Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Publicus]

Re: Re:

I don't think the profile (with the stair step) is the correct profile. At least it is not the one Contador posted on twitter

I think the stairstep one is simply a more detailed version, the one Alberto posted shows only the gradient per km

Ah makes sense now. Thanks LaFlo

 

[Iker_Baqueiro]

Re:

I'm a big Contador fan and I've always supported him in adversity (the Tour last year) but what I'm seeing unfortunately is a fading star....he simply isn't showing enough....or what we were used to in the past, don't get me wrong it grates on me to say this but it's time to face facts. He lost 4 secs today, ok not much but it's the principal of it, in the past he would never have allowed this to happen.

I hope to take all this back over the next few days but we will see

Dude, dont jump off the bridge or maybe do it. Lol!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Loses 4 seconds in a peloton split, he is aging and a fading star. M'kay.

Looks like everytime he loses time somewhere, it's a good reason to say he's done.

Even among his own fans...

The only time I thought he was declining was in 2013.

Other than that, If I'm disappointed about his performances I'd just think he is in bad form. But not compare with what he used to do 5 years ago and say he is done. Nope.

I was referring to after what happened on Alto de Foia, this thread was ridiculous and extremely fun at the same time.

 

[Taxus4a]

It is true that Mathews did very well in this climb in 2014 in Paris Nice, maybe I am a little wrong with the climb watching the video, but it wasnt the end of the stage, it is not the same.

 

[Carols]

So how come Majka finished 4" in front of Alberto? Isn't he supposed to be working for Berto in this race?

 

[Taxus4a]

So how come Majka finished 4" in front of Alberto? Isn't he supposed to be working for Berto in this race?

The split was between 2 Cannondale riders, an the rider behind didnt push to close the gap, becouse there wanst gap...about 10 meters, and 10 meters in one second is 36 km/h, and I think they must go faster in the peloton in an sprint..anyway, if there is a second there, people didnt realized really...

But of course it is quite significative to see Contador at the front sometimes alone, and to see at the end Majka forgeting Contador and getting time.

He is already 10 second better, he was better in the ITT and maybe he is no going to work.

 

[HelloDolly]

So how come Majka finished 4" in front of Alberto? Isn't he supposed to be working for Berto in this race?

The split was between 2 Cannondale riders, an the rider behind didnt push to close the gap, becouse there wanst gap...about 10 meters, and 10 meters in one second is 36 km/h, and I think they must go faster in the peloton in an sprint..anyway, if there is a second there, people didnt realized really...

But of course it is quite significative to see Contador at the front sometimes alone, and to see at the end Majka forgeting Contador and getting time.

He is already 10 second better, he was better in the ITT and maybe he is no going to work.

All I can say is I wouldn't trust that Majka as far as I would throw him... everytime he is riding for Contador in the last year it seems that his priority is himself

2014 Tour he whined about riding in support at the Tour
2015 He pulled his radio out when instructed to wait

Maybe he thinks he deserves leadership now ...

 

[Jspear]

So how come Majka finished 4" in front of Alberto? Isn't he supposed to be working for Berto in this race?

The split was between 2 Cannondale riders, an the rider behind didnt push to close the gap, becouse there wanst gap...about 10 meters, and 10 meters in one second is 36 km/h, and I think they must go faster in the peloton in an sprint..anyway, if there is a second there, people didnt realized really...

But of course it is quite significative to see Contador at the front sometimes alone, and to see at the end Majka forgeting Contador and getting time.

He is already 10 second better, he was better in the ITT and maybe he is no going to work.

All I can say is I wouldn't trust that Majka as far as I would throw him... everytime he is riding for Contador in the last year it seems that his priority is himself

2014 Tour he whined about riding in support at the Tour
2015 He pulled his radio out when instructed to wait

Maybe he thinks he deserves leadership now ...

He very well might think that, but if so, he is delusional. Of course he's a great rider (and should get leadership sometimes - which he does), but he happens to be on the same team as AC. He should expect to work for AC when they race together. Surely he understands that AC can hit a higher level of form....

 

[Scarponi]

Third in a Vuelta and he thinks he deserves leadership over Bertie?

