Contador 2011 - Saxo Bank Sungard

[Ryaguas]

But who exactly will he have in his team

I thought this years' Saxo wasn't THAT bad, though i don't remember the roster clearly.

Well they have a good team for just 1 GT... for the other GT they are lacking of artillery

his "dream team" should be:

Contador
Dani Navarro
"Death Mask" Sorensen
Sorensen Nicki
Porte
Larsson
Jesus Hernandez
Vandborg or Noval?

Is a good team tho... but for the hard double you need more support...

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

I can't see why they can't just cut this list in two and give four or three of those super-domestiques for Contador in each GT.

Theoretically speaking, Alberto, in his prime, doesn't even need the team. It's just that in the last Tour he was quite off his usual dominating form.

 

[ingsve]

I hope he crashes and breaks a few bones so he'll be out for a year or two.

 

[Christian]

I hope he crashes and breaks a few bones so he'll be out for a year or two.

Lol can't wait for the comments calling you a sick sadistic sociopath

Anyways, good news: apparently no Paris-Nice

But I'm sure he will win Algarve "Giro style" except this time he won't be coming from the beach but from the courtroom. He wins just about every stage race he enters, people consider that normal ... it's riders who focus on specific races during the year who are suspicious.

 

[Ferminal]

Maybe... but Andrew will be fresh...

Wouldn't it be the ultimate mockery of the Schleck clan if Contador managed to show up after the Giro and still beat them.

 

[ingsve]

Lol can't wait for the comments calling you a sick sadistic sociopath

Anyways, good news: apparently no Paris-Nice

But I'm sure he will win Algarve "Giro style" except this time he won't be coming from the beach but from the courtroom. He wins just about every stage race he enters, people consider that normal ... it's riders who focus on specific races during the year who are suspicious.

Well, in my mind he should be suspended and doesn't deserve to be riding. Then again if race organizers actively start to boycott him instead then that's something I would be happy with as well.

 

[Publicus]

I hope he crashes and breaks a few bones so he'll be out for a year or two.

Awesome. Simply awesome.

 

[c&cfan]

awsome would contador win the giro and them kill the schleks in the alps. lol

i bet andy would stop riding and contador would be considered the best stage racer ever even before 30.

how great is that?

 

[scribe]

Anybody wanna celebrate Contador's clearing by going to a steakhouse?

I am too askeered!

 

[Havetts]

i bet andy would stop riding and contador would be considered the best stage racer ever even before 30.

I bet Contador would be considered something that belongs in a different subforum...

 

[jaylew]

I hope he crashes and breaks a few bones so he'll be out for a year or two.

I understand you're upset about RFEC decision, but don't you think that's a bit overboard? At the very least, your anger seems a bit misplaced.

Well they have a good team for just 1 GT... for the other GT they are lacking of artillery

his "dream team" should be:

Contador
Dani Navarro
"Death Mask" Sorensen
Sorensen Nicki
Porte
Larsson
Jesus Hernandez
Vandborg or Noval?

That's only 8, so they could take both.

 

[ak-zaaf]

I bet Contador would be considered something that belongs in a different subforum...

Is there an 'all time greats' subforum now?

 

[c&cfan]

well havetts, he would be considered something similar to what he already his, just like ALL the other champions and some guys that even with that (or something worse\better) cant win (andy for example.)

kill one?murderer
kill them all? hero.

 

[ingsve]

I understand you're upset about RFEC decision, but don't you think that's a bit overboard? At the very least, your anger seems a bit misplaced.

Well, it's not really anger. Just dramatic flare. As for it being misplaced then I don't think so. Contador being visible in the peloton when he should be no where near it at this point is far more damaging than the total corruption of the spanish federation which while obvious is not as in your face as Contador being allowed to ride.

When the system doesn't work then all that's left is to hope for poetic justice instead.

 

[Ryaguas]

That's only 8, so they could take both.

Ye I know... I just left the door open for other rider... and I dont know what to take... Climber or Rolleur...

 

[c&cfan]

so whats the solution? andy?

 

[The Hitch]

He wins just about every stage race he enters, people consider that normal ... it's riders who focus on specific races during the year who are suspicious.

No, both are considered suspicious.

Dont pretend people here say Contador is doing it all clean and ganging up on poor baby schleck. Thats dishonest.

 

[skidmark]

If Alberto's aquittal is overturned and he ends up with a ban, will his results in the interim be voided as Valverde's were?

I was thinking about this today and it seems like a convenient thing for Saxo Bank to have Contador free to ride (cleared by the Spanish fed) until after the Giro (appeal to CAS which will surely net a ban), where he could very well win.

