Contador 2010

[Murray]

Cannot see AC struggling in 2010, he is a focused individual and a leader in his own right. He is the rider of now and cannot see how the "support" of the 2009 edition can be any less in 2010. To be honest he is easilly the most brilliant GT racer of this decade, it will be AC and AS hammering it out.

Agree... Contador is in his prime... he doesn't need a dominant team to win

 

[Publicus]

It would make some sense for him to do a camp in Belgium. no need for links, but thanks. Has he ridden the cobbles before? Because even a trundle through the Ardennes could be a good tune up, even if he doesn't race to win. Although if he goes he would probably want to put up some fight. Will he race the Paris-Nice/Vuelta/Basque to win, or to get settled?

I don't know that he has ridden the cobbles before (I assume you mean in a race), that's a good question that I will have to look into. If I recall correctly, I believe he was going to use Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Basque Country to work on team tactics/coordination ahead of the TdF, but that he wants to do well. From that I get the sense that yes, he's going for the win if it's there, but his focus is on preparing the team for the TdF.

 

[python]

I don't know that he has ridden the cobbles before (I assume you mean in a race), that's a good question that I will have to look into. If I recall correctly, I believe he was going to use Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Basque Country to work on team tactics/coordination ahead of the TdF, but that he wants to do well. From that I get the sense that yes, he's going for the win if it's there, but his focus is on preparing the team for the TdF.

according to the spanish media, armstrong has change his racing schedule in order to avoid meeting berto at la Volta a Cataluña.

hmmm, may he'll use the same tactic for the tour

 

[franciep10]

I kind of hope AC goes to the tour of california, but I doubt he'' do that unless maybe specialized asks him to.

 

[Publicus]

according to the spanish media, armstrong has change his racing schedule in order to avoid meeting berto at la Volta a Cataluña.

hmmm, may he'll use the same tactic for the tour

He's running scared...

EDIT: That's probably a little too simplistic a response. I think Armstrong is feeling really good (given the way he is talking) and I think TDU was a bit of a shock for him. He wasn't there on Stage 5. For someone who is lighter and has more power and talking up his chances of winning the TdF in 2010, a 3KM climb with an average incline of 7.5% should be easy work. Yet he lost time on that stage (not a huge amount). If he can't make the selection at the TDU (where he was in better shape than most of the riders), I don't think he is especially confident of his ability to match skills with Contador in the early season--which frankly would quickly end all of this talk about the "showdown" and the "rivalry." Obviously, this is just my opinion, but I wanted to expound on my earlier flippant comment.

 

[Señor_Contador]

If they...

If Contador and Shleck have the same form as last year I do not see LA beating any of them. Even if LA recoups the form of his glorious years... I just don't see him dropping AS or AC. These two just attack and attack whenever they feel like it, so tactics like those used by the US Postal of putting in an intense pace to reduce attacks... they really do not care, they welcome it.

Radio Shack have to come up with a whole new ballgame in order to aim for # 2.

 

[Publicus]

I kind of hope AC goes to the tour of california, but I doubt he'' do that unless maybe specialized asks him to.

That would be a good thing in my opinion. It would be a chance to see him race in person and tweak Radio Shack's nose simply by showing up. That being said, Andy Schleck is considering racing the Tour of California, so that's not a bad consolation prize.

 

[thehog]

He's running scared...

EDIT: That's probably a little too simplistic a response. I think Armstrong is feeling really good (given the way he is talking) and I think TDU was a bit of a shock for him. He wasn't there on Stage 5. For someone who is lighter and has more power and talking up his chances of winning the TdF in 2010, a 3KM climb with an average incline of 7.5% should be easy work. Yet he lost time on that stage (not a huge amount). If he can't make the selection at the TDU (where he was in better shape than most of the riders), I don't think he is especially confident of his ability to match skills with Contador in the early season--which frankly would quickly end all of this talk about the "showdown" and the "rivalry." Obviously, this is just my opinion, but I wanted to expound on my earlier flippant comment.

Huh? Remember Paris-Nice 2005? He finished the prologue about 9 mins down then went and caught a red celled Ullrich in the opening TT at the Tour!

