Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 236km

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

A brief summary of the thread:

Astana wins the stage with Aru... and Contador's fanboy, quoting: "Big fail from Astana today"

ROFL!!!!!

A brief summary of these threads over the last 3 weeks. Saxo-Tinkoff is so weak and Landa is a better climber than Contador......Who is winning the race.

Its Skybot-logic: Guy who up until today has been extended his lead are the weakest in the race.

Landa has become like an adopted baby in their camp but that isnt because they like him but because he has occasionly spoiled Albertos stage victories. Why climbing has suddenly become all-important.

 

[Taxus4a]

Stages are not the important...but for stana the most important thing is to be Aru on the podium, so it was a good day for Astana. And they got the stage.

 

[ggusta]

Re: Re:

A brief summary of the thread:

Astana wins the stage with Aru... and Contador's fanboy, quoting: "Big fail from Astana today"

ROFL!!!!!

A brief summary of these threads over the last 3 weeks. Saxo-Tinkoff is so weak and Landa is a better climber than Contador......Who is winning the race.

Its Skybot-logic: Guy who up until today has been extended his lead are the weakest in the race.

Landa has become like an adopted baby in their camp but that isnt because they like him but because he has occasionly spoiled Albertos stage victories. Why climbing has suddenly become all-important.

Yes iow, whoever ISN'T Contador is having an AMAZING Giro and is the second coming....yesterday it was Hesjedal, Tuesday it was Kruiswijk. If you aren't Contador, and you have a good day, you're a God. If your team gets attacked on the road to Mortirolo because of a puncture (or perhaps it was just coincidental, whatever) and ride past the entire peloton solo on a legendary ride that will be remembered in the sport, you are just riding against a weak field and really all you did was sit on Kruiswijk's wheel for most of the ride up Mortirolo anyhow.

But somehow, the best of them managed to lose just 20 seconds to AC since the ITT, the rest that were in the top 10 have lost more, some a lot more. The stupidity, is beyond stupid. If you can't figure out what you're looking at after Tuesday, perhaps it's time to look at something else? I always rooted against Michael Jordan, but I wasn't ignorant about him. There's a difference.

 

[Von Mises]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 23

Landa vs Contador discussion is really weird. Until last couple of days Contador did not race against landa, but against Aru and Landa benefited from it tactically. Stage 15 and satge 16 are good examples: Contador did not care about Landa and Landa took advatange.
Today was different. Contador raced against Landa, Landa tried but achieved nothing and now Aru benefited of Contador´s tactical choice.

 

[Volderke]

It's a bad day for Astana because it was a hollow victory.

Contador actually decides who will be second in the Giro. Not Martinelli, not Landa, not Aru. Contador is the boss and whoever he lets go will be second. This way he is causing friction and splitting leadership within the Astana team. Any self-respecting cyclist that is pretending to be the team leader at Astana should be more than a little upset by Contador deciding on this.

 

[rhubroma]

Re: Re:

A brief summary of the thread:

Astana wins the stage with Aru... and Contador's fanboy, quoting: "Big fail from Astana today"

ROFL!!!!!

A brief summary of these threads over the last 3 weeks. Saxo-Tinkoff is so weak and Landa is a better climber than Contador......Who is winning the race.

Its Skybot-logic: Guy who up until today has been extended his lead are the weakest in the race.

Landa has become like an adopted baby in their camp but that isnt because they like him but because he has occasionly spoiled Albertos stage victories. Why climbing has suddenly become all-important.

Yes iow, whoever ISN'T Contador is having an AMAZING Giro and is the second coming....yesterday it was Hesjedal, Tuesday it was Kruiswijk. If you aren't Contador, and you have a good day, you're a God. If your team gets attacked on the road to Mortirolo because of a puncture (or perhaps it was just coincidental, whatever) and ride past the entire peloton solo on a legendary ride that will be remembered in the sport, you are just riding against a weak field and really all you did was sit on Kruiswijk's wheel for most of the ride up Mortirolo anyhow.

But somehow, the best of them managed to lose just 20 seconds to AC since the ITT, the rest that were in the top 10 have lost more, some a lot more. The stupidity, is beyond stupid. If you can't figure out what you're looking at after Tuesday, perhaps it's time to look at something else? I always rooted against Michael Jordan, but I wasn't ignorant about him. There's a difference.

No Aru lost a couple of minutes, which gave him enough of a leash to win the stage. Somehow you discount how much Contador destroyed his rivals in the TT and then, against favorable circumstances (if not to say slimmy), Astana couldn't even put him in trouble.

If the field is weak, then this is only because some others opted to refrain. That's sacrosanct, of course, but I'd like to see Froome win the Giro.

 

[CatsNK]

Re: Re:

Astana trying to make sure that Contador never gets official stage win in Giro?? (Official record and myself don't count wins when caught and suspended for doping)

I don't think Contador gives a ****. He didn't win a stage in 2008 and it won't bother him that he didn't win a stage here. Stages are secondary. Winning a GT is the most important thing.

First: Contador gives a little bit of *** when it comes to winning stages. The interviews from his team talking about where to focus on his stage win, clearly demonstrate that.
Second: I'm not a Contador hater. I praised him yesterday and I've praised him in the past. My previous posts demonstrate that. All I dislike is the blind Contador fanboyism.

