Can an Exercise physiologist explain Contador's

[Nick777]

... recent prologue win to me? Because I am baffled.

 

[BitterXpro]

What is so strange about 5.8 mi @ 31.3 mi/hr beating specialist like Wiggins and Miller? After all he is 136lbs of time trialing power! Must be all that time in the wind tunnel.

 

[Mr.DNA]

I expect he'll be floating across the cobbles in front of Boonen before we know it.

 

[Anonymous]

The Hog is at work again....

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Contador was always a specialist in short time trials. It might have been forgotten a little when he started climbing extroardinary well.

But his first win as a professional? Short time trial
First big win a professional? Again a short time trial
Has he done anything like this before? Yes, like beating Cadel Evans and Thomas Dekker in a short time trial in Basque last year.

He was always good at this, and now he simply became a step better, not that strange, considering he is only 26, and thus still improving. I think people are misled by the media, who reported some years ago that Contador is not a strong time triallist, which was simply wrong.

 

[lookkg386]

I know that Wiggins and Evans were suprised with his speed, but I take it the course suited him aswell.

 

[Darren]

Alberto Contador

I have concerns with Alberto Contador & doping. Not much seems to be said these days about the brain surgery he had in 2004 for either a cerebral cavernoma (genetic vascular problem) or blood clot in the brain caused by a crash or another different reason that you can find if you read articles about him. I am very happy for him that he has come through such a life threatening illness. It's just that with him having brain surgery in 2004 & then being linked with Dr Fuentes & Operación Puerto a year or two later I can't help thinking that his cerebral problem was caused by EPO or something similar & us the fans have been told it was something else. Also it just doesn't seem right that at 25/26 yrs of age he has won 3 grand tours other recent winners have been in their late 20's or early 30's. He is obviously a brilliant cyclist I just think where there is smoke there's fire & he has gained performance from being involved in doping in his early 20's & that has helped him win 3 GT's by such an early age. If I am correct, I realise he isn't the first pro cyclist to win a GT with the help of performance enhancing drugs it just surprises me that Lance still cops all the doping q's & not much seems to be discussed about this aspect of Alberto's career.

 

[BroDeal]

Also it just doesn't seem right that at 25/26 yrs of age he has won 3 grand tours other recent winners have been in their late 20's or early 30's.

Up until the EPO era, it was normal for riders to show they had the capability of winning a GT very early in their career. Look at Lemond, Fignon, Hinault, Merckx, etc. It is not normal for a rider to become the best climber and best time trialer in the world late in his career when in his early career he was nothing special in those disciplines. In that regard Contador's results are not suspicious.

Now with regard to what team he has races for and their involvement with doping then your point is dead on. There is a big black cloud of smoke that will always hang above Contador as long as people remember he raced for Saiz/Liberty Seguros (and Bruyneel/Astana).

 

[lookkg386]

I have concerns with Alberto Contador & doping. Not much seems to be said these days about the brain surgery he had in 2004 for either a cerebral cavernoma (genetic vascular problem) or blood clot in the brain caused by a crash or another different reason that you can find if you read articles about him. I am very happy for him that he has come through such a life threatening illness. It's just that with him having brain surgery in 2004 & then being linked with Dr Fuentes & Operación Puerto a year or two later I can't help thinking that his cerebral problem was caused by EPO or something similar & us the fans have been told it was something else. Also it just doesn't seem right that at 25/26 yrs of age he has won 3 grand tours other recent winners have been in their late 20's or early 30's. He is obviously a brilliant cyclist I just think where there is smoke there's fire & he has gained performance from being involved in doping in his early 20's & that has helped him win 3 GT's by such an early age. If I am correct, I realise he isn't the first pro cyclist to win a GT with the help of performance enhancing drugs it just surprises me that Lance still cops all the doping q's & not much seems to be discussed about this aspect of Alberto's career.

The age thing doesn't matter so much now, back in the past the thinking was young riders just had to get thousands of miles into their legs before they were ready for the tour. Now with much more scientific training methods riders a more prepared for 3 week stage races earlier.

 

[Angliru]

Now with regard to what team he has races for and their involvement with doping then your point is dead on. There is a big black cloud of smoke that will always hang above Contador as long as people remember he raced for Saiz/Liberty Seguros (and Bruyneel/Astana).

Using this theory would that mean that a big black cloud of smoke is hanging over everyone that raced for T-Mobile in the past 10 years, since we now know that they had an organized system of doping?

 

[nathanbloke]

I am resigned to the fact that, without a failed doped test, or exceedingly dodgy behaviour (rassmussen or armstrong, for eg.), you have to assume that riders are clean until caught out as otherwise. Of all the rumours swilling round (contador, schleck, valverde), some will be smoke, some will be mirrors, some will be completely false.

 

[Bala Verde]

... recent prologue win to me? Because I am baffled.

If you had paid attention to Contador's results over the past couple of years you shouldn't be.

Contador was always a specialist in short time trials. It might have been forgotten a little when he started climbing extroardinary well.

But his first win as a professional? Short time trial
First big win a professional? Again a short time trial
Has he done anything like this before? Yes, like beating Cadel Evans and Thomas Dekker in a short time trial in Basque last year.

He was always good at this, and now he simply became a step better, not that strange, considering he is only 26, and thus still improving. I think people are misled by the media, who reported some years ago that Contador is not a strong time triallist, which was simply wrong.

I fully agree, and as I posted in a previous thread, since I don't like to just say anything, I will back it up with some facts and results...

Andreas Kloden is 140lb/63.5kg. He came in second after Cancellara at the TdF 2007 Prologue (7.9k) in London, and was lightyears ahead (10s) of Bradley Wiggins.

With regard to Contador, in 2008 he won the prologue (9km) at the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon before Leipheimer. In the same year he beat Thomas Dekker and Cadel Evans in the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco 20km TT. He came in 2nd in the 39.4km TT in the Giro 2008 before guys like Kloden, Menchov and Leipheimer. He was 4th in the 40km TT of the Vuelta a Espana 2008, which Leipheimer (less than 140 lb?) won.

Again, as Deker_Tifosi mentions, short TT are somewhat his specialty, with 2nd, prologue (5.1km), Ruban Granitier and 2nd, stage 7 (ITT 1.6Km), Circuito Montañés in 2002. He came in 9th in the 4th stage (ITT 14.4Km), Vuelta a Burgos in 2003. In 2004 he came in 5th, in stage 1 (ITT 13.2km), Paris-Nice...

It's easy to check, just go to his website http://www.albertocontadornotebook.info/palmares.html

you might even want to compare it to Wiggins palmares....