Contador 2010

[rides like a girl]

Did you catch the CdeE rider in the beginning of the video? Better not tell Chris Horner. He might whine about the spanish riders working against him in training too.

AC seems to have learned a thing or two...I couldn't find him anywhere last year in the usual social networking sites. Now seems like he uses FB or Twitter at least once a week.

 

[hfer07]

Thanks a lot! The part of him being sick about training on the same climb so much sounded right. The missing reference was probably in the original article.

Oscar Pereiro has joined Alberto and Jesus in training this week. They've posted pictures, and it was nice to see Oscar enjoying cycling again. Alberto just tweeted this link to a six minute video from their last two days of training. His people take time to make it into music videos, which is nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A60yNidhVQ0

the video is really cool!! hard training with friends/colleagues & at the same time having fun & enjoy what really cycling is about. Kind of catchy the song though...

 

[theswordsman]

AC seems to have learned a thing or two...I couldn't find him anywhere last year in the usual social networking sites. Now seems like he uses FB or Twitter at least once a week.

Yeah. From the first misquotes after the Tour on, the English language press had their way with him, and no one seemed to notice that the war of words was all one direction. He's still not spending a lot of time on it, but this week he posted the pic of the guys sitting around the table, another with Oscar and Jesus joking around on a training break, and the one where he told us that they trained for seven hours on five climbs. Even checking back to read comments, it all probably took up fifteen minutes of his life this week. But for fans it was way better than just a week when he wasn't racing.

 

[markene2]

Im starting to think that Contador will renew his contract with astana.
@theswordsman Great video!

 

[Bala Verde]

He always puts up new material on his youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/albertocontador0com

also accessible through his website:

http://www.albertocontador.com/home.php?idioma=es

Interesting to see their training sessions, and it seems more and more riders/teams use new media to show a glimpse of their lives as professional cyclists (ie see also Sky's or dimspace's website with recons of races)

 

[39*23t]

Im starting to think that Contador will renew his contract with astana.
@theswordsman Great video!

Got the same feeling. Not that you see everything that goes on but there seems to be a real positive energy at Astana nowadays He also seems to have a lot more control over his race program and looks a lot more relaxed and comfortable with the people around him. After the last few years he may think twice before giving that up.

 

[red_flanders]

Are there any videos where the spaniards are training with Astana team members from other countries?

 

[Publicus]

Are there any videos where the spaniards are training with Astana team members from other countries?

There is video from the team training camp, but as far as I know there was no training video made when the small groups were training on Tenerife--which was a mixed group of Kazakhs and Spaniards.

EDIT: Looked back through some of the pictures from the Tenerife training camp, and there were no Spaniards. My mistake.

 

[No_Balls]

Got the same feeling. Not that you see everything that goes on but there seems to be a real positive energy at Astana nowadays He also seems to have a lot more control over his race program and looks a lot more relaxed and comfortable with the people around him. After the last few years he may think twice before giving that up.

What difference a year make. It was barely a year ago when something couldn´t be said that day after Verbiers during a hotel breakfast when uniballer come down with red eyes, talkative silence during the time, described as a funeral. Not that the day before was bad for the team, just bad for the rider who wasn´t even considered as a teamleader.

I guess just team spirit is needed.

 

[red_flanders]

There is video from the team training camp, but as far as I know there was no training video made when the small groups were training on Tenerife--which was a mixed group of Kazakhs and Spaniards.

EDIT: Looked back through some of the pictures from the Tenerife training camp, and there were no Spaniards. My mistake.

I guess while it's normal that everyone trains closer to home, I think for a true "team" they're all going to have to come together and train together for a while. Maybe this has happened, I don't know, but that seemed like "3 Spaniards" rather than "Team Astana".

 

[theswordsman]

Are there any videos where the spaniards are training with Astana team members from other countries?

This is my favorite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTd6CDQQfng

 

[theswordsman]

I guess while it's normal that everyone trains closer to home, I think for a true "team" they're all going to have to come together and train together for a while. Maybe this has happened, I don't know, but that seemed like "3 Spaniards" rather than "Team Astana".

It's happened a bunch, actually. Alberto and Jesus train at home, and this week Pereiro popped over to join then for four days. But they had the training camp in Pisa at the end of last year, like a day after Pereiro signed. This year they had camp in Calpe - that's where the video in my other reply is from. Alberto tweeted after that that they had trained something like 1500 kilometers in ten days or so.

Vino and the Classics riders did another training camp together in Tenerife.

During Alberto's Tour build-up last year, he did recon of stages and training with some of the other guys, but of course this year he's in a different situation. I think it was Noval who had mentioned they would do recon on the cobbles (the ASO should give the details on those sections next week or soon after). Fofonov mentioned in an article at AstanaFans.com that his schedule is based around Contador, and includes a Tour de France training camp.

Alberto has mentioned that he's in touch with all the rest of the guys on the team by text, and part of his reason for riding Criterium International and the two classics is to ride with Vino and some of the other guys.

I think that when he posts things on twitter, like yesterday with the seven hours and five big climbs, it's not just for us fans, but also an assurance to teammates that he's keeping up his part of the deal.

AstanaFans do post a lot of videos, to, and interviews of their own as well as others.

 

[red_flanders]

This is my favorite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTd6CDQQfng

Well, good, glad to see it.

And thanks for all the info on the subsequent post.

 

[peloton]

Im starting to think that Contador will renew his contract with astana.

I doubt that.

 

[theswordsman]

Im starting to think that Contador will renew his contract with astana.

