Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Metabolol]

Re:

Smart riding from Contador. He's got his eye on the prize (winning Giro) and thinking the long game (winning the Tour). If he accomplishes the double without a stage win in either race, I'm sure we all we severely discount his accomplishment accordingly

Like I said above I don't think that is the main reason he rode the way he did today. I don't believe it anything to do with the Tour.

 

[ggusta]

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe ride at the Tour and a better team. (Although not sure who else TS Has to go to the tour with him.)

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe ride at the Tour and a better team. (Although not sure who else TS Has to go to the tour with him.)

Majka, Kiserlovski, Zaugg, Sagan, Bodnar, Bennati, Valgren

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Just play it cool again tomorrow Alberto and win the war. It's okay for minor skirmishes to go to others Le Tour beckons, no need to dig into reserves.

Nah, he needs to win a stage. And Chris Juul said he wants to win tomorrow.

His wife attended and he threw the flowers to her .

Like he did on the previous two stages

Oh I didn't know that! My stupid coverage cuts off very early. Today at least it showed the podiums through Aru.

If the opportunity for an easy stage win presents itself he should go for it. But he shouldn't go on the Finestra, and the last climb doesn't have very steep gradients. There is No Reason for 'more tomorrow' at this race

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe ride at the Tour and a better team. (Although not sure who else TS Has to go to the tour with him.)

Majka, Kiserlovski, Zaugg, Sagan, Bodnar, Bennati, Valgren

So on paper about the same, maybe slightly worse in terms of experience, in the mountains, but anything has to be better than this.
What about number 9?

 

[Velolover2]

One big attack from him tomorrow would be ideal. I think that would get rid off at least Aru.

If he is playing the waiting game, he is risking that Landa and Aru will play cat and mouse with him.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe ride at the Tour and a better team. (Although not sure who else TS Has to go to the tour with him.)

Majka, Kiserlovski, Zaugg, Sagan, Bodnar, Bennati, Valgren

So on paper about the same, maybe slightly worse in terms of experience, in the mountains, but anything has to be better than this.
What about number 9?

Rogers.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe ride at the Tour and a better team. (Although not sure who else TS Has to go to the tour with him.)

Majka, Kiserlovski, Zaugg, Sagan, Bodnar, Bennati, Valgren

So on paper about the same, maybe slightly worse in terms of experience, in the mountains, but anything has to be better than this.
What about number 9?

Oh I was just naming names. For the tour the following names are certain barring injuries etc
Contador
Sagan
Bennati
Rogers
Majka
(Kiserlovski)

And my guess is that they will take 3 of Zaugg/Valgren/Bodnar/Tosatto(/Kreuziger)
If I had to guess I'd say Bodnar, Valgren and Zaugg
But I hope Toso will get a spot
And I hope Tinkov doesn't insist on a random useless Russian

 

[Carols]

Re:

One big attack from him tomorrow would be ideal. I think that would get rid off at least Aru.

If he is playing the waiting game, he is risking that Landa and Aru will play cat and mouse with him.

Geez if he had a team they could dispose of Aru on the Finestra. He suffered badly on the steeper gradients so far, is much better on the shallower ones.

Neither Aru or Landa is going to get 4:40+ or 5+ on him unless he crashes or totally bonks on the Finestra.

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

One big attack from him tomorrow would be ideal. I think that would get rid off at least Aru.

If he is playing the waiting game, he is risking that Landa and Aru will play cat and mouse with him.

Im sure Landa/Aru dont want to risk that.

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

One big attack from him tomorrow would be ideal. I think that would get rid off at least Aru.

If he is playing the waiting game, he is risking that Landa and Aru will play cat and mouse with him.

Geez if he had a team they could dispose of Aru on the Finestra. He suffered badly on the steeper gradients so far, is much better on the shallower ones.

Neither Aru or Landa is going to get 4:40+ or 5+ on him unless he crashes or totally bonks on the Finestra.

Yeah, I'm concerned about his team too. He better send a man in a break. Think about if he gets a puncture on the dirt road of Finestra. He will be completely isolated on the climb no matter what.

 

[Alcanelo]

A repeat of today is just what he needs tomorrow...today wasn't even a training session. That's ideal right now. 3 easy last days of the Giro is perfect before prep for the Tour. F*ck a stage win, he doesn't need it...he wants the double, he doesn't want stage wins

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

It's not necessarily about saving energy,he wanted to stick it to Landa. He will do exactly the same thing tomorrow. He will mark Landa.

Alberto clearly wants to win a stage but even more so he refuses to drag Landa once again. So he will let Aru/whoever go again tomorrow if Landa sits back.

hm.. i don't know what this winning stage is that important?* scrathing my head* typical public out there won't remember how many stages someone won if they win the GT? I don't know what you expect him to do against astana strong team + Landa and the resurection of Aru. Stick it to Landa.. for what? Landa isn't going to win the Giro and going to the tour to win it either. Contador does. He is smart for doing whatever he is doing today. He won the war, if he can win the battle that's a bonus. There's no point of jeopardizing going all out for a stage win in expense of his tour preparations. He is going to face top rider in the world, not the wanna be

if he did wanted to win the stage, I didn't see him riding like he should be either. To me he is like someone who rides smart and wait if the opportunity presents. So far today, none of the opportunity was there with a strong Landa on his heel and Aru up on the road.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Ah Contador you're so bad!!!