 

[Publicus]

Huh? Remember Paris-Nice 2005? He finished the prologue about 9 mins down then went and caught a red celled Ullrich in the opening TT at the Tour!

I don't remember Paris Nice 2005. I'll have to look into that one.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I don't remember Paris Nice 2005. I'll have to look into that one.

It was cold and snowy, so being the hardest trainer in the peloton, he upped and walked away, after stage 3.
That time, it didn't effect his preparation, like at Castilla y Leon.

 

[BroDeal]

Huh? Remember Paris-Nice 2005? He finished the prologue about 9 mins down then went and caught a red celled Ullrich in the opening TT at the Tour!

Maybe Contador will conveniently crash before the prologue also.

 

[Publicus]

It was cold and snowy, so being the hardest trainer in the peloton, he upped and walked away, after stage 3.
That time, it didn't effect his preparation, like at Castilla y Leon.

Just looked through some of the photos from Paris-Nice and he was a veritable porker compared to his form now. I was also impressed the AC finished 7th in such a short prologue. I really wish I had been more cognizant of the cycling world back in 2005. Alas, I was very much a Discovery Channel fan boy at the time, only concerned with Discovery Channel/Lance Armstrong.

That seems such a long time ago now....

 

[thehog]

It was cold and snowy, so being the hardest trainer in the peloton, he upped and walked away, after stage 3.
That time, it didn't effect his preparation, like at Castilla y Leon.

It was a friggin joke. I was at the Tour that year in the press corps. There's a bit of history. We all saw Armstrong that year at Paris-Nice and Flanders. Overweight and with zero explosiveness. We also saw him spend the first half of the year in the US chaperoning Sheryl Crow around the awards circuit. Then the Tour rolls around and albeit he’d lost some weight but we wrote him off. Then just prior to the opening TT and in a staged event Armstrong is taken away by the drug testers. Of course he walks with them in front of the press gallery and comes out smiling. 30 minutes later he passes Ullrich in the TT. Unprecedented. We looked at each other scratching our heads – how could this be? The entire press gallery was talking about the “unusual” performance from Armstrong. Upon hearing this chatter Hein Verbruggen makes a very strange announcement a couple of hours later to the media. He makes reference that Armstrong had donated some money to the UCI. For a blood machine he said. He tells us Armstrong wouldn't want anyone to know and is too bashful to tell the world. Armstrong asked that blood machine could be bought Verbruggen tells us to fight against doping. We all scratched our heads again but to the US media and the general public took this as another example of Armstrong being clean. We all knew better but dared not write what we thought.

 

[Publicus]

It was a friggin joke. I was at the Tour that year in the press corps. There's a bit of history. We all saw Armstrong that year at Paris-Nice and Flanders. Overweight and with zero explosiveness. We also saw him spend the first half of the year in the US chaperoning Sheryl Crow around the awards circuit. Then the Tour rolls around and albeit he’d lost some weight but we wrote him off. Then just prior to the opening TT and in a staged event Armstrong is taken away by the drug testers. Of course he walks with them in front of the press gallery and comes out smiling. 30 minutes later he passes Ullrich in the TT. Unprecedented. We looked at each other scratching our heads – how could this be? The entire press gallery was talking about the “unusual” performance from Armstrong. Upon hearing this chatter Hein Verbruggen makes a very strange announcement a couple of hours later to the media. He makes reference that Armstrong had donated some money to the UCI. For a blood machine he said. He tells us Armstrong wouldn't want anyone to know and is too bashful to tell the world. Armstrong asked that blood machine could be bought Verbruggen tells us to fight against doping. We all scratched our heads again but to the US media and the general public took this as another example of Armstrong being clean. We all knew better but dared not write what we thought.

Why is that?

 

[franciep10]

Why is that?

because armstrong is or was untouchable, you write about something like that you're probably going to get bashed by numerous fanboys plus sued by the man himself and the uci

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

LOL @ Armstrong being "bashful". Bashful and humble are the last words to describe that guy.

