Contador

[saunaking]

I'm a Contador fan, but what's up with him never winning any one-day races?
A cyclist of his class should have some one day races in his palmares

His characteristics should suit some of the hilly spring classics and Il Lombardia. Has he even raced Lombardia?

He has almost as many GT wins as stage wins in those GTs!!

In fact take out ITTs and he probably has won more GTs than GT road stages.

Is he not suited to the one day races? Or does he just not target them (and why not)?

 

[Richeypen]

Contador's biggest asset is his recovery. Thats why he is so dominate at GTs.

 

[Afrank]

Contador is like Armstrong focused solely on grand tours, he has competed in a couple classics but he doesn't focus on them like he does the grand tours. I do think though if he did focus on and build up his form for the classics he could probably win one.

 

[Parrulo]

contador is not like armstrong, saying that is an offence to contador, armstrong didn't focused on GT's he focused on the tour, contador focus on all the important stage races in calender, GT's or not and is always there to win.

also he gives away too many stages in GT's imo just look at last years giro: one to rujano, arguably another to anton, then to tiralongo and then he didn't even put an effort on the itt and still finished thrid.

i recall reading somewhere that he would go for the tour-vuelta double this year and next year add the classics to list of races he wants to peak for

 

[Afrank]

contador is not like armstrong, saying that is an offence to contador, armstrong didn't focused on GT's he focused on the tour, contador focus on all the important stage races in calender, GT's or not and is always there to win.

also he gives away too many stages in GT's imo just look at last years giro: one to rujano, arguably another to anton, then to tiralongo and then he didn't even put an effort on the itt and still finished thrid.

By comparing Contador to Armstrong I meant Armstrong foucused only on the Tour de France (a grand tour), just like Contador focus on all the grand tours, all I was saying was they are both grand tour riders.
I definitely agree with you on Contador giving away too many stages, a rider as dominant as him should have more stage wins. Even Merckx criticised his gifting stages.

 

[cineteq]

Contador is like Armstrong focused solely on grand tours, he has competed in a couple classics but he doesn't focus on them like he does the grand tours.

Ladies and gents, this is a good example of an understatement.

 

[saunaking]

contador is not like armstrong, saying that is an offence to contador, armstrong didn't focused on GT's he focused on the tour, contador focus on all the important stage races in calender, GT's or not and is always there to win.

I don't really agree that Contador focus on all the GTs, he won the Giro & Vuelta because his team was banned from the Tour that year, he only rode (and won) the Giro last year because at the time it was thought the CAS decision would come before the tour and he wanted to race the Giro in case he was banned from the tour. So to me all his Giro & Vuelta wins were in years he was unable or uncertain to ride the tour.

 

[Forunculo]

I don't really agree that Contador focus on all the GTs, he won the Giro & Vuelta because his team was banned from the Tour that year, he only rode (and won) the Giro last year because at the time it was thought the CAS decision would come before the tour and he wanted to race the Giro in case he was banned from the tour. So to me all his Giro & Vuelta wins were in years he was unable or uncertain to ride the tour.

If he goes to Vuelta I quote you

 

[WinterRider]

If he ever got to the finish line of a one day race near the lead, his first instinct would be to gift the win to someone else.

Exhibit A: La Flèche Wallonne 2010

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

In 2010 at Criterium International Vino and entire team did their bests to put him on top but he blew it i think at the last km.
That same year he was really prominent at LBL, and was actually considered contender number one as i recall, but ended up just working as a distraction for the main man.

 

[Cimber]

By comparing Contador to Armstrong I meant Armstrong foucused only on the Tour de France (a grand tour), just like Contador focus on all the grand tours, all I was saying was they are both grand tour riders.
I definitely agree with you on Contador giving away too many stages, a rider as dominant as him should have more stage wins. Even Merckx criticised his gifting stages.

Contador also win alot of other stage races than Grand Tours (well in honesty most of the ones he participate in)

 

[gregrowlerson]

By comparing Contador to Armstrong I meant Armstrong foucused only on the Tour de France (a grand tour), just like Contador focus on all the grand tours, all I was saying was they are both grand tour riders.
I definitely agree with you on Contador giving away too many stages, a rider as dominant as him should have more stage wins. Even Merckx criticised his gifting stages.

