So why shouldn't AC have a stomach full of anger now?

[Michele]

Yesterday Savoldelli was guest at RAI for following the Tour stage and when speaking about Contador he said that surely he is the strongest mentally.

He reported his days with Lance Armstrong, where he was asked to do not attack in the first days otherwise it would be a problem for LA to follow.
After some days Contador was so annoyed that he just started to do his own way (remind the attack on the first top hill finish?).
At the end he was alone when for example eating with just 1 gregario for him and after every stage it was all about arguings in the team bus.
So the point of Savoldelli is that if he managed that situation, he can manage everything.

 

[Spaniard]

I am not so sure about this because in Italy he raced against weaker field (I have nothing against Scarponi and Nibali but they have never been successful in Tour). I am not sure if Contador would have looked so impressive if his Tour rivals peaked for Giro and more emphasis were put on ITT.

Nibali has won a Vuelta and in the 2010 giro he ended third overall beating Cadel Evans. He has partipated just two times in the TDF , and in the last one he was 7th with 24 years old, Contador could have made a gap of 8 or 9 minutes if he wanted in the Giro and win 4 or 5 stages, I truly believe Contador's Giro 2011 form can match Contador's TDF 2009 form or even better, that's my opinion.

 

[Cimber]

The attack on the Mur was not important regarding the 8 secs he gained but it was important to regain the psychological advantage over Andy and that alone made it worth the energy. I sthink it actually gave him more energy to drop Andy. And he will try to do it again tomorrow on the stage to Super-Besse

 

[theviciousfishes]

Yesterday Savoldelli was guest at RAI for following the Tour stage and when speaking about Contador he said that surely he is the strongest mentally.

He reported his days with Lance Armstrong, where he was asked to do not attack in the first days otherwise it would be a problem for LA to follow.
After some days Contador was so annoyed that he just started to do his own way (remind the attack on the first top hill finish?).
At the end he was alone when for example eating with just 1 gregario for him and after every stage it was all about arguings in the team bus.
So the point of Savoldelli is that if he managed that situation, he can manage everything.

I disagree that the situation in 2009 proved he was mentally strong in anything tangible to this years race. Regardless if there was bickering going on at the hotel and on the bus, he was a strongest rider by an incredibly large margin. He wasn't battling an equal where any sense of doubt as to his triumph could creep in. The Astana squad was fighting with knives while Contador was weilding an Apache helicopter. It might have been exhausting being around that circus. But he was never in the position where he had to think to himself he might lose because he just wasn't good enough.

This year he is attempting something hes never done (the double) and competing against a field of worthy opponents on legs that are not going to ever be fresh this month. The man knows he can win this going away. But he also knows he has lost a decent amount of time to quite a few dangerous riders. This test of his mental toughness will be unlike anything he has faced in a bike race.

 

[ferryman]

The attack on the Mur was not important regarding the 8 secs he gained but it was important to regain the psychological advantage over Andy and that alone made it worth the energy. I sthink it actually gave him more energy to drop Andy. And he will try to do it again tomorrow on the stage to Super-Besse

I think you are right here but the 8 seconds could be important if AC can chip away and add to it on both Saturday and Sunday, which I think he will. Then it really will be a big psychological advantage to him over a very fragile looking Andy Schleck at the moment.

 

[roundabout]

Psychological advantage over a rider who never thought that he will be among the best on that stage? Man, you guys are reaching as usual.

 

[Cimber]

Psychological advantage over a rider who never thought that he will be among the best on that stage? Man, you guys are reaching as usual.

He never thought he would be among the best cos he knows he isnt at 100%. Its not like such climbs dont suit him in the spring when he does LBL. Why all of a sudden shouldnt such climbs suit him so badly all of a sudden just cos we are in juli and not april?

But in any case I think it was very important for Contador åsychologically after having done hardly no racing since the Giro and after a bad start the first stages to reassure himself that the form is ok, and that he on that stage wasable to drop his main rival and take a few seconds back. I think its reaching to argue that it has no psychological impact.

 

[roundabout]

For Contador maybe. For others that for whatever reason didn't expect to go with the best the result was so shocking that they might as well pack up and go home as they have been irrepairably broken mentally.

As I said, reaching.

 

[Cimber]

For Contador maybe. For others that for whatever reason didn't expect to go with the best the result was so shocking that they might as well pack up and go home as they have been irrepairably broken mentally.

As I said, reaching.

No one is arguing it broke Andy mentally or anything like that, but even small psychological battles are important to win. If your can boost your self psychologically its just as important. And for sure Andy had hoped he would have been able to follow Contador on stage 4. He was in his wheel in the beginning of the climb for a reason.

As I said, its reaching to argue it has no psychological effect.

 

[quiensabe]

mental strength

I disagree that the situation in 2009 proved he was mentally strong in anything tangible to this years race. Regardless if there was bickering going on at the hotel and on the bus, he was a strongest rider by an incredibly large margin. He wasn't battling an equal where any sense of doubt as to his triumph could creep in. The Astana squad was fighting with knives while Contador was weilding an Apache helicopter. It might have been exhausting being around that circus. But he was never in the position where he had to think to himself he might lose because he just wasn't good enough.

This year he is attempting something hes never done (the double) and competing against a field of worthy opponents on legs that are not going to ever be fresh this month. The man knows he can win this going away. But he also knows he has lost a decent amount of time to quite a few dangerous riders. This test of his mental toughness will be unlike anything he has faced in a bike race.