 

[Anonymous]

It was a friggin joke. I was at the Tour that year in the press corps. There's a bit of history. We all saw Armstrong that year at Paris-Nice and Flanders. Overweight and with zero explosiveness. We also saw him spend the first half of the year in the US chaperoning Sheryl Crow around the awards circuit. Then the Tour rolls around and albeit he’d lost some weight but we wrote him off. Then just prior to the opening TT and in a staged event Armstrong is taken away by the drug testers. Of course he walks with them in front of the press gallery and comes out smiling. 30 minutes later he passes Ullrich in the TT. Unprecedented. We looked at each other scratching our heads – how could this be? The entire press gallery was talking about the “unusual” performance from Armstrong. Upon hearing this chatter Hein Verbruggen makes a very strange announcement a couple of hours later to the media. He makes reference that Armstrong had donated some money to the UCI. For a blood machine he said. He tells us Armstrong wouldn't want anyone to know and is too bashful to tell the world. Armstrong asked that blood machine could be bought Verbruggen tells us to fight against doping. We all scratched our heads again but to the US media and the general public took this as another example of Armstrong being clean. We all knew better but dared not write what we thought.

Interesting stuff! I remember being shocked at those TT results...and thought Armstrong looked awful...he had looked terrible at paris nice and wondered why he had even shown up at Flanders given his shape... but had never heard this story. I guess I vaguely remember something being then said about him giving money to UCI for the dope fight ect ect in very small print at the bottom of a few things...but couldn't really put anything together. Anyhow, pretty insightful...

 

[kurtinsc]

It was a friggin joke. I was at the Tour that year in the press corps. There's a bit of history. We all saw Armstrong that year at Paris-Nice and Flanders. Overweight and with zero explosiveness. We also saw him spend the first half of the year in the US chaperoning Sheryl Crow around the awards circuit. Then the Tour rolls around and albeit he’d lost some weight but we wrote him off. Then just prior to the opening TT and in a staged event Armstrong is taken away by the drug testers. Of course he walks with them in front of the press gallery and comes out smiling. 30 minutes later he passes Ullrich in the TT. Unprecedented. We looked at each other scratching our heads – how could this be? The entire press gallery was talking about the “unusual” performance from Armstrong. Upon hearing this chatter Hein Verbruggen makes a very strange announcement a couple of hours later to the media. He makes reference that Armstrong had donated some money to the UCI. For a blood machine he said. He tells us Armstrong wouldn't want anyone to know and is too bashful to tell the world. Armstrong asked that blood machine could be bought Verbruggen tells us to fight against doping. We all scratched our heads again but to the US media and the general public took this as another example of Armstrong being clean. We all knew better but dared not write what we thought.

I dont' know enough about training for bike races to be an expert... but if I'm not mistaken P-N was his first race of 2005. He got into a crash as well before quitting from a sore throat. I don't think there was a single stage for him to show "explosiveness" in that race... as when he quit Tom Boonen was leading.

In Flanders, Armstrong (riding in support of Hincapie) supposedly rode most of the day at the front, brought back several breaks, and finished in the top 30. For a race really not suited to his riding where he was riding for others... that doesn't seem so bad... finishing with guys like Hoste, O'Grady and Nuyens and ahead of guys like Hushovd, Devolder and Pozzato.

It seems like you read too much into a prologue four months before the tour in a guys first race of the season. I mean he beat Vino by 8 seconds in the Dauphine prologue (8km) that year as opposed to 51 seconds (19km) at the Tour.

I'm sure he was as doped up as everyone else there was... but it seems that you (and according to you the rest of the cycling media) put a lot of stock into a race in March that was his first of the season when he was overweight instead of paying attention to more recent races.

 

[thehog]

Watch the race at Flanders that year. Quick Step told Armstrong to get off the front as he was slowing the chase! Fat lot of good he did Hincapie.

I dont' know enough about training for bike races to be an expert... but if I'm not mistaken P-N was his first race of 2005. He got into a crash as well before quitting from a sore throat. I don't think there was a single stage for him to show "explosiveness" in that race... as when he quit Tom Boonen was leading.

