Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[KyoGrey]

Contador going to Movistar is as if Isiah Thomas moved to the Bulls.

It seems too unlikely to be true. Money-wise is impossible with current Movistar budget (although it's true that a significant rise may be announced tomorrow for 2017-2019).

Etixx would be his best option, but considering how Contador has always managed to end in some type of dodgy multimillionaire Eastern team, he'll end in Katusha (which is not a bad option) or Astaná, (puajjj!)

 

[HelloDolly]

I suppose all you Contador fans will be subscribing to be a friend of the

http://thecyclingpodcast.com/

They have a friends special on Contador with contributions from family , riders, trainers , etc

Coming out in the next week or so

 

[sacrifice&hardwork]

Re:

This thread should start to go into hibernation soon considering it's finally over with Tinkoff unless they force him to ride Lombardia like they did with the Vuelta.

Alberto confirmed on an interview he'll be riding Lombardia because Tinkoff wants to earn points for the UCI team world tour. LaFlorecita, Alberto's main objectives of the season were always Tour and Olympics. Vuelta was an option because as I've been saying in the past Tinkoff wants to win the team classification which is the main reason he had to ride it.

 

[cellardoor]

Didn't someone mention a few pages back that Contador was spotted training with the bikes that Astana will be riding next year?

A few other things that indicate Astana:

1) Strange delay with the Trek announcment and his saying it will be a surprise.
2) Aru looks up to him and having him as a mentor makes a lot of sense.
3) Nibali leaving frees up the required budget.
4) Aru's disappointing performance in the Tour indicates he needs a couple of years before he'll be ready to challenge for the win. He'll probably also want to ride the Giro with it being the 100th edition. Contador on the other hand has indicated he wants to ride the Tour. Aso, Aru's usually low-profile spring is compatible with Contador liking to be competitive in the spring.
5) Although Contador has had issues with Vino in the past a lot of water has gone under the bridge. The fact that Astana held back Landa could be seen as a favour to Contador even if it wasn't deliberately meant to be.

 

[webvan]

All good points, and he would get better support than he's ever had at Tinkoff.

 

[bambino]

Re:

All good points, and he would get better support than he's ever had at Tinkoff.

Very true. Is there any indications that Nibali would take some of his trusted doms (Scarponi, Tangert etc.) with him to Bahrain?

 

[wheresmybrakes]

First time poster so be nice to me please! I believe there are only 3 teams who could provide him with a team good enough for him to win the tour, but 2 of them already have there number one riders for the tour so imo it only leaves one other......Astana!

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Didn't someone mention a few pages back that Contador was spotted training with the bikes that Astana will be riding next year?

A few other things that indicate Astana:

1) Strange delay with the Trek announcment and his saying it will be a surprise.
2) Aru looks up to him and having him as a mentor makes a lot of sense.
3) Nibali leaving frees up the required budget.
4) Aru's disappointing performance in the Tour indicates he needs a couple of years before he'll be ready to challenge for the win. He'll probably also want to ride the Giro with it being the 100th edition. Contador on the other hand has indicated he wants to ride the Tour. Aso, Aru's usually low-profile spring is compatible with Contador liking to be competitive in the spring.
5) Although Contador has had issues with Vino in the past a lot of water has gone under the bridge. The fact that Astana held back Landa could be seen as a favour to Contador even if it wasn't deliberately meant to be.

To the bolded, Nibali leaving wouldn't free up the required budget to sign Contador as Astana are having a budget cut next season so if they were to sign Contador he would have to take a pay cut or someone else would need to cover a big part of his wage bill.

 

[Lexman]

Re:

First time poster so be nice to me please! I believe there are only 3 teams who could provide him with a team good enough for him to win the tour, but 2 of them already have there number one riders for the tour so imo it only leaves one other......Astana!

And Aru and Miguel Angel Lopez (who is indeed a bit too young but will have his chances in Giro or Vuelta?)

Or if Aru goes to Giro, MAL to Vuelta then that leaves indeed a spot or Alberto for the TdF

 

[Lexman]

Re:

Contador going to Movistar is as if Isiah Thomas moved to the Bulls.

It seems too unlikely to be true. Money-wise is impossible with current Movistar budget (although it's true that a significant rise may be announced tomorrow for 2017-2019).

Etixx would be his best option, but considering how Contador has always managed to end in some type of dodgy multimillionaire Eastern team, he'll end in Katusha (which is not a bad option) or Astaná, (puajjj!)

at Etixx he won't have the support of good domestiques, which he could have at Katusha and certainly at Astana.

And of course Etixx / Patrick only can offer a contract for one year...

I liked Alberto in that Astana blue...

 

[buchanan]

Lol, why don't you guys just wait for him to sign for his new team. There is page after page of endless speculation with about 125 different teams mentioned.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Lol, why don't you guys just wait for him to sign for his new team. There is page after page of endless speculationwith about 125 different teams mentioned.

Isn't that what rider threads are basically about?

