A Question..

pictit
pictit Posts: 603
edited July 2009 in Pro race
Contador,are we witnessing the next 7 times [8-9!!] TdF winner ?.For a man who can climb seemingly effortlessly like he does,and now TT like the Armstrong of old,who is going to get in his way?.Much as I like the Schlecht's I can't see either of them being the ones.A fully race fit Basso next year ?.
I admit I don't actually 'like' Contador.I have no 'reasons',I just dont like him :shock:.
26 years old and 3 Grand Tours under his belt [soon to be 4].He does at least,at the present,compete to win in other events though I dare say that could change.What current or up and coming riders should we be looking at to really challenge Contador in the grand tours he enters?.Of course this situation is not new.Excuse the spelling but we have had Anquetil-Merckx-Hinault-Indurain-Armstrong so another 'strong man' would appear to fit the pattern and be a normal /natural development ?.

Comments

  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    Andy's the closest to him - but can't TT aswell yet - we'll have to wait and see next year.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Andy will improve more than Bertie, and so will Nibali also still very young and a good climber and TT-er, and Gesink even more. Let's hope at least one of them keeps developing to be a challenge
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Contador may not have such a good team around him in the future either. May not be a problem, but then again - look at Evans. Can do it all, but never has a decent team so can't quite reach the top.


    Contador has all the tools to be a multi-Tour winner, if he gets the right support.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    He could always get rumbled by Puerto
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Pokerface wrote:
    look at Evans. Can do it all, but never has a decent team so can't quite reach the top.
    I know it's not really the topic here, but I really don't think blaiming Evan's team is fair on Lotto. This year he folded himself, not because of his team, and if he would have been a contender Jurgen Van den Broeck would have been a first rate helper in the mountains. It's not his team, and I don't think it ever has been. Last year he cracked in the mountains and I don't think any team would have been able to help him.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,812
    I think the reason he would be a 7, 8 or 9 time winner is if he stays with Bruyneel, another DS may want him to target other races to prove he's better than Armstrong.

    For example, if he goes to Caisse d'Epargne they may want to target the Vuelta, or if he goes to a team with a classics background they may want him to have a go at Liege or Lombardy one year.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    I think the reason he would be a 7, 8 or 9 time winner is if he stays with Bruyneel, another DS may want him to target other races to prove he's better than Armstrong.

    For example, if he goes to Caisse d'Epargne they may want to target the Vuelta, or if he goes to a team with a classics background they may want him to have a go at Liege or Lombardy one year.
    Not sure about this. Indurain rode for a Spanish team and never won or targetted the Vuelta. Also, I do not think targetting the classics will seriously endanger Tour wins. Does Andy really ride slower now because he won LBL?
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    FJS wrote:
    Pokerface wrote:
    look at Evans. Can do it all, but never has a decent team so can't quite reach the top.
    I know it's not really the topic here, but I really don't think blaiming Evan's team is fair on Lotto. This year he folded himself, not because of his team, and if he would have been a contender Jurgen Van den Broeck would have been a first rate helper in the mountains. It's not his team, and I don't think it ever has been. Last year he cracked in the mountains and I don't think any team would have been able to help him.

    Evans was done this year after the TTT. Yes - he had bad days all on his own - but I think his head and heart wasn't in it once he realized he was never going to pull that time back.

    But he has lacked team support in the past and with some good climbers around him he might not have cracked as easily. Who knows!?
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    With a strong team fully supporting him I think Evans could have won it last year - he was on top form and there was no standout candidate for yellow.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,873
    I don't think anyone is going to break or equal lances record anytime soon...

    too much can go wrong plus the focus and organization required is, I think beyond him..
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,873
    FJS wrote:
    Pokerface wrote:
    look at Evans. Can do it all, but never has a decent team so can't quite reach the top.
    I know it's not really the topic here, but I really don't think blaiming Evan's team is fair on Lotto. This year he folded himself, not because of his team, and if he would have been a contender Jurgen Van den Broeck would have been a first rate helper in the mountains. It's not his team, and I don't think it ever has been. Last year he cracked in the mountains and I don't think any team would have been able to help him.

    half and half... they weren't all that but he gave up the fight pretty early...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    You never know who or what is around the corner. When he won in 1997, everyone expected Jan Ullrich to win five or more Tours.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    Why does Cadel stay with Lotto?
  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    Timoid. wrote:
    He could always get rumbled by Puerto

    There's that. And also remember, Ullrich could TT and climb with the best of them- but only won 1 TdF
    The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
  • Steven Martin
    Steven Martin Posts: 280
    Pokerface wrote:
    Contador may not have such a good team around him in the future either. May not be a problem, but then again - look at Evans. Can do it all, but never has a decent team so can't quite reach the top.


