Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

Best and worst looks of Contador's career?
Best by a mile was in the 2011 Saxo kit.
Worst, i don't even know where to begin, he has been unfortunate to ride for some teams with awful colour schemes, its probably an astana kit, but i can't make my mind up which one at the minute.

Agree. 2009 was a truly awful-looking jersey.

I always liked the 2014 Tinkoff-Saxo kit on Berto. Maybe it's just because he was so good that year, that I'm being nostalgic

 

[bob.a.feet]

I loved the 2013 Saxo-Tinkoff kit although Contador probably didn't enjoy the time he spent in it

 

[Lexman]

Re:

Alberto very attentive, nice reminds me of the good old days

yes that'a a real while ago he finds himself on the good side of the bunch when something happens, normally he should have lost at least 7 seconds today, maybe even more

 

[lenric]

I think tomorrow Alberto will lose some time (though hopefully not much), but I can totally see him *** around the day after. Imo, It will be his best chance of getting a stage.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Extending the fabulous lead in the most important competition in the world

Yes, the one where first place is not good .

 

[benzwire]

Re:

I think tomorrow Alberto will lose some time (though hopefully not much), but I can totally see him **** around the day after. Imo, It will be his best chance of getting a stage.

I think you are right. I have a feeling Froome is going to go all cyborg tomorrow, trying to make a statement after his mistakes of the other day. Contador seems to be riding better now, perhaps it is due to gaining confidence and seeing the fans react so much to his last race. Either way, I am really hoping he can get on the podium. A stage win would be great, but I'm not getting my hopes up. He alone has already made this race so enjoyable, I have already forgotten July (kind of..)

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

I think tomorrow Alberto will lose some time (though hopefully not much), but I can totally see him **** around the day after. Imo, It will be his best chance of getting a stage.

I think you are right. I have a feeling Froome is going to go all cyborg tomorrow, trying to make a statement after his mistakes of the other day. Contador seems to be riding better now, perhaps it is due to gaining confidence and seeing the fans react so much to his last race. Either way, I am really hoping he can get on the podium. A stage win would be great, but I'm not getting my hopes up. He alone has already made this race so enjoyable, I have already forgotten July (kind of..)

Riding for a podium would get achieved by being conservative. A bad day for Nibali, Wilco will crack, I would match the others and get a solid Angliru stage. Finish 2 or 3. I'm not Alberto Contador.

Something tells me that he wants the whole pie, and will risk much more than...we would (put in the same situation). Contador may blow himself up. It's a possibility. But when the Vuelta is over, he'll have no regrets.

 

[jsem94]

Gotta go for it. While a podium might sit well with the race finishing in Madrid and all, but I don't think he'd be able to forgive himself if he didn't give it his all to try and win the whole race.

 

[skippo12]

Contador alone cannot break the Sky train if Froome isn`t stopped by his injuries. It needed a all out effort from Bahrain to drop every helper except for Nieve on stage 11. At this point there were only 6-7 guys left in total and Nibali 2nd-3rd attack finally was able to isolate Froome. One agressive rider alone won`t be enough to bother Froome.
I hope for someone not named Contador or Nibali to step up and try something brave.
Then again even if Contador or Nibali get away from the other contenders there will be enough guys to work with Froome because they want to contest for a podium or top 5 GC rank. On stage eleven Kelderman paced the group following Nibali in the windiest section. On the downhill of stage 10 Chavez and Roche caught Nibali without Sky even working. I think that Astana, Orica and BMC + Kelderman and Zakarin all will help chasing and eventually ally themself with Froome against Contador and Nibali.

 

[Valv.Piti]

What a legend. Genuinely missing this guy already, what a fantastic bike rider! Only Alejandro agua Valverde Belmonte left in 10 days, what is this world... Alberto I will miss you. And so will everybody else

 

[LaFlorecita]

Decent ride today, although he was obviously at his limit at the end. I expect him to lose some more time tomorrow, maybe 20-30s. Stage win looking harder and harder.

 

[Jagartrott]

Disappointing he didn't work with Nibali, even if it was for a little while. They could've put Froome under more pressure.

 

[Valv.Piti]

What a letdown. He is really afraid to go too deep and is playing it more conservative to prevent him from doing his trademark explosion and losing lots of time in very little span and in the process wheel sucked Froome's biggest rival..

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

In theory it was a good result today gainging valuable time on almost everyone in front of him, but I'm a little disappointed that he was beaten by the likes of Kelderman and Zakarin. Maybe he responded too many times to attacks, I don't know

 

[Matteo.]

Re:

Disappointing he didn't work with Nibali, even if it was for a little while. They could've put Froome under more pressure.

why was froome really under pressure? At the end he closed the gap fast enough.
Anyway Alberto rode well: He must target 3rd placa, not following froome or nibali for the win

 

[Climber123]

Re:

Decent ride today, although he was obviously at his limit at the end. I expect him to lose some more time tomorrow, maybe 20-30s. Stage win looking harder and harder.

His defensive riding suggests he was targeting tomorrow. A shame he lost 6 seconds but in the end it was a good result. After tomorrow, based on what we saw from Aru, de La Cruz and Chaves he could be in the Top-5. He certainly didn't look terrible today.

 

[Climber123]

Re: Re:

In theory it was a good result today gainging valuable time on almost everyone in front of him, but I'm a little disappointed that he was beaten by the likes of Kelderman and Zakarin. Maybe he responded too many times to attacks, I don't know

Yeah I also felt that he could have just followed the well-paced wheel of Froome.

 

[LaFlorecita]

8 seconds behind De la Cruz, 10 behind Aru, 40 behind Chaves. Onwards and upwards.

