Is any rider able to challenge Contador in his peak form at the 2015 Tour De France?

[MBotero]

I didn't notice that last year... Did I miss something?

Nothing important,just a random time trialist attacking on a little hill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52xv2Hg2fkI

 

[Ryaguas]

Where is the evidence that Quintana would beat an on form Froome in the mountains? Froome was the best climber in the world in 2013 by a distance and was probably better than Contador in the first few stages at the Dauphine this year.

Lol,maybe you need to look back at Froome saga from Vuelta 2011 to Vuelta 2014 than come back and see if he really need ITT to win.He's a climber who can TT well.If he's sucking at climbing,TT won't save him,he's good but not at Wiggo level to make huge gaps.

Also depends on the mountains... You have Giro Mountains, Tour Mountains and Vuelta muros... if you put Nairo and Froome in the Giro mountains at 100% both Nairo will win 10/10. In Le Tour Mountains maybe 7/10 still Nairo winning... Vuelta muros 10/10 Nairo for me OFC, but we have to see that yet...

What helps a lot Froome is the train... take that from him and he will suffer a lot in a GT having to cover attacks from Contador, Nairo and Nibs, the yoyo wont be enough.

 

[MBotero]

Also depends on the mountains... You have Giro Mountains, Tour Mountains and Vuelta muros... if you put Nairo and Froome in the Giro mountains at 100% both Nairo will win 10/10. In Le Tour Mountains maybe 7/10 still Nairo winning... Vuelta muros 10/10 Nairo for me OFC, but we have to see that yet...

What helps a lot Froome is the train... take that from him and he will suffer a lot in a GT having to cover attacks from Contador, Nairo and Nibs, the yoyo wont be enough.

Maybe those guys are gonna cover each other no need for Froome to do anything.Train is overrated,they managed to drop him in the Vuelta.
Mountains type don't seem to matter to much as shown by Nibali/Contador who won all the 3GT.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

We need a Betancur-option! No seriously, only Froome can challenge him IMO. The way I see it, Contador and Froome are a level above the rest

 

[hfer07]

at the moment - only Froome & Nibali-but just wait two more years & Quintana will dispose them like nothing

 

[Afrank]

Far to early to tell anything yet. We don't even know what the route is going to be for any of the GT's. Anything is possible for the new season, including both Contador beating everybody or getting beaten by everybody.

So I'll just go with this.

Andy Schleck will destroy them all.

 

[jens_attacks]

froomey mainly. but many could emerge, we'll see

i see majka as a very strong rival for him. alberto will be maybe a little bit tired after his giro victory.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

In terms of peak mountain performance I think best Froome (2013) and best Contador (2009) had very similar level. So Froome is the biggest challenge, especially given his high TT skills. However Quintana is not far behind them but he's still young and progressing. It's possible that in 1-2 years Quintana will be on their peak mountain level (or even better!). As for Nibali he's also not far behind but probably he's already peaked.

 

[HappyLoser]

i see majka as a very strong rival for him. alberto will be maybe a little bit tired after his giro victory.

Majka will be TS leader during Giro. I don't think AC will risk any crash in Italy. Le Tour is only thing that matters next season.

 

[ManInFull]

Sorry guys but this thread is ridiculous... Come on, yeay Contador won the Vuelta with Froome and Valverde inside the 2 minutes mark "wow the guy is unbeatable"... Well that same guy was 2mn30 behind Nibali after the cobbles stage on the tour.. something many tend to forget, only remembering that he crashed out of a "sure fire" victory...

To me Contador will be one of the favorites, along the 3 other stooges, for the GTs next year, of course, but the 2013 Contador could be back too !

You are spot on. I'm not convinced that AC or Froome would have defeated Nibali in this year's TdF.

Nibali and Froome certainly can defeat AC in the 2015 TdF!

 

[Miburo]

in a balanced route Froome will be really close/ beat him
In a very mountainious editiion Quintana will be up there for sure
In an edition where every main contender crashes, Nibali will win hands down

Fixed it for you.

 

[Rollthedice]

In terms of peak mountain performance I think best Froome (2013) and best Contador (2009) had very similar level. So Froome is the biggest challenge, especially given his high TT skills. However Quintana is not far behind them but he's still young and progressing. It's possible that in 1-2 years Quintana will be on their peak mountain level (or even better!). As for Nibali he's also not far behind but probably he's already peaked.

You'd be surprised to find out that Nibali 2014 had similar numbers to Froome 2013 and Contador/Froome in Vuelta 2014. As for Froome's TT skills he lost the Vuelta in the TT, we have no idea if he'll be back to his "Tony Martin" level. Quintana is also a mistery, not very convincing in Giro against a débutante (Aru) and Uran. Contador looks the stronger now and I would add he has the experience of winning multiple times. But so many things could happen it is just too early.

 

[ILovecycling]

Only Froome and Quintana (with minimum flat tt).