I am with you on this ...Contador best rider of his generation but not infallible or invincible
Its his fanboys and their never ending spiel that really gets on everyone else's wick

" Contador is going to beat everyone and win by a mile on this stage"
" oh wait he is only training "
" Oh wait he could win the stage if he wanted to..."
" He doesn't really want a stage" ....and on and on and on

Of course if you challenge any of this ...you are a hater
Said by the same people who say the most outlandish things about SKY and spend every day hating anyone who could come close to beating Contador in any race . Froome, Landa , etc

I wouldn't bother arguing if I were you

Exactly. For some people he's some kind of all-seeing God who doles out gifts to other riders as he sees fit. Obviously he wants to win a stage.

Impressive ride by Aru today. Even the haters have to give the guy credit, he was certainly down but he didn't just LIE down and give up. He's got a lot of heart.

 

[staubsauger]

Aru is an angel with the heart of a lion!

Maybe that's why he snurls all the time!

 

[phanatic]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 23

Strong work from Astana today: stage win for Aru, and almost certainly secured the two podium spots. Contador no longer angry, lets them have it. Maybe he really lets them have it tomorrow.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Obviously he wants to win a stage.

Did you see him sitting on Landa's wheel today... that didn't look like someone who desperately wants a stage to me.

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

Obviously he wants to win a stage.

Did you see him sitting on Landa's wheel today... that didn't look like someone who desperately wants a stage to me.

There's no need for it anyway. He showed his pure class Tuesday and yesterday. But he won't say no if he has it on a silver platter, of course.

Maybe he has just elected this stage. We will see.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Obviously he wants to win a stage.

Did you see him sitting on Landa's wheel today... that didn't look like someone who desperately wants a stage to me.

There's no need for it anyway. He showed his pure class Tuesday and yesterday. But he won't say no if he has it on a silver platter, of course.

Maybe he has just elected this stage. We will see.

Chris Juul said he will try to get his win tomorrow... before today's stage.. I hope it is true. After all, final stage (well final meaningful stage ), no need to worry about the next stage

 

[SeriousSam]

The pressure from fans and other short-sighted figures who live in the now must be immense, but I think Contador is too experienced and calculating to abandon his grand ambition of the Double on the very last demanding day of the Giro. He has embraced his role as a general classification rider at the expense of everything else so fully that stage victories have become close to meaningless. Indeed, to a rider such as Contador, stage victories are nothing but gifts to be granted to others, forging alliances.

The maglia rosa in Milan, and most importantly, the maillot jaune in Paris.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

The pressure from fans and other short-sighted figures who live in the now must be immense, but I think Contador is too experienced and calculating to abandon his grand ambition of the Double on the very last demanding day of the Giro. He has embraced his role as a general classification rider at the expense of everything else so fully that stage victories have become close to meaningless. Indeed, to a rider such as Contador, stage victories are nothing but gifts to be granted to others, forging alliances.

The maglia rosa in Milan, and most importantly, the maillot jaune in Paris.

Thats an obvious lie of course.

 

[greenedge]

What a great stage! Brilliant ride by Aru and Hesjedal. Nice to see Uran perform and Konig give it his all.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Contador's analytical approach to this Giro is somewhat akin to Mayweather's fight against Pacquaio. Mayweather's victory wasn't pretty, but it was decisive, and it was calculated.

 

[Jagartrott]

O God, the confirmation bias is so thick in here one could make puppets out of it.
People just shift their opinion to conform it with what just happened, "forgetting" they said something very different just one or two days ago.

 

[nepetalactone]

Re:

O God, the confirmation bias is so thick in here one could make puppets out of it.
People just shift their opinion to conform it with what just happened, "forgetting" they said something very different just one or two days ago.

Much like Strava, examples or it didn't happen and any talk is pointless as no one will pay attention... except me apparently.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Contador must have done some very nice calculations when he decided to attack from 45 km's out the other day.

 

[Volderke]

What do you mean? the other day he attacked to get Landa at a safer distance, because he recognized Landa is the greater treat.
When both Aru and Landa are at five minutes and one of them attacks, Contador didn't necessarily have to respond, like he showed yesterday.

Contador is controlling the race like a boss, and this has nothing to do with hindsight and/or being a fanboy or not. Astana showed nothing but manpower in this race, but you don't win it with just pulling the whole peloton up the hills. They rode like muppets without a plan and all of those who are happy with the current situation, can appreciate someone like Contador who does it right, i.e. efficient and still with panache.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

What do you mean? the other day he attacked to get Landa at a safer distance, because he recognized Landa is the greater treat.
When both Aru and Landa are at five minutes and one of them attacks, Contador didn't necessarily have to respond, like he showed yesterday.

Contador is controlling the race like a boss, and this has nothing to do with hindsight and/or being a fanboy or not. Astana showed nothing but manpower in this race, but you don't win it with just pulling the whole peloton up the hills. They rode like muppets without a plan and all of those who are happy with the current situation, can appreciate someone like Contador who does it right, i.e. efficient and still with panache.

I don't think we disagree if I understand your post correctly. I was just making a sarcastic comment to those who think that Contador is riding calculative, because I don't think he is. He's ridinig on intuition which his attack on Landa when the latter was held up behind a crash shows. If he was riding calculative he wouldn't have done that.

 

[Volderke]

OK, I interpreted that quite the other way, my bad!

 

[manafana]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 23

paced very well by tinkoff and not Astana break away never had a fair chance, wonder will it stay away to top, lotto anyone left to pace up its man for kom.