 

[Electress]

Haven't seen today yet, but wow - so many different interpretations. Sounds like his riding 'sensibly' rather than going for broke for what is the first day of several to come invited a lot of ire. The guy cannot go all out every day. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow, but all this 'wheel-sucking his way to the podium' on other threads is absolutely laughable. I think he'd risk it all for a spectacular day in the mountains if he had the form. I for one will take only 6s - I feared a lot worse, tbh.

 

[Climber123]

Tomorrow is much better suited to him, short and sharp. Vamos!

 

[Carols]

Re:

Haven't seen today yet, but wow - so many different interpretations. Sounds like his riding 'sensibly' rather than going for broke for what is the first day of several to come invited a lot of ire. The guy cannot go all out every day. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow, but all this 'wheel-sucking his way to the podium' on other threads is absolutely laughable. I think he'd risk it all for a spectacular day in the mountains if he had the form. I for one will take only 6s - I feared a lot worse, tbh.

Yeah, peoples expectations color their perceptions! For some reason they expected a 2015 Mortirolo Berto instead of the one who is retiring in a week

EDIT: 2015 Mortirolo

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Haven't seen today yet, but wow - so many different interpretations. Sounds like his riding 'sensibly' rather than going for broke for what is the first day of several to come invited a lot of ire. The guy cannot go all out every day. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow, but all this 'wheel-sucking his way to the podium' on other threads is absolutely laughable. I think he'd risk it all for a spectacular day in the mountains if he had the form. I for one will take only 6s - I feared a lot worse, tbh.

Yeah, peoples expectations color their perceptions! For some reason they expected a 2014 Mortirolo Berto instead of the one who is retiring in a week

It's not only that - when you consider how other riders do no attacking day after day, waiting for Contador's disruptive behaviour and sometimes failing to capitalise on that. Talk about holding folk to a different standard! Some days have to be about conserving what he has left in the tank; I only hope tomorrow he has the legs to create some utter carnage.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Haven't seen today yet, but wow - so many different interpretations. Sounds like his riding 'sensibly' rather than going for broke for what is the first day of several to come invited a lot of ire. The guy cannot go all out every day. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow, but all this 'wheel-sucking his way to the podium' on other threads is absolutely laughable. I think he'd risk it all for a spectacular day in the mountains if he had the form. I for one will take only 6s - I feared a lot worse, tbh.

Yeah, peoples expectations color their perceptions! For some reason they expected a 2014 Mortirolo Berto instead of the one who is retiring in a week

It's not only that - when you consider how other riders do no attacking day after day, waiting for Contador's disruptive behaviour and sometimes failing to capitalise on that. Talk about holding folk to a different standard! Some days have to be about conserving what he has left in the tank; I only hope tomorrow he has the legs to create some utter carnage.

He got dropped on the final run it, he wasn't holding anything in reserve, he spent it all.....and still they complain. Go figure.

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Haven't seen today yet, but wow - so many different interpretations. Sounds like his riding 'sensibly' rather than going for broke for what is the first day of several to come invited a lot of ire. The guy cannot go all out every day. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow, but all this 'wheel-sucking his way to the podium' on other threads is absolutely laughable. I think he'd risk it all for a spectacular day in the mountains if he had the form. I for one will take only 6s - I feared a lot worse, tbh.

Yeah, peoples expectations color their perceptions! For some reason they expected a 2014 Mortirolo Berto instead of the one who is retiring in a week

It's not only that - when you consider how other riders do no attacking day after day, waiting for Contador's disruptive behaviour and sometimes failing to capitalise on that. Talk about holding folk to a different standard! Some days have to be about conserving what he has left in the tank; I only hope tomorrow he has the legs to create some utter carnage.

He got dropped on the final run it, he wasn't holding anything in reserve, he spent it all.....and still they complain. Go figure.

I guess we all want him to be young again and ride like on Etna every outing. I genuinely don't really mind what happens in some ways, so long as he is having fun and racing to the end. It is nice seeing him relaxed. He said he has 7 days left in the legs. So you just know he's going to give it all and leave absolutely nothing in reserve. What more can anyone ask than that?

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Haven't seen today yet, but wow - so many different interpretations. Sounds like his riding 'sensibly' rather than going for broke for what is the first day of several to come invited a lot of ire. The guy cannot go all out every day. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow, but all this 'wheel-sucking his way to the podium' on other threads is absolutely laughable. I think he'd risk it all for a spectacular day in the mountains if he had the form. I for one will take only 6s - I feared a lot worse, tbh.

Yeah, peoples expectations color their perceptions! For some reason they expected a 2014 Mortirolo Berto instead of the one who is retiring in a week

It's not only that - when you consider how other riders do no attacking day after day, waiting for Contador's disruptive behaviour and sometimes failing to capitalise on that. Talk about holding folk to a different standard! Some days have to be about conserving what he has left in the tank; I only hope tomorrow he has the legs to create some utter carnage.

He got dropped on the final run it, he wasn't holding anything in reserve, he spent it all.....and still they complain. Go figure.

I guess we all want him to be young again and ride like on Etna every outing. I genuinely don't really mind what happens in some ways, so long as he is having fun and racing to the end. It is nice seeing him relaxed. He said he has 7 days left in the legs. So you just know he's going to give it all and leave absolutely nothing in reserve. What more can anyone ask than that?

All we can do is enjoy whatever he has to give us. I have absolutely No Doubt that every ounce of courage, determination, grit, energy and talent he has left inside will all be put out on the road in the next week for us to see. We can ask no more from any athlete.

Soon there will only be memories, so I plan to savor everything he has to offer.