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Is Contador the most popular cyclist ever?

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I like watching Contador ride: attacking when other riders least expect it and generally animating races by making other riders race.

I don't like [recently] his or it could be just be his team's PR messsages: "broken leg" and "dislocated shoulder". Playing down his actual form by feigning the true extents of his "injuries". Then when he appears to rides effortlessly or with minor discomfort he and they come out acting surprised by his "brave" performance. Just get on with it because he's not kidding anyone anymore.

Just waiting for the pre-TDF excuse of Contador getting a paper cut on his normal shifting finger thus forcing him to shift gears with his other finger. "He's never shifted with that finger before so we're not sure how we will do on the bike," said a Contador spokesman.
 
For a large part it's the (social) media blowing these injuries out of proportion. A small fracture becomes a leg snapped in two pieces. A shoulder dislocation? Cue twitter and cycling forums exploding about how it is impossible to continue racing with that because the brother of a friend of a colleague spent 2 months in the hospital with a dislocated shoulder :rolleyes:
 
Aug 16, 2013
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Miburo said:
Who wouldn't be frustrated? Purito wheelsucked the entire vuelta to then sprint away, deserved to lose it.

It was Contador's task to attack that Vuelta, not Purito.

Sometimes Contador fans loses all sight on reality.
 
Jul 29, 2012
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Arredondo said:
Miburo said:
Who wouldn't be frustrated? Purito wheelsucked the entire vuelta to then sprint away, deserved to lose it.

It was Contador's task to attack that Vuelta, not Purito.

Sometimes Contador fans loses all sight on reality.

Did he not wheelsuck the entire vuelta? And *** it up by letting contador go thinking the attack would lead to nothing?

Sounds to me like he *** up, just like he *** up the giro that year. Even the DS of katusha admitted that.
 
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Miburo said:
Arredondo said:
Miburo said:
Who wouldn't be frustrated? Purito wheelsucked the entire vuelta to then sprint away, deserved to lose it.

It was Contador's task to attack that Vuelta, not Purito.

Sometimes Contador fans loses all sight on reality.

Did he not wheelsuck the entire vuelta? And **** it up by letting contador go thinking the attack would lead to nothing?

Sounds to me like he **** up, just like he **** up the giro that year. Even the DS of katusha admitted that.

Of course he didn't *** up that Vuelta. That's just stupid to think. Really how can you even think that? In every stage he was able to follow Contador. He had him under control. Hell, he even managed to be in red after the TT. The only thing he had to do was to follow Contador and sprint to the boni's. He did a good job that Vuelta, in all aspects.

That he lost the Vuelta in the stage to Fuente De was just bad luck, and thanks to a good day of Contador. But that Vuelta he did everything right.

I agree he *** up the Giro however. He was a pussy on Lago Laceno and Plan del Resinelli, where he could drop Hesjedal even more then he did. But saying he *** up that Vuelta is beyond ridiculous :eek:
 
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happytramp said:
Fans crowd outside a hotel to catch a glimpse of their hero, Gino Bartali, eating his breakfast.

c52f8b79-94ef-4646-92a0-8efe579d3593_zpsnw8trwyi.jpg

"shiit, is that pumpkin cream soup?"
 
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hrotha said:
Arredondo said:
Miburo said:
Who wouldn't be frustrated? Purito wheelsucked the entire vuelta to then sprint away, deserved to lose it.

It was Contador's task to attack that Vuelta, not Purito.

Sometimes Contador fans loses all sight on reality.
Purito lost that Vuelta, and that Giro, because he was this.

Come on, be serious. Sometimes i even wonder if some of you guys can imagine not everyone has the same class as Contador. He's almost the only one who can attack multiple times in a GT. If you are not that good (or have the capacitities), you have to adapt different tactics.

Purito was on his max that Vuelta. He could answer Contador's attacks, but definitely nothing more. It's was a brave effort to hold on for so long. And he should won that Vuelta, indeed. But no by attacking more, that would be suicide (apart from Bola stage).
 
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hrotha said:
Arredondo said:
That he lost that stage to Fuente De was just bad luck, and thanks to a good day of Contador. But that Vuelta he did everything right.
No. He made a conscious decision not to follow Contador immediately because apparently it was too soon.

He was caught by surprise and had confidence his team could close the gap. He had two teammates with him. But his team was horrible that day.

And he had just a lesser day. Rumours are that he became sick after Cuitu Negru stage.
 
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Arredondo said:
He was caught by surprise and had confidence his team could close the gap. He had two teammates with him. But his team was horrible that day.

And he had just a lesser day. Rumours are that he became sick after Cuitu Negru stage.
Sorry, but that's really not how it happened. Purito made no effort to counter Contador's move, whose gap didn't increase at all on the rest of the climb. He was well within a proper acceleration's distance, but he decided not to take the risk and to hope his teammates would save the day. A conscious decision, then.

That's what Purito does: too often, he waits for a domestique instead of taking responsibility. The thing is, he forgets that's also a risk. And, historically, those gambles have not gone his way.

