Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Miburo]

I doubt something will happen, it needs to rain to get action. 2013 and 2011 clearly show that

 

[Jelantik]

everyone is expecting an attack on last climb, so there's no element of surprise anymore. Unless some one decides to go a long range attack way before the last climb.

 

[jsem94]

Remember what Contador did last time on Col de Manse? Putting a minute into Schleck.

Let's hope for a wet descent into Gap!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Remember what Contador did last time on Col de Manse? Putting a minute into Schleck.

Let's hope for a wet descent into Gap!

Well last time was in 2013 and he crashed together with Da Dawg

 

[jsem94]

Oh. My memory is messed up. Anyway. We all know things can happen here.

Vinokourov took 36 seconds on Lance on this finish in 2003. Joseba Biloka crashed, sending Lance into taking an epic shortcut.

In 2011, Contador, Sanchez and Evans took a huge chunk off time on Andy Schleck.

 

[Red Rick]

So dumb anyway, Contador goes crazy on a cat 2 climb once and since then they decide to completely overuse it in the same, poorly designed stage time after time after time.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

So dumb anyway, Contador goes crazy on a cat 2 climb once and since then they decide to completely overuse it in the same, poorly designed stage time after time after time.

What about stage 20, well the original profile? Also Contador's fault

I remember that day very well, i knew contador was gonna do it and then he actually did it

 

[The Hitch]

My issue with the stage yesterday, and I didn't get to express it in the stage cos it was overrun by Sky fans taking cue from Brailsford to play the victim card as much as possible over some idiot and a beer, but why did Quintana ride so hard and just pull Froome all the way? Is he riding for 2nd place already? With all the mountains left thats pathetic even by Movi standards.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

My issue with the stage yesterday, and I didn't get to express it in the stage cos it was overrun by Sky fans taking cue from Brailsford to play the victim card as much as possible over some idiot and a beer, but why did Quintana ride so hard and just pull Froome all the way? Is he riding for 2nd place already? With all the mountains left thats pathetic even by Movi standards.

I didn't mind it honestly, this way he pretty much secured his podium and he wasn't gonna ride away from froome anyway that day, it was just 1km too regardless.

Wrong thread hitch?

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

My issue with the stage yesterday, and I didn't get to express it in the stage cos it was overrun by Sky fans taking cue from Brailsford to play the victim card as much as possible over some idiot and a beer, but why did Quintana ride so hard and just pull Froome all the way? Is he riding for 2nd place already? With all the mountains left thats pathetic even by Movi standards.

I didn't mind it honestly, this way he pretty much secured his podium and he wasn't gonna ride away from froome anyway that day, it was just 1km too regardless.

Wrong thread hitch?

What you should've said is:

I fully agree

 

[KyoGrey]

It is such a shame that Alberto and Alejandro don't get on well...

If they really wanted, they could go for the big prize with a combo downhill attack on Allos or in Glandon.

It would be a win-win situation for both of the Spaniards and aditionally Quintana could comfortably sit on the wheel of a hysterical Froome and try to finish him in Pra Loup.

 

[Taxus4a]

http://www.klasikoa.net/eu/2015/teams-and-riders

Berto is on the startlist for Clasica San Sebastian

There are several times that he is in the starlist and he wanst finally... The same for Andy Schleck.

Anyway he should race something after le Tour, so it is normal he is in the most important one day race of his country, a clasicc that suits him pretty well.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

My issue with the stage yesterday, and I didn't get to express it in the stage cos it was overrun by Sky fans taking cue from Brailsford to play the victim card as much as possible over some idiot and a beer, but why did Quintana ride so hard and just pull Froome all the way? Is he riding for 2nd place already? With all the mountains left thats pathetic even by Movi standards.

If he takes time now he can time his attacks against Froome better. If he has to mark everyone behind him then e's less likely to be able to put in the enormous dig (or digs) that would be required to crack Froome. Unfortunately, that means sticking it to Bertie at the moment no matter if he drags Froome along or not.


about the only reason I can think of and not a good one.