I wouldn't be too surprised if he does. When the Lampre news hit, and articles started mentioning that he could possibly get out of his contract and ride the Tour with someone else, I wondered if he would even consider it as long as the team is still welcome. He's got guys that he's been through camps with, raced with, trained with, plus Martinelli who he seems to get along really well with. I just couldn't imagine him in May or June telling Hernandez, Noval, Novarro, and other guys who have built their year around him, that he's going to ride the Tour with another team that gives him a better assurance of winning the race.

I think the same way about next year. The team is a going concern now, so they could be looking at riders already that they want to sign to get stronger. Right now Astana will do anything for Alberto in the races he wants to ride, and takes good care of him in general. If he can win Castilla y Leon, podium at the Dauphine and repeat at the Tour, he'll have had an awesome year with this group.

I think the weaknesses right now would be the Team Time Trial, which would come into play at the Vuelta, and the depth of the squad for grand tours. Alberto doesn't know if he'd have eight guys fit and fresh for the Vuelta.

It just seems that an Astana that's been partially built around him, that can be much stronger and deeper next year. might be a better situation for him than to be the new guy trying to fit in elsewhere. The one difference would be if he would go to Quick Step and pick four riders to join with him.

 

[theswordsman]

Well, good, glad to see it.

And thanks for all the info on the subsequent post.

You're welcome. Astana seems to be doing a lot of team building this year. The young Kazakhs are getting individual training programs from Contador's coach, and I read that they were set up in Nice so they could train together instead of everyone doing their own thing. Kazakhstan is really trying to develop their riders and promote the sport, and they hope to have a UCI race next year, probably between the Giro and the Tour.

 

[theswordsman]

Got the same feeling. Not that you see everything that goes on but there seems to be a real positive energy at Astana nowadays He also seems to have a lot more control over his race program and looks a lot more relaxed and comfortable with the people around him. After the last few years he may think twice before giving that up.

Exactly. With his personality, and the cavernoma and anti-seizure medicine and stuff, he talks often about liking things calm and settled so he can just do his job. He's treated with respect. He seems to be pushing himself even harder, especially in races, to reward the guys working hard with him. So he can finish this season relaxed, knowing the equipment and teammates and staff, or he could start all over again, with different bikes, all new people, who probably don't speak Spanish (unless it's Caisse), different sponsors, etc. I don't think more money could lure him away - it would have to be a guaranteed stronger team. And I really believe Astana could do that with three to five new riders.

 

[39*23t]

With a few big teams losing their sponsors for next year, don't be surprised to see a few more big names joined Astana.

 

[theswordsman]

With a few big teams losing their sponsors for next year, don't be surprised to see a few more big names joined Astana.

Yeah. I don't know if Vino will race another year, or keep the same role, but they could attract someone who wants to be a team leader for a grand tour, and could pick up the slack for other stage races.

 

[markene2]

Vino will be racing in 2011

 

[theswordsman]

Vino will be racing in 2011

Do you think he'll see how it goes with the Giro before deciding if he wants to be a leader there again?

 

[markene2]

Do you think he'll see how it goes with the Giro before deciding if he wants to be a leader there again?

Tricky question, personaly as a fan i think he will do fine. A top 10. Anyways quote'd something from a interview with him earlier this year. Might be interesting for someone


“I will be at 100 percent, riding for Alberto at the Tour de France. As for me, I will do the best I can at the Giro de Italia.”

When pressed about his Tour ambitions, Vino made it clear that an overall Tour bid is not a part of the plan. “I’d like to win a stage this year or maybe next year,” he added.

Vino was realistic when asked if he thinks that the Tour’s owner, ASO, will try to stop him from racing in the 2010 Tour de France.

“Of course there’s a chance, and they are the ones who will decide, but I think that I demonstrated last year that people were happy with my comeback.”

“I’ll do everything I can to be at the start.”

 

[theswordsman]

Tricky question, personaly as a fan i think he will do fine. A top 10. Anyways quote'd something from a interview with him earlier this year. Might be interesting for someone


“I will be at 100 percent, riding for Alberto at the Tour de France. As for me, I will do the best I can at the Giro de Italia.”

I wonder when he'll know for sure if he's welcome at the Tour? Wasnt't he waiting for the results of someone else's CAS hearing to know if he has to pay a year's salary? I thought it was all kind of tied together, but could be wrong.

Anyway, it will be fun to see how he does at the Giro, and interesting to see who is leader for the Vuelta.

 

[BroDeal]

I wonder when he'll know for sure if he's welcome at the Tour? Anyway, it will be fun to see how he does at the Giro, and interesting to see who is leader for the Vuelta.

It will be interesting to see his Giro performance. It will be intesting to see his strategy. Will he try to ride high in the GC or allow himself to lose time so he will be given leeway when it comes to stage wins? I think he will want to test himself and ride for GC until it becomes apparent that he cannot take on the younger riders. Then he will switch goals to winning a stage.

 

[theswordsman]

It will be interesting to see his Giro performance. It will be intesting to see his strategy. Will he try to ride high in the GC or allow himself to lose time so he will be given leeway when it comes to stage wins? I think he will want to test himself and ride for GC until it becomes apparent that he cannot take on the younger riders. Then he will switch goals to winning a stage.

He sure seems to be training hard for it. He had the Calpe camp, the classics camp at Tenerife, and now he's been back at Tenerife again. Lots of climbs, and lots of time at altitude. I guess one question is, at what level of fitness will he be for that last week of the Giro? And if he wouldn't be allowed to ride the Tour, and Contador wins it, it would be interesting to see the two of them together at the Vuelta each with one grand tour in their legs.

But he will be one of the many stories to watch for the Giro, and if one of his teammates has a chance to get into a break, or go for a stage win, I don't think he would hold them back.