- Mar 17, 2009
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Frankly I think he expended a lot of energy getting back to the front before the red kite and the crash helped him. Really bad positioning by AC and Tinkoff over the last 3KM. I wouldn't draw any conclusions about his form however. It looked like he cruised in. And he got the ST as the Sagan group.
- Mar 21, 2015
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following cyclingquotes feed it seems that some tinkoff riders (and another team as well) took a wrong turn at a roundabout toward the end. Maybe that explains part of that.
Re: Re:
One thing I haven't heard is "you have to stay upfront to avoid crashes", well this crash happened upfront, besides Contador was not that far behind as seen in the footage. He benefited from being on the right side as well, so I quite honestly doubt, as some others have stated, he would have lost 5-10'seconds to his rivals. But of course we have no way of telling being that as this crash happened. Actually, if you watched the footage, a few minutes before the crash you can see Nibali dropping back a bit, so it may appear that the GC guys were not going to contest the finish.Miburo said:dusty red roads said:
Nope, contador was in a terrible position from more than 10km before the finish. He should call himself lucky though otherwise he might have crashed too
- Jul 19, 2010
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puff... at least in hindsight, Contador isn't crashed. Reading the article of how Nibali reacted angry to Froome, just showed that he is probably really under pressure now. (can't afford any silly mishaps with him in the backfoot). I feel sorry for Tony, but looks like everyone who holds the yellow jersey seems to be cursed (except Froome). Rohan - got left behind on the crosswind, Cancellara - crashed and the last victim is Tony. For, as long as contador stays safe through out the first week, and not loosing time, his change for second week is in tack.
- Jul 29, 2012
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Re: Re:
At that point i knew he already *** up lol
Publicus said:Miburo said:dusty red roads said:
Nope, contador was in a terrible position from more than 10km before the finish. He should call himself lucky though otherwise he might have crashed too
10KM is a bit of an exaggeration
At that point i knew he already *** up lol
- Mar 11, 2009
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Re: Re:
The group was slowed behind the crash. Contador wasn't dropped or weak. He wasn't fighting for the stage, but was hardly in any trouble.
casati said:One thing I haven't heard is "you have to stay upfront to avoid crashes", well this crash happened upfront, besides Contador was not that far behind as seen in the footage. He benefited from being on the right side as well, so I quite honestly doubt, as some others have stated, he would have lost 5-10'seconds to his rivals. But of course we have no way of telling being that as this crash happened. Actually, if you watched the footage, a few minutes before the crash you can see Nibali dropping back a bit, so it may appear that the GC guys were not going to contest the finish.Miburo said:dusty red roads said:
Nope, contador was in a terrible position from more than 10km before the finish. He should call himself lucky though otherwise he might have crashed too
The group was slowed behind the crash. Contador wasn't dropped or weak. He wasn't fighting for the stage, but was hardly in any trouble.
Re: Re:
Agree big 4 and 1/2 seem to be marking each other and no wanting to end up on the wrong side of a split.
perico said:casati said:One thing I haven't heard is "you have to stay upfront to avoid crashes", well this crash happened upfront, besides Contador was not that far behind as seen in the footage. He benefited from being on the right side as well, so I quite honestly doubt, as some others have stated, he would have lost 5-10'seconds to his rivals. But of course we have no way of telling being that as this crash happened. Actually, if you watched the footage, a few minutes before the crash you can see Nibali dropping back a bit, so it may appear that the GC guys were not going to contest the finish.Miburo said:dusty red roads said:
Nope, contador was in a terrible position from more than 10km before the finish. He should call himself lucky though otherwise he might have crashed too
The group was slowed behind the crash. Contador wasn't dropped or weak. He wasn't fighting for the stage, but was hardly in any trouble.
Agree big 4 and 1/2 seem to be marking each other and no wanting to end up on the wrong side of a split.
I have literally just watched the highlights reading this and Alberto was coming up on Nibali and Froome on JRod's wheel, looking perfectly normal to me. Not far enough back to lose time (and indeed, it seems highly likely that when we see him he has already taken off speed because he's seen the crash). He had to swing wide to avoid Froome - it must have taken more of his speed off, and then the camera cut to another view. JRod obviously went on to chase the sprint. I can see no evidence that AC bothered - why would he? He'd seen all his GC contenders on the deck, having narrowly avoided Froome himself. Of course he'd come off the gas. He knows the rules.
I don't think he was in a great position, but I suspect it would have made no difference. I don't think any of the GC people were pegging it - they were not contesting it and clearly would have arrived en peloton.
Are people are trying to find things to be depressed about, because there was absolutely nothing I saw today to cause any concern. I find it extraordinary that anyone thinks that little blink of a hill was going to cause him trouble, I'm surprised you can bear to watch any of this, because you must be expecting him to be dropped at any moment on a cat. 4.
