Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Jspear]

Re:

What do we say to the god of half measures? Not today

Contador gonna Contador, Contador gonna go boom.

I'm cautiously optimistic

This.

I watched the last 5 K. I'm really liking Felline. When AC attacked his pedaling cadence seemed a tad harder than what he usually does. Perhaps it's a training thing?... Still happy with how his first race is going. Will be interesting to see how he TT's. It's definitely gonna suit Izaguirre over AC.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Its hard not to enjoy someone going berserk on each of his first two race days. If nothing else, he's certainly getting some good training km in here.

 

[bob.a.feet]

This thread is as calm as it's ever been during a race with Alberto.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

This thread is as calm as it's ever been during a race with Alberto.

We need Milburo around!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

This thread is as calm as it's ever been during a race with Alberto.

We need Milburo around!

Let's enjoy the relative peace and quiet.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

This thread is as calm as it's ever been during a race with Alberto.

We need Milburo around!

Let's enjoy the relative peace and quiet.

Indeed. Reasoned and calm discussion is always welcome

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

This thread is as calm as it's ever been during a race with Alberto.

We need Milburo around!

Let's enjoy the relative peace and quiet.

Fine [sigh]

I think some of "relative peace and quiet" comes from AC fans coming to terms with the fact that he will soon past as a top rider. 2014 kinda reignited the AC passions...renewed debates about what he was capable of ect. For me personally - now I'm happy/elated when he wins, but not so disappointed when he loses.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

It was a moderately difficult stage ending with a 6k climb. Too early to say whether Felline can be this useful in a genuine GT mountain stage.

He doesn't have to do it in a genuine mountain stage; although I'm sure he probably could on targeted efforts. If he can launch a springboard like today towards even the end of a medium difficulty stage finishing uphill - there is still the potential to gain significant time.

And there are plenty of medium stages finishing with a tough climb or descent in the Tour this year: Planches de Belles Filles, Mont du Chat, Foix, Izoard... You'd expect him to be in the main group on the final climb on all of those.

Seems a tad optimistic for a rider who previously could just about make top-20 in selected stages in week 3 by De Greefing his way up.

But maybe he will indeed suddenly magically get better at 27. It has happened before.

Did you see last year's Vuelta?

Uh, yes.

And here I thought the discussion was about the level that he can perform while staying in the main group, not how well he can do in a break.

And he actually started the Vuelta as one of the GC cards for Trek. Didn't finish in the top-30 on any stage ending uphill prior to going in the break to Covadonga.

So thanks for proving my point, I guess.

Felline is actually better on hard stages, 18thon both the Cervinia and the Finestre stage when he wasnt in the breakaway and just testing himself. Felline himself said that he isn't a climber, but that he really likes climbing.
The guy is great on all kind of terrains (and has great recovery) and it's not like he'll be Contador's only domestique in the mountains. Cardoso, Zubeldia and Pantano would be pretty solid domestiques for the mountains.

 

[Publicus]

Really like his comments here:

"My teammates were incredible again today," added Contador. "They worked hard to bring back the breaks and helped make the climb difficult. It was the type of climb where you must work hard to make it hard. I wasn't just thinking of winning the stage, but of punishing the opposition so that they would finish the stage exhausted. The more exhausted they are today, the better our chances tomorrow."

 

[Valv.Piti]

Just saw ammatti calculated 6,4 w/kg for both Quintana and Contador on somewhat similar climbs. While we can analyze that number all we want, I still saw Quintana on a different level on Mas de la Costa. Yes, I do recognise the opposition was worse in Valencia (Antunes, Hermans, Poels, Kudus etc. doing well tho, so not complete rubbish he was racing against), but I think it was obvious to most that Quintana's ride was much more effortless than Contador's today. Maybe because he blew himself up like an overeager junior rider when he really didn't need to.

 

[trevim]

Glad to see the kid is riding well again and losing against Pinot isn't really a bad result. Hoping for a solid TT close to Izaguirre.

 

[sQiD]

Re:

Its hard not to enjoy someone going berserk on each of his first two race days. If nothing else, he's certainly getting some good training km in here.

he already have some training km in the legs. what he needs, is to be more patient to win races and gain confidence.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Great attack today! To bad he cracked slightly towards the end

 

[Sciocco]

So win or podium Andalusia, win PN, podium Catalunya, win PV, top5 Dauphine, win Tour (nbd), win MT, podium L.

