Why Alberto Contador is Cycling's One True Champion

[Nomad]

You read my mind...that's some of my thoughts on Contador. He looked like a beaten man struggling up Mont du Chat losing 4 mins on the day, and now over 5 mins down in just after the first week. And Mollema already 22 mins off GC. I'm wondering if Trek was going to pursue more than microdosing in prep for the Tour when Cardoso was popped. That certainly could have thwarted their plans, i.e., under the microscope with aggressive target testing and closely monitored ABPs. Of course, if El Pistolero & Mollema come out as gangbusters in the 2nd & 3rd week that throws my theory out the window

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

Does anyone wonder if Contador's form (or lack thereof) in this year's tour is in anyway related to his teammates (André Cardoso) positive for EPO? Maybe a shot fired across the bow by the UCI, letting Trek know they are not allowed to be on the secret sauce in this year's tour? Payback for something that someone at Trek did?

Its the message that nobody is allowed to touch Alien. The brits in charge has a mission: to guide this scientific wonder to an all-time great in Tour-palmares and nobody is allowed to interfere. In some years this nightmare will be over.

Its Kreutziger all over again.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Gotta think Contador was uniucky with his Clenbutarol finding, in light of many recent cases. where athletes have been exonerated or received short suspensions. That's lfe.

Not only that. But getting caught for Clenbutarol. How unlucky you are that you do your blood transfusion and they get you for this drug! .

I believe that they changed his life. His palmares would have been very different IMHO.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Gotta think Contador was uniucky with his Clenbutarol finding, in light of many recent cases. where athletes have been exonerated or received short suspensions. That's lfe.

Not only that. But getting caught for Clenbutarol. How unlucky you are that you do your blood transfusion and they get you for this drug! .

I believe that they changed his life. His palmares would have been very different IMHO.

Yes ASO and UCI definitely do not want him to be the champion and beat Froome IMO

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Does anyone wonder if Contador's form (or lack thereof) in this year's tour is in anyway related to his teammates (André Cardoso) positive for EPO? Maybe a shot fired across the bow by the UCI, letting Trek know they are not allowed to be on the secret sauce in this year's tour? Payback for something that someone at Trek did?

I think it's definitely possible. They don't want to discredit cycling by popping Contador but don't want to see him win either, so they take out Cardoso as a warning shot, don't you dare try anything or we'll bust you as well. After what we've seen on Sunday it suddenly seems likely.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Gotta think Contador was uniucky with his Clenbutarol finding, in light of many recent cases. where athletes have been exonerated or received short suspensions. That's lfe.

Not only that. But getting caught for Clenbutarol. How unlucky you are that you do your blood transfusion and they get you for this drug! .

I believe that they changed his life. His palmares would have been very different IMHO.

Yes ASO and UCI definitely do not want him to be the champion and beat Froome IMO

Froome wasn't even in the picture once that happened, the clenti case....

Its ludicrous to suggest what you just did. Contador could have been competitive 1, maybe 2 editions of TdF against Froome post ban. And it wasn't ASO or UCI's fault, but himself that messed it up by crashing one year and targeting the Giro another. Thats just my opinion tho, its cycling after all.

 

[ppanther92]

Re: Re:

Does anyone wonder if Contador's form (or lack thereof) in this year's tour is in anyway related to his teammates (André Cardoso) positive for EPO? Maybe a shot fired across the bow by the UCI, letting Trek know they are not allowed to be on the secret sauce in this year's tour? Payback for something that someone at Trek did?

I think it's definitely possible. They don't want to discredit cycling by popping Contador but don't want to see him win either, so they take out Cardoso as a warning shot, don't you dare try anything or we'll bust you as well. After what we've seen on Sunday it suddenly seems likely.

I agree, already thought so, when the positive was announced.

And after reading Hamilton's book or Landis' testimonial, i think its not even very far fetched. Remember Mayo getting the call or Hamilton's story or pouring down Landis' blood? Why should times change?

 

[samhocking]

Contador's Tour form, or lack of it, is exactly where you'd expect it to be for a rider who's not been on its podium for the last 7-8 years. If you're not on it for 3 years, history tells us you likely never will be and Contador's history is proving it's a good indicator. No rider has won Le Tour with more than 3 years since last win either. Biggest gap between wins is 3 years for Anquetil. Coppi, LeMond & Hinault next best at 2 years gap post WWII.

 

[ontheroad]

Re: Re:

Does anyone wonder if Contador's form (or lack thereof) in this year's tour is in anyway related to his teammates (André Cardoso) positive for EPO? Maybe a shot fired across the bow by the UCI, letting Trek know they are not allowed to be on the secret sauce in this year's tour? Payback for something that someone at Trek did?

