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Contador ducks the Tour

tailwindhometailwindhome Posts: 15,902
edited October 2014 in Pro race
Alberto Contador ‏@albertocontador · 6m
Waiting for some details, I can announce that my first goal on 2015 will be the Giro d'Italia.
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  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 24,276
    Not necessarily ducking it. Maybe getting his excuses in early though. It didn't work out last time (different circumstances though).

    On the other hand maybe he just fancies trying the double. The worst that happens is he doesn't win. He's at a stage in his career where he needn't be afraid of failure.
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  • frenchfighterfrenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Great news. Contador and the Giro is a brilliant combination. He needs a third and a Tour, so it will be 4/3/3.

    giro11st17_BERT1.jpg
    BERT-SOLO.jpg
    giro11st21_bert_11.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • tim000tim000 Posts: 718
    RichN95 wrote:
    He's at a stage in his career where he needn't be afraid of failure.
    unless it`s a doping test .
  • tailwindhometailwindhome Posts: 15,902
    Can't see him doing the Tour too.
    Giro and Vuelta to bring the score to 10

    I think I may have predicted this somewhere - the Sagan signing makes a lot of sense in this context
    Believe that a farther shore
    Is reachable from here.
    Believe in miracles
    And cures and healing wells
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 6,328
    Yes I assume it's that - hoping to avoid the main competition and get a win in the bag then see if he can hold for for the Tour. Be interesting to see if any of the other main GT contenders throw their hats in the ring - now Contador has the possible chance of getting a "soft" grand tour win has diminished.
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  • frenchfighterfrenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    tailwindhome wrote:
    Can't see him doing the Tour too.
    Giro and Vuelta to bring the score to 10

    I think I may have predicted this somewhere - the Sagan signing makes a lot of sense in this context

    No they work together no problem. Sagan does not need a team dedicated around him and many of the flatland men that would keep Contador close to the front on the flat stages would be there for Sagan also. There are a ton of races other than the Tour that Sagan will target.

    The Giro Tour is a tough ask but Contador is just about the only one who could manage it.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 24,276
    What's Majka going to do? He deserves a full leadership role in either the Giro or Tour.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • tailwindhometailwindhome Posts: 15,902
    frenchfighter wrote:
    tailwindhome wrote:
    Can't see him doing the Tour too.
    Giro and Vuelta to bring the score to 10

    I think I may have predicted this somewhere - the Sagan signing makes a lot of sense in this context

    No they work together no problem.

    It's not the working together - it's having a 'star' presence at the Tour in the theoretical absence of Contador.
    Believe that a farther shore
    Is reachable from here.
    Believe in miracles
    And cures and healing wells
  • milton50milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Disappointing. Froome and Quintana will both be aiming for the Tour so again we'll miss out on a 3-way showdown in the biggest GT of the year.

    Hopefully Nibali does the Giro this year which should be a good contest.
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 24,276
    Remember though that this is someone who said he wouldn't be doing the Vuelta. So you can't really trust anything he tweets as absolute truth
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 6,328
    milton50 wrote:
    Disappointing. Froome and Quintana will both be aiming for the Tour so again we'll miss out on a 3-way showdown in the biggest GT of the year.

    Hopefully Nibali does the Giro this year which should be a good contest.


    Surely Contador means he is going to do the Giro and the Tour - I'm still expecting all of the big 4 to ride the Tour irrespective of what other grand tours they do.
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  • milton50milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Unless he is planning on riding the Giro 'easy', or in support of a team mate, then he is prioritising the Giro over the Tour. If you ride the Giro to win then you won't be in the same condition as the guys targeting the Tour only.

    When was the last Giro-Tour double? 1998? And let's be honest there is no way that Pantani did it clean.

    So what I'm disappointed by is that we still won't witness a head-to-head when they are all in prime condition and in form.
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 24,276
    Froome needs to do a WWE shoutout/throwdown/challenge (I don't know the word, I don't watch it).

    Nairo, Bertie, Vincenzo and him. July. Bring your A game and no excuses. That's what the world wants to see, not champions picking low hanging fruit.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frisbeefrisbee Posts: 691
    RichN95 wrote:
    Froome needs to do a WWE shoutout/throwdown/challenge (I don't know the word, I don't watch it).

    Nairo, Bertie, Vincenzo and him. July. Bring your A game and no excuses. That's what the world wants to see, not champions picking low hanging fruit.

    Following a typical wrestling plotline that means than Wiggins, once tag team partner to Foome but now mortal enemy, would show up in the middle of the tour and smack Contador over the head with a leg of special beef.
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 6,328
    milton50 wrote:
    Unless he is planning on riding the Giro 'easy', or in support of a team mate, then he is prioritising the Giro over the Tour. If you ride the Giro to win then you won't be in the same condition as the guys targeting the Tour only.

    When was the last Giro-Tour double? 1998? And let's be honest there is no way that Pantani did it clean.

