Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[DFA123]

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

Invite a bunch of fans along for a big ride.

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

Let him ride around a bunch of cows and sheeps. IT would to the trick.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

There are loads of drills you can do to improve positioning or bike handling; without being in a big peloton. 5 or 6 teammates is more than enough to simulate a fight for position, if you make rules like only use 1/3 of the road width. Or invite a local club out onto the group ride if you want a bigger peloton. If Contador wants to finish the Tour without crashing, it's something he has to improve on - you don't see Sky or Movistar riders sitting half way down the peloton without a team mate near them.

 

[rune1107]

I like how he seems to have realized his limits. I think 2016 was a blow for him, having his usual build up and realizing he couldn't follow his rivals. Hopefully, this new approach can let him ease into race form without him putting to much pressure on the body in the Dauphine. I know we say this every year, but I definitely feel like this is his best chance to win the Tour since 2014. Avoiding crashes and hopefully having a lot of power left in the third week could be crucial.

 

[bob.a.feet]

I like how he seems to have realized his limits. I think 2016 was a blow for him, having his usual build up and realizing he couldn't follow his rivals. Hopefully, this new approach can let him ease into race form without him putting to much pressure on the body in the Dauphine. I know we say this every year, but I definitely feel like this is his best chance to win the Tour since 2014. Avoiding crashes and hopefully having a lot of power left in the third week could be crucial.

We really don't know how Contador will do in the 3rd week, seeing as the last time he's even made it to the second week (not counting 2015 as he had the Giro in his legs) was 2013. It seems pretty crazy to think that he's only finished the Tour three times in the seven years since he's won it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Looking forward to some crazy Contador action in the next races.

Even if he's not top anymore, his spirit is missing in other races

 

[movingtarget]

Good to see Contador is trying something a bit different in his lead up to the Tour. The Dauphine is secondary obviously, it's the Tour where he needs and wants to perform. Whether he can curb his instincts in the Dauphine is another thing !

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

Invite a bunch of fans along for a big ride.

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

Let him ride around a bunch of cows and sheeps. IT would to the trick.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LalJ_sALzkU

Here is a short video posted on Contador's youtube today. Basically explaining how his training is going, who is going to the Tour with him and how he will take on the Dauphine.

I might be mistaken but does he say Cardoso and Gogl will go to the Tour? Brändle and Felline were pretty sure already, but those 2 surprise me a bit. Trek said that the riders with Berto on Tenerife were all in the pre-selection for the Tour.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'm a bit worried that he's having a 'test" approach to this TDF...

honestly, RR is spot on

Have to say that the old approach didn't seem good enough anymore. Might as well try a different one.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Assuming yours was an honest question and not another underhanded dig at him (I doubt it...): no, he hasn't.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

There are loads of drills you can do to improve positioning or bike handling; without being in a big peloton. 5 or 6 teammates is more than enough to simulate a fight for position, if you make rules like only use 1/3 of the road width. Or invite a local club out onto the group ride if you want a bigger peloton. If Contador wants to finish the Tour without crashing, it's something he has to improve on - you don't see Sky or Movistar riders sitting half way down the peloton without a team mate near them.

He's been doing it since forever (and it wasn't an issue in '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12....) you know just as well as I do that you can't change a long-standing habit in 1 training camp.
What he should have done is visit a sports psychologist, it worked for Pinot and Boonen. But it's too late for that now, big mistake on Trek's part.

 

[dacooley]

it's a usual bertie's pre-dauphine trick, saying it's a prep race first of all, not thinking about winning gc too much, picking up a single moutain stage to really test himself the way it's needed. at the same time we realize as soon as porte, froome or valverde go bananas, contador is going to try to respond at 100% and even counter-attack if he has good legs.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

it's a usual bertie's pre-dauphine trick, saying it's a prep race first of all, not thinking about winning gc too much, picking up a single moutain stage to really test himself the way it's needed. at the same time we realize as soon as porte, froome or valverde go bananas, contador is going to try to respond at 100% and even counter-attack if he has good legs.

So I can conclude that when he gets dropped with 10k to go, we know he is in *** form because he was going to go all out despite saying otherwise? I'm sure you'll be here to remind us of that

 

[silvergrenade]

Only if Bertie comes up with one of his 50 million excuses.
☺️

 

[LaFlorecita]

Can't wait to see everyone lose their minds when he loses 5 minutes on Solaison.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

Invite a bunch of fans along for a big ride.

i wonder if, during the latest training camp, he's doing any practising of riding in a group and drills to follow his team-mates wheels through a bunch? That seems to be by far his biggest weakness nowdays; and one which makes him so vulnerable to crashes in a race like the Tour where everyone is constantly fighting for position for long periods of the race.

Degenkolb could be extremely useful for that. Kind of like a battering ram with really good bike handling.

Would seem hard to practice that in a camp. You can't simulate 150 riders racing. But you know that. You're just dishing out your typical jabs.

Let him ride around a bunch of cows and sheeps. IT would to the trick.

Invite a bunch of fans along for the ride, which will go through an area with free-range (as in, sometimes on the road) cows and sheep.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Will this be Contador's last Dauphiné?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Will this be Contador's last Dauphiné?

probably, as well as his last TDF. If he continues for another year, he'll go to the Giro & Vuelta and Dauphiné doesn't really fit in.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

There are loads of drills you can do to improve positioning or bike handling; without being in a big peloton. 5 or 6 teammates is more than enough to simulate a fight for position, if you make rules like only use 1/3 of the road width. Or invite a local club out onto the group ride if you want a bigger peloton. If Contador wants to finish the Tour without crashing, it's something he has to improve on - you don't see Sky or Movistar riders sitting half way down the peloton without a team mate near them.

He's been doing it since forever (and it wasn't an issue in '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12....) you know just as well as I do that you can't change a long-standing habit in 1 training camp.
What he should have done is visit a sports psychologist, it worked for Pinot and Boonen. But it's too late for that now, big mistake on Trek's part.

I think some training, working with new team-mates can be beneficial even for an old school pro like Contador. Sprinter's spend weeks and weeks on this kind of thing, perfecting their position when they move to a new team, so a few sessions here and there could at least forge some confidence between Contador and his teammates.

You're right though; a sport psychologist is an even better idea. Why hasn't he gone down this route? Even if its just to clear all the baggage from his mind surely there's nothing to lose.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Re: Re:

Will this be Contador's last Dauphiné?

probably, as well as his last TDF. If he continues for another year, he'll go to the Giro & Vuelta and Dauphiné doesn't really fit in.

The Dauphiné has never really been his race anyway.

 

[perico]

Re: Re:

Will this be Contador's last Dauphiné?

probably, as well as his last TDF. If he continues for another year, he'll go to the Giro & Vuelta and Dauphiné doesn't really fit in.

Let's say he finishes 2nd at the Tour, :45 seconds behind Froome, and was the stronger one in the mountains. My guess is he would be back at Le Tour in 2018.

 

[LaFlorecita]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUzDheBFs7a/ looks like Berto got some training tips from Lil Richie