As for the Mur, what I saw was that he was following Froome then when Froome slowed (for whatever reason), AC tried to cut left towards the steeper inside bend. He then sits down as he's clearly blown up and can't follow. Now I'm not saying that he was fine, but I'm not sure why he'd have been trying to pass Froome if he wasn't thinking he was okay and that Froome wasn't and he had to pass. I think he overcooked it then, sure, but why try and pass if he was dying on the bike? I think he might be telling the truth when he said that he felt okay, then didn't have it on the steeper bend for whatever reason.
I honestly don't think I'm trying to see something that isn't there. I think he blew up. He should have stuck to Froome's wheel - maybe he could have followed. Maybe he would have sat down immediately anyway, I don't know. But he clearly tries to pass.
I don't think he was in a great position, but I suspect it would have made no difference. I don't think any of the GC people were pegging it - they were not contesting it and clearly would have arrived en peloton.
Are people are trying to find things to be depressed about, because there was absolutely nothing I saw today to cause any concern. I find it extraordinary that anyone thinks that little blink of a hill was going to cause him trouble, I'm surprised you can bear to watch any of this, because you must be expecting him to be dropped at any moment on a cat. 4.
As for the Mur, what I saw was that he was following Froome then when Froome slowed (for whatever reason), AC tried to cut left towards the steeper inside bend. He then sits down as he's clearly blown up and can't follow. Now I'm not saying that he was fine, but I'm not sure why he'd have been trying to pass Froome if he wasn't thinking he was okay and that Froome wasn't and he had to pass. I think he overcooked it then, sure, but why try and pass if he was dying on the bike? I think he might be telling the truth when he said that he felt okay, then didn't have it on the steeper bend for whatever reason.
I honestly don't think I'm trying to see something that isn't there. I think he blew up. He should have stuck to Froome's wheel - maybe he could have followed. Maybe he would have sat down immediately anyway, I don't know. But he clearly tries to pass.
He got the same time, but AC was lucky and it doesn't bode well that he would, again, not stay on the wheel of Rodriguez. The 3 km rule says that a rider involved in a crash or mechanical gets the same time as the riders he was in company with at the moment of the incident, and the race managers will routinely apply it for riders caught up behind, too. Riders that were ahead and produce splits from there to the finish can be a different story.
Re:
Why would he though? Clearly, he'd have had to slow to avoid the crash so he's been affected by it. When we see him in overhead shot, he must have already slowed by then the he has to veer around the Sky rider. And afterwards, when all his GC companions are on the road, (and since he's seen Froome stopped ahead of him) why on earth is he going to make any effort at all? He probably just cruised into the line.
Ludwig's Olaf said:
Why would he though? Clearly, he'd have had to slow to avoid the crash so he's been affected by it. When we see him in overhead shot, he must have already slowed by then the he has to veer around the Sky rider. And afterwards, when all his GC companions are on the road, (and since he's seen Froome stopped ahead of him) why on earth is he going to make any effort at all? He probably just cruised into the line.
- Jul 10, 2009
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Re:
+1 - I see a confidence of the level of 2011 Giro...having a GT in your legs is good, when your body, systems etc clicks in, you are really at another level.
ad9898 said:I still stand by my prediction that his 'build up' after the Giro was purely recovery, it had to be as to not overly push his body... he knew that unless he had bad luck there was little time to be lost in the first week of the tour which he would use to build his form (or drop a kilo or two) ahead of the final week and a half. Mark my words he's going to be very strong come the end of the Tour. I don't bet but if the odds are long on him winning at this point I'd put a small wager on.... You can all praise my prediction at the end of the Tour
+1 - I see a confidence of the level of 2011 Giro...having a GT in your legs is good, when your body, systems etc clicks in, you are really at another level.
Jelantik said:
Jelantik: I hope you're correct with your logical-sounding excuses for Contador falling flat on they Huy, but I personally never have seen Contador get dropped so badly in any Grand Tour when he didn't have a significant GC lead and then later win that Tour. Ever. Contador clearly was exhausted against that frightening Landa/Aru Giro hydra, but he had more than a 5 minute lead when they dropped him.
I'm rooting so hard for you (and Alberto), but betting against both of you.
Re:
To me, Electress, "blowing up" means you've been in the red zone for too long, and exhaustion overtakes you, forcing your body to quasi-shut down no matter how badly you want to keep the pace. Happened to me two weekends ago in the Malibu Mountains.
What I saw with Contador on the Huy wasn't a "blow up" - the climb was too short for that - it instead was something scarier. Simply a total lack of a top end, similar to what Armstrong said he was lacking during his 2009/2010 comeback. The power and cardio just isn't there, in my mind because he left both on the Mortirolo, etc. He had no higher level from which to blow up. When the grade went up, and Froome attacked, Alberto sat down.
I just don't think he has the lungs, the gas or the quads for the TDF this year, due to the Giro, at the end of which he almost collapsed in exhaustion. Impossible for me to believe that anyone can recover from that in less than a multiple month period. I hope the best Grand Tour racer ever proves me wrong....
Electress said:
To me, Electress, "blowing up" means you've been in the red zone for too long, and exhaustion overtakes you, forcing your body to quasi-shut down no matter how badly you want to keep the pace. Happened to me two weekends ago in the Malibu Mountains.