Then, if his CAS outcome is a 1-year ban let's say, he would have the already served six months (August-February, when he wouldn't have raced anyway), get to count his results from now to the Giro (as Valverde did with the Vuelta and all of 2009; CAS said they had 'no reason to believe he doped in that time), then get suspended for July-December or something and be back next season. If he will get a ban, it's kind of like 'well, you lose your tour 2010, there's nothing you can do about it, and any suspension (1 year or 2) is going to mean you miss the tour 2011, but we can give you some results in between'.

Good for Saxo - if they don't have their marquee signing for the world's biggest race, they have him for the second biggest. Good for the UCi - somewhat assuages a sponsor that only stayed on board because of Contador. Good for Contador. Good for the Tour - the official disqualification of Contador will be in doubt for some time, and I'm sure the casual fan will not be sure whether to believe Contador doped... plus then when he comes back, it can be a Contador vs. Andy showdown.

By 'good', I of course mean 'better than a straight up ban'.

btw, what happened with Valverde there and CAS? I'm not sure why they let him keep his 2009 results but backdated his 2010 suspension. It almost seems as if they wrote their decision out before January 1st but it got hung up procedurally until May.

 

[ingsve]

I was thinking about this today and it seems like a convenient thing for Saxo Bank to have Contador free to ride (cleared by the Spanish fed) until after the Giro (appeal to CAS which will surely net a ban), where he could very well win.

Then, if his CAS outcome is a 1-year ban let's say, he would have the already served six months (August-February, when he wouldn't have raced anyway), get to count his results from now to the Giro (as Valverde did with the Vuelta and all of 2009; CAS said they had 'no reason to believe he doped in that time), then get suspended for July-December or something and be back next season. If he will get a ban, it's kind of like 'well, you lose your tour 2010, there's nothing you can do about it, and any suspension (1 year or 2) is going to mean you miss the tour 2011, but we can give you some results in between'.

Good for Saxo - if they don't have their marquee signing for the world's biggest race, they have him for the second biggest. Good for the UCi - somewhat assuages a sponsor that only stayed on board because of Contador. Good for Contador. Good for the Tour - the official disqualification of Contador will be in doubt for some time, and I'm sure the casual fan will not be sure whether to believe Contador doped... plus then when he comes back, it can be a Contador vs. Andy showdown.

By 'good', I of course mean 'better than a straight up ban'.

btw, what happened with Valverde there and CAS? I'm not sure why they let him keep his 2009 results but backdated his 2010 suspension. It almost seems as if they wrote their decision out before January 1st but it got hung up procedurally until May.

The Valverde suspension officially started on January 1st 2010 so all racing he did in 2010 was removed.

If Contador eventually gets suspended this will depend on from what date that suspension counts. The most probable thing is that he will get suspended from the time it was first announced which was late august sometime. That would mean that all results he gets now would get stripped and all racing he does will be tainted by his presence. Imagine that he goes to the Giro and wins by crushing people in the mountains. If he then gets suspended there is no telling how the Giro would have ended without his influence.

 

[The Hitch]

The Valverde suspension officially started on January 1st 2010 so all racing he did in 2010 was removed.

If Contador eventually gets suspended this will depend on from what date that suspension counts. The most probable thing is that he will get suspended from the time it was first announced which was late august sometime. That would mean that all results he gets now would get stripped and all racing he does will be tainted by his presence. Imagine that he goes to the Giro and wins by crushing people in the mountains. If he then gets suspended there is no telling how the Giro would have ended without his influence.

It would be problematic taking the Giro away.

Taking away Valverdes races was nothing. He was probably just glad to keep his Vuelta.

Valverde has more stage race victories than pretty much any current rider has stage victories in gts.

Taking away a Romandie and 2 podiums meant nothing. People dont care so much that you changed the winner in Romandie a month after the fact.

But the Giro is a whole different ball game.

Also your comment about the injury ingsve made me thing back to Contadors horrible injury in the Vuelta a Asturias where he was shaking like mad on the floor and almost died. Maybe he did his time before he got caught.

 

[Publicus]

The Valverde suspension officially started on January 1st 2010 so all racing he did in 2010 was removed.

If Contador eventually gets suspended this will depend on from what date that suspension counts. The most probable thing is that he will get suspended from the time it was first announced which was late august sometime. That would mean that all results he gets now would get stripped and all racing he does will be tainted by his presence. Imagine that he goes to the Giro and wins by crushing people in the mountains. If he then gets suspended there is no telling how the Giro would have ended without his influence.

I imagine they could tack the periods together. He was provisionally suspend through the last 3+ months plus most of January 2011, so that's 4 months. If they want to suspend him for a full year, they could allow him to retain whatever results he obtains between now and his suspension, and simply extend his suspension for the remainder of 2011 and 2012 to round out the 1 or 2 year suspension. I think the distinction between Valverde and AC's situation, at no time was Valverde actually suspend by the UCI (only suspended in Italy) until the final order was issued by CAS.

 

[Pelican]

Think About It...