In Flanders, Armstrong (riding in support of Hincapie) supposedly rode most of the day at the front, brought back several breaks, and finished in the top 30. For a race really not suited to his riding where he was riding for others... that doesn't seem so bad... finishing with guys like Hoste, O'Grady and Nuyens and ahead of guys like Hushovd, Devolder and Pozzato.

It seems like you read too much into a prologue four months before the tour in a guys first race of the season. I mean he beat Vino by 8 seconds in the Dauphine prologue (8km) that year as opposed to 51 seconds (19km) at the Tour.

I'm sure he was as doped up as everyone else there was... but it seems that you (and according to you the rest of the cycling media) put a lot of stock into a race in March that was his first of the season when he was overweight instead of paying attention to more recent races.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I was in Fromentine, that day. Those hateful French cheered like fanboys.
Ullrich had gone through the back of the team car window, the day before.


Anyhow, yes, a token, overweight pedal twiddle in Spring, followed by the old disappearing act and viola! flying in July.
Looks pale in that March photo, yet now he's burnt umber, in January.
Hard training on the tanning bed?

 

[Anonymous]

I was in Fromentine, that day. Those hateful French cheered like fanboys.
Ullrich had gone through the back of the team car window, the day before.


Anyhow, yes, a token, overweight pedal twiddle in Spring, followed by the old disappearing act and viola! flying in July.
Looks pale in that March photo, yet now he's burnt umber, in January.
Hard training on the tanning bed?

Don't tanning beds cause cancer?

 

[kurtinsc]

Watch the race at Flanders that year. Quick Step told Armstrong to get off the front as he was slowing the chase! Fat lot of good he did Hincapie.

Again though... he's not a northern classics rider and finished in a pretty solid position despite riding as a domestique. I'm not sure what you were expecting from Armstrong at a race like that.

And while he and the rest of Discovery weren't good enough to pull back the winning break... I'm not sure why Quickstep would be chasing. Boonen was in the lead group. Perhaps you're talking about the initial break of the day.

What exactly were you thinking Armstrong was supposed to do in a cobbled race? Win?

 

[Anonymous]

Again though... he's not a northern classics rider and finished in a pretty solid position despite riding as a domestique. I'm not sure what you were expecting from Armstrong at a race like that.

And while he and the rest of Discovery weren't good enough to pull back the winning break... I'm not sure why Quickstep would be chasing. Boonen was in the lead group. Perhaps you're talking about the initial break of the day.

What exactly were you thinking Armstrong was supposed to do in a cobbled race? Win?

ummm...no, of course not...but he was there supposedly to get Hincapie the win. Watch the race again carefully and see how he rode it btw...never had any idea why he was there besides his statement that it was his favorite race ect ect...

 

[kurtinsc]

ummm...no, of course not...but he was there supposedly to get Hincapie the win. Watch the race again carefully and see how he rode it btw...never had any idea why he was there besides his statement that it was his favorite race ect ect...

I don't have the ability to watch it at the moment... and I didnt' watch anything aside from the Tour at that point. But the cyclingnews recap mentions him pulling at the front to bring back Klobonev, and (unsuccessfully) to bring back the final break. Right now that's all I have to go on.

He couldn't bring back the move with Boonen and company, but I'm not sure if that's suprising. I don't think any of the other GC contenders of that time would have been able to in his place either. I don't see how being unable to pull back a break in April on a cobbled course would in any way preface his performance in July in a grand tour.

 

[Polish]

Vino4Ever & Alberto4OneYear

How should Alberto's new team mates at Astana feel about this news?
(copied from El Imbatido's post from "general news")

Belgian Quick Step team has said that Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will be part of its squad in 2011, enabling it to expand its goals and chase success in cycling’s biggest race.

Speaking at the team presentation in Kortrijk, chief sponsor Frans de **** and general manager Patrick Lefevere suggested the deal was as good as finalised, despite the fact that Contador has himself refused to say what his plans are for next season.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/2...ed&utm_campaign=Feed:+velonation_pro_cycling+