And yet he refuses to learn the lesson.
 
I think the fact that a lot of threads on Cyclingnews revolve around him can be annoying, but that doesn't tarnish my view of him.

I'll admit, I cheered for LA in 2009 (first real TDF I paid a bit of attention to with my Dad), Andy in 2010, Cadel in 2011. In 2012 that Vuelta was great, but him or JROD would have been worthy candidates, 2013 it became anyone but Froome (even though I really liked him in the 2011 Vuelta).

Contador is a great rider, but it's nice to sometimes cheer the underdogs against him, such as Landa, Hesjedal, Kruijswijk, just because Contador wins a lot.. Also current riders like Boonen, Cancellara, Sagan, (even) Cavendish deserve to also be popular on this forum and to the public.

In terms of popularity of all time, yes many like him, but i'm sure riders like Hinault, Coppi... all compare more favourably to him.
 
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hrotha said:
Arredondo said:
He was caught by surprise and had confidence his team could close the gap. He had two teammates with him. But his team was horrible that day.

And he had just a lesser day. Rumours are that he became sick after Cuitu Negru stage.
Sorry, but that's really not how it happened. Purito made no effort to counter Contador's move, whose gap didn't increase at all on the rest of the climb. He was well within a proper acceleration's distance, but he decided not to take the risk and to hope his teammates would save the day. A conscious decision, then.

That's what Purito does: too often, he waits for a domestique instead of taking responsibility. The thing is, he forgets that's also a risk. And, historically, those gambles have not gone his way.

And yet he refuses to learn the lesson.

The gap was around 20 seconds where he could decide to close the gap by himself. But considering he felt that day (not good at all), he thought it would be better to let his teammates close the gap, because in that situation he would have some help in the final. Then Contador perhaps wouldn't attack a second time.

But his teammates were poor, and the gap started to grow. At that point, he knew that he was screwed, because he couldn't close the gap by himself. Everything what happened next (Valverde to attack from his back) isn't interesting anymore. He lost that day due to sickness/bad legs (whatever you call it). Not by being a risky decision or being a pussy. That's just how it was.

That Giro he lost due to cowardness. That Vuelta definitely not. Sometimes people trying to blame every loss of him due to gambling and wheelsucking, but it's not always true.
 
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Miburo said:
Also Purito decided to not ride the bike, on the restday

I've indeed heard that rumour, but only from José the Cauwer (Belgium tv). I can't find it on the internet at all. I doubt that's true.
 
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Arredondo said:
Miburo said:
Also Purito decided to not ride the bike, on the restday

I've indeed heard that rumour, but only from José the Cauwer (Belgium tv). I can't find it on the internet at all. I doubt that's true.

His teammanager confirmed it to him, what's the point of lying?
 
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King Boonen said:
Interesting discussion. It obviously depends on what definition of popular you use and when you measure it.

For instance, if you asked the question directly after the Olympic Games Chris Hoy might come out on top. If it's after the Tour, Contador probably would. If it's over a long period then no chance for a track cyclist but Lance wins unless we take the definition of popular to include liked and miss out the period where his doping was known. As such, using this definition makes it much too subjective and I'd personally subscribe to the definition of most well known.

If we use that definition, and take it at the height of their fame, it's Armstrong, without a doubt.

If we are saying right now, it's Contador for cycling fans, but probably still Armstrong overall.
Sorry to go full Godwin on you, but by that definition Hitler is more popular than Dalai Lama.
 
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It's a difficult one this, for me at least.

Whilst I greatly admire Contador's technical prowess and skill as a rider, plus his climbing skills are amazing, I find him very difficult to actually like. I have absolutely no idea why.

I suppose it's because with a few exceptions, him winning a Grand Tour becomes predictable as he seems to have so few real competitors, thus it becomes like watching Grands Prix when Schumacher was at his best.

Great rider though, just not likable from my perspective.
 
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Miburo said:
Arredondo said:
Miburo said:
Also Purito decided to not ride the bike, on the restday

I've indeed heard that rumour, but only from José the Cauwer (Belgium tv). I can't find it on the internet at all. I doubt that's true.

His teammanager confirmed it to him, what's the point of lying?

There is a difference between lying and believing you know the truth

Whatever. Concerning Berto. Great rider. If he's not there, the race is more boring. Popular cyclist of all time? You can't say. You have to judge (if you even can) in 30 years, now there is a certain matter of subjectively.
 
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Up until the doping revelations no cyclist came remotely close to Armstrong in terms of global popularity (and I was never an Armstrong fan). The American cancer survivor who went on to win 7 TdF's in a row at the beginning of the internet/social media era, there will likely never be a confluence of such storybook factors again. What made Armstrong different was that, because of his cancer, he was well-known and popular outside of the cycling world - nearly everyone on the planet, cycling fan or not, knew and admired "Lance Armstrong". Honestly, outside of Europe I doubt that many non-cycling fans even know who Alberto Contador is.

Now after the Armstrong doping revelations, different story...
 

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