Vuelta a Andalucia (Ruta Del Sol) 2.HC // 18.2 - 22.2

[LaFlorecita]

Because, for whatever reason, Contador seems to attract lots of people who are into him for his looks. Cycling is the last thing they care about. They've turned him into the Justin Bieber of the sport.

I know this is aimed at me and the only thing I will say is that you are very, very wrong.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

How can you admire any man who looks like a stick insect riding a bike
Some times it's hard to make out his legs from his arms. When he sits down, it can be confusing.

It's the pillows . why don't the other teams use custom pillows.
What's wrong with Oleg. Get Bertie a nice pillow.

Actually both Froome and Contador have a horrible style to watch IMO. Their preferred style at least.
Froome sitting: HORRIBLE. Standing? Looks good.
Contador standing: HORRIBLE. Sitting? Looks good.
The Vuelta was pure torture: Froome sitting, aaaargh, Contador standing, aaaargh.

 

[ray j willings]

Froome may look horrible on the bike, but until they start handing out time bonuses for visually pleasing bike positions, I think he's completely safe.

They should. It should be more like ice skating. its about time the UCI gave us/me the sort of results and racing I want to see and not the sort of ugly truth style racing that can happen as it did today

 

[May0maniac]

Dani Navarro crashed and broke his arm

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador standing: HORRIBLE. Sitting? Looks good.

What the hell? Alberto looks as though he's taking a **** when he's sitting.

 

[roundabout]

Actually both Froome and Contador have a horrible style to watch IMO. Their preferred style at least.
Froome sitting: HORRIBLE. Standing? Looks good.
Contador standing: HORRIBLE. Sitting? Looks good.
The Vuelta was pure torture: Froome sitting, aaaargh, Contador standing, aaaargh.

Mr Fridge took the words right out of my keyboard

 

[SDub_Vo2Max]

Que the Contador fanboys as they start the excuses. Fact: Contador was better yesterday and Froome was better today. This should be a great season.

 

[hrotha]

I know this is aimed at me and the only thing I will say is that you are very, very wrong.

It's not just about you - there's a whole gang out there who squeal at everything he does and probably have posters all over their bedroom walls and pictures wrapping their school folders. And that's without even getting into the non-boyband boyfans, who are also very numerous.

You're on record saying you don't care about getting a good race or anything, only about Contador winning.

 

[Miburo]

Some of you fail to realise that Contador has never been able to beat a Froome at 100%, you can make the same argument for contador though.

It's good that there's this stage

 

[SDub_Vo2Max]

It's not just about you - there's a whole gang out there who squeal at everything he does and probably have posters all over their bedroom walls and pictures wrapping their school folders. And that's without even getting into the non-boyband boyfans, who are also very numerous.

You're on record saying you don't care about getting a good race or anything, only about Contador winning.

This is 100% true. I enjoyed watching Contador up until I started reading the forums in about 2012. However, the outrageous hero worship over every little thing he does or says makes it hard to be a fan.

Add that to baseless hate of riders like Froome- why, because he stem-stares and sticks his elbows out??? Tell me when you get bonus seconds for having a certain look- and that is why I enjoyed seeing Bertie get dropped today.

 

[Carols]

Because it IS epic. The RUTA DEL SOL? That's what makes it epic, it being the Ruta del Sol, and the 2 expected TdF favorites do what?
Yesterday Contador goes alone 7 km, Froome with his weird Vuelta "tactic", coming from behind.. the rest 1'40"+ back. In February at the Ruta del Sol? Epic.
Today Froome does a Pena Cabarga 2011 impression and drops Contador. In February, at the Ruta del Sol. Epic.

Well said. Any cycling fan should be able to appreciate what these two guys are doing! In February no less, at a little race. Damn this kind of stuff is what makes being a cycling fan worthwhile.

 

[LaFlorecita]

It's not just about you - there's a whole gang out there who squeal at everything he does and probably have posters all over their bedroom walls and pictures wrapping their school folders. And that's without even getting into the non-boyband boyfans, who are also very numerous.

That hyperbole isn't really doing much to help you.

 

[Carols]

I don't really agree.
How many times did they go head to head in a GT that they finished? Or in any more important race they both targeted?

'Great rivalries' should be more than the odd encounter.

History determines these things, not us in the present. That is the way of life.....
Vuelta 2012 (Contador)
Tour 2013 (Froome)
Vuelta 2014 (Contador)

They have also crossed swords in many smaller races. With 2 more years of going at each other like they have in the last 2 years I have no doubt it will be viewed as a rivalry worthy of writing about in the lore of cycling.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Well said. Any cycling fan should be able to appreciate what these two guys are doing! In February no less, at a little race. Damn this kind of stuff is what makes being a cycling fan worthwhile.

Yes 2km attacks are somehow epic because it's Februari!

