discussion!!! contador

[No_Balls]

and that was a really great point. they still have their main objective of trying to win, tho.

Of course, but doing the double is no easy obstacle, many pieces has to been put together in the build-up (specially after your first GT). Hopefully, the build-up is clear when we enter the Alpes.

If not this year, i´m sure he will back for the task in years to come.

 

[Jeanne]

Until I KNOW he has not won..I think I'll believe he still has a chance, no matter how ridiculous it might be after a certain point

 

[Archibald]

To be a legend. And he didn't know how his legs would be after the Giro. He didn't even know he would be able to start in the Tour.

he'd have to have had some idea that he could do it (or not).
no reason he couldn't have told Bjarne "sorry boss, but I'm not going to be up for this" if he thought he wouldn't be able

Edit: I think yesterday was a bad day. Hopefully there's more of a recovery for him today, which will make saturday far more interesting.

 

[Blakeslee]

It's starting to look pretty clear that Contador, like several recent riders who have attempted both tours back to back, is still cooked from the Giro. There is still time for Contador to recover before some of the toughest stages in the alps, but with the two minute plus deficit it is looking unlikely he will be able to come back this year.

The race is shaping up to be a battle between Frank Schleck and Evans, these two riders have consistently looked the strongest in the build up to the Tour and in the first part of the race so far. The question will be can Frank through the kind of double teaming technique they displayed today take enough time in the mountains to avoid being overtaken by Evans in the final time trial.

Basso and Andy Schleck will still have a shot at winning. Basso has not looked overwhelmingly strong, but he has been consistent and is close to the lead. Andy continues to look off form by his standards, but still has the advantage of being able to play off Frank which may allow him to jump ahead in the mountains.

 

[hrotha]

Oh, cut the crap, everyone. He rode the Giro because he didn't know whether he'd be able to ride the Tour.

 

[BYOP88]

Oh, cut the crap, everyone. He rode the Giro because he didn't know whether he'd be able to ride the Tour.

I thought it's because he said to Zomegnan(sp?) he would ride it this year, but I have no idea if that was before or after he was busted.

 

[luckyboy]

It's starting to look pretty clear that Contador, like several recent riders who have attempted both tours back to back, is still cooked from the Giro.

He's not looking great, but he isn't doing as badly as the others who tried though.

Who knows what he'd be like without the crashes.

 

[Angliru]

its was not as if the other gc contenders were going all out either they were all watching each other.

So they just let Frank disappear up the road, gifting him the minutes because they couldn't be bothered? I think they were all at the limit come the end, with the exception of Frank who yesterday appeared to be the strongest of the elite. He is in fine form. Both Andy and Contador barely made it across the line before having to support themselves on the barriers.

The most dangerous of the group has to be these three: Basso, Andy Schleck and Contador.

Basso because he had shown no form leading up to the Tour and appears to be building to a very timely peak.

Andy Schleck's/Leopard's strategy appears to be to have Frank close to peak form early while Andy is to peak come mid tour/3rd week. All this to have 2 riders at different peaks to punish Contador throughout the Tour. I don't think Andy and the rest would've dropped Contador if not for his injuries from his crashes.

Contador while fatigued from the Giro, is still a rider that has such a high level that even when fatigued or less than his best he still can ride with the best in the mountains as he displayed yesterday. The irregularity we saw in his out of saddle rhythm is almost gone and I believe by Saturday he'll be about at or above the level he had at the 2010 Tour. Remember he still took 8 seconds out of Andy even in his fatigued state, this was prior to the later evidence in his pedaling rhythm of a handicapping injury.

Samu's performance is even more exceptional when one remembers that he crashed hard on a descent earlier in the stage on a slick roundabout, hard enough that he got up, and then lied back down in an almost fetal position.

 

[Desperate Moments]

Phil L. said this morning, "I don't know how to put this delicately, but our sources tell us that Contador has been riding with a rather sore bottom," and that he had had his saddle modified to relieve some of the pressure on one side. Probably saddle sores from asymmetrical pedaling because of his knee.

As for him taking on too much, riding the Giro, then the Tour...he's a bike racer, and I salute him for actually racing!

I hope he can stay in and recover so we get to see him attack in the Alps.

 

[Angliru]

Maybe top 10 but no way podium.

Maybe top 10? He's there already. Do you anticipate someone(s) that is/are behind him now bumping him out of the top 10? They'd have to one helluva a time trialist and a decent climber. Leipheimer and Kloden at the only 2 and they've already lost minutes, with Kloden not likely to get any better and Leipheimer looking a bit long in tooth.

I don't know about the podium but Samu can easily make the top 10 and with the form he showed yesterday he can possibly get to the top 5.

 

[thirteen]

Maybe top 10? He's there already. Do you anticipate someone(s) that is/are behind him now bumping him out of the top 10? They'd have to one helluva a time trialist and a decent climber. Leipheimer and Kloden at the only 2 and they've already lost minutes, with Kloden not likely to get any better and Leipheimer looking a bit long in tooth.

I don't know about the podium but Samu can easily make the top 10 and with the form he showed yesterday he can possibly get to the top 5.

Klödi pulled out today.

