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Mikel Landa Discussion Thread

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Re:

Bushman said:
Maybe time for Astana to adjust their tactics and go with Aru and Landa as co-leaders?

I can't see it happening while Aru is still plenty ahead of Landa on GC. As things stand and as today's stage finish confirms, Contador is happy enough as he's racing Aru, and knows he's the stronger rider. Is he stronger than Landa? Probably, possibly, but he doesn't know for certain.

I guess the Vino option is for Aru to try a long-range (crazy) solo attack, leaving Landa to ride with Tira, Kangert, Rosa, and so on. Does Bert follow Aru, or sit tight with Landa?
 
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Re:

IndianCyclist said:
Maybe Contador was laying the foundation to sign Landa for TS next year

I doubt it. Landa & Co. are ex-Euskaltel Euskadi, and back when Fernando Alonso wanted to buy the team (in reality he just wanted their license,) the deal came crumbling down over small petty stupid sh*i like some of the riders unwilling to wear a jersey with the Spanish flag on it. I can't confirm Landa was one of these riders but... there's a good chance he was in that group.

Since Fernando wanted to get Alberto to be the team lead, seeing the project come crumbling down (judging by what he said after the deal went sour) must have really pissed him off. Many cyclists burned their bridges with Contador, and I seriously doubt he wants them in his team.

According to some of my sources, Nieve practically threw himself at Alberto, but Contador told him no.

Once bitten, twice shy.
 
Re: Re:

Vino's Mum said:
Bushman said:
Maybe time for Astana to adjust their tactics and go with Aru and Landa as co-leaders?

I can't see it happening while Aru is still plenty ahead of Landa on GC. As things stand and as today's stage finish confirms, Contador is happy enough as he's racing Aru, and knows he's the stronger rider. Is he stronger than Landa? Probably, possibly, but he doesn't know for certain.

I guess the Vino option is for Aru to try a long-range (crazy) solo attack, leaving Landa to ride with Tira, Kangert, Rosa, and so on. Does Bert follow Aru, or sit tight with Landa?
Contador should follow Aru. Landa is not a threat. Simple as that.
 
Re: Re:

The_Cheech said:
IndianCyclist said:
Maybe Contador was laying the foundation to sign Landa for TS next year

I doubt it. Landa & Co. are ex-Euskaltel Euskadi, and back when Fernando Alonso wanted to buy the team (in reality he just wanted their license,) the deal came crumbling down over small petty stupid sh*i like some of the riders unwilling to wear a jersey with the Spanish flag on it. I can't confirm Landa was one of these riders but... there's a good chance he was in that group.

Since Fernando wanted to get Alberto to be the team lead, seeing the project come crumbling down (judging by what he said after the deal went sour) must have really pissed him off. Many cyclists burned their bridges with Contador, and I seriously doubt he wants them in his team.

According to some of my sources, Nieve practically threw himself at Alberto, but Contador told him no.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Wow, interesting story. Got any online sources for that or is it just gossip?
 
Re: Re:

The_Cheech said:
IndianCyclist said:
Maybe Contador was laying the foundation to sign Landa for TS next year

I doubt it. Landa & Co. are ex-Euskaltel Euskadi, and back when Fernando Alonso wanted to buy the team (in reality he just wanted their license,) the deal came crumbling down over small petty stupid sh*i like some of the riders unwilling to wear a jersey with the Spanish flag on it. I can't confirm Landa was one of these riders but... there's a good chance he was in that group.

Since Fernando wanted to get Alberto to be the team lead, seeing the project come crumbling down (judging by what he said after the deal went sour) must have really pissed him off. Many cyclists burned their bridges with Contador, and I seriously doubt he wants them in his team.

According to some of my sources, Nieve practically threw himself at Alberto, but Contador told him no.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Anton has called Contador a liar too in a recent interview. There's definately split camps in Spanish cycling.

[quote="Red Rick]
Wow, interesting story. Got any online sources for that or is it just gossip?[/quote]

Like I said, Contador definately isn't universally liked. Whether that's a result of the Alonso saga or the reason it failed in the first place I don't know (it's the first time I even heard this story), but it might also be a reason Contador has never been linked to a Spanish team recently.
 
Re: Re:

Vino's Mum said:
Bushman said:
Maybe time for Astana to adjust their tactics and go with Aru and Landa as co-leaders?

I guess the Vino option is for Aru to try a long-range (crazy) solo attack, leaving Landa to ride with Tira, Kangert, Rosa, and so on. Does Bert follow Aru, or sit tight with Landa?

