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Tour de France 2020 | Stage 9 (Pau - Laruns, 153 km)

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Can Contador turn the clock back to 2014?
Read some of the postings on Aru at that time, he was about as a sure thing as we'll ever see
It's possible that his body simply broke down under the grueling demands of being a pro cyclist and he's finished
Its amazing to think now that at the time no one was looking at his GT win as a fluke or suprise but the coming of age of a future champion.

It seems like his whole generation have ended up as underachievers due both to sky and a super generation coming up quick to pass them out
 
Hasn't really tried yet, no MTFs, etc. If it's a MTF today I think he and Pog put seconds into Landa/Bernal.
Well, there was an MTF at Orcières-Merlette, but it wasn't a particularly tough climb, and there was an MTF at Mont-Aigoual, but it wasn't the hardest climb of the stage so Sepp Kuss didn't believe in racing.
 
Can Contador turn the clock back to 2014?
Read some of the postings on Aru at that time, he was about as a sure thing as we'll ever see
It's possible that his body simply broke down under the grueling demands of being a pro cyclist and he's finished
He was flying at the 2014 Vuelta, and then won it in 2015. His trajectory was set. Even as recently as 2017, he finished the Tour 5th, with a stage win and a few days in yellow.
 
Actually isn't he the only rider to take the leaders jersey from Froome in a GT with the exception of '11 Vuelta. And he is also the only rider to take the leaders jersey from Contador in a GT ( though thanks to a crash in a flat stage )
Well, in the race. Andy Schleck and Michele Scarponi have both also taken the leaders' jersey from Contador after the fact, YMMV on that.
 
Roglic and Carapaz also won their GTs over weak fields. Strong GT fields must be a myth. :rolleyes:
When the default is "TdF winner OP" then looking at respective fields is probably better. Pogacar was third in that Vuelta, he's not exactly weak now. Meanwhile Kruijswijk got his first podium at the rip age of 32 last year, Buchman was 4th and is nowhere this year (crash tho). #5 wasn't even a GC rider. Dumoulin, Roglic and Froome all weren't there. Landa had done the Giro and was better in said Giro. Nibali didn't contest the Tour GC. Valverde is simply better in the Vuelta almost every year.
 
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Roglic was the second best climber in an average vuelta and Bernal was the best climber (who finished) in a weak tour but is more likely to improve for a year of racing and seems to be improving his shape while Roglic's shape either remains the same or gets worse
 
Actually isn't he the only rider to take the leaders jersey from Froome in a GT with the exception of '11 Vuelta. And he is also the only rider to take the leaders jersey from Contador in a GT ( though thanks to a crash in a flat stage )

There's more for the young people who don't understand why we talk about Aru. Along with Froome, Nibali, Dennis, Cav and now Roglic he is among the only active riders who have wins and race leads in all three GTs. In the history of the sport there are 19.
 
There's more for the young people who don't understand why we talk about Aru. Along with Froome, Nibali, Dennis, Cav and now Roglic he is among the only active riders who have wins and race leads in all three GTs. In the history of the sport there are 19.
Is there anyone with race leads in all 3 that managed to do it without picking up stage wins along the way? I realize that Nibali would belong to that group until 2017.
 
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