 

[Angliru]

so what? one's tougher than the other, but why would you do both if you know you'll be far too cooked to make a proper go of the second?
I don't doubt that it'd be a factor, but no where near as much as what people are making it out to be.

I doubt he had much of a choice. Do you think they're paying him those millions to just ride in the Giro? The Giro was ridden because there was doubt as to his being cleared to ride the Tour. They (the sponsors) had to get something large out of their cash cow and they did with his Giro win. When the Tour cleared him to ride there was no doubt that he would be taking part even with his own stated reservations about his form leading up to the Tour's start.

 

[Archibald]

I doubt he had much of a choice. Do you think they're paying him those millions to just ride in the Giro? The Giro was ridden because there was doubt as to his being cleared to ride the Tour. They (the sponsors) had to get something large out of their cash cow and they did with his Giro win. When the Tour cleared him to ride there was no doubt that he would be taking part even with his own stated reservations about his form leading up to the Tour's start.

Sure, but considering who he is I'd say he would have had some choice. He believes he can do it and win. Whether he's underestimated the strain of the Giro only he knows. Then comes the falls and knee issue, which if he didn't have those I think he'd be doing far better right now than he is.
I just think folks are making more of the "post-Giro fatigue" thing than they should be.

 

[Angliru]

Klödi pulled out today.

Thanks. I'm at work and haven't had a chance to skim through the latest news updates. I figured he would pull out after the major time he lost yesterday.

 

[Angliru]

Sure, but considering who he is I'd say he would have had some choice. He believes he can do it and win. Whether he's underestimated the strain of the Giro only he knows. Then comes the falls and knee issue, which if he didn't have those I think he'd be doing far better right now than he is.
I just think folks are making more of the "post-Giro fatigue" thing than they should be.

I hope you recognize that this wasn't a strategy (Giro/Tour double) that was set forth prior to the start of the season. Just because Riis made mention of the fact that he believes Contador could do the triple doesn't mean that even doing the double this year was part of his planned schedule of races for 2011. I would suspect that they would give him a much lighter schedule of races prior to the Giro.

I agree with the injury issues having a strong effect on his performance but you have to see that having a extremely challenging Giro in his legs can't be anything but a detriment. Fatigue results in a lack of snap/explosion that he displayed in the Giro. It also lessens his overall endurance such that on a stage that started out going uphill all the way to the first 7+% average grade, 10+km climb followed by two climbs equal in length and difficulty, it's a wonder he only lost seconds to his opponents and not minutes. That is a testament to the high level he maintains even when fatigued.

Now I'm not discounting Contador's chances of eventually successfully completing the Giro/Tour double but IMO it would depend on the routes of both events and on Saxo adding additional support riders to the team.
This team as it is was put together on the fly after the sponsorship issues and the creation of Team Schleck resulted in a max exodus of the team's talent.

 

[Cimber]

They will all try to knock Contador out of the race tomorrow. If he can hang tight tomorrow he has a chance to rebound in the Alps. But will be very hard tomorrow.

 

[mr. tibbs]

They will all try to knock Contador out of the race tomorrow. If he can hang tight tomorrow he has a chance to rebound in the Alps. But will be very hard tomorrow.

I don't think Contador will get any better as the race goes on. Much as I'd like to see him on form with a time deficit (nobody animates a race like he does), I fear that he's done, and will slowly slip away from the podium.

Too bad.

It's time for Schleck to take control of the race, and I think that's exactly what will happen tomorrow.

 

[markene2]

I am actually not sure. It's a long time since i have seen Contador like this. BUT if he can hang on tommorow, then he will have a chance. If he hangs on tomorow it shows that he will get better and better. They should not underestimate him just because he lost 7 sec. He is a great champion. And he will show it even if he dosent win the tour.

 

[Cimber]

If he is allowed by CAS he will come back next year, without doing the Giro first, and tear the bros another a-hole.

 

[Thomsena]

**** me, I hope he detroys them all tommorow - I doubt it though.

 

[Parrulo]

If he is allowed by CAS he will come back next year, without doing the Giro first, and tear the bros another a-hole.

its clear that if he was on giro form even with the time lost on stage 1 the tour would have been decided yesterday. we all know how he likes to stamp his authority on the first MTF and he would have put a minute on most contenders. at least this way we are still in doubt.

i honestly don't think its possible but contador is a special talent not only physically but also mentally. yesterday it was obvious that he was suffering since the tourmalet and yet he still covered 2 of the schlecks attacks and was only dropped on the last 500 m. his basic training form is prolly enough to top 10 a GT lol

 

[cineteq]

It will be cold at the end of the last climb, his knee is not gonna like that...

 

[Parrulo]

It will be cold at the end of the last climb, his knee is not gonna like that...

its exactly the other way around . . . .

 

[Angliru]

If he is allowed by CAS he will come back next year, without doing the Giro first, and tear the bros another a-hole.

Just Andy, Frank at least has bit of humbleness about him.

 

[Ramira]

If he is allowed by CAS he will come back next year, without doing the Giro first, and tear the bros another a-hole.

Sure he will, he barely beat a 25 year old Andy who made a lot of silly mistakes. Next year Andy is going to be 27 which is usually when GT riders get to their very best. Even if he's allowed to race next year he's going to struggle very hard to beat him.