Contador looking gimpy in stage 8?

[_yngve_]

Just finished watching stage 8, and it seemed like AC was favoring his left leg on the last climb. Each attack looked like a mix of lunge-smooth from left to right pedal stroke. Am I seeing things? Have I missed this in past years? Or is he nursing an injury...

 

[LaFlorecita]

In the stage 8 thread there were some people who noticed this, and I saw it too. He fell hard on his right knee during stage 6 (?). I don't know if he does it because of that, but I've never seen it before and he had quite a pained expression on his face.

 

[fatsprintking]

My wife noticed this straight away. I was slightly distracted by his "face of pain". He looks like he is riding with the rear brake stuck on. Maybe he just gets the gimp up when he is really struggling and we are just not used to seeing him get ripped a new ring.

 

[Kwibus]

Just watched it and I don't see it.. at all.

 

[fujitourer]

Just watched it and I don't see it.. at all.

I saw it very close to the end, when Tony Martin (I think) made a move, Cadel Evans followed it and then Contador put in an effort to keep up, with Andy Schleck on his wheel. He definitely appeared to be favouring his left leg.

 

[JPM London]

I doubt it would be an actual problem to use the right - if so he wouldn't atack and merely keep position. I think maybe he's avoiding the risk of over exerting the leg - the more days that pass the more it heals and it wouldn't be good to mess it up before the real mountains...

 

[Spider1964]

It looked like he was limping... pedalling squares as they say.

Rest day can't come quick enough for the whole peloton... esp Alberta.

 

[Woody22]

Just watched a replay of the final km and I believe he is having trouble bending his right elbow and this is affecting his style. I noticed he had some sort of adhesive on his elbow as well as a result of his fall.
Still, don't think it will cause him too many problems.

 

[Cimber]

Am just gonna repost what I put in the stage-thread about this topic:

My first impression of Contador on the last climb was that he looked tired. But even when he is tired his face seldomly reflects that kind of agony so I was inclined to agree with the people who suggest that he might have injured his knee. His style today was so not Contador. Even a cooked Contador usually looks different.

But after comparing stage 4 to stage 8 I think its obvious that he also prefers his left side on stage 4. Maybe fatigue just made it more obvious.

Have a peak for yourself:

Stage 4: http://tour.tv2.dk/video/index.php/nodeId-41446226.html

Stage 8: http://tour.tv2.dk/article.php/id-41582146:tv-se-contador-angribe-schleck.html

 

[Midnightfright]

Am just gonna repost what I put in the stage-thread about this topic:

My first impression of Contador on the last climb was that he looked tired. But even when he is tired his face seldomly reflects that kind of agony so I was inclined to agree with the people who suggest that he might have injured his knee. His style today was so not Contador. Even a cooked Contador usually looks different.

But after comparing stage 4 to stage 8 I think its obvious that he also prefers his left side on stage 4. Maybe fatigue just made it more obvious.

Have a peak for yourself:

Stage 4: http://tour.tv2.dk/video/index.php/nodeId-41446226.html

Stage 8: http://tour.tv2.dk/article.php/id-41582146:tv-se-contador-angribe-schleck.html

he could well be a fatigue thing like Cadel and his head tilt. I guess its hard to real day because we just aren't really used to seeing him suffer

 

[hrotha]

What caught my attention wasn't his face, which is IMO pretty irrelevant, but the unorthodox way he pedalled when he got off his saddle. Certainly looked odd, and if he's not pedalling right because of a knee injury in one leg that's a fine way to get an injury in the other leg.

 

[roundabout]

he could well be a fatigue thing like Cadel and his head tilt. I guess its hard to real day because we just aren't really used to seeing him suffer

Yes, it's a bit difficult to describe, but sometimes you can see that Contador is less comfortable than usual.

See the way he tilts his head on the Zoncolan for example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EylAXvrsJ8&feature=player_detailpage#t=404s

 

[Publicus]

What caught my attention wasn't his face, which is IMO pretty irrelevant, but the unorthodox way he pedalled when he got off his saddle. Certainly looked odd, and if he's not pedalling right because of a knee injury in one leg that's a fine way to get an injury in the other leg.

I didn't notice it until he tried to close the gap to Cuddles, but it is definitely there.

 

[Cimber]

Try to watch the videos again, guys. He does the same on stage 4, its just more obvious on stage 8 (probably cos of fatigue)

 

[Dermie]

He definitely has got a peddling issue when putting in to stay with Cadel.
And right now on stage 9 he has had an off with no support to get back to the peloton.
At the moment he is not the AC he has been. Now he has had a bike change again w/ no team to help him back on

 

[cineteq]

What caught my attention wasn't his face, which is IMO pretty irrelevant, but the unorthodox way he pedalled when he got off his saddle. Certainly looked odd, and if he's not pedalling right because of a knee injury in one leg that's a fine way to get an injury in the other leg.

