Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Carols]

Re:

Deleted several posts that were all about Froome, if you want to talk about Froome he has a thread.

This is for talk about Contador.

Thanks...yipee I missed them entirely

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

Well, I hope that Trek is not a stupid team and that they understand that the only way how to win the Tour is to build up a strong team.

No, as far as I know Trek think that the right way to win anything is to make team as weak as possible.

 

[Jakub]

Re: Re:

Well, I hope that Trek is not a stupid team and that they understand that the only way how to win the Tour is to build up a strong team.

No, as far as I know Trek think that the right way to win anything is to make team as weak as possible.

Damn, there's no change to Tinkoff then!

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Well, I hope that Trek is not a stupid team and that they understand that the only way how to win the Tour is to build up a strong team.

No, as far as I know Trek think that the right way to win anything is to make team as weak as possible.

Damn, there's no change to Tinkoff then!

Do you really think Tinkoff ws/is very week team?

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

With the possible signing of Pantano, Trek seems very dedicated to upgrading their talent around Contador. Pantano can hold his own against any of the Sky train.

It looks like they are building, but a TdF leader battle is brewing: who will lead the team at the TdF next year if BM finishes on the box? AC/BM two prong attack?

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

Well, I hope that Trek is not a stupid team and that they understand that the only way how to win the Tour is to build up a strong team.

No, as far as I know Trek think that the right way to win anything is to make team as weak as possible.

Damn, there's no change to Tinkoff then!

Do you really think Tinkoff ws/is very week team?

Compared to sky, moviestar, or astana yes Tinkov is weak.

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Well, I hope that Trek is not a stupid team and that they understand that the only way how to win the Tour is to build up a strong team.

No, as far as I know Trek think that the right way to win anything is to make team as weak as possible.

Damn, there's no change to Tinkoff then!

Do you really think Tinkoff ws/is very week team?

Compared to sky, moviestar, or astana yes Tinkov is weak.

Can you read the question and context again? Because obviuosly you didn't. Do you really think that Tinkoff is team as week as possible, very week team?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Enric Mas will ride for Etixx in 2017, how exciting he rode for the Contador Foundation junior and U23 teams from 2013 to 2015, what a huge success for the project

 

[portugal11]

Re:

Enric Mas will ride for Etixx in 2017, how exciting he rode for the Contador Foundation junior and U23 teams from 2013 to 2015, what a huge success for the project

Yes!!! I don't know about his qualities but he was the only one to train with tinkoff

 

[LeSensei]

Re: Re:

Enric Mas will ride for Etixx in 2017, how exciting he rode for the Contador Foundation junior and U23 teams from 2013 to 2015, what a huge success for the project

Yes!!! I don't know about his qualities but he was the only one to train with tinkoff

He is a great climber. Fran (Alberto's brother) says he is very talented and that he sees a potential "Alberto" in him for the Grand Tours, so we will be following him closely

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

Enric Mas will ride for Etixx in 2017, how exciting he rode for the Contador Foundation junior and U23 teams from 2013 to 2015, what a huge success for the project

Yes!!! I don't know about his qualities but he was the only one to train with tinkoff

He is a great climber. Fran (Alberto's brother) says he is very talented and that he sees a potential "Alberto" in him for the Grand Tours, so we will be following him closely

Ettix is great in develop young talents. I would love to see him in volta a portugal next year. This race needs wt teams

 

[Netserk]

So how do we think he'll do in the Vuelta (form-wise, not results) compared to 2014? I think he'll do (a bit) worse. His general level over the whole year has been great, but not 2014 great. Though his injury may be better this time, I don't think racing for a week while injured helped. The good news is of course that the opposition will be a lot easier. Froome will have a whole Tour in his legs, Nairo likewise, no Valverde (nor Nibali, but that was also the case in 14). The route is pathetic though, so Chaves could be really dangerous. I don't see anyone other than the four mentioned challenge for the win (sorry Purito and Kruijswijk).

So to sum it up, will he go faster than on Farrapona and Ancares or not?

 

[Red Rick]

I don't know. You summed it up pretty neatly. Unfortunately we don't have any indication of how he was on the eve of the Tour start, while in 2014 he dropped everyone in Gerardmer. I don't think his level was far off 2014 in the Dauphine. That Dauphine had weak competition, apart from Froome, nd I think that if Col du Beal had been steeper, he'd been dropped as well. The rest of the competition was also better and closer in 2016. I think the major difference compared to 2014 is the kind of injury he has. Bone injury is obviously more nasty, but if it's a lot clearer if you're back to riding at the right moment. Also, due to the crash, he probably went out the Tour at a lower form than in 2014.

Otoh, I think the being able to ride the Vuelta a Burgos is a major advantage though.

Don't think he'll go faster than Farrapona or Ancares, do think he'll go faster than Covadonga

 

[Miburo]

We know he's gonna win the vuelta, the question is just by how much?

That's what i think Netserk means, Contador will take at least 2 min on chavez in the ITT, he ain't no threat

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Enric Mas will ride for Etixx in 2017, how exciting he rode for the Contador Foundation junior and U23 teams from 2013 to 2015, what a huge success for the project

Yes!!! I don't know about his qualities but he was the only one to train with tinkoff

He is a great climber. Fran (Alberto's brother) says he is very talented and that he sees a potential "Alberto" in him for the Grand Tours, so we will be following him closely

isn't that Etixx like the morque for climber? Don't get me wrong. Martin was great so far in the Tour. But he didn't do any specific training like any other GT contender team which makes me thing, dunno if Ettix has robust program to build a stage racing guy. B/c the help in the mountain is so thin. Unless he is there to be domestique of AlanPhillipe instead of grooming him to be a stage racing guy.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Deleted several posts that were all about Froome, if you want to talk about Froome he has a thread.

