Contador GT triple in 2013 or 2014?

[Parrulo]

I didn't say forcing. A triple or even a Giro-Tour double is a major achievement which can be helped already at the route planning/unveiling stage so hinting in public about a suitable course doesn't hurt.

the thing is that the suitable course he hinted that is actually a proper GT course. this years tour was made with the schlecks in mind and they still managed to mess it up so i think it should be better to just make a balanced course that would suit more people.

 

[Polish]

It is a fact that TdF Winners are getting older.

The average age of a TdF Winner during the 80's was 27 years old.
The average over the last 10 years or so has increased past 30.
And they are not just getting older, they are getting faster.

In 2013, Alberto will be 31.
The same age as Hinault when Hinault won his final TdF.

The fact that we assume, most likely correctly, that "Old Man" Alberto will be strong enough to do GT Doubles or GT Triples at that age is a testament to modern training and technology.

It might be a topic for another thread - this "rider longevity".
Cadel 34. Wiggins and Voeckler 32 and hitting their prime.
Levi and Horner are way up there too.

 

[Greenflame]

With an easier Giro route and some more luck during the Tour, Contador could have won the double this year. I give him a very high change of doing the Tour-Vuelta double next year. After that, if in 2012 or 2013 there's a Giro route with a lot of TT km's and limited mountains he'll defenitely be able to do that double as well.

And if he wins the Giro and Tour in one year and doesn't feel completely exhausted after, why not give the Vuelta a shot as well? Don't know if the triple is possible, it will be very hard to win a Vuelta after having won a Giro and Tour that same year, but I won't say it's impossible for Contador. If anyone can, it's him.

 

[Eric8-A]

Considering the double, he says it can be done with a strong team. He said that a reason he was unable to win the Tour this year was because his team at the Tour wasn't as strong as the one he had at the Giro.

I don't know if he'll say this about doing the triple.

 

[Quixote]

All in a year?

Maybe he could do the TDF and Vuelta in July/August, then the Giro the following May...all in a 12 month period. Still pretty ambitious even for Alberto.

 

[Izzy eviel]

I'm not to sure whether I like the guy or not, but if he tries for the treble I will cheer him all the way. It would be an epic feat.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I can't see the treble ever happening.

 

[greenedge]

I doubt he can achieve the triple.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I think he learned the hard way this year that winning big does not equal winning with enough to able to win again.

6+ minutes may not seem like a lot over 3 weeks, but I think if he learns to save himself more, he could be able to manage a triple. That would mean less contador-esque racing though.

I think its doable, but the circumstances have to be there (easier Giro, less competitive Vuelta, ect.). Schleck will only get more mature, and that may mean he may get better at TTing and descending. So will others, as well. But its doable

 

[Swede1]

If theres a long TTT in the Giro and Tour and he has a really strong team he might be able to do it. The Giro would have to have a long ITT like in 2009 where Contador could put 5 mins into Scarponi and 2 mins into Nibali and then not too difficult mountains so all he had to do was defend. He could then save energy during the Giro, go into the Tour relatively fresh. The Tour would also have to have a long ITT so he could put time into Andy. With a super strong team and a strong Navarro he could hold off attacks in the mountains for a while. If he won those 2 than the Vuelta wouldn't be as hard. Be good in TT and then just hang on. Of course for this to occur the routes would have to be perfect and he would have to have perfect luck without crashing.

 

[crapna]

No f****** chance whatsoever as TGBM and Grandissimo Kruijswijk reach their top forms.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The double is too hard to do nowadays let alone the triple. He'll never do it.

 

[WillemS]

Don't get ahead of yourself. With the current competition, Contador may have a shot at the triple, but we don't know who the contenders are in two years, maybe the youngsters and late-20 revivals will be a match by then. I agree that Contador has an unlikely talent and the probability is not very high that an even talented contender will come up, but there's no guarantee there wouldn't. Contador came and ruled within a short period either, he had some explosive development.

And, mind you, the competition doesn't even have to have as much potential as our gunman, because they probably design their training efforts for just one of GTs, not all.

But, I would love to see Contador do the triple. It would be amazing. I might just be more amazing than any other sport accomplishment I've witnessed so far in my quarter century life.

