Is Contador Breaking an Unwritten Rule by Winning

[Cooper]

I'm may get hammered here but I was just thinking about this.

With Contador (a great GT contender obviously) doing well this early, is he breaking an unwritten rule of winning these early races and taking away wins from others who would not be a contender for a GT and need these races to maintain their status, especially his team mates?

I can understand going after it in May and June at races like Romadie, Dauphine and the Swiss Tour as build-up to the Giro or TDF.

I can't think of another GT contender winning consistently this early other than the odd win by a GT guy at Paris Nice in the modern era.

I remember reading an article about Robert Millar where he stated that his team mate Greg Lemond only cared about the TDF and the World Championships. He was appreciative of this since it allowed his to go after other objectives.

I guess if Contador is that good he might as well go ahead and win.

 

[Havetts]

Probably he is racing and trying to win as much as possible before a possible ban from CAS I guess.

 

[jaylew]

It's nothing new. He's been winning early season races for years now. Besides, it's not as if anyone else on his team would be pocketing these races. Honestly, I think it's refreshing that he doesn't follow the Sastre/LA/Schlecklet* plan.

*Andy does at least focus on the Ardennes, of course.

 

[Señor_Contador]

Alberto is winning because he is in shape.
Either that or he's one talented f*cker.

 

[adamski101]

he has been winning early season for a number of years, so it's not like it's something new or a different approach.

 

[Publicus]

This AC being AC. He likes to race to win. Which is what I like about him. And he has been doing this for years. Short of maybe Riche Porte who else does Saxo Bank have the races GTs and Stage races for general classification? .

 

[theswordsman]

He's doing the same as he has other years - he wins lots of early stage races. The difference this year is that he's not coming close to a peak, then taking ten days vacation before building up to the Tour de France. This year he's building up slowly so that he won't peak until racing into fitness during the Giro.

Last year he won Castilla y Leon, Volta ao Algarve, and Paris-Nice.

Look out for him at La Fleche Wallonne, where he placed third last year after a massive road trip to get there due to the Icelandic volcano ash issues. This year he'll know the Mur de Huy.

 

[hfer07]

I'm may get hammered here but I was just thinking about this.

With Contador (a great GT contender obviously) doing well this early, is he breaking an unwritten rule of winning these early races and taking away wins from others who would not be a contender for a GT and need these races to maintain their status, especially his team mates?

looks like you just begun to follow cycling? AC over the last 3 years have won early season races like Algarve & Paris Nice.....
please get informed

 

[Barrus]

And again, as many other threads pertaining Contador, keep the clinic stuff in the clinic. A lot of people do not want to be bothered with it, especially in the road racing forum

 

[Escarabajo]

No gifts, "No Regalos".

If I am going to win something it better be truthfully and not because other riders are preparing for a GT or softpedalling. Just saying.

 

[Mambo95]

Previous winners of the Volta a Catalunya have included Anquetil, Merckx, Ocana, Gimondi, Thevenet, Maertens, Moser, Kelly, Indurain and Jalabert. So I've got no idea when this 'unwitten rule' was supposed to be in operation.

(Yes, I'm aware it's jumped around the calendar a lot).

 

[Cooper]

looks like you just begun to follow cycling? AC over the last 3 years have won early season races like Algarve & Paris Nice.....
please get informed

I have been following professional cycling since the early '90's. I watched in person the 2000 Paris-Roubaix and every Tour of California. I'm informed.

My point isn't that he just started doing it. I know he has been doing it this way for the past few seasons. My point is that he is doing it as a matter of course.

 

[Iker_Baqueiro]

what a dumb and stupid rule this is then

 

[Cooper]

Previous winners of the Volta a Catalunya have included Anquetil, Merckx, Ocana, Gimondi, Thevenet, Maertens, Moser, Kelly, Indurain and Jalabert. So I've got no idea when this 'unwitten rule' was supposed to be in operation.

(Yes, I'm aware it's jumped around the calendar a lot).

True. Those guys did win it but the race was in June at the time and thus a good build-up to the TDF if you didn't do the Giro.

 

[Cooper]

what a dumb and stupid rule this is then

I agree.

Based on everyone's reaction I believe such a "rule" doesn't exist then.