This is for talk about Contador.

Why did you delete me post saying Contador is gonna crush Froome in the vuelta.

The thread can't be 100% about contador without sometimes mentioning another rider, that's just silly.

If that's the case then apologies, there were lots of posts just talking about Froome/Sky without any reference to Contador, I might have deleted yours by mistake.

and yes your right, a fresher Contador should beat a Froome who's done the Tour and Olympics, if he didn't then there's no hope for him next year.

Does that mean now, the pressure is on Contador to win it? Froome/Quintana has Tour leg. So it's natural if they are a bit sucked. But Contador? he got no excuse other than to win it. He is the most fresh out of the three. Whatever shape Froome/Quintana shows up, he'd better beat them. The role is reverse now. Last year Contador came out of Giro while both of them were fresher and Froome won convincingly. I remembered Oleg complaining about not a fair start between the 3. Well, now, Contador got an upper hand. So better bring it El pistolero!

 

[Jakub]

Re: Re:

Deleted several posts that were all about Froome, if you want to talk about Froome he has a thread.

This is for talk about Contador.

Why did you delete me post saying Contador is gonna crush Froome in the vuelta.

The thread can't be 100% about contador without sometimes mentioning another rider, that's just silly.

If that's the case then apologies, there were lots of posts just talking about Froome/Sky without any reference to Contador, I might have deleted yours by mistake.

and yes your right, a fresher Contador should beat a Froome who's done the Tour and Olympics, if he didn't then there's no hope for him next year.

Does that mean now, the pressure is on Contador to win it? Froome/Quintana has Tour leg. So it's natural if they are a bit sucked. But Contador? he got no excuse other than to win it. He is the most fresh out of the three. Whatever shape Froome/Quintana shows up, he'd better beat them. The role is reverse now. Last year Contador came out of Giro while both of them were fresher and Froome won convincingly. I remembered Oleg complaining about not a fair start between the 3. Well, now, Contador got an upper hand. So better bring it El pistolero!

I hope it will be like that. On the other hand Bertie has ridden 9 stages of TdF and was/is injured.

 

[damian13ster]

He is already training. The muscles were not torn, nothing got broken (otherwise the break would be over half a year for torn muscle). It was a small partial tears. Painful, not allowing to use full power, but quick to heal (as evident by training and by wording of the articles saying that muscle fibers are torn)

 

[Miburo]

He is already training. The muscles were not torn, nothing got broken (otherwise the break would be over half a year for torn muscle). It was a small partial tears. Painful, not allowing to use full power, but quick to heal (as evident by training and by wording of the articles saying that muscle fibers are torn)

Don't worry mate, he's gonna win the vuelta. Just wait for next year for something to hate on.

You're wasting your time for the next months

 

[Publicus]

Re: Re:

With the possible signing of Pantano, Trek seems very dedicated to upgrading their talent around Contador. Pantano can hold his own against any of the Sky train.

It looks like they are building, but a TdF leader battle is brewing: who will lead the team at the TdF next year if BM finishes on the box? AC/BM two prong attack?

lol. I suspect the one who has actually won at least one a GT will lead the team.

 

[peloton]

Re:

Enric Mas will ride for Etixx in 2017, how exciting he rode for the Contador Foundation junior and U23 teams from 2013 to 2015, what a huge success for the project

This is excellent news, he is one to look for in the future! Very talented rider

 

[peloton]

@Miburo please stop jinxing him

 

[damian13ster]

He is already training. The muscles were not torn, nothing got broken (otherwise the break would be over half a year for torn muscle). It was a small partial tears. Painful, not allowing to use full power, but quick to heal (as evident by training and by wording of the articles saying that muscle fibers are torn)

Don't worry mate, he's gonna win the vuelta. Just wait for next year for something to hate on.

You're wasting your time for the next months

I agree that he is by far the biggest favorite. He is still good enough to win consolation races, especially with rivals targeting Olympics on the other side of the world as well as having ridden full GT prior to Vuelta. Never said otherwise

 

[ninjadriver]

Re:

We know he's gonna win the vuelta, the question is just by how much?

That's what i think Netserk means, Contador will take at least 2 min on chavez in the ITT, he ain't no threat

Contador took 2:47 from Aru and 4 minutes on Landa at last year's Giro, and both ultimately were HUGE threats. 2 minutes on Chaves may not be enough, depending on how Contador is climbing; on Alberto's side, Chaves' Orica won't have nearly the same firepower as did Astana in the 2015 Giro.

Also, in the 2015 Giro, Contador took less than a minute from Kruijswijk, who largely was able to climb with Alberto in the mountains, and arguably is even stronger now a couple of years removed from his femoral artery surgery.

I don't think Contador winning the Vuelta is a foregone conclusion.

 

[Miburo]

Contador is way better now than in 2015 aswell. And the vuelta doesn't suit Kruijswijk, besides the guy is prob not over what happened in the giro. I don't think he'll be a factor.

Not many guys can have the same level in the giro as they had in the vuelta.

In recent memory only purito comes to mind. Nibali in '13 was considerably weaker. Even Contador in '08 wasn't that great in the vuelta. Aru's level was pretty damn good though last year but it doesn't happen so often which is my point