 

[DirtyWorks]

You'd be surprised to find out that Nibali 2014 had similar numbers to Froome 2013 and Contador/Froome in Vuelta 2014. As for Froome's TT skills he lost the Vuelta in the TT, we have no idea if he'll be back to his "Tony Martin" level. Quintana is also a mistery, not very convincing in Giro against a débutante (Aru) and Uran. Contador looks the stronger now and I would add he has the experience of winning multiple times. But so many things could happen it is just too early.

You forgot Chris Horner!!!! He would have been in podium contention at the 2014 Vuelta with his 2013 power.

Very good to see very young guys making a difference in these grand tours.

 

[May0maniac]

Robo Basso will return and humilate all of them

 

[doperhopper]

Doesn't matter, my only hope is to have (finally!) Tour with more than one yellow jersey contender (pref. till the last mountain or TT).

 

[Aristarchus]

I think a peak Contador vs a peak Froome is a very even match. When both were coming into form prior to this year's Tour, Nibali couldn't match them.

 

[forumlurker]

I don't think so. Peak form AC should beat all others imo.

 

[Electress]

2013 Froome and peak Contador might be close in condition, but I think Sky need to address tactical weaknesses - they are pretty inflexible on the road. This puts them at a disadvantage cf. 2012/3 as I think other riders and teams have got their measure and can exploit it.

For this reason, Contador's experience and mental strength - I think on form he can not only physically but mentally dominate - means I'd favour him over the others. But for any one of them having all the others potentially attacking means that the route and the day by day changes in position between the contenders would make things pretty dynamic. I'm just hoping that we get the battle we were denied this year by the various crashes.

 

[damian13ster]

In Tour? I think Froome can beat him, and Nibali can give him a good fight. Rest more than 3 minutes back. (and 4 if there is a long flat TT) That's my prediction

 

[contador977]

Froome's 2013 Tour form can beat Contador in 2015, if Froome can get back to that level. Equal in the mountains and but Froome can take time in the long 50km TT. Froome is the only rider who can drop Contador in the mountains. Quintana does not have the explosion to drop riders like Froome.

Contador in 2014 is much better than 2013 so being dropped so easily at the Tour by Froome is not a proper guage. At the same time, Contador will never have the Verbier performance in his legs.

I dont think Contador attacked Froome this year with all circumstances being equal. Sure he attacked Stage 7 and 8 at the Dauphine but that means little as Froome had crashed and his form suffered. This 2014 Vuelta with neither in top form is hard to guage.

ID like to see Contador attack an in form Froome, Im not sure its ever happened?

 

[David_Incognito_66]

Funny thing with Contador is he crashes and gets stronger. So if everything goes normal i don't think he will win Tour. If he crashes again before the Tour or something then i would expect anoter miracle.

With all being the same, Quintana is currently unbeatable followed by Froome and Nibali. Contador is too overrated. Yes he did beat Froome, but Froome was hurt unlike Contador and Froome is not a liar.

 

[LaFlorecita]

*deleted by mod*

you are hilarious

Ban coming in 3...2...

 

[Taxus4a]

I didnt see Contador so strong, but he is clever on the bike that froome, but no more than Nibali.

It is depends as well on the weather... with rain Nibali is important.
if the route has 2 long ITT I think Contador has nothing to do with Froome.
for me, the real test this year was that stage on Dauphine, before froome crash, in wich Contador was sucking wheen on froome atacks, an he wanst able to win the stage.

In the Vuelta, he sucked, but he was able to put some seconds in the final Km... anyway, if is contador who must attack, I think he will lose time at the end, not Froome.

Tour is not the Vuelta.. more Km, more long and high climbs.. it is different.

In Fact, contador need to in inferiority with the rial, so he will ride Giro, Tour and Vuelta with the only reason that if he is 3rd in le Tour, he will have an excuse, the same in this Vuelta, everything was ready for the excuse of the Knee if he lose.

 

[SeriousSam]

Froome's 2013 Tour form can beat Contador in 2015, if Froome can get back to that level. Equal in the mountains and but Froome can take time in the long 50km TT. Froome is the only rider who can drop Contador in the mountains. Quintana does not have the explosion to drop riders like Froome.

Contador in 2014 is much better than 2013 so being dropped so easily at the Tour by Froome is not a proper guage. At the same time, Contador will never have the Verbier performance in his legs.

I dont think Contador attacked Froome this year with all circumstances being equal. Sure he attacked Stage 7 and 8 at the Dauphine but that means little as Froome had crashed and his form suffered. This 2014 Vuelta with neither in top form is hard to guage.

ID like to see Contador attack an in form Froome, Im not sure its ever happened?

Some Contador fans have managed to convince themselves that a top form Contador can out climb a top form Froome but you are right. It hasn't happened yet.

On the one hand, Contador had less time to train for the Vuelta because his injury occurred later and was more severe, which would indicate he was further off his best than Froome.

On the other hand, Froome was very bad in the time trial by his standards, which indicates he was further off his best (2013 level) than Contador, who did a good one.

Who the better climber is, in top form, remains an unknown, one that will hopefully be resolved next summer.