Why would Contador and Tinkov allow Aru to go in the first place, since he's 2nd? :confused:

Landa should be doing that attack since he still got the time margin to be allowed by Contador, but once it gets closer, he will shut him down- then if Aru has the legs is when he should attack him.
 
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Mikel wondering why the others are grimacing

275-20150524c_01.jpg
 
Re: Re:

hfer07 said:
Why would Contador and Tinkov allow Aru to go in the first place, since he's 2nd? :confused:

Landa should be doing that attack since he still got the time margin to be allowed by Contador, but once it gets closer, he will shut him down- then if Aru has the legs is when he should attack him.

Yeah, I know Landa should be doing that attack, but it's too obvious. Tinkoff manages the gap, Aru follows Contador, Contador follows any late Aru move. Yawn.

The only way I can see Contador cracking enough to lose the lead is if Aru attacks from distance, as Contador would have to go with him - just the two of them if Aru rides like he stole it. Sure, I expect Aru would get into trouble before Bert, but if they both blow up...

...Landa says thanks.
 
Re: Re:

Vino's Mum said:
hfer07 said:
Why would Contador and Tinkov allow Aru to go in the first place, since he's 2nd? :confused:

Landa should be doing that attack since he still got the time margin to be allowed by Contador, but once it gets closer, he will shut him down- then if Aru has the legs is when he should attack him.

Yeah, I know Landa should be doing that attack, but it's too obvious. Tinkoff manages the gap, Aru follows Contador, Contador follows any late Aru move. Yawn.

The only way I can see Contador cracking enough to lose the lead is if Aru attacks from distance, as Contador would have to go with him - just the two of them if Aru rides like he stole it. Sure, I expect Aru would get into trouble before Bert, but if they both blow up...

...Landa says thanks.

Are we forgetting that if Landa goes, there are other teams with an interest in what time he could potentially gain and the threat to their rider's gc position? Just his action could alter the positions of many in the top ten and consequently they may share in the prevention of Landa's potential time gains.
 
Landa is clearly climbing better than anyone in this race. Astana should just let him off the leash even though he would still have trouble cracking Contador. Aru is not going to win the Giro so second or third, it does not matter. Only misfortune can stop Contador. It is ridiculous watching Landa having to wait for Aru.
 
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Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
The_Cheech said:
IndianCyclist said:
Maybe Contador was laying the foundation to sign Landa for TS next year

I doubt it. Landa & Co. are ex-Euskaltel Euskadi, and back when Fernando Alonso wanted to buy the team (in reality he just wanted their license,) the deal came crumbling down over small petty stupid sh*i like some of the riders unwilling to wear a jersey with the Spanish flag on it. I can't confirm Landa was one of these riders but... there's a good chance he was in that group.

Since Fernando wanted to get Alberto to be the team lead, seeing the project come crumbling down (judging by what he said after the deal went sour) must have really pissed him off. Many cyclists burned their bridges with Contador, and I seriously doubt he wants them in his team.

According to some of my sources, Nieve practically threw himself at Alberto, but Contador told him no.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Wow, interesting story. Got any online sources for that or is it just gossip?

This was told to me under condition of anonymity by a good friend who works for Diario As (still).

If my memory serves me right... the main issue was the fact that EE management wanted Fernando Alonso to pretty much take ownership of the team on an "as is" basis, meaning he would not have a say in who was hired or laid off until the contracts ran out. And he, initially, agreed to pretty much everything they demanded (even though EE were holding a very weak hand).

Eventually everything was thrown in for barter and that annoyed Fernando tremendously (who at the time was looking for a way out of his Ferrari contract himself). Allegedly, the straw that broke the camel's back was a phone call in which EE management demanded that the team's headquarters be kept in the Basque Country instead of moving to Asturias and that the Spanish flag was not to be present in either the team's buses or gear.

Fernando pulled out of the deal immediately after that call.
 
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Re: Re:

Arnout said:
Anton has called Contador a liar too in a recent interview. There's definately split camps in Spanish cycling.

His issues with Alberto go way back. It's mostly Unzué's and Valverde's displeasure that percolates to the other riders though. As if it were an order to not like Contador.

Like I said, Contador definately isn't universally liked. Whether that's a result of the Alonso saga or the reason it failed in the first place I don't know (it's the first time I even heard this story), but it might also be a reason Contador has never been linked to a Spanish team recently.

I don't think it has to do with that. Contador was in unofficial talks with Alonso's team and even had a schedule worked out before Fernando pulled the plug. But the EE riders, or management, didn't have a clue that the team's leader would be AC though.
 

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