Is Froome The only rider who can take down Contador in the tour?

[Miburo]

In a lot of threads this discussion is going around so let's put it in here.

Yeah there's a poll, can't resist

 

[ElChingon]

What no one is tossing the great Tour winner Evans well me either.

Purito, (if he can switch teams in time)
Valverde, (at least was close at the Vuelta)
Wiggins, (if he can kick he post Tour bad habits )
Froome, (the last one of the pack)

 

[Afrank]

No. Is Froome, at this point, the biggest threat to Contador? Yes, but he is not the only one that I could see ending up beating him.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Jesus Manzano

 

[Ferminal]

Rodriguez and Andy Schleck can't yet be ruled out.

If they are there, that is

 

[Parker]

Rodriguez really should have beaten him at the Vuelta, but Katusha dropped the ball.
Schleck, on form, may be able to outclimb him.
And the next generation will take over sometime - Pinot, TJVG, Talansky etc.

 

[trevim]

With luck, some names can beat him, not just Froome. Still, you forgot the Vino option and that's just unforgivable

 

[The Hitch]

It always seemed obvious to me that it is a 3 man race. Al Andy and Chris.

Purito is simply not going to challenge. Dont get why his name is thrown around. Neither is Valverde who if Unzue plays it right wont even be top finisher for his team.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rodriguez really should have beaten him at the Vuelta, but Katusha dropped the ball.
Schleck, on form, may be able to outclimb him.
And the next generation will take over sometime - Pinot, TJVG, Talansky etc.

Problem was, with that Vuelta route there was no stage where they could offload the jersey to a breakaway for a few days. The only stage really suited to a breakaway was the Covadonga one, and that was too close to the end of the race to be suited to giving enough time to offload the jersey as they'd need to pick it up again the next day to Cuitu Negru. That meant Katyusha had to defend the jersey every day for two weeks. Not surprising they ran out of gas in the end.

 

[Ferminal]

It always seemed obvious to me that it is a 3 man race. Al Andy and Chris.

Purito is simply not going to challenge. Dont get why his name is thrown around. Neither is Valverde who if Unzue plays it right wont even be top finisher for his team.

Why would you consider Andy and not Purito?

Andy will lose 1'30-2'00" on the 30km ITT, Purito maybe 30" more.

 

[cineteq]

Valverde, Rodriguez, Gesink...I'm tired now...

PS: I didn't see, who's the OP again?

 

[The Hitch]

Why would you consider Andy and not Purito?

Andy will lose 1'30-2'00" on the 30km ITT, Purito maybe 30" more.

for a sec i thought you were serious.

 

[bicifan]

Purito will never forgive what Alberto did to him in Fuente Dé.

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

Jesus Manzano

LOL, very good

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

No one will beat Contador if he arrives in top form unless he has considerable bad luck. The only person who can beat Contador is Contador by turning up and not being at his best.

 

[Ferminal]

for a sec i thought you were serious.

How much time do you think Purito will lose in a 33km TT to Contador and Froome? He was around 2minutes back in the Giro on Pinotti (who got moto-paced?) over a similar distance so 2-2'30" on those two would seem reasonable.

 

[Siriuscat]

Purito will never forgive what Alberto did to him in Fuente Dé.

I'm curious, why?? Riders like Contador are there to win above anything else, that means exploiting any weakness...Purito (unfortunately) only has himself and Katyusha to blame.

 

[The Hitch]

How much time do you think Purito will lose in a 33km TT to Contador and Froome? He was around 2minutes back in the Giro on Pinotti (who got moto-paced?) over a similar distance so 2-2'30" on those two would seem reasonable.

Its not even about the tts. They are a big reason of course but there's also the fact that the tour de France is less 1k at 15% and more 20k at 6%. Long drags.

He also doesn't have the team contador has.
No bonus seconds - which he relied on in vuelta and giro.
He doesn't have the ability to drop his competitors further than 500m out. How's he supposed to take any time? Make a minute on the ttt (and then somehow hold that through the itts and mountains ?

I'm curious, why?? Riders like Contador are there to win above anything else, that means exploiting any weakness...Purito (unfortunately) only has himself and Katyusha to blame.

Before this gets out of hand, rodriguez was the most graceful loser I've ever seen post fuente de heaping massive praise on contador for the attack. He certainly doesn't seem to think he has anything to forgive.

 

[MatParker117]

Purito and Schleck will lose too much in the TT's to threaten Contador (Cost them both GT's in the past and will hurt them badly again in this years tour). For me it's a two way fight between Froomy and Alberto.

 

[Siriuscat]

Before this gets out of hand, rodriguez was the most graceful loser I've ever seen post fuente de heaping massive praise on contador for the attack. He certainly doesn't seem to think he has anything to forgive.

Hence my curiosity Hitch.....Purito is a true sporting professional, he knew berto got the better of him and was incredibly gracious and praiseworthy in defeat.

 

[Ferminal]

Its not even about the tts. They are a big reason of course but there's also the fact that the tour de France is less 1k at 15% and more 20k at 6%. Long drags.

Well it is about the ITT when last GT they faced off against one another, they were evens in the mountains. Purito has improved far too much in his last two GTs to expect Contador to just drop him by default. Purely on recent performances you'd have to put Purito down as the superior climber to Andy, who couldn't distance Evans in 2011.

 

[Carols]

I voted No but only because I believe the only one that can beat Contador is Condator

 

[MatParker117]

Well it is about the ITT when last GT they faced off against one another, they were evens in the mountains. Purito has improved far too much in his last two GTs to expect Contador to just drop him by default. Purely on recent performances you'd have to put Purito down as the superior climber to Andy, who couldn't distance Evans in 2011.

Correct Andy's horrendous Time trialing cost him the 2011 tour (He had a 57 second lead on Cadel going into the final time and finished 1'34 behind) and Purito lost the Giro at the final TT.

 

[The Hitch]

Well it is about the ITT when last GT they faced off against one another, they were evens in the mountains. Purito has improved far too much in his last two GTs to expect Contador to just drop him by default. Purely on recent performances you'd have to put Purito down as the superior climber to Andy, who couldn't distance Evans in 2011.

If contador shows up in his 2012 vuelta form.he won't win the tour.

But he doesn't need to ride away from putiro by default anyway. He needs to drop him once and once he does purito has nowhere to get the time back.

 

[Unkown]

Andy can beat him as long as he gets back to his top shape. I don't see how J-rod can beat Contador considering how many MTF's were in the Vuelta last year and he still lost, plus there was only 1 TT in the Vuelta last year. Can't see anyone else competing with those 3 in top shape.