I think it's definitely possible. They don't want to discredit cycling by popping Contador but don't want to see him win either, so they take out Cardoso as a warning shot, don't you dare try anything or we'll bust you as well. After what we've seen on Sunday it suddenly seems likely.

I agree, already thought so, when the positive was announced.

And after reading Hamilton's book or Landis' testimonial, i think its not even very far fetched. Remember Mayo getting the call or Hamilton's story or pouring down Landis' blood? Why should times change?

I think that is a very likely scenario, the usual PR generated by the UCI popping a B lister prior to the tour beginning meant that they could say that they were taking anti doping seriously. The fact that it was a team mate of Contador could be seen as a message sent out to Trek. To my knowledge 2 weeks on and still no word of the Cardoso B sample being confirmed nor details of the ban being announced.

 

[arvc40]

Crikey, somebody give Contador some Ritalin, he rides like somebody with Narcolepsy.

 

[arvc40]

Can't he get on what Valverde is doing, I bet he has more Tue days than a calendar month. Contador obviously *** scared or needs *** loads even to beat clean riders

 

[arvc40]

Quite clear there are less risks dabbling with PEDS during Giro and even more so Spain GT

 

[sniper]

There's a big elephant in the room.

For years now Contador has been one of the most obvious and widely rumored users of motordoping.

For instance there was Faustino Munoz, Contador's lifelong mechanic and confident, fiddle with his watch for almost a minute standing next to Contadors bike. It's shown in the Stade 2 documentary. If you think Contador doesn't do motors, please answer the question: "Why is Munoz doing that?" *crickets*

Then the multiple bike swaps, which prompted Cipolini of all people to accuse Contador of motors on Italian state television.
http://www.calcioweb.eu/2015/05/giro-contador-e-il-cambio-di-bici-cipollini-lo-accusa-alimenta-i-sospetti-sui-motorini/210446/

Then there's the wheel change with Ivan Basso, which Bertie later claimed was due to a flat tire. Funny then, that Basso was able to finish the race with that tire. http://www.velonews.com/2015/06/news/claim-contador-staged-puncture-to-hide-motor-in-giro-bike_372681

Even if you're not convinced, it's silly to not consider the possibility, and the possible implications it has for how we interpret UCI's handling of Contador over the years, something this post by Tienus also hinted at:
viewtopic.php?p=2134478#p2134478

Just saying, it's easy for UCI to pretend it's about doping, when what might really be playing behind the scenes is a fight about who gets to use (which type of) motors, and when.

 

[DanielSong39]

If he's using a motor he needs an upgrade. Where's the Cancellara bike?

 

[Melo]

I was hoping he's gonna go full *** this year in the Tour and win it, but it seems it doesn't even matter if he dopes or not, he somehow finds a way to crash badly or crash multiple times during it and all goes to *** every year.

 

[arvc40]

Its simple, he can only win by cheating, nothing will change that.

 

[sniper]

Re:

If he's using a motor he needs an upgrade. Where's the Cancellara bike?

that was kind of the point i made in my post and Tienus previously in his: UCI's actions towards Contador seem to be aimed at forcing him to ride without a motor, at least on key stages where Froome needs to come out on top.

 

[JosephK]

Re: Re:

If he's using a motor he needs an upgrade. Where's the Cancellara bike?

that was kind of the point i made in my post and Tienus previously in his: UCI's actions towards Contador seem to be aimed at forcing him to ride without a motor, at least on key stages where Froome needs to come out on top.

Maybe almost everyone in the peloton has motors now -- some better than others, and political connections determine who gets the best motor(s)? LOL. Now THAT would be hilarious. Sadly (or hilariously, depending on one's mindset), that scenario is not beyond belief now.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Its simple, he can only win by cheating, nothing will change that.

Are you pissed because you lost your £100 betting on him? I mean first you're in the Road Racing section, posting in the Contador thread that Froome is just genetically vastly superior, and now this?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

If he's using a motor he needs an upgrade. Where's the Cancellara bike?

that was kind of the point i made in my post and Tienus previously in his: UCI's actions towards Contador seem to be aimed at forcing him to ride without a motor, at least on key stages where Froome needs to come out on top.

Interesting. But why haven't they popped him yet? Seems they could easily do so if they wanted to. Or is it like I speculated earlier (about regular doping) that UCI don't want to pop him because it would be bad PR but don't want him to win either?

 

[noddy69]

Re: Re:

If he's using a motor he needs an upgrade. Where's the Cancellara bike?

that was kind of the point i made in my post and Tienus previously in his: UCI's actions towards Contador seem to be aimed at forcing him to ride without a motor, at least on key stages where Froome needs to come out on top.