I agree that Contador is a Tour first GT rider, but as a difference to Armstrong Contador is often very competitive in early season one week races such as Algarve, Paris-Nice, T-A and Pais Vasco. And he is highlighting this trait right now in Argentina.

 

[virandociclista]

Let's forget about this Armstrong. He is now police problem.

Contador did not win one day races because he not focus on this yet. As the movistar avatar said, next year he will try and (probably) will win.

 

[Nilsson]

He has never focussed on them. Firstly, because it doesn't really seem to fit in with his stage-racing ambitions - which is probably due tot the fact it's not really in the Spanish (cycling) culture to focus one one day races, especially if you're such a phenomanal stage racer. Secondly, we can't forget Contador has an allergy problem, which will always be a problem in the April classics...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Let's forget about this Armstrong. He is now police problem.

Contador did not win one day races because he not focus on this yet. As the movistar avatar said, next year he will try and (probably) will win.

Lol @ "the movistar avatar"

 

[Walkman]

contador is not like armstrong, saying that is an offence to contador, armstrong didn't focused on GT's he focused on the tour, contador focus on all the important stage races in calender, GT's or not and is always there to win.

also he gives away too many stages in GT's imo just look at last years giro: one to rujano, arguably another to anton, then to tiralongo and then he didn't even put an effort on the itt and still finished thrid.

i recall reading somewhere that he would go for the tour-vuelta double this year and next year add the classics to list of races he wants to peak for

Come on, he didn't give Anton anything on Zoncolan. Anton earned that victory!

 

[Beech Mtn]

Let's forget about this Armstrong. He is now police problem.

Contador did not win one day races because he not focus on this yet. As the movistar avatar said, next year he will try and (probably) will win.

This is so awesome, I had to make it my signature.

 

[issoisso]

Come on, he didn't give Anton anything on Zoncolan. Anton earned that victory!

He attacked, made it up to Antón, then basically stopped dead to drop back to Nibali.
Then at the end he attacked Nibali and dropped him by about 50m in a few seconds, then stopped to let Nibali catch him again. Just to show he could

That was definitely a gift to Antón.

Even Nibali criticized him for doing it.

 

[Sciocco]

I do not see a problem with Alberto giving away GT stage wins. He likes to give them to people who work with him on the climb, people who may never get stage wins (or very rarely), or his buddies. Having friends in the peloton is not a bad thing.

 

[Mambo95]

He doesn't do one days races much as they don't play to his strengths. I may be wrong, but I can never remember him winning anything serious from a small group finish. It's always solo.

Basically, he's a lousy sprinter and would probably lose a sprint finish to almost all the hilly classics riders on the finishes to Amstel or LBL, which aren't especially steep (Fleche, he'd have a better shot at). (And before you fans point to his accelerations in the middle of a mountain attack, that's a different kettle of fish to a sprint finish).

So to win one he'd most likely have to go solo, which is a lot easier said than done. There's no 10km mountains for him to work with.

There's no shame in sticking to what you're good at.

 

[ferryman]

A fully fit and motivated Contador at any of the hilly Ardennes or Lombadria starts as favourite. Lets hope as a previous poster suggests we see him target them in 2013 (after he has sated himself with Le Tour and Vuelta this year)

 

[Arnout]

He attacked, made it up to Antón, then basically stopped dead to drop back to Nibali.
Then at the end he attacked Nibali and dropped him by about 50m in a few seconds, then stopped to let Nibali catch him again. Just to show he could

That was definitely a gift to Antón.

Even Nibali criticized him for doing it.

It wasn't. In the last km Contador went full throttle, made up 5 seconds to Anton. Anton was simply better that day.

Contador dropped Nibali, but didn't have the power to exploit the gap.

This doesn't look like playing right: http://www.grassyknolltv.com/2011/giro-d-italia/photos/stage-14/287-PIC197854363.jpg

 

[Old School]

Ah, the hate of Eddy on Contador...think about it. Eddy had to win as much as he could back in the day because winning meant more $$$. It's different today, with guys specializing in stage racing, classic winning, and TTing.

 

[Parrulo]

Lol @ "the movistar avatar"

pretty funny isn't it contador avatar?

 

[virandociclista]

pretty funny isn't it contador avatar?

Great Parrulo! The movistar avatar is you! >)