 

[the asian]

If anybody can win a triple, it will be Contador.
He should win the Tour-Vuelat double next year.
However 2013 will be the 100th Edition of the TDF. The tour will probably have a tough course. Conti will aslo want win such a prestigious edition, so he might not take the risk of doing the Giro.
That leaves 2014, as the most likely year he will attempt the Triple.

 

[c&cfan]

The double is too hard to do nowadays let alone the triple. He'll never do it.

the fact is that Contador is the best stage racer (especially GTs) by a huge margin with potential to become the best ever. if someone can, well... we know for sure that guys like Evans can't, since you must have an exceptionally amazing talent and a great team. Maybe one day Cadel will have a great team but Contador can make all of the contenders look medium-class. He just needs a great team.

And for that (having a great team) maybe one extra rider is enough--Martin or Cancellara-- to be able to do the double.

For the triple he must have a really deep team.

 

[ultimobici]

If anybody can win a triple, it will be Contador.
He should win the Tour-Vuelat double next year.
However 2013 will be the 100th Anniversry of the TDF. The tour will probably have a tough course. Conti will aslo want win such a prestigious edition, so he might not take the risk of doing the Giro.
That leaves 2014, as the most likely year he will attempt the Triple.

You mean the 100th edition of the Tour I presume? Centenary was 2003.

 

[movingtarget]

I can't see the treble ever happening.

Agree. It won't happen. The Giro/Tour has proved almost impossible in the modern age so the triple is a dream.

 

[jamiephillips]

Much will depend on the outcome of the CAS hearing in November and the parcours for future Grand Tours, but if I were Contador I'd stick with trying the Tour/Vuelta double for 2012 and 2013. If he won all those he'd have five TdF titles, putting him up with the legends of cycling in that category. He'd also have ten total Grand Tour wins, putting him one behind Merckx for the all-time lead. That would set him up nicely for a run at the triple in 2014. A Giro win would then tie him with Merckx for total GT wins, and make him the first rider to win each GT at least three times. At that point, he'd pretty much have the "greatest GT racer of all time" title sewn up, so it wouldn't matter much if he wasn't able to win the TdF and/or Vuelta that year.

You make it sound so easy!! Personally I'd be surprised if he did it. Maybe after this year's tour he's had a rethink. Wasn't this just a bit of sensationalism on the part of Riis and himself when he joined Saxo-Bank??

 

[Publicus]

I haven't bothered to read any of the preceding pages (frankly because he's not going for the triple anytime soon), but reading an article today, he dropped that he will be riding Tirreno-Adrianco next year, along with the Tour-Vuelta double. Of course assuming Nov goes well

 

[Publicus]

Agree. It won't happen. The Giro/Tour has proved almost impossible in the modern age so the triple is a dream.

Agree on the triple, disagree that the Giro-Tour double can't be pulled off. Contador's 5th place this year actually made it seem more likely that he could pull it off. He'll need a deeper team than he had at Saxo (and given what little we've heard from Saxo in the transfer market, the team won't be stronger next year either), but I think he can pull it off. But I'm a fan so, take that would a huge smear of chamois butter : )

 

[mb2612]

Agree on the triple, disagree that the Giro-Tour double can't be pulled off. Contador's 5th place this year actually made it seem more likely that he could pull it off. He'll need a deeper team than he had at Saxo (and given what little we've heard from Saxo in the transfer market, the team won't be stronger next year either), but I think he can pull it off. But I'm a fan so, take that would a huge smear of chamois butter : )

Contador beat Schleck if you ignore the first 2 stages, so it's not out the question, especially with an easier Giro.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

How about winning a double first?

Already did it in 2008.

Ah, you were probably referring to Giro-TdF. Yeah, that would be a good start, I agree.

 

[WorldsGreatest]

maybe he should try and do just enough to win the giro rather than tiring himself out winning by 5mins

 

[Angliru]

maybe he should try and do just enough to win the giro rather than tiring himself out winning by 5mins

He could have possibly won by quite a bit more from what I could see. The idea of building a lead on your opponents is to have a cushion in the case of unexpected maladies that could occur like crashes, bonks, errors in tactics/strategy etc...

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

I would love to see him try it, and it would be an incredible feat, but can't see him going for it any time soon. In 2010 Sastre finished top 10 at both Giro and Vuelta and 20th at the Tour, so a good result is clearly possible at all three.