 

[rm7]

It is such a shame that Alberto and Alejandro don't get on well...

If they really wanted, they could go for the big prize with a combo downhill attack on Allos or in Glandon.

It would be a win-win situation for both of the Spaniards and aditionally Quintana could comfortably sit on the wheel of a hysterical Froome and try to finish him in Pra Loup.

Havent they dismissed the "beef" several times under the last Vuelta? Contador, Valverde and JRod.

But Valverde is always riding like he doesn't want Contador to win.. because if he coorporate, then he know that he'll be beaten in the end probably.

Still can't get my head around JRod and Valverde in the last Vuelta.. Could have smashed Froome on several occasions. I can understand if Contador doesn't think very highly of them.

 

[SuperBesse]

I'm not sure if has much to do with contador. Valverde always does this.

 

[cantpedal]

maybe their tired of AC only wanting to cooperate when its to his advantage,

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

I'm not sure if has much to do with contador. Valverde always does this.

I doubt it's personal. Riders for the most part do what's best for themselves and their team. Alliances are temporally possible when mutually beneficial, but always fragile.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

maybe their tired of AC only wanting to cooperate when its to his advantage,

You mean like at the Vuelta, where it was in the interest of both of them to take time on Froome?
If Valverde had cooperated there, he might have 2nd!
Do you have an example of Valverde wanting to cooperate with Contador, and Contador refusing? .... No? Then your post is a complete lie.

 

[ray j willings]

ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK ......if you can Bertie ....today is perfect

 

[Ludwig's Olaf]

The Eurosport commentators pointed out many times that Contador and Valverde are close friends. Prominently when Valverde had a mechanical in that flat windy TdF stage in 2013, Saxo immediately stopped pulling at the front. Only when it was clear that Valverde would lose an awful lot of time in any case Saxo attacked again. Valverde could not have acted differently on the climb to Mende.

 

[LaFlorecita]

They aren't close friends. They don't hate each other, but there is a big rivalry on the bike, especially from Valverde's side. If he himself can't win, then he'd try everything to make Contador lose.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

They aren't close friends. They don't hate each other, but there is a big rivalry on the bike, especially from Valverde's side. If he himself can't win, then he'd try everything to make Contador lose.

Got any evidence for that, or is this yet more siege mentality?

 

[KyoGrey]

It is such a shame that Alberto and Alejandro don't get on well...

If they really wanted, they could go for the big prize with a combo downhill attack on Allos or in Glandon.

It would be a win-win situation for both of the Spaniards and aditionally Quintana could comfortably sit on the wheel of a hysterical Froome and try to finish him in Pra Loup.

Havent they dismissed the "beef" several times under the last Vuelta? Contador, Valverde and JRod.

But Valverde is always riding like he doesn't want Contador to win.. because if he coorporate, then he know that he'll be beaten in the end probably.

Still can't get my head around JRod and Valverde in the last Vuelta.. Could have smashed Froome on several occasions. I can understand if Contador doesn't think very highly of them.

I support both of them of course, but I think that the rivalry of Valverde and Contador may go way back to the fact that Alejandro feels in his mind that it is unfair that for the last 10 years Alberto has received much more attention of the Spanish general media whilst outside of the cycling world, he is regarded only as a secondary star.

Also the fact that Contador being an almost unique case of a modern Spanish superstar that hasn't milited for Echavarri/Unzue team structures means that Movistar as a team has no good eyes for the madrileño.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

They aren't close friends. They don't hate each other, but there is a big rivalry on the bike, especially from Valverde's side. If he himself can't win, then he'd try everything to make Contador lose.

Got any evidence for that, or is this yet more siege mentality?

I'd say the 2012 Vuelta is very good evidence to the contrary

 

[Sky'sthelimit]

Re:

They aren't close friends. They don't hate each other, but there is a big rivalry on the bike, especially from Valverde's side. If he himself can't win, then he'd try everything to make Contador lose.

Professional rivalry at its most profound.