Interesting. But why haven't they popped him yet? Seems they could easily do so if they wanted to. Or is it like I speculated earlier (about regular doping) that UCI don't want to pop him because it would be bad PR but don't want him to win either?

That's like asking why they didn't pop Cancellara or why aren't they catching dopers at the pointy end of the bunch.the UCI won't catch him either if he does use a motor just like they haven't caught anyone else. I presume the answer to why he isn't winning is simply decline, he's been at the top for an age and the body will give out eventually.

 

[Fergoose]

Re:

Its simple, he can only win by cheating, nothing will change that.

I think that is pretty fair. Contadors performances in the TDF post his ban have never remotely been close to the same level as his pre-ban efforts. He has been able to reproduce closer to that old form in the Giro and Vuelta, although still not quite there.

He is getting to he age where he has nothing to lose by rolling the dice (other than his reputation with some of his die hard fans). I'm a little surprised he hasn't tried a Valverde or a Horner so far and thought "if I'm caught, then I'm caught". There is precedent with the above named peaking grotesquely in their old age so I'm sure Contador could sell it. I can only assume he is naturally a bit more uneasy about doping than the likes of Valverde and Horner and that is a compliment. He may be a decent man with a bit of a moral compass.

Hope he doesn't make a token attack on the first big climb today then abandon.

 

[arvc40]

Re: Re:

Its simple, he can only win by cheating, nothing will change that.

Are you pissed because you lost your £100 betting on him? I mean first you're in the Road Racing section, posting in the Contador thread that Froome is just genetically vastly superior, and now this?

I simply wanted to say what my logic tells me and I think that is aloud here. In the other thread I try to apply a little logic to an awful lot of fantasy.

£100 lost on bet means nothing to me.

 

[arvc40]

Re: Re:

Its simple, he can only win by cheating, nothing will change that.

I think that is pretty fair. Contadors performances in the TDF post his ban have never remotely been close to the same level as his pre-ban efforts. He has been able to reproduce closer to that old form in the Giro and Vuelta, although still not quite there.

He is getting to he age where he has nothing to lose by rolling the dice (other than his reputation with some of his die hard fans). I'm a little surprised he hasn't tried a Valverde or a Horner so far and thought "if I'm caught, then I'm caught". There is precedent with the above named peaking grotesquely in their old age so I'm sure Contador could sell it. I can only assume he is naturally a bit more uneasy about doping than the likes of Valverde and Horner and that is a compliment. He may be a decent man with a bit of a moral compass.

Hope he doesn't make a token attack on the first big climb today then abandon.

Rightly or wrongly, this is my wavelength

 

[sniper]

Re: Re:

If he's using a motor he needs an upgrade. Where's the Cancellara bike?

that was kind of the point i made in my post and Tienus previously in his: UCI's actions towards Contador seem to be aimed at forcing him to ride without a motor, at least on key stages where Froome needs to come out on top.

Interesting. But why haven't they popped him yet? Seems they could easily do so if they wanted to. Or is it like I speculated earlier (about regular doping) that UCI don't want to pop him because it would be bad PR but don't want him to win either?

That's like asking why they didn't pop Cancellara or why aren't they catching dopers at the pointy end of the bunch.the UCI won't catch him either if he does use a motor just like they haven't caught anyone else. I presume the answer to why he isn't winning is simply decline, he's been at the top for an age and the body will give out eventually.

Agree with the bolded.
If UCI catch a pro with a motor, only the Lord knows what kind of neverending shitstorm it would start.

Femke was a different case altogether. UCI could no longer ignore her, as competitors were filing complaints and photo's of her bike with hints at motoruse were circulating on the internet.
Not to mention, Femke was the near-ideal victim for UCI.
Brother already sitting out a two year ban for EPO. Father a small time bird thief.
Plenty of pressure points for UCI to guarantee Femke will never ever sing.
And who knows what else they did behind the scene to make absolutely 100% sure Femke keeps schtumm.
25 grand would be nothing for the UCI. It would be a very nice incentive for the Vandendriessche's to shut the *** up.

Bottom line: hell will freeze over before UCI catch a pro-rider with a motor.
Unless some kind of externally induced pressure makes it absolutely 100% unavoidable for them to do so.
But look what happened after the Stade 2 documentary which cast some (imo serious) suspicions on Roglic. UCI didn't even address it, let alone investigate. I think it was one small press release from Lotto Jumbo almost literally saying "UCI have our backs, so nothing to see here folks, move on please". And moving on, well that's indeed what everybody did.