Valv.Piti said:
Broccolidwarf said:
Sorry to say it, but I don't think Tinkoff believes in Contador this year.
The reason I say that is, that the team is unbalanced, with a climber too little, for how the route is..... especially when looking at what a frighteningly strong mountain teams, Sky and Astana are putting in..... Even BMC has a better team for the mountains than Tinkoff.... and I haven't even mentioned Movistar.
I think it spells trouble - lack of conviction in the captain..... and I think Gatto made the team, because Tinkoff needs Sagan to "save" the tour for them, if Contador does not find form.
- and let me stress, I am saying this, while being a Contador fan.
Its not an unreasonable assessment, but I think Tinkoff realise that Sagan by far is the best rider in the world and therefore deserves 1-2 domestiques - especially after the horror that was the 2015 Tour.
I don´t see that way... Tinkoff is not sky or astana and never was!!! Maybe it should be, but it isn´t.
Let see the last 3 year ok...
2013 - Contador , kreuziguer, hernandez, roche, rogers, benatti, tossato, paulinho, benjamim
2014- Contador, majka, roche, rogers, jesus hernandez, paulino, tossato, morkov, bennati
2015 - Contador, Majka, kreuziguer, rogers, Basso, valgreen, sagan, bennati, tossato,
Normally, 3 climbers, not more... At least with good quality, not more than 3. And honestly i don´t think the problem is the number of the climbers, the problem, is that climbers can´t suport Contador like i see the sky train doing for the last 5 years... To me the problem is this...
3 or 4 good climbers are enough to help a leader, but if they can´t follow the attacks and the leader until the last km´s as almost always we see... Then... Contador has another problem.
Majka and kreuziguer have obligation to hang on until the las km´s. Kiserslovsky can do the beginning of the climbs. The firs two are guys that have top 10, and top 5 results in grand tours, so no excuses.
Sagan can guide him in the uphill´s finish... ( but maybe he wants to win, and that is the problem).
So, to me the problem is the commitment that they have to Contador,and that is the big diference to another teams with leader that want to win...
The only surprise, beacuse this year Rogers isn´t there and he is a huge rider, i thought Paulinho must have gone, beacuse he is a good roller and great descent, and Contador maybe could use him.
But, let´s see. If he is ok, the problem is not the mountais, but get there without loosing time.