Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Taxus4a]

Re:

That didn't look good at all. He seemed to follow Dan Martin quite easily and even followed Froome quite happily and then all of a sudden it was lights out. I am curious to know what explanation he will give, if any. I hope he will recover because another Tour de France Sky-borefest is more than I van take.

Contador isan explosive rider, he ha a very striong attack, not suprise he can follow a an martin attack, and even later a no so explosive but more quality Froome attack... no so many people can do that, but for Contador the difficult is to follow the pace later.

 

[BlurryVII]

Re: Re:

Ugh, that was.. surprising?

Froome was stronger today. Same pattern tomorrow.

2007. 6th in Dauphine,1st in Tour.
2009. 3rd in Dauphine(beaten by Valverde and Evans),1st in Tour.
2010. 2nd in Dauphine(beaten by Brajkovic),1st in Tour.
He will be fine in July.But yeah,expect him to get dropped tomorrow as well.

I'd like to believe in that but I strongly doubt he's able to significantly improve his form between Dauphiné and Tour like he used to do at Astana and Discovery.

The way I see it, the problem is deeper this year. He's just not good anymore on proper long mountain stages with a MTF. Which is really annoying because you can see in uphill TT, he is ultimately the best climber on raw pace but it just seems like he has no base whatsoever.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Ugh, that was.. surprising?

Froome was stronger today. Same pattern tomorrow.

2007. 6th in Dauphine,1st in Tour.
2009. 3rd in Dauphine(beaten by Valverde and Evans),1st in Tour.
2010. 2nd in Dauphine(beaten by Brajkovic),1st in Tour.
He will be fine in July.But yeah,expect him to get dropped tomorrow as well.

I'd like to believe in that but I strongly doubt he's able to significantly improve his form between Dauphiné and Tour like he used to do at Astana and Discovery.

The way I see it, the problem is deeper this year. He's just not good anymore on proper long mountain stages with a MTF. Which is really annoying because you can see in uphill TT, he is ultimately be the best climber on raw pace but it just seems like he has no base whatsoever.

He will improve his shape a lot.. the problem is that Froome will do as well, and Porte...The riders at his top here are Dan Martin, Rolland,...as Braijkovic was.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re: Re:

[quote="
Yeah keep repeating that Quintana won't win, it's the best thing you bertie-fanboys can hope for in July since your boy has as much of a chance as England winning the Euros. Oh i can smell the fear

I started a NQ vs CF vs AC thread a while back, which is a better place for this conversation. And luckily the English have more chance than the Dutch of winning the Euros

I can't find it

 

[Electress]

Re:

Depressed

Yeah, me too. But not unexpected in some ways.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Can Alberto win Talansky style? Probably not but I need a reason to watch the last two stages

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Depressed

Yeah, me too. But not unexpected in some ways.

I think many of us felt this was coming, deep down, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating or depressing.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Can Alberto win Talansky style? Probably not but I need a reason to watch the last two stages

Tomorrow on the madeleine! No worries fleur. We forget this in a few weeks and then our hopes will get crushed again on the arcalis.

Life isn't supposed to be easy

 

[portugal11]

This taxus is so annoying... when contador shows weakness, he is always in this thread... and he is always saying $hit

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Ugh, that was.. surprising?

Froome was stronger today. Same pattern tomorrow.

2007. 6th in Dauphine,1st in Tour.
2009. 3rd in Dauphine(beaten by Valverde and Evans),1st in Tour.
2010. 2nd in Dauphine(beaten by Brajkovic),1st in Tour.
He will be fine in July.But yeah,expect him to get dropped tomorrow as well.

I'd like to believe in that but I strongly doubt he's able to significantly improve his form between Dauphiné and Tour like he used to do at Astana and Discovery.

The way I see it, the problem is deeper this year. He's just not good anymore on proper long mountain stages with a MTF. Which is really annoying because you can see in uphill TT, he is ultimately the best climber on raw pace but it just seems like he has no base whatsoever.

I agree. Obviously better than 2013, better than 2015, but he has to improve drastically in order to reach that 2014-shape. Which, let me remind, he has only achieved one after the suspension.

On the bolded: He was disappointing in P-N and Catalunya (on the long climbs), but this climb was similar to Arrate and I would argue that the Vasco stage where he trashed Quintana was much harder than today. He should've done much better since this isn't even a proper mountain stage with a MTF and these climbs are his forte relatively to the Froome, Porte and Quintana.

I guess tomorrow and the day after will tell us a lot.

 

[Matteo.]

Re:

This taxus is so annoying... when contador shows weakness, he is always in this thread... and he is always saying $hit

True, i prefer when hetalk about Landa
anyway, we'll see tomorrow and sunday. I don't reject entirely the idea that he can recover a bit of his ''honor'' but it's unlikely
i hope a along range attack on Col du Noyer sunday

 

[Carols]

Re:

Can Alberto win Talansky style? Probably not but I need a reason to watch the last two stages

Me too...watching an alien processional will turn my stomach. But we should know by now it's never over until it is over!!!!!

But I must admit he looked tired and old Hopefully good recovery tonight!!!

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Depressed

Yeah, me too. But not unexpected in some ways.

I think many of us felt this was coming, deep down, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating or depressing.

Maybe this is why he's seemed so relaxed and has been talking down it's importance? Does kind of take the sparkle out of the sport for me.

Me too...watching an alien processional will turn my stomach. But we should know by now it's never over until it is over!!!!!

