, but finished 5th in the tour. So he might have some insight on how he should be around this time.

No, everything is the same.