Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

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Mar 11, 2013
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Broccolidwarf said:
buchanan said:
Broccolidwarf said:
Contador winning the Tour in future is very dependent on weather.

If the weather had been as bad this year, as last year, I would argue he would be either leading or in second behind Quintana at this point in time.... irrespective of having done the Giro.

Sadly, whenever the weather at the Tour is warm and sunny, he always struggles with his allergies, because of the race happening in July..... but, when it rains or is cold, he can match Froome uphill and outclass him downhill.... and then hope to not lose too much in the ITT.

I'm hoping for bad weather the next 3 days, so we get to see what he is really capable of.... but realisticly, he should focus on the Giro and Vuelta for the remainder of his career, and let Majka captain the team in the Tour (not gonna happen, but it would be the smart choice).

Why do you say that 'he (Contador) can match Froome uphill and outclass him downhill...??
Do you realize that Contador frequently crashes downhill? In fact he has crashed downhill in his last 3 Tours at a big cost to himself. Whereas Froome has stayed upright and had no problems comfortably staying with Nibali, Valverde, etc. down yesterday's long technical descent. I find it funny how some people persist with this myth that Contador is a great descender and that Froome is a poor descender. It's certainly not based on evidence of the past 3 Tours.

Nobody in the top GC has ridden a decent all out yet this tour..... Nibali himself said yesterday, he did not put the pressure on, on the Allos decent.

Also, you seem to forget I said "rain or cold" as a prerequisite for attacking Froome downhill..... or have you forgotten how he looked going downhill in the wet?

You ask me 'or have you forgotten how he looked going downhill in the wet?'
Please refer me to this descent you speak of. Did Froome lose significant time to Contador and the others? Where was it?

I have given THREE examples of where Contador has crashed, on his own, in the last 3 Tours while going downhill. I am just asking you to give me even ONE example of where he has taken a chunk of time out of Froome on either a wet or dry descent in a recent Grand Tour.
 
Jul 20, 2010
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cineteq said:
sunnyIce said:
Isn't it amazing, Contador has always either won the GT or finished outside the podium!!!
Valverde is angry at your post!

Why? I don't get it.
Doesn't it mean that Valverde's podium position is safe? He can sleep and wheelsuck in peace.
 
Jul 20, 2010
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I'm gonna guess that Sagan is going to line it up for AC on the descent from Col De La Morte and go on pass the sprint line and close to the bottom of Glandon, from where Rogers will take over all the way to the top (he will probably wait up for AC to catch up), and near the top Kreuziger will wait to line up for the big descent from Glandon. And then onwards and forwards to the finish, AC has to do it alone! :)
 
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buchanan said:
It's one thing to take risks and it works out. But too often of late Alberto's descending has let him down or caused him to crash. He may well have won last year's Tour had it not been for a lapse in concentration or whatever it was in the Vosges last year when he crashed at 80km/h. (For the record, Nibali said afterward that Contador was descending dangerously when he crashed). Remember in 2013 Froome said the same thing when AC attacked him coming off the Alpe du'Ez? Again Contador crashed and almost took Froome out. Then just yesterday he loses a couple of minutes after crashing downhill.

I just want to know why people (like Broccolidwarf) say that Contador will take time out of Froome on descents? I just want them to name even ONE descent in a Grand Tour where he has taken a chunk of time out of Froome? Just ONE. I have named 3 recent Tour descents where he has crashed all on his own, at a big cost to himself. Especially last year when he was in such good form.

Yet they come on here saying how Froome is going to lose time to Contador on the descents, lose time on the cobbles, etc. I think it's just a combination of wishful thinking and utter bollocks.

His rivals say he is one of the better descenders among the grand tour contenders and that is good enough for me. If you listened to interviews this is a common refrain.
 