How dare you to save energy for the tour???

The fans need a win!!!

2 months later "he lost the tour cause he went way too hard in the giro, stupid berto..."

well said.
i thought getting the pink is considered "a win"... or i guess i'm must be living in different planet then.. coz' stage win is consider a important win as opposed of getting the pink .

 

[LaFlorecita]

Yeah, why would fans care about the GC winner winning a stage, I mean we all love a winner who never showed his true form right we all love to see a rider just waiting and following wheels with the only meaningful attack being one when his rival was 1.5 minutes behind because of a crash and stage wins in all 3 GTs? Oh that's overrated, who cares about that, it's only quoted several times a year oh and the best stage racer of his generation has never officially won a stage at the Giro, does it matter of course not oh and what about GT wins with zero stage wins, they're supposed to be less special but Contador already has two of them so why would we care if he adds another

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe ride at the Tour and a better team. (Although not sure who else TS Has to go to the tour with him.)

Majka, Kiserlovski, Zaugg, Sagan, Bodnar, Bennati, Valgren

i thought zaugg just recover from injury recently. So I'm not convinced his form will be up there. Maybe CAS? but still his team aren't that strong either, unless majka shows up with 2014 TDF last week form. Rogers will be there. But don't expect him to perform the same as the Giro. He has been there all the time. either the last men or the last 2 men.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Chris Anker Sørensen is a completely useless domestique for a Tour favorite.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Ah Contador you're so bad!!!

How dare you to save energy for the tour???

The fans need a win!!!

2 months later "he lost the tour cause he went way too hard in the giro, stupid berto..."

well said.
i thought getting the pink is considered "a win"... or i guess i'm must be living in different planet then.. coz' stage win is consider a important win as opposed of getting the pink .

Are you stupid?
No one is saying he should win a stage instead of the pink jersey. The fans just want to see him go for the stage win for once in this *** race instead of him just following wheels.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Yeah, why would fans care about the GC winner winning a stage, I mean we all love a winner who never showed his true form right we all love to see a rider just waiting and following wheels with the only meaningful attack being one when his rival was 1.5 minutes behind because of a crash and stage wins in all 3 GTs? Oh that's overrated, who cares about that, it's only quoted several times a year oh and the best stage racer of his generation has never officially won a stage at the Giro, does it matter of course not oh and what about GT wins with zero stage wins, they're supposed to be less special but Contador already has two of them so why would we care if he adds another

With the Tour in mind...ya none of this really matters.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

With the Tour in mind...ya none of this really matters.

A short 15 minute effort to win a stage will not ruin his chances for the Tour... it's completely irrelevant when compared to the weight of an entire Grand Tour.
And if he does not win the Tour? He will end the season with a Giro win in which he could not even beat a very mediocre field uphill... that leaves a very bad taste for him and for the fans.
If he does not win a stage everyone will say Landa and even Hesjedal were better climbers.

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

With the Tour in mind...ya none of this really matters.

A short 15 minute effort to win a stage will not ruin his chances for the Tour... it's completely irrelevant when compared to the weight of an entire Grand Tour.
And if he does not win the Tour? He will end the season with a Giro win in which he could not even beat a very mediocre field uphill... that leaves a very bad taste for him and for the fans.
If he does not win a stage everyone will say Landa and even Hesjedal were better climbers.

Well if he had gone today that would have been longer than a 15 minute effort. He would have gone, then most likely Landa would have attacked once they caught Aru....blah blah blah. He saved energy today and that's a good thing. He probably already spent to much on stages 16 and 17.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

Just play it cool again tomorrow Alberto and win the war. It's okay for minor skirmishes to go to others Le Tour beckons, no need to dig into reserves.

Nah, he needs to win a stage. And Chris Juul said he wants to win tomorrow.

His wife attended and he threw the flowers to her .

Like he did on the previous two stages

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTgByh_BaWw

I had to one last time

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Well if he had gone today that would have been longer than a 15 minute effort. He would have gone, then most likely Landa would have attacked once they caught Aru....blah blah blah. He saved energy today and that's a good thing. He probably already spent to much on stages 16 and 17.

Not saying otherwise, but today and on stage 15 he was in a good position to win IMO. If it's the same tomorrow and again he just sucks Landa's wheel, I will be very disappointed.

 

[Jalgratas95]

I think Contador is going to attack tomorrow if everything goes right (no mechanical stops). There's nothing to lose and Maglia Rosa is secured.

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

Master illusionist:

“The team was good today, and I kept an eye on my closest rival, Mikel Landa. You have to take a tactical decision in the end: Landa and Aru could have taken turns to attack all the way up the final climb. Obviously, I'd like to win a stage, but it is hard. The final group is always small and I don't have teammates with me because they work hard earlier in the stage, so the result today is perfect for me”, says Alberto Contador and adds:

“Anyway, if you ask anyone what they would prefer, a stage win or the Maglia Rosa, they'll say the Maglia Rosa, so I'm very, very happy because I got through another very hard day. The final climb was tough, and Aru was strong and took a great stage win. He's now 2nd in the GC, and I wish him a great future. Tomorrow the stage is really nice, with a very hard climb, perhaps harder than the climbs today. My job will be to withstand the attacks, and it might even be a day, where I will attack, you never know”