 

[dacooley]

Re:

Lol, why don't you guys just wait for him to sign for his new team. There is page after page of endless speculation with about 125 different teams mentioned.

everyone is willing to make out a bright future for Bertie and for sure for himself as a cycling fan.

 

[Jolene]

Re: Re:

All good points, and he would get better support than he's ever had at Tinkoff.

Very true. Is there any indications that Nibali would take some of his trusted doms (Scarponi, Tangert etc.) with him to Bahrain?

Scarponi has re-signed to Astana

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Didn't someone mention a few pages back that Contador was spotted training with the bikes that Astana will be riding next year?

A few other things that indicate Astana:

1) Strange delay with the Trek announcment and his saying it will be a surprise.
2) Aru looks up to him and having him as a mentor makes a lot of sense.
3) Nibali leaving frees up the required budget.
4) Aru's disappointing performance in the Tour indicates he needs a couple of years before he'll be ready to challenge for the win. He'll probably also want to ride the Giro with it being the 100th edition. Contador on the other hand has indicated he wants to ride the Tour. Aso, Aru's usually low-profile spring is compatible with Contador liking to be competitive in the spring.
5) Although Contador has had issues with Vino in the past a lot of water has gone under the bridge. The fact that Astana held back Landa could be seen as a favour to Contador even if it wasn't deliberately meant to be.

I agree. Also, Luisle and Scarponi are good friends and many other riders he knows well (Grivko, Gatto, Valgren, Hansen, Tiralongo, Zeits, Aru). I think it could work, Aru definitely wouldn't mind going to the Giro and they don't have a sprinter, which leaves the Tour for Alberto.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I suppose all you Contador fans will be subscribing to be a friend of the

http://thecyclingpodcast.com/

They have a friends special on Contador with contributions from family , riders, trainers , etc

Coming out in the next week or so

I'll have to find out more information before I spend those 10 pounds. Might wait till it comes out because on the site I can only find a description of the episodes that have already been released.

 

[HelloDolly]

I think its Astana ...especially with Aru riding the Giro

I also think it will be just for one year

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

I suppose all you Contador fans will be subscribing to be a friend of the

http://thecyclingpodcast.com/

They have a friends special on Contador with contributions from family , riders, trainers , etc

Coming out in the next week or so

I'll have to find out more information before I spend those 10 pounds. Might wait till it comes out because on the site I can only find a description of the episodes that have already been released.

I am already a friend ...I will let you know when it comes out and what it contains

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

This thread should start to go into hibernation soon considering it's finally over with Tinkoff unless they force him to ride Lombardia like they did with the Vuelta.

Alberto confirmed on an interview he'll be riding Lombardia because Tinkoff wants to earn points for the UCI team world tour. LaFlorecita, Alberto's main objectives of the season were always Tour and Olympics. Vuelta was an option because as I've been saying in the past Tinkoff wants to win the team classification which is the main reason he had to ride it.

Sagan will have to ride a great Eneco Tour, as it stands they are 134 points behind Movistar who aren't likely to score there but are likely to score in Lombardia. Majka and Kreuziger are surely their best bets to secure the classification in Lombardia - I don't see Alberto doing any better than a low top-15 in this shape & after such a long season.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

I am already a friend ...I will let you know when it comes out and what it contains

Thanks

 

[buchanan]

Re: Re:

Lol, why don't you guys just wait for him to sign for his new team. There is page after page of endless speculationwith about 125 different teams mentioned.

Isn't that what rider threads are basically about?

Page after page after page after page....of speculation about his next team gets kinda boring.
BREAKING NEWS: Alberto may or may not sign for Trek or Lampre or Astana or Dimension Data or Team Bahrain. Lets all speculate and discuss for the next 10 pages.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

I just deleted a bunch of personal and off topic stuff about 2 pages back. I would very much enjoy if y'all pretended you were here to discuss cycling rather than each other.

Discussing other posters here is fun though, it's pretty much a theraphy session in this thread. You can't deny us that in these hard times

Therapy session....just what I need!

Sorry I missed it

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

First time poster so be nice to me please! I believe there are only 3 teams who could provide him with a team good enough for him to win the tour, but 2 of them already have there number one riders for the tour so imo it only leaves one other......Astana!

Good point. Makes sense to me.

So Contador should choose the Vino option

 

[Ramon Koran]

He should go to sky as a superdom and help froome achieve the tour vuelta double, Alberto would then be part of cycling history!

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Re: Re:

First time poster so be nice to me please! I believe there are only 3 teams who could provide him with a team good enough for him to win the tour, but 2 of them already have there number one riders for the tour so imo it only leaves one other......Astana!

Good point. Makes sense to me.

So Contador should choose the Vino option

Nothing wrong with vino! blanco man myself otherwise cider!

He needs people in the mountains, he can't be left to fend for himself or follow other teams trains once they get to the bottom of hills/mountains. People are critical of sky and their bots but can you imagine what AC could have won with a decent team around him. Its been the same story for a while now.