Mar 11, 2013
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Angliru said:
buchanan said:
It's one thing to take risks and it works out. But too often of late Alberto's descending has let him down or caused him to crash. He may well have won last year's Tour had it not been for a lapse in concentration or whatever it was in the Vosges last year when he crashed at 80km/h. (For the record, Nibali said afterward that Contador was descending dangerously when he crashed). Remember in 2013 Froome said the same thing when AC attacked him coming off the Alpe du'Ez? Again Contador crashed and almost took Froome out. Then just yesterday he loses a couple of minutes after crashing downhill.

I just want to know why people (like Broccolidwarf) say that Contador will take time out of Froome on descents? I just want them to name even ONE descent in a Grand Tour where he has taken a chunk of time out of Froome? Just ONE. I have named 3 recent Tour descents where he has crashed all on his own, at a big cost to himself. Especially last year when he was in such good form.

Yet they come on here saying how Froome is going to lose time to Contador on the descents, lose time on the cobbles, etc. I think it's just a combination of wishful thinking and utter bollocks.

His rivals say he is one of the better descenders among the grand tour contenders and that is good enough for me. If you listened to interviews this is a common refrain.

I repeat my appeal here (yet again) for anybody to give an example in a Grand Tour where Contador has taken a chunk of time out of Froome. Nobody can give an example because it hasn't happened. This is the point. But people (like Broccolidwarf) are already talking about how Contador might take time out of Froome on wet descents in next year's Tour! Talk about grasping at straws.
 
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buchanan said:
I repeat my appeal here (yet again) for anybody to give an example in a Grand Tour where Contador has taken a chunk of time out of Froome. Nobody can give an example because it hasn't happened. This is the point. But people (like Broccolidwarf) are already talking about how Contador might take time out of Froome on wet descents in next year's Tour! Talk about grasping at straws.
Before the 2013 Tour Froome had never crushed Contador in a GT yet he did it anyway. :cool:
 
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LaFlorecita said:
"It was an attack when all of our legs hurt. It was more of an attack with the heart."
"If they´d told me that I was going to arrive in the leader group I wouldn't have believed it. 1 of the toughest days ever on the bike."

was this one of those 'I feel bad, might as well attack' attacks?
 
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Red Rick said:
LaFlorecita said:
"It was an attack when all of our legs hurt. It was more of an attack with the heart."
"If they´d told me that I was going to arrive in the leader group I wouldn't have believed it. 1 of the toughest days ever on the bike."

was this one of those 'I feel bad, might as well attack' attacks?
Probably, he hurt his leg quite badly and got anti-inflammatory pills and painkillers during the race.
 
Jul 19, 2010
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well at least, we see contador is really not going down without a fight. Majka said in his interview that they are still gunning to make the race hard. (and podium?) He, himself, is feeling good. And he said Alberto felt better (but that should be take as a grain of salt :D ). Moviestar looks like they are clearly happy with 2 and 3. But Valverde was shaky on the HC climb today. Froome didn't seem to look fresh today. Dunno maybe just me. Tomorrow is a really tough stage. I hope Contador finally can get away and stick. Today it almost worked since sky let him go and moviestar didn't chase (maybe because valverde is already on the limit?). Quintana is meh! I truly believe the only person who can challenge Froome is Contador. Unfortunately, we won't see it this TDF. :eek:
 
Jul 29, 2012
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I'd be so happy if he could win a stage tomorrow or on the alpe.

Many people write Contador off as a rider, they did it too in 2013. I can't wait for 2016, imo he still needs to win a tour to prove to everyone how good he really is. We can only speculate how good he was in the tour of 2014. He'll be 33 which is still easily possible to be at your best. Every body is different of course.
 
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Miburo said:
I'd be so happy if he could win a stage tomorrow or on the alpe.
Me too. It'll be difficult but not impossible. Froome and Quintana are the only ones who are likely stronger uphill and he will be given some leeway by them. I'm crossing my fingers.
Either way, he's shown his heart and courage already. What a fighter. Every time I think it isn't possible for me to admire him more, and then he surprises me yet again :)