If Contador wants to go after wins no matter the time of the year, it is at his risk of peaking too early. It seems to be working well for him.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

I have been following professional cycling since the early '90's. I watched in person the 2000 Paris-Roubaix and every Tour of California. I'm informed.

My point isn't that he just started doing it. I know he has been doing it this way for the past few seasons. My point is that he is doing it as a matter of course.

LeMond was damaged good by the early 90's. Prior to getting shot, he was competitive through-out the season - as were Fignon, Delgado, Roche, and Indurain.

I can't find a link, but I believe LeMond has indicated that his body (post-hunting accident) could not handle the strain of a full season as it did prior.

So, it sounds like positive spin to me. If he can only be competitive for a short period per year, might as well make it matter the most. If not, he probably would have had more years like 1992.

 

[Mambo95]

True. Those guys did win it but the race was in June at the time and thus a good build-up to the TDF if you didn't do the Giro.

I know, that's why I mentioned it.

How about Pais Vasco - Past winners: Anquetil, Ocana, Battaglin, Kelly, Roche, Rominger, Zulle, Jalabert, Menchov

Or what about 4 days of De Panne: Anquetil, Aimar, De Vlaeminck, Maertens, Kelly, Roche, Hinault, Museeuw

Or the minor early season Vuelta a Murcia: Indurain, Mauri, Pantani, Menchov, Valverde, Contador.


Basically, riders of this ilk are paid to win races, so that's what they do - always have done. They're not there to waste their energy on domestiques who fancy a go.

 

[Night Rider]

With Contador (a great GT contender obviously) doing well this early, is he breaking an unwritten rule of winning these early races and taking away wins from others who would not be a contender for a GT and need these races to maintain their status, especially his team mates?

It's refreshing to see a rider try and win everything he enters instead of just peak for one or two races.

I'm not a fan of the unwritten rules (nature break one excepting?) anyway.

 

[lostincosmos]

It's refreshing to see a rider try and win everything he enters instead of just peak for one or two races.

QFT....seriously, nice to see someone trying to be more than JUST a GT rider. and kudos to Contador for going out to kick some tail while the "trial" continues.

i'm not convinced he's innocent (don't start the debate here!!!!) but you gotta give the guy credit for coming out strong this year and going for some wins just as he's done in the past - it's all bidness on the road.....

 

[brianf7]

Alberto is making hay while the sun shines he dosnt know if he will be around by the tour starts. so if he can make enough money to last him 2 years good luck to him

 

[Descender]

What a moronic rule (that I've never heard about btw).

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

What a moronic rule (that I've never heard about btw).

welcome to cycling in the 21st century where history is made up. like giving away wins and other bullcrap, ask eddy mercks how in his days he throught about that.

 

[ergmonkey]

I would go even a step further than some of the earlier posters. It's true that many modern "gc riders" seem to target the tours to the exclusion of other races. But, I'd argue that the real reason these riders don't win early in the season is because they aren't really winners in the first place. They're podium guys--great engines, great climbers, mediocre sprinters, mediocre attackers, possibly missing a bit of killer instinct, as well. These are guys like Menchov and Sastre. Tough as nails; incredibly consistent and persistent; won't go down without a fight; but will hardly ever dominate with a single-day's effort.

Otherwise, most real gc winners do try to win (even early)--period. Basso has been going for it this year. Evans has always tried to win consistently (even if he doesn't win very often). Even the gc-targeting rider we all love to hate (i.e. LA) would try to win early from time to time--including winning so early as in February in Portugal, and typically making a very serious run at Amstel.

Looking back a bit, just about every rider worth idolizing won early in the year (as others have mentioned--Merckx, Moser, Hinault, Lemond...).

I also think Contador wins so much simply because he doesn't have to be in top form to win--so there's little risk of burning out or peaking too soon.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

you are very correct, guys like basso,leipheimer, evans, menchov, sastre etc all aren't winners, still we are transitioning a bit to a time where big riders are in good form overall in races and are a major force just most of them can;t win and contador is head and shoulders above the rest in climbing, like back in 90s when pantani and or jimenez was fit you knew who would win that day

 

[Anonymous]

So he should follow the Armstrong routine of showing complete and utter contempt for all races except for the Tour de France.

I dont beleive there has ever been, or ever will be, an unwritten rule in cycling regarding winning races.

Thats like saying that there is an unwritten rule that if you win the Tour of Flanders you should let someone else win Paris Roubiax.