Qatar was pretty epic with the best riders of the world for flat races riding 50km finales with echelons. Algarve is currently pretty epic with Etixx attacking continuously, with riders like Martin and Stybar to pressure Sky in the last selective stage starting from 40km's out. Today in Andalucia was just a boring 2km uphill sprint, from which we'll see dozens this season.....

 

[Ataraxus]

This is 100% true. I enjoyed watching Contador up until I started reading the forums in about 2012. However, the outrageous hero worship over every little thing he does or says makes it hard to be a fan.

Add that to baseless hate of riders like Froome- why, because he stem-stares and sticks his elbows out??? Tell me when you get bonus seconds for having a certain look- and that is why I enjoyed seeing Bertie get dropped today.

A true cycling fan shouldn't let the opinions and behaviors in one forum forge his/her ideas and thoughts about certain riders. Contador is a great champion, has won 8GT on the road and animates pretty much every race he participates. These are enough IMHO to like him as a cyclist.
Should you cheer for him? That's another question ofc.

 

[inthepink]

Yes 2km attacks are somehow epic because it's Februari!

Qatar was pretty epic with the best riders of the world for flat races riding 50km finales with echelons. Algarve is currently pretty epic with Etixx attacking continuously, with riders like Martin and Stybar to pressure Sky in the last selective stage starting from 40km's out. Today in Andalucia was just a boring 2km uphill sprint, from which we'll see dozens this season.....

Ooh maybe you didn't like it because Alberto was beaten and if he won it would have been epic ??? Sour grapes much??

 

[Alexandre B.]

Bardet had a puncture with 4km to go.

A shame because he said he rode faster than yesterday.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Ooh maybe you didn't like it because Alberto was beaten and if he won it would have been epic ??? Sour grapes much??

What?..... I'm not even a Contador fan

I don't like Porte, I can tell you that, but the race he just won in Portugal was pretty epic judging from the ticker. It actually had racing for 40km. Porte was working a lot for Geraint Thomas and still won the HTF. That's pretty epic, certainly in februari!

 

[Arredondo]

History determines these things, not us in the present. That is the way of life.....
Vuelta 2012 (Contador)
Tour 2013 (Froome)
Vuelta 2014 (Contador)

They have also crossed swords in many smaller races. With 2 more years of going at each other like they have in the last 2 years I have no doubt it will be viewed as a rivalry worthy of writing about in the lore of cycling.

+ 1

Well said. Exactly the point i tried to make.

 

[MatParker117]

Don't think much will happen tomorrow in terms of GC, the run in to the finale is basically flat as a pancake and Froome just needs to magnetize himself to Contador's back wheel. I'll go with Degenkolb after what he did on Hatta Dam.

 

[Carols]

I don't like Porte, I can tell you that, but the race he just won in Portugal was pretty epic judging from the ticker. It actually had racing for 40km. Porte was working a lot for Geraint Thomas and still won the HTF. That's pretty epic, certainly in februari!

I find it difficult to get out of my seat yelling at a ticker or a tweet. Live pictures are the key to truly enjoying a race for me. Sure I'll watch the highlight clips and feel bad I didn't get to SEE Qatar or Algarve. But the emotional impact just isn't the same as Watching a race. Especially one where the 2 best stage racers in the world are going mano a mano two days in a row.

Anyway enough we can agree to disagree .

 

[Rollthedice]

History determines these things, not us in the present. That is the way of life.....
Vuelta 2012 (Contador)
Tour 2013 (Froome)
Vuelta 2014 (Contador)

They have also crossed swords in many smaller races. With 2 more years of going at each other like they have in the last 2 years I have no doubt it will be viewed as a rivalry worthy of writing about in the lore of cycling.

Vuelta 2012, Froome was still nowhere near being a rival. Contador had far more problems with Purito.

Tour 2013, Contador was at Kreuziger level, a rival only on paper for Froome who in fact had no rival.

Last year's Vuelta was the first time when they were proven rivals.

So it is early to speak about a rivalry, it's rather a developing situation.

 

[Arredondo]

Vuelta 2012, Froome was still nowhere near being a rival. Contador had far more problems with Purito.

Tour 2013, Contador was at Kreuziger level, a rival only on paper for Froome who in fact had no rival.

Last year's Vuelta was the first time when they were proven rivals.

So it is early to speak about a rivalry, it's rather a developing situation.

You can say everyting, but not that it isn't a rivalry.

 

[Tournesol]

You can say everyting, but not that it isn't a rivalry.

They are rivals,of that there is no doubt but you asserted it was comparably as great a rivalry as Coppi/Bartali.Not true.Great rivalries in cycling are for me probably Coppi/Bartali,Merckx/DeVlaeminck,Anquetil/Poulidor.

The Froome/AC rivalry has a ways to go before it can be discussed in the same breath as the above.

 

[jens_attacks]

if february was so entertaining, what on earth will happen in march i wonder?

and i bet tomorrow they will sprint again. somehow i see chris getting bad positoned and losing it. but it's game on