Contador's advantage...what's Andy going to do about it?

donrhummy
donrhummy Posts: 2,329
edited August 2010 in Pro race
Join Astana? LOL.
"I have managed to win these last couple of years, imposing myself in hard battles, and now I can tell him [Riis] my feelings and thoughts, just like he can tell me about Andy's weaknesses. It will be a good union."

- Contador

Very interesting point. In a lot of sports, this would be a huge advantage, but in cycling, I'm not sure it's as big of an advantage since most weaknesses are already out in the open. But I suppose Riis could go over Andy's actual power/watt numbers, LT and other specific limiters.

Comments

  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    The thought of riis and contador pouring over his weaknesses should motivate him to train harder and longer in those cold winter months.

    Should make things tougher in the tour though. Any element of doubt will be magnified and the mental battle is pretty bloody important in that race!
  • Pigeons in flight
    Pigeons in flight Posts: 282
    Very interesting point. In a lot of sports, this would be a huge advantage, but in cycling, I'm not sure it's as big of an advantage since most weaknesses are already out in the open. But I suppose Riis could go over Andy's actual power/watt numbers, LT and other specific limiters.

    I agree that there is an element of transparency in cycling that is perhaps not present in other sports. Schleck was on the limit at times in the TdF mountains this year and, as a result, showed his hand form wise - and it was highly impressive. Berty sat on his wheel on the last Pryianian stage virtually all the way up - he tried to lose him, but couldn't. He can go and study wattage and all the rest of it - but at the end of the day he won becuase Schleck's mechanics f****d up. I think as Andy trains through the cold Winter months he will know that Berty is far from invincible.
    Never mistake motion for action
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    Trainerroad - GMan69
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Shleck f***** up, not his mechanics...
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Abdoujaparov wrote:

    Should make things tougher in the tour though. Any element of doubt will be magnified and the mental battle is pretty bloody important in that race!

    And there lies the main point. Contador will win a mental battle again Schleck every single time. Contador beat Armstrong mentally and Andy is nowhere near as devious or smart as Armstrong.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    iainf72 wrote:
    Abdoujaparov wrote:

    Should make things tougher in the tour though. Any element of doubt will be magnified and the mental battle is pretty bloody important in that race!

    And there lies the main point. Contador will win a mental battle again Schleck every single time. Contador beat Armstrong mentally and Andy is nowhere near as devious or smart as Armstrong.

    Unless he wants you to think that.
    Mañana
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    FWIW I think that Contador has all the advantages going into next year. He didn't have to show Schleck anymore than a "hey, I can keep up with you". Whereas Schleck showed his best but couldn't make it work. Only Contador knows IF he could have really put a hurting on Andy on those climbs, but it wasn't necessary for him to play that hand(if he could). AC knows AS, but I'm thinking AS doesn't really know AC. If you get my meaning.
  • Splottboy
    Splottboy Posts: 3,695
    You mean all the drugs he's been taking?

    All the lies he's been telling?

    All the drugs tests he's "passed" ?

    Oh, sorry, CONTADOR, not Lance, my mistake!

    Thought that as he'd won a few Tours, the same throwing mud crap would apply too.
  • fastercyclist
    fastercyclist Posts: 396
    dennisn wrote:
    FWIW I think that Contador has all the advantages going into next year. He didn't have to show Schleck anymore than a "hey, I can keep up with you". Whereas Schleck showed his best but couldn't make it work. Only Contador knows IF he could have really put a hurting on Andy on those climbs, but it wasn't necessary for him to play that hand(if he could). AC knows AS, but I'm thinking AS doesn't really know AC. If you get my meaning.

    I think you're forgetting several key moments during the Tour. I somehow doubt Contador would of let Schleck get 10 seconds for free.
    The British Empire never died, it just moved to the Velodrome
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    fastercyclist wrote:
    dennisn wrote:
    FWIW I think that Contador has all the advantages going into next year. He didn't have to show Schleck anymore than a "hey, I can keep up with you". Whereas Schleck showed his best but couldn't make it work. Only Contador knows IF he could have really put a hurting on Andy on those climbs, but it wasn't necessary for him to play that hand(if he could). AC knows AS, but I'm thinking AS doesn't really know AC. If you get my meaning.

    I think you're forgetting several key moments during the Tour. I somehow doubt Contador would have let Schleck get 10 seconds for free.

    In the mind game portion of cycling, nothing would surprise me. Especially 10 seconds.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Splottboy wrote:
    You mean all the drugs he's been taking?

    All the lies he's been telling?

    All the drugs tests he's "passed" ?

    Oh, sorry, CONTADOR, not Lance, my mistake!

    Thought that as he'd won a few Tours, the same throwing mud crap would apply too.

    I think the rule for throwing mud crap is you must win a couple more than AC has.
    Although these rules are subject to change depending on whether BikingBernie decides to like him or not and BB is, apparently, a hard man to please.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    Pigeons in flight wrote:

    Schleck was on the limit at times in the TdF mountains this year and, as a result, showed his hand form wise - and it was highly impressive. Berty sat on his wheel on the last Pryianian stage virtually all the way up - he tried to lose him, but couldn't.
    Berto thought the same thing that Andy was in the Red but then found he still had form and it seemed a truce was then called.
    Pigeons in flight wrote:
    he won becuase Schleck f****d up.
    I think as Andy trains through the cold Winter months he will know that Berty is far from invincible.
    While Andy was training in the cold this year, Berto was winning the Paris-Nice :roll:
    The TDF 39 seconds were lost in the Prolog on day one.

    Do you think Andy has learnt the lesson of changing gear while "Standing" on the pedals and attacking is a dumb thing to do.??
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Had Schleck been using the Di electronic shifters when he fat fingered it he probably wouldn't have dropped the chain...


    Just a though.


    Schleck seems confident enough to withstand some of Contador's mind games.

    Contador doesn't seem to do too much in terms of mind games, beyond being a better bike rider than everyone else. He's no Ferguson.

    His response to pressure is to let them turn the heat up, and then when they're almost cooking themselves, attack.

    It's all he's really got.
    _

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