    Contador has all the tools to be a multi-Tour winner, if he gets the right support.

    He'd still be miles up had there not been a team TT, and if he rode for Lotto in this tour he'd still be ahead. He hasn't had much help in the mountains either.

    I think that if Andy Schleck spends more time in the wind tunnel then things will be closer. I agree that Nibali and Gesink have a lot to offer. And hey, in 3 years time there might be some extraordinary new talents about.
  • k2rider
    k2rider Posts: 575
    contadors tt`s used to be rubbish, yeah you can work on them and get better but to then become the best in the world??? and still retain your climbing ability?? somethings amiss.
    who cares?
  • stagehopper
    stagehopper Posts: 1,593
    k2rider wrote:
    contadors tt`s used to be rubbish, yeah you can work on them and get better but to then become the best in the world??? and still retain your climbing ability?? somethings amiss.

    Contador's TT has never been rubbish. He started off good, got very good then became brilliant. Stylistically he looks wonderful on the TT bike, far better than many of his rivals.
    @stagehopper
  • Bakunin
    Bakunin Posts: 868
    k2rider wrote:
    contadors tt`s used to be rubbish, yeah you can work on them and get better but to then become the best in the world??? and still retain your climbing ability?? somethings amiss.


    What a classic post -- whispering about Contador, with a signature celebrating David Millar.

    Classic. Keep the jokes coming.
  • Bakunin
    Bakunin Posts: 868
    stagehopper wrote:
    k2rider wrote:
    contadors tt`s used to be rubbish, yeah you can work on them and get better but to then become the best in the world??? and still retain your climbing ability?? somethings amiss.

    Contador's TT has never been rubbish. He started off good, got very good then became brilliant. Stylistically he looks wonderful on the TT bike, far better than many of his rivals.

    He was the U23 Spanish TT champion -- people have no idea what they're on about.
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Bakunin wrote:
    stagehopper wrote:
    k2rider wrote:
    contadors tt`s used to be rubbish, yeah you can work on them and get better but to then become the best in the world??? and still retain your climbing ability?? somethings amiss.

    Contador's TT has never been rubbish. He started off good, got very good then became brilliant. Stylistically he looks wonderful on the TT bike, far better than many of his rivals.

    He was the U23 Spanish TT champion -- people have no idea what they're on about.

    I think this "Contador was a crap Time Trialer line" is really pure ignorance of the mans career to date.The people spouting it really have not got a scooby doo.
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • richard wants a baum
    richard wants a baum Posts: 744
    RichN95 wrote:
    You never know who or what is around the corner. When he won in 1997, everyone expected Jan Ullrich to win five or more Tours.

    The difference is that his now (or soon will have) won 4 Grand Tours, Jan only ever targetted the one race and he was up against the Blue Monster. Hopefully Andy will improve his TT as he gets older, Gesink i think is another that looks like he could be a contender at some stage.
    Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.
  • SpaceJunk
    SpaceJunk Posts: 1,157
    I think one thing that could possibly work against AC is his natural instinct to want to attack - it's why I love watching him.

    He isn't IMO, as methodical as say LA. Give AC a summit finish or a Hors Cat climb and he just can't help himself - which is a good thing.

    But this inclination to attack might see him come undone in a Tour or 2; just as it might win him the race.

    It's a bit of a paradox; but I hope he doesn't curb his attacking flair in the mountains, even if it does cost him a yellow jersey.

    Andy on the other hand - if he stays with Saxo-Bank - is likely to become a more calculating rider. He'll win a Tour or two over the next few years.

    Looking forward to see how their rivalry develops over the coming years.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    SpaceJunk wrote:
    IHe isn't IMO, as methodical as say LA. Give AC a summit finish or a Hors Cat climb and he just can't help himself - which is a good thing.

    But this inclination to attack might see him come undone in a Tour or 2; just as it might win him the race.

    I think you're doing him a disservice. When he won the Giro it was by being conservative. He does attack a lot when he's on form and I doubt he'd go for it if he felt he was chancing it.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    Timoid. wrote:
    He could always get rumbled by Puerto

    Now that's just silly. He's 9 or 10 years away from retirement max.

    Do you really expect Spanish justice to work that quickly? :wink:
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    mididoctors wrote:
    I don't think anyone is going to break or equal lances record anytime soon...

    too much can go wrong plus the focus and organization required is, I think beyond him..
    :P if Contadar is not found to dope then I agree it will take him another six years to beat LA's record. So thats not soon is it?

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