Yup, it was very noticeable...like he has no rhythm...the Giro has taken a toll on him...

 

[Carols]

I don't believe I've seen his normal fluid powerful action in this race at all. On the 2 climbs where he has made a real effort he has not appeared to be the Contador I am accustomed to witnessing. Plus he has never appeared 'comfortable' to me at any time. IMO this makes the race 'wide open'.

Evans is riding better at the Tour, then I've seen him in years. Andy who knows? He looked good sticking to Contador's wheel yesterday but that's all we've seen of him, aside from sticking to Bottle's wheel in stage 4.

I have no emotional investment in who wins, aside from hoping it Isn't Andy. Maybe I'm old school, (I am old), but he isn't a bike racer to me. He doesn't ride like a winner all season, and watching him get dragged around by Spartacus and company may be great tactics, but it shows weakness in all disciplines except mountain climbing to me.

Surely I'd like to see the 'Strongest Man' win, regardless of who that is. It's a shame that the first week of crashes and mayhem may deprive us of that, and the luckiest man may win. But le Tour has a way of finding the strongest man.....

 

[warmfuzzies]

Contador has fallen twice so far in the Tour. I think these crashes reduce his ability to win/podium. Other factors suggesting he will not be as strong this year include his participation in the Giro, plus fewer Spanish steaks.

 

[cineteq]

"I dragged pain throughout the stage," he said. The cyclist said he caught the handlebars of your bike with the saddle of another rider and that propelled him to the side of the road where he crashed with some spectators'"

This is the Karpets incident...

http://www.marca.com/2011/07/10/ciclismo/tour_francia/1310314630.html

 

[JA.Tri]

Stage 8 irregular pedalling technique

I ascribed his problems to knee injury. AC has taken a hammering like never before. Given all his difficulties, he appears to be holding up (physically and psychologically) remarkably well...

As to how he goes from here on in... who knows???

 

[ggusta]

There is a new press note in the Alberto Contador official website press room

Email/post to his website:
You can also visit this in the official website here http://www.albertocontador.es/prensa.detalle.php?id=636

Alberto Contador had no luck now and again suffered a fall, this time caused by a hang of its handlebar with the seat of Vladimir Karpets. “It was an accident”, said the leader of Saxo Bank-Sungard, “but as the stage passed I felt more pain in my right knee and am a bit worried because the last few days I felt some annoyances in the same right knee. It has now been on the interior side, I hope that today and plus tomorrow, with lots of ice, I can recover”.

If you see the other posts they are generally MUCH more optimistic ALWAYS than this one. Even on bad days. We'll see. I don't think today felt good at all.


[Apology for cross posting to 2 threads, this is also in the stage 9 thread]

 

[JPM London]

he could well be a fatigue thing like Cadel and his head tilt. I guess its hard to real day because we just aren't really used to seeing him suffer

When Conti's fatigued his elbows sort of hang low - a good example is last year's Tour when Andy has him on the ropes.

With the added comments from Conti and Saxo Bank it seems to be the knee acting up and not fatigue at all...

 

[Cimber]

Well after todays' crash his knee is definately hurt. We will end up with only having the Schlecks left cos every one else crash our or are gibped by crashed. REally really to freaking bad for the race. Am so gutted how all these crashes ruin the race.

Btw in the Marca article he says that he hurt the same knee again, so you might be right about your theories for stage 8 where he seemed to put more power in his left leg.

EDIT: to Danish media Contador also confirms that it is the same knee that he hurt before (the right one) meaning that its very likely that he was gimped by the knee on stage 8.

EDIT2: just read that he now confirms that he has already have a little problems with his right knee for a few days and todays' crash made it alot worse. So you were right about what u read into stage 8.

http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/contador_har_knaesmerter/
(use google to translate it from Danish)

This might be the very reason that Contador is talking the pyrenees down a little and says that the alps will be more important. Andy has a chance to KO Contador in the pyrenees if Contador still have knee problems then. And unfortunately knee injuries usually get worse when your keep pressure them by racing, so Contador's hope that it will get better by the alps might be very slim.

I guess Evans might be the last bastion we can hope for to fend off the Schlecks.

 

[hfer07]

after a series of crashes-"starting from the very stage 1"-anyone can realize that those crashes have wore him out a bit and have had an effect on him-and counting that he's carrying some fatigue from the Giro-I'd say overall he's doing great.

 

[Gingerale]

I still don't see it. I don't see the gimp or limp, that is.

But he has admitted dragging pain around with him since the first crash. Or. maybe he came to the tour with knee pain? Is knee pain from the TdF crash or what?

That marca link some1 posted on stage 9 thread isn't clear about what's up.

He says it's important to stay optimistic and get to the Pyrenees. Even with Google translate it's hard to know what Conti is saying. So, it is tough to speculate. I'll hate it if he has to leave the tour.

He will probably give us more statements tomorrow. I wait for that and hope for the best.