Contador vs LA 2010

[Anonymous]

It'll be epic.

Remember how ****ty LA's '09 season was?

Again, just sayin'

Give him 11 well prepared months.

 

[ilillillli]

It'll be epic.

Remember how ****ty LA's '09 season was?

Again, just sayin'

Give him 11 well prepared months.

dude, not another thread.

 

[Publicus]

It'll be epic.

Remember how ****ty LA's '09 season was?

Again, just sayin'

Give him 11 well prepared months.

And he still gets his saddle handed to him by Contador and Andy Schleck.

 

[scribe]

Possibly Contador, if the Lone Ranger has a team good enough beyond the sprint from the car to him with water bottles. Shrek will be pressed to stay ahead of an Armstrong know that is not relegated to marking the wheels of 4th-6th placed riders.

 

[Carl0880]

Lets wait till they announce the race route for next year before making predictions. The route does have alot to do with it

 

[Anonymous]

Typical, the "wait till next year" has already begun. Obviously a bunch of Cubs fans...

 

[Carl0880]

Typical, the "wait till next year" has already begun. Obviously a bunch of Cubs fans...

I am saying it because a) you don't what the course is
b) don't know who the riders will be in it whether is due to personal choice or because of crashes. At the end of the 2003 TDF, everyone would have said Ulrich, Armstrong and Vino for 2004, but then by the time we got to 2004 TDF, Vino was out with injury.

That is why its no use going ahead and claiming favorites. Heck Andy is young, maybe he want to give Giro a go next year instead of the Tour. NOouse trying to predict what building is going in a new spot until you have seen the groundwork set.

 

[Andre.J]

Of course, there will be Basso, Valverde, to contend with. Stronger Kreuziger, Schlecks, VDB, Nibali, Sanchez and then there will be Contador who could beat Lance with an aluminum bike.

Andre

 

[Futuroscope]

It'll be epic.

Remember how ****ty LA's '09 season was?

Again, just sayin'

Give him 11 well prepared months.

contador will beat lance by an even larger margin next year, when he has a team that is actually helping him and not trying to hold him back.

that is, if both guys make it to the TDF.

 

[richwagmn]

contador will beat lance by an even larger margin next year, when he has a team that is actually helping him and not trying to hold him back.

that is, if both guys make it to the TDF.

For sure. Contador probably wins Ventoux if he doesn't have to worry about LA's ego. Again, Armstrong doesn't have the top end of the best climbers. We saw it at the Giro and we saw it at the TDF.

 

[quadsRme]

Typical, the "wait till next year" has already begun. Obviously a bunch of Cubs fans...

At least we have a baseball team, and a hockey team and a football team to say wait until next year.

What pro teams does NC have??

 

[Futuroscope]

For sure. Contador probably wins Ventoux if he doesn't have to worry about LA's ego. Again, Armstrong doesn't have the top end of the best climbers. We saw it at the Giro and we saw it at the TDF.

yes, todays race would have certainly been a battle between contador and andy schleck if they had raced only for themselves.
both guys would have been atleast 2min ahead of everyone else.

 

[benpounder]

And he still gets his saddle handed to him by Contador and Andy Schleck.

As will everyone else.

If either had teams that weren't distracted, e.g. if they has a LA style USPostal team behind them either would have been miles ahead.

With all the hype over the years we may have two riders that are reasonable close in all aspects of GT competition. (well except that Andy seems to listens to his seniors and DS' whereas Alberto thinks he's smart enough to do it on his own.)

 

[Publicus]

As will everyone else.

If either had teams that weren't distracted, e.g. if they has a LA style USPostal team behind them either would have been miles ahead.

With all the hype over the years we may have two riders that are reasonable close in all aspects of GT competition. (well except that Andy seems to listens to his seniors and DS' whereas Alberto thinks he's smart enough to do it on his own.)

I think this was purely situational. If Armstrong isn't there, Contador places his full trust in JB. I don't think you see a repeat next year.

 

[richwagmn]

I think this was purely situational. If Armstrong isn't there, Contador places his full trust in JB. I don't think you see a repeat next year.

I agree. Contador was certainly in a difficult situation this year. With a team racing for Contador, it'll be a different situation.

I sort of understand now what JB is doing staying with LA. First, and most obvious, is his friendship with LA. But secondly, he said he was getting bored with the whole thing. Staying with AC is certainly the easy way to get more GT wins. But winning with LA is the greater challenge for JB.

 

[Anonymous]

At least we have a baseball team, and a hockey team and a football team to say wait until next year.

What pro teams does NC have??

Well, my city has the Panthers and Bobcats. Raleigh has the Huricanes, and nobody wants baseball because it is more boring than (edited by moderator9.

 

[pedaling squares]

Lets wait till they announce the race route for next year before making predictions. The route does have alot to do with it

That's very true. The inclusion/exclusion of a TTT will make a big difference, as will the length of the TT's. This year having only 1 short TT and 1 medium TT may have helped F. Schleck, although the way LA and BW were dropping off the pace in Annecy, maybe not. Lots of steep punchy mtns vs long steady mtns will also make a difference. Biggest thing of course is the composition of the teams, and nobody can predict that one too accurately yet. I would love to see this year's podium finishers return next year, each with a team dedicated to getting him the overall victory. That would make for a much better TDF.

 

[scribe]

I can't see the route being better planned than it was this year. The more uphill finishes you have, the wider the gap is on the leader board. I think a 3 minute split between each contender with a week left to race is worst case scenario for the organizers.

 

[ElVaca]

The route will play a big roll in the results of the 2010 TdF. Normally you'd say more TT miles would hurt the climbers in the overall, AC wasn't hurt at all by the TT. Will there be a TTT to favor the stronger teams? How many mtn top finishes?

 

[ilillillli]

Well, my city has the Panthers and Bobcats. Raleigh has the Huricanes, and nobody wants baseball because it is more boring than watching (moderated)

yeah, hockey in north carolina. that's where it's at.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

And he still gets his saddle handed to him by Contador and Andy Schleck.

I would say that it depends on whether Radio Shack is invited to the Tour next year; whether there is a TTT; what mountains and where there are placed in the race; who ends up on the Radio Shack team - who ends up on the Saxo Bank team - and, who Contador rides for.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

For sure. Contador probably wins Ventoux if he doesn't have to worry about LA's ego. Again, Armstrong doesn't have the top end of the best climbers. We saw it at the Giro and we saw it at the TDF.

LA did not have the top end of Andy and Contador - he seemed to have marked Frank fairly well today (although it did appear that Frank had a bad day ~ I also thought it appeared that Contador had a bad day as well=he had to work more than usual). It appears to me that LA is still one of the top five GC contenders in climbing, probably holding down third place. Hard to say about next year since he will be older, perhaps more prepared - a lot depends on the team he has and avoiding injuries.

 

[scribe]

There is a long list of climbers that Armstrong dropped along the way. Andy and the Lone Ranger are clearly better at the moment.

 

[Zackmark]

Well, my city has the Panthers and Bobcats. Raleigh has the Huricanes, and nobody wants baseball because it is more boring than watching two flies fuck.

Now that's funny...

 

[Señor_Contador]

I sure hope LA comes back to his bestest shape. I mean... this year he was 98% there so, it's all a question of whether that 2% improvement will be enough or not.

Do I think LA has a chance vs Contador in the climbs? Nope. Do I think LA can beat Contador in the TT? Pretty much even although, in a long TT, I'd give the slight advantage to LA. How about the TTT? It depends on what team Contador ends up in. If the Spaniard ends up in a strong TTT team then it's pretty much lights out for LA, because he will be put on a defensive stance most of the race.