What I saw with Contador on the Huy wasn't a "blow up" - the climb was too short for that - it instead was something scarier. Simply a total lack of a top end, similar to what Armstrong said he was lacking during his 2009/2010 comeback. The power and cardio just isn't there, in my mind because he left both on the Mortirolo, etc. He had no higher level from which to blow up. When the grade went up, and Froome attacked, Alberto sat down.
I just don't think he has the lungs, the gas or the quads for the TDF this year, due to the Giro, at the end of which he almost collapsed in exhaustion. Impossible for me to believe that anyone can recover from that in less than a multiple month period. I hope the best Grand Tour racer ever proves me wrong....
- May 13, 2015
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Do these small uphill finishes give us some indications on how the mountain stages are going be like?
I don't know if Contador's performance should be judged on the Huy and Le Havre stages.
I don't know if Contador's performance should be judged on the Huy and Le Havre stages.
Re:
When a pure climber like Contador gets dropped like a grand piano, yes, a small uphill finish gives us substantial indication of his lack of energy and power.
WheelofGear said:
When a pure climber like Contador gets dropped like a grand piano, yes, a small uphill finish gives us substantial indication of his lack of energy and power.
- Jun 14, 2010
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Re:
They probably do give some indication, because while fans want to romanticise hills as being totally different from mountains, the reality is there is a massive overlap and both are ultimately about strength. 2009 Contador would have won that Huy stage, just like 2009 Andy Schleck, a far far far less diverse rider, won Liege Bastogne Liege.
Maybe Contador does recover over the next week, a hundred things could happen, but 2 days ago Contador was clearly lacking strenght.
Its not like Contador can't do short explosive efforts. He destroyed Piti on Muro de Gaintza which is 1 km longer. He was 3rd on Huy once and dropped the field sans Murito, Froome included on Mirador de Ezaro which is similar lenght though a bit steeper.
Actually he also dropped the field sans Murito on Manse.
WheelofGear said:
They probably do give some indication, because while fans want to romanticise hills as being totally different from mountains, the reality is there is a massive overlap and both are ultimately about strength. 2009 Contador would have won that Huy stage, just like 2009 Andy Schleck, a far far far less diverse rider, won Liege Bastogne Liege.
Maybe Contador does recover over the next week, a hundred things could happen, but 2 days ago Contador was clearly lacking strenght.
Its not like Contador can't do short explosive efforts. He destroyed Piti on Muro de Gaintza which is 1 km longer. He was 3rd on Huy once and dropped the field sans Murito, Froome included on Mirador de Ezaro which is similar lenght though a bit steeper.
Actually he also dropped the field sans Murito on Manse.
- Jul 29, 2012
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Re:
On the mur it can be imo. Havre not really.
With Alberto especially cause normally he's pretty good on murs although he says he isn't but i disagree. But he could have had a bad day on the mur and he definitely blew himself up at the end.
We'll see saterday but for sure tuesday although i don't expect many gaps then though.
WheelofGear said:
On the mur it can be imo. Havre not really.
With Alberto especially cause normally he's pretty good on murs although he says he isn't but i disagree. But he could have had a bad day on the mur and he definitely blew himself up at the end.
We'll see saterday but for sure tuesday although i don't expect many gaps then though.
- Mar 11, 2009
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Re: Re:
I think you put too much into the drop. He followed Froome and went off his line in the red. This caused a loss of momentum and he really would've blown up. It shows a lack of acceleration at this point, if anything. Neither Nibali nor Quintana were able to follow the initial acceleration of either Purito, Froome, or Contador. Had they tried they would've blown up as well. Contador screwed up by trying to jump off Froome's wheel and paid for it when the rider in front of him *** it down completely. He had gone to deep to just rev it back up again.
That's not getting dropped like a piano, rather a rider not yet at his peak. Not saying he will undoubtedly win, but that you're putting to much on one situation. Has he looked perfect? Hardly, but people are getting too carried away with a couple of mistakes that show a lack of racing over the last month.
ninjadriver said:
I think you put too much into the drop. He followed Froome and went off his line in the red. This caused a loss of momentum and he really would've blown up. It shows a lack of acceleration at this point, if anything. Neither Nibali nor Quintana were able to follow the initial acceleration of either Purito, Froome, or Contador. Had they tried they would've blown up as well. Contador screwed up by trying to jump off Froome's wheel and paid for it when the rider in front of him *** it down completely. He had gone to deep to just rev it back up again.
That's not getting dropped like a piano, rather a rider not yet at his peak. Not saying he will undoubtedly win, but that you're putting to much on one situation. Has he looked perfect? Hardly, but people are getting too carried away with a couple of mistakes that show a lack of racing over the last month.
- Apr 12, 2015
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Do you guys think he will be dropped on Mûr-de-Bretagne as well?
It's a different climb than Huy. A little longer, but not as hard and steep and with a flat finish.
It's a different climb than Huy. A little longer, but not as hard and steep and with a flat finish.
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