I've been watching cycling since I was eight, and I've been having that same feeling I had during the LA years of losing interest. That's the problem when you don't engage with the dominant team or rider at all. Heigh ho.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Depressed

Yeah, me too. But not unexpected in some ways.

I think many of us felt this was coming, deep down, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating or depressing.

Maybe this is why he's seemed so relaxed and has been talking down it's importance? Does kind of take the sparkle out of the sport for me.

You mean because he himself also felt he would get dropped? Maybe

He made a big mistake before today's stage, during the week he kept saying he didn't desperately want to keep the lead, then today he said his goal was to keep the jersey and Froome said it was his goal to take the jersey, which means it's even more of a victory for Froome

 

[BlurryVII]

His statements after stage, he said that he kept repeating before and during the race that he knew he lacked velocity to be able to follow Froome and Richie, which he expects to gain here in the Dauphiné (we're 5 stages in lol) and after with Moto paced trainings.

Perhaps, he wasn't sandbagging for once and was telling the truth. I still won't expect anything anymore, try to thoroughly interpret any of his movements in race or physical appearance. No more stupid hype, he can look like a skeleton at the Tour, won't believe anything until I see it on the first MTF.

No point in this Dauphiné anymore, tomorrow and sunday are going to be a repeat session.

 

[portugal11]

It's a signal that things are going bad when he doesn't talk about his sensations

 

[Red Rick]

Before the Dauphine he said that he'd change his training afterward depending on how the Dauphine went. Also, the same thing might have happened on Col de Beal if that had been steeper. Today he lost 10s in about as much time and then went on to lose another 11 on the remainder of the climb

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Depressed

Yeah, me too. But not unexpected in some ways.

I think many of us felt this was coming, deep down, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating or depressing.

Maybe this is why he's seemed so relaxed and has been talking down it's importance? Does kind of take the sparkle out of the sport for me.

You mean because he himself also felt he would get dropped? Maybe

He made a big mistake before today's stage, during the week he kept saying he didn't desperately want to keep the lead, then today he said his goal was to keep the jersey and Froome said it was his goal to take the jersey, which means it's even more of a victory for Froome

Out of respect for the race, I don't think he could say much otherwise. But I think the mood music has been indicating that he knew he lacked something, tbf.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, he was surprised about winning the prologue, so maybe that was genuine. Let's stick with him being better than Nibali in 2014

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Can Alberto win Talansky style? Probably not but I need a reason to watch the last two stages

He will try for sure, epic breaks worked quite well in the last years of the dauphine. That doesnt make his shape better though

 

[buchanan]

If he puts his performance down to lacking racing velocity, that's a bit surprising. To me this finishing climb was more about strength - and quite well suited to him, with its 10-12% pitches. Previously an in-form Contador was in his element on such a climb.

And why do Porte and Froome have the necessary velocity? It's not as if they have been doing much recent racing.

 

[Miburo]

You gotta have faith, it's no fun to be rational. You have to experience every emotion in life, only then we can really appreciate happyness

Tomorrow he's gonna crush it

 

[BlurryVII]

Re: Re:

Can Alberto win Talansky style? Probably not but I need a reason to watch the last two stages

He will try for sure, epic breaks worked quite well in the last years of the dauphine. That doesnt make his shape better though

Oh c'mon, not that again

Even if it sticks and he wins the Dauphiné with some luck, it'll be just as equally bad as if he doesn't just because of what happened today.
Making the difference head to head is what counts at the Tour, nothing else.

 

[filipepc]

Cycling is a sport that in a second you can win or loose a race.

I want to see tomorrow stage, to understand a little better if he can do it until the Tour or no.
If he loose a lot tomorrow again, he has to change all his tactics in the Tour. I´m a Contador biggg fan, but i, and all have to be realistic. If he can´t do it, we have to acept. But i always say to everyone that talk with me about cycling... Contador is Contador, he can do what others can´t in grand tours.

My doubt, is if he can reach a suprem level like Froome as in the high mountains. If he can´t, he must be inteligent and change his tactics, that are simple: Go with Froome, resist to his attcks, and then try to kick him in the end, almost like he did in the Vuelta 2014. But if Fromme is at his top level, and that level is really impressive, Contador must attack early, change the race, break the race in the beginning, and then, with more experience try to isolate Froome and maybe he can do something diferente... Because this is the type of race that sky do and love... One guy acelerate in the begining of the mountain and then that change of rythym of Froome do the rest. Impressive without a doubt.

I´m not frustrating, i like to see the things as they are... Sometimes you aren´t the better in a race, but you can win it, if you are clever and do the right strategic...

A big hug to Contador, he his a fighter, and he must continue fighting for his dreams.
And Chapeau to Froome, huge rider, huge. Love to see them fighting against each other. Isn´t this sport? Isn´t this we should all want? The best fighting with all for the victory? I think so.

Let´s see tomorrow.

Justo more one reference to Porte, to me the best domestic i ever seen. He is fantastic, huge, and he just forgive me to not take him serious as a Tour Contender, but i love him so much as a domestic that i prefer him as that...

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Re: Re:

Can Alberto win Talansky style? Probably not but I need a reason to watch the last two stages

He will try for sure, epic breaks worked quite well in the last years of the dauphine. That doesnt make his shape better though

Contador is probably the only rider in the last 20 years who'd never be let away in a break, no matter how crap his form is and no matter how many minutes he's down.