Must be insane

 

[sucotash]

Of course Majka is not the best "helper" around, but for sure he is not the one to help AC in a sprint finish. There are some more riders in Tinkoff.

i think that Saxo wants to have two cards to play in the GC. Also it would be unfair to put a rider like Majka (better placed in the GC) only to a pure domestique role. It is not the Tour, where we all focus on AC, it is a one week race. And I'm not so sure that AC will be stronger here than Majka.

I doubt that Majka thinks that he deservs leadership over Contador. But ,he is right to think that beeing better in the TT and GC allows him to get his chance in this race.

 

[rhubroma]

Re:

Of course Majka is not the best "helper" around, but for sure he is not the one to help AC in a sprint finish. There are some more riders in Tinkoff.

i think that Saxo wants to have two cards to play in the GC. Also it would be unfair to put a rider like Majka (better placed in the GC) only to a pure domestique role. It is not the Tour, where we all focus on AC, it is a one week race. And I'm not so sure that AC will be stronger here than Majka.

I doubt that Majka thinks that he deservs leadership over Contador. But ,he is right to think that beeing better in the TT and GC allows him to get his chance in this race.

But in terms of the larger picture the short-term effects of having AC win is better for the team, both in light of the impending battle at Catalunya and the statement this makes in his buildup to the Tour.

 

[dacooley]

no reason to ring the bells thus far. rafa will obviously bury his chances to maximize bertie's crop on saturday. i'm expecting something like a 15-20 sec gap and gc win. if anyone's able to catch bertie that will be a huge surprise for me.

 

[Miburo]

Time to reclaim his throne in a french WT race, it's been a while

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

no reason to ring the bells thus far. rafa will obviously bury his chances to maximize bertie's crop on saturday. i'm expecting something like a 15-20 sec gap and gc win. if anyone's able to catch bertie that will be a huge surprise for me.

Yates made it very clear yesterday that they are here to win with Alberto and any result Majka can get is nice, but he has to help Alberto win. But with Majka you never know
Although, in defense of Majka in the "my radio did not work" incident, later that year in the Vuelta, a similar situation occured with Jesper Hansen pulling on the front of a diminished peloton to set Sagan up for the stage victory, not knowing Sagan had been brought down by a motorbike. The team DS later said this was also a "radio malfunction".

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Third in a Vuelta and he thinks he deserves leadership over Bertie?

Must be insane

Maybe becouse he did a better prologue and Bertie in the past won similar prologues in Paris nice. Maybe the team want to play both cards. There are some tactical stages here. But of coue Contador is much better rider than Majka and he must be the clear leader.

 

[Miburo]

What the hell did majka do wrong now?

Some of you are hilarious lol

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

What the hell did majka do wrong now?

Some of you are hilarious lol

What this guy said.

 

[Publicus]

So how come Majka finished 4" in front of Alberto? Isn't he supposed to be working for Berto in this race?

Without Benati in the race Contador constantly gets lost in these sprint finales. He was out of position on one of the turns and as a result got stuck when another rider left a gap. Not Majka's fault. Contador has been guilty of this throughout his illustrious career. All signs indicate that he's sitting on really decent form and I expect him to exploit it today.

 

[Carols]

So how come Majka finished 4" in front of Alberto? Isn't he supposed to be working for Berto in this race?

Without Benati in the race Contador constantly gets lost in these sprint finales. He was out of position on one of the turns and as a result got stuck when another rider left a gap. Not Majka's fault. Contador has been guilty of this throughout his illustrious career. All signs indicate that he's sitting on really decent form and I expect him to exploit it today.

I guess we'll find out today how willing Majak is to put his body on the line for Alberto .

 

[LaFlorecita]

This weather can't be good for Alberto the most important thing is that he doesn't get ill

 

[Carols]

Re:

This weather can't be good for Alberto the most important thing is that he doesn't get ill

Or have an accident . Anyway it's now neutralized, to be seen if it resumes later. I doubt he will take any chances if they go again. So basically this race has most likely been lost due to weather

 

[LaFlorecita]

Stage cancelled

 

[blackmamba]

You still sure Contador and co wont drop Matthews? rofl

 

[Alexandre B.]

Riders will go nuclear this weekend now.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

You still sure Contador and co wont drop Matthews? rofl

Well, nothing happened to prove me wrong. By the way, I never claimed he cannot be dropped, I claimed he had a decent chance of holding on to the lead, and obviously that chance has gotten even better now.