Giro d'Italia Stage 9: Messina - Etna, 169km (let the race begin!)

[Lanark]

Fail to see how it's irony.

Of course you do.

Most GT contenders hardly attack anymore these days. Thank god there's someone like Rujano in this race who's not afraid to attack.

They're all afraid and they will be even more afraid after what happened at the Mongibello. The pace couldn't have been too high in the chasing group behind Contador if John Gadret could gap them for a while. No, just look at each other and race for second. But perhaps you saw a different race filled with attacks, then I get your "irony"

It has nothing to do with being afraid to attack, or your most likely fabricated anecdote about your dad saying people don't race anymore these days (this must be the first time he watched the Giro), Contador was just miles ahead of the rest, producing 6% more w/kg in the last 7 kilometers, of course he is gonna attack, how many rider that are so superiour to their competitors don't attack? Besides, I did see Nibali and Kreuziger attack, they just weren't good enough to create a large gap.

I really don't get where you're comming from. Last year I've seen attacks by Basso, Evans, Vinokourov, Andy Schleck, Anton, Mosquera, Rodriguez and countless others. Hell, probably the only guy who didn't attack last year was Contador. Why? Because he never dominated the competition like he does here. Most riders don't differ much when it comes to attacking, when they feel the pace is low, they think they can go faster, they attack.

Contador probably saw his competitors where suffering more than he was, he felt good, and knew he could get a large bonus on this stage. In the 2008 Giro he never attacked, why? Because he wasn't good, doesn't have anything to do with having balls (unless he grew an extra pair the last few years).

Vinokourov is probably the only guy I know who attacks even when he isn't good. But you weren't contend that Contador is by far the best climber in this race, no, you had to make up some bs story about how he is the only guy who dares to attack. Sure, if that makes you feel better, be my guest.

 

[El Pistolero]

And where did I say I liked Contador during the Tour of 2010? It was quite boring to see him there. Andy on the other hand did attack more. By the way Contador did attack last year in Algarve, Paris-Nice, Dauphine, Fleche Wallone, LBL(though he did bonk a little after it) and the Tour(Mende)

And no, the story wasn't fabricated, but feel free to think that.

First of all, re read the post. I'm not saying they should match Contador's power, but they should at least ATTACK each other instead of looking at each other the whole time. Like I said, the pace in the group couldn't have been too high if John Gadret could gap them for some time. They could have attacked each other and someone could have put some time in everyone but Rujano and Contador. But no, they did nothing until the last km. Besides, Kreuziger's attack was to bring back Gadret, if the Astana guy was Kreuziger that is.

You're not going to tell me Nibali, Garzelli, Kreuziger, Arroyo, etc are all just as strong. Lol, that's a joke. It has everything to do with being too afraid to attack until they reach the last km. None of these guys look out of shape anyway. They've all looked better than ever before. Except Scarponi because he had the balls to react to Contador's attack, but overrated him self. But he'll keep on attacking, it's just the way he is.

Besides Nibali's attack did have effect. It gapped Igor Anton and Scarponi. If they weren't looking so much at each other the gap could have been bigger.

And at least Rujano was smart enough to anticipate on Contador's move Muchos respect.

 

[Lanark]

And where did I say I liked Contador during the Tour of 2010? It was quite boring to see him there. Andy on the other hand did attack more.

No, but you did say that the moral of the story was that most (obviously excluding your Hero) GT contenders don't have balls, and never will, while Contador's different racing strategies show that it has nothing to do with balls or not, but everything with strength, and tactics (the reason Contador attacked on Verbier was because it made tactical sense, just as it made sense to not attack on the Ventoux, the reason he didn't attack in the 2010 Tour was because he wasn't strong enough, the reason he attacks now is because he is, he didn't grow en retract balls between those various stages).

First of all, re read the post. I'm not saying they should match Contador's power, but they should at least ATTACK each other instead of looking at each other the whole time. Like I said, the pace in the group couldn't have been too high if John Gadret could gap them for some time. They could have attacked each other and someone could have put some time in everyone but Rujano and Contador. But no, they did nothing until the last km. Besides, Kreuziger's attack was to bring back Gadret, if the Astana guy was Kreuziger that is.

You're not going to tell me Nibali, Garzelli, Kreuziger, Arroyo, etc are all just as strong. Lol, that's a joke.

No, I'm not saying that, but I do think it's highly likely that in a not too steep climb with a lot of wind, like last sunday, unless a rider is fastly superior to the rest, aerodynamics will cause the group to always be stronger than a single rider. So in a sense, Nibali et al. weren't equally strong, but they weren't capable of creating a gap either.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador has also attacked and bonked before you know. Just look at the Tour of 2007.

Rujano didn't look vastly superior to other riders to me. Yet he gapped them for 50 seconds. Why? Because he tried.

They were certainly capable of gapping each other, but they were too afraid of the consequences.

Besides if you want to compare which contenders have balls and which not, just compare Paris-Nice 2007 stage 8 with the last stage of this year's Paris-Nice. Like I said, a lot of GT contenders are happy with riding for second place. And in this case it might very well bring them the overall victory which makes it even more sad.

The same reason why I don't understand the Armstrong hated here. Most hypocrite thing I've ever seen on this forum. I don't understand why some people think just because you like Contador you have to hate Armstrong.

It has nothing to do with irony. I like riders who attack and dislike riders who almost never attack. It's that simple. I didn't like how Contador raced in the Tour last year, but he usually doesn't race like that. But even with his form lacking, he still did attack and react on other people's attack(like in the first stage Schleck won)

I saw nothing of the sort so far except by Scarponi and Rujano . And who doesn't like them?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Ferrari has calculated the Watt numbers for Contadors attack

http://www.53x12.com/do/show?page=indepth.view&id=117

6.8 Watt/kilo during a attack of 3k is actually not that extraordinary or supspicious. No doubt it's a high number, but not out of the world. What's really striking, that the Nibali group coul only produce 5.8 Watt/Kilo during those 3 ks. That's actually not much at all. That's rather very poor.

 

[El Pistolero]

Ferrari has calculated the Watt numbers for Contadors attack

http://www.53x12.com/do/show?page=indepth.view&id=117

6.8 Watt/kilo during a attack of 3k is actually not that extraordinary or supspicious. No doubt it's a high number, but not out of the world. What's really striking, that the Nibali group coul only produce 5.8 Watt/Kilo during those 3 ks. That's actually not much at all. That's rather very poor.

Like I said, they were afraid.

 

[The Hitch]

So who said Rujano could only stay with Contador when he attacks early

 

[crapna]

Contador and Scarponi took a rematch. http://youtu.be/vya4EgIX4lw