At last, two paragraphs by somebody with a sensible outlook! The double (Giro/Tour) is dauntingly difficult to achieve. Who was the last to do it? Yes, you all know the answer. But that was in a year where a lot of teams quit the Tour for reasons we needn't go into. Mental strength matters and Alberto has steel behind that big smile. He is a nice boy. Same friends, same lifestyle as always (including training sessions that would kill his armchair critics) and - don't forget - an invalid brother, to keep his life in perspective. His mental strength is such that he won't be overwhelmed by a big-head brat. If anything got to him it was the disgraceful behaviour of some French bigots. I trust he'll think of Robert F. Kennedy's advice: Don't get mad. Get even!

 

[funnytanlines]

in any case, i'll bet that when the big mountains come, more then a few GC riders will be thinking, "if contador punches it, can i keep up?"

 

[Angliru]

He was in brilliant form last year and he wasn't exactly dominating Schleck was he? This year he has to make up that gap and that's after he's raced in the hardest Giro I think there's ever been.
The tour is Andy's to lose now.

His ITT performance at the end was indicative of his not being in his best form, certainly not in 2009 form. I don't believe that AS bridged the talent gap. Contador simply wasn't at his best whether you want to believe it or not.

 

[Parrulo]

His ITT performance at the end was indicative of his not being in his best form, certainly not in 2009 form. I don't believe that AS bridged the talent gap. Contador simply wasn't at his best whether you want to believe it or not.

exactly. lets not forget that in the giro he top 10'd the itt 36 secs behind millar even tho he spent the last k celebrating and even crossed the line doing the pistol shot salute.

i have seen a guy somewhere making a good observation about contador's itt last year. he had to adjust his position on the bike every few pedal strokes. it looked like his @ss was constantly sliding to front and he had to push it back on the seat. that can't be comfortable over 50k i would say

 

[Angliru]

It's my impression that Contador is panicking a little. He shouldn't attack on small climbs like Mur de Bretagne. That's a waste of energy. He should save himself for Luz-Ardiden and then drop a bomb.

With him already having a deficit, he must take time whenever the opportunity presents itself. Mur de Bretagne was the first of those opportunities. Regardless he would have had to expend the same energy when Evans and the rest began battling for the stage win. If anything he struck a psychological blow versus his rival Andy by taking 8 seconds from him. Andy's demeanor with the media after getting dropped was in stark contrast to his cocky criticisms of Contador earlier in the race.

 

[patrick767]

Ridiculous. Stop comparing everything to stage 3 of last year's TdF. That stage was an ugly, horribly unsafe situation for the riders where a couple of terrible curves left riders strewn all over the road and in the trees. Fabian believed that refusing to race to the finish was an appropriate protest, but he couldn't have stopped the peloton on his own. Obviously a large number of riders agreed with him.

By your logic AC should be ****ed off at the entire peloton.

 

[CatsNK]

in any case, i'll bet that when the big mountains come, more then a few GC riders will be thinking, "if contador punches it, can i keep up?"

+1. It will be very interesting to see what AC can do. His performance in the Giro was nothing short of spectacular. It was as if the other riders were on tricycles.

Even if he can't pull it off this year at TdF thanks to the early crash, there's always the Vuelta.

 

[Angliru]

Yesterday Savoldelli was guest at RAI for following the Tour stage and when speaking about Contador he said that surely he is the strongest mentally.

He reported his days with Lance Armstrong, where he was asked to do not attack in the first days otherwise it would be a problem for LA to follow.
After some days Contador was so annoyed that he just started to do his own way (remind the attack on the first top hill finish?).
At the end he was alone when for example eating with just 1 gregario for him and after every stage it was all about arguings in the team bus.
So the point of Savoldelli is that if he managed that situation, he can manage everything.

Michele, thanks for posting that. Very insightful.

 

[Angliru]

Psychological advantage over a rider who never thought that he will be among the best on that stage? Man, you guys are reaching as usual.

Andy lost 8 seconds to Thor on that stage. That had to be a blow to his ego as world's best climber.

 

[Angliru]

Ridiculous. Stop comparing everything to stage 3 of last year's TdF. That stage was an ugly, horribly unsafe situation for the riders where a couple of terrible curves left riders strewn all over the road and in the trees. Fabian believed that refusing to race to the finish was an appropriate protest, but he couldn't have stopped the peloton on his own. Obviously a large number of riders agreed with him.

By your logic AC should be ****ed off at the entire peloton.

Who exactly are you responding to?

 

[alberto.legstrong]

He was in brilliant form last year and he wasn't exactly dominating Schleck was he? This year he has to make up that gap and that's after he's raced in the hardest Giro I think there's ever been.
The tour is Andy's to lose now.

At the TDF? AC was in brilliant form? I musta been watching a different race. No, sir, that was not brilliant form. At several points I thought to myself I had seen much MUCH better from him in the mountains. And then that final TT. Wow. That stunk on ice. For him.

Ohhh....to have 1/4th that talent on my best day...

 

[montagna lunga]

its reaching to argue it has no psychological effect.

Its also reaching (or grasping) to argue any "effect" you claim is significant.

pfft....psychologie?? .... not a single cannibal, monster, badger, pelota or pirata amongst them, let alone a campionissimo, Mr. Chrono, zonzon, or bricklayer.

 

[Cimber]

Its also reaching (or grasping) to argue any "effect" you claim is significant.

But I didnt argue that those effects are significant. On the contrary I stated that the effect/impact is small. But in Tour the France even the smallest advantage you can get can prove valuable. Hell, even the 8 secs he gained on Andrew could prove valuable, just ask Fignon.

 

[Cimber]

He was in brilliant form last year

No he wasnt.

 

[montagna lunga]

But I didnt argue that those effects are significant. On the contrary I stated that the effect/impact is small. But in Tour the France even the smallest advantage you can get can prove valuable. Hell, even the 8 secs he gained on Andrew could prove valuable, just ask Fignon.

whaaa?