Good season coming up I reckon.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

It was a moderately difficult stage ending with a 6k climb. Too early to say whether Felline can be this useful in a genuine GT mountain stage.

He doesn't have to do it in a genuine mountain stage; although I'm sure he probably could on targeted efforts. If he can launch a springboard like today towards even the end of a medium difficulty stage finishing uphill - there is still the potential to gain significant time.

And there are plenty of medium stages finishing with a tough climb or descent in the Tour this year: Planches de Belles Filles, Mont du Chat, Foix, Izoard... You'd expect him to be in the main group on the final climb on all of those.

What???

DFA123 you had an Aleppo moment, my friend. We all have these from time to time.

Like in Algarve last year, Contador fans go to the oh-my-god-oh-my-god mode very quickly. Overreact.

It's early in the season, Berto is showing some fire, and that's promising. The problem is to follow Dawg when he puts the afterburners. Contador still has that ability. Without the punch, the big brutal acceleration, it's hard to keep up or attack Froome. Only Alberto has it. He still has it.

It's early in the season: again. I don't worry one bit right now. Even if he loses la Ruta to Pinot (pleaaaaaase!), he's on track.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Contador has 2 more months to go compared to Quintana. So he may not there yet w.r.t preparation. Only the later races will give a better indication. IMO Quintana form indicates that he is serious on both GTs.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Just saw ammatti calculated 6,4 w/kg for both Quintana and Contador on somewhat similar climbs. While we can analyze that number all we want, I still saw Quintana on a different level on Mas de la Costa. Yes, I do recognise the opposition was worse in Valencia (Antunes, Hermans, Poels, Kudus etc. doing well tho, so not complete rubbish he was racing against), but I think it was obvious to most that Quintana's ride was much more effortless than Contador's today. Maybe because he blew himself up like an overeager junior rider when he really didn't need to.

Aye, he was pedaling so smoothly and breathing almost effortlessly. That said AC will be up against a giro ridden Quintana. His biggest enemy will still be the dawg.

 

[Tonton]

True. If there's such a thing as a build-up, I like Contador's approach: lit it up, be true to yourself, get the mileage and build more endurance, get confidence.

Contador can beat Froome at the TdF. My only concern is the team, and that's a big one. A loaded Sky line-up is tough to deal with...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Like in Algarve last year, Contador fans go to the oh-my-god-oh-my-god mode very quickly. Overreact.

Where did you see fans overreacting?

 

[Pennino]

Re:

Just saw ammatti calculated 6,4 w/kg for both Quintana and Contador on somewhat similar climbs. While we can analyze that number all we want, I still saw Quintana on a different level on Mas de la Costa. Yes, I do recognise the opposition was worse in Valencia (Antunes, Hermans, Poels, Kudus etc. doing well tho, so not complete rubbish he was racing against), but I think it was obvious to most that Quintana's ride was much more effortless than Contador's today. Maybe because he blew himself up like an overeager junior rider when he really didn't need to.

Yeah, maybe, but we've seen a lot of examples where riders don't seem to make any effort when riding up at high pace, suggesting that they've got something more in them, only to never show that for real. Like Quintana. He just not has that extra aggressiveness. Otherwise he'd be very stupid not to use it when Froome was ready to be slaughtered in 2015 for example.

 

[indianfanboy]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alberto-contador-adds-abu-dhabi-to-race-program/

He must feel he needs more racing miles

 

[Red Rick]

Good. Its not too drastuc and I hope this means he thinks there's a lot to improve on

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'm unsure how to feel about this, afraid he won't be recovered before P-N. This isn't the season to experiment with race schedules.

 

[kingjr]

He has tons of experience and probably knows best what his body needs. The main thing is that he doesnt crash and doesn't get ill.

 

[Pennino]

Re:

I'm unsure how to feel about this, afraid he won't be recovered before P-N. This isn't the season to experiment with race schedules.

Abu Dhabi is basically one climb and comfortably being paced by the pack for four days.