First up, I don't know if AC is innocent or guilty - not sure anyone except AC knows that for sure - but just for a minute, think about what if he was innocent; what if it was the beef? If I were a successful professional cyclist, who was subjected to regular tests wherever/whenever, then I would have a constant fear about the WADA Strict Liability policy. What if the restaurant I ate at used some sort of organic herb in the sauce that will test positive; what if the sleeping tab I've been taking for jet-lag due to all my travel contains a micro-amount of some illegal substance; what if my penis enlargement meds contain a banned substance... you get the picture. While WADA and teams issue updated banned lists, it would be very, very hard to live a life with that thought constantly in the back of your mind.

I'm not blaming the system, but I do think it is flawed. I think because the UCI were lenient on drugs for so long and then all of a sudden had to be perceived to be hard on drugs, the quick fix systems they put in the place are significantly flawed. I think it is a complete travesty that Tom Zirbel is serving a two-year ban for inadvertently ingesting DHEA in a supplement <http://www.atwistedspoke.com/tom-zirbel-position-altered/>. It is just too onerous for bike riders (who are tested more than any other athlete) to monitor every single thing that goes into their body. No other human-being has this impost put on them. And it is too short-sighted of the UCI and WADA to hand out two-year suspensions willy-nilly in cases that obviously involve innocent athletes.

I don't know what the answer is, I'm sure with some hard-work the UCI and WADA could come up with a set of guidelines that catch the cheats but treat those who are obviously innocent or unlucky with some compassion.

I've been saddened to read all the vitriol towards Alberto in this blog; and by the greater cycling community. I believe deeply in what BikePure is doing, I wear a wristband, but as a pro-rider said to me over the NY, the guys at BikePure are just fans with a good message. They should stop offering opinion and judgment when they know no more than the average punter. Sure, keep fighting the good fight and spreading the good word, but don't pretend you're in a position to offer genuine insight.

Any how, that's my 2c worth... I don't know if he's a drug cheat or just unlucky... I can accept that with the amount of testing he's gone through it wouldn't be hard to be unlucky... and I guess I want to believe he's not a cheat; he doesn't seem like the type.

 

[ingsve]

snip

 

[Ferminal]

First up, I don't know if AC is innocent or guilty - not sure anyone except AC knows that for sure - but just for a minute, think about what if he was innocent; what if it was the beef? If I were a successful professional cyclist, who was subjected to regular tests wherever/whenever, then I would have a constant fear about the WADA Strict Liability policy. What if the restaurant I ate at used some sort of organic herb in the sauce that will test positive; what if the sleeping tab I've been taking for jet-lag due to all my travel contains a micro-amount of some illegal substance; what if my penis enlargement meds contain a banned substance... you get the picture. While WADA and teams issue updated banned lists, it would be very, very hard to live a life with that thought constantly in the back of your mind.

I'm not blaming the system, but I do think it is flawed. I think because the UCI were lenient on drugs for so long and then all of a sudden had to be perceived to be hard on drugs, the quick fix systems they put in the place are significantly flawed. I think it is a complete travesty that Tom Zirbel is serving a two-year ban for inadvertently ingesting DHEA in a supplement <http://www.atwistedspoke.com/tom-zirbel-position-altered/>. It is just too onerous for bike riders (who are tested more than any other athlete) to monitor every single thing that goes into their body. No other human-being has this impost put on them. And it is too short-sighted of the UCI and WADA to hand out two-year suspensions willy-nilly in cases that obviously involve innocent athletes.

I don't know what the answer is, I'm sure with some hard-work the UCI and WADA could come up with a set of guidelines that catch the cheats but treat those who are obviously innocent or unlucky with some compassion.

I've been saddened to read all the vitriol towards Alberto in this blog; and by the greater cycling community. I believe deeply in what BikePure is doing, I wear a wristband, but as a pro-rider said to me over the NY, the guys at BikePure are just fans with a good message. They should stop offering opinion and judgment when they know no more than the average punter. Sure, keep fighting the good fight and spreading the good word, but don't pretend you're in a position to offer genuine insight.

Any how, that's my 2c worth... I don't know if he's a drug cheat or just unlucky... I can accept that with the amount of testing he's gone through it wouldn't be hard to be unlucky... and I guess I want to believe he's not a cheat; he doesn't seem like the type.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=12396

 

[Carstenbf]

What if the restaurant I ate at used some sort of organic herb in the sauce that will test positive; what if the sleeping tab I've been taking for jet-lag due to all my travel contains a micro-amount of some illegal substance; what if my penis enlargement meds contain a banned substance... you get the picture.

I made this argument recently, and was told that you have to exceed a certain threshold to get a positive test, hence eliminating such accidental ingestion.

For some reason Clenbuterol doesn't have such a threshold value. Sounds like an easy fix to me though.


(not exactly an expert in this area, just reporting what I've been told)