    So what I'm disappointed by is that we still won't witness a head-to-head when they are all in prime condition and in form.


    Yes I kind of agree - I don't think it will necessarily mean he isn't in form (I know many do) but it's a significant risk. Nibali has talked about maybe going for the double but perhaps the presence of Aru will mean his team don't feel the need.

    Pantani may have been the last rider to do it but just prior to him it was done a few times and in recent years how many top favourites have really tried - no all that many. OK maybe there's a reason for that but still if he wins the Giro we still have a 4 way fight for the Tour which is the main thing - it might also encourage a few more Giro winners to take on the Tour in the same year.
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  • ocdupalaisocdupalais Posts: 3,785
    Is this some sort of a veiled kick in the teeth for the Tour organisers from Bertie: "do me a suitable Tour route, or I'm not coming!"? After the failed clash of Froome Vs Contador Vs Nibali at this year's Tour, Prudhomme et al will be wanting at least 3 of the top 4 GT winners of the last few years (the above 3 plus Quintana) to bash it out in France… or maybe they don't, now that they have some home contenders emerging…?

    As a GT contender, t's a very curious tactic to lay your cards out so early; especially when you've displayed the sort of form Bertie did in Spain...
  • MacaloonMacaloon Posts: 5,545
    RichN95 wrote:
    Nairo, Bertie, Vincenzo and him. July. Bring your A game and no excuses. That's what the world wants to see, not champions picking low hanging fruit.

    Absolutely right.

    Contador runs away from the arena to join the circus, chanting dismal Dave's mantra #1: you can't lose if you don't try. Ballzy and Zoomy, the last Samurai, facing almost certain defeat to Quintana, but still in the game. For now.
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  • phreakphreak Posts: 2,178
    RichN95 wrote:
    Froome needs to do a WWE shoutout/throwdown/challenge (I don't know the word, I don't watch it).

    Nairo, Bertie, Vincenzo and him. July. Bring your A game and no excuses. That's what the world wants to see, not champions picking low hanging fruit.

    Maybe they'll all pick the best grand tour of the year and all target the Giro?
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  • calvjonescalvjones Posts: 3,850
    Hopefully Nairo will be equally scared and target the Giro too; otherwise they could both be snoozefests (assuming the Tour has a big TT)
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  • dave milnedave milne Posts: 703
    contador giro pictures are nothing without pink brake hoods
    81238984_10-670-75.jpg
  • Bo DukeBo Duke Posts: 1,058
    I look forward to seeing Berti and Nibbles going head to head.

    Same time it might serve to warn Froome off. Or it might allow Froome to say he'll leave the Giro to Berti and I'll concentrate on the Tour.

    Interesting number of possibilities but I'd say the message is aimed at Nibbles and Froome obviously.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 25,689
    calvjones wrote:
    Hopefully Nairo will be equally scared and target the Giro too; otherwise they could both be snoozefests (assuming the Tour has a big TT)

    Not necessarily... Nibali wants to do the Giro too... Contador likes the Giro, it's no secret... he might be at stage of his career where he has the luxury of choosing and he prefers to race in the Giro. The Tour is a lot of stress, a lot of tension, it's more about trying to stay fit and healthy and avoid crashes than actually attacking. Contador likes to attack
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  • philbar72philbar72 Posts: 2,228
    RichN95 wrote:
    What's Majka going to do? He deserves a full leadership role in either the Giro or Tour.

    Stage wins or two and a top 5?
  • frenchfighterfrenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    tailwindhome wrote:
    Alberto Contador ‏@albertocontador · 6m
    Waiting for some details, I can announce that my first goal on 2015 will be the Giro d'Italia.

    You forgot to add the photo:
    Bx6Ial8CEAAjMdi.jpg

    BOOOOOOM
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ProssPross Posts: 25,396
    I reckon the big 4 ought to all do the Giro and Tour. There'll be an upset Tour organiser if they all opt for the Giro, would be quite amusing though.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 25,689
    philbar72 wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    What's Majka going to do? He deserves a full leadership role in either the Giro or Tour.

    Stage wins or two and a top 5?

    Majka is too ugly to look good in pink... :?
    http://whosatthewheel.com
  • tailwindhometailwindhome Posts: 15,902
    Be interesting to see what card Sky play at the Giro - Henao, Porte, Roche?
    Believe that a farther shore
    Is reachable from here.
    Believe in miracles
    And cures and healing wells
  • frenchfighterfrenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Roche, lol. He wasn't even much good as a mountain domestique. Porte is washed up unless he bounces back and the Giro is for fighters, strategists and proper climbers. Henao could do well. All three together have nothing on a top form Contador though.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • tailwindhometailwindhome Posts: 15,902
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Roche, lol. He wasn't even much good as a mountain domestique..

    Well, 3 choices seemed better than 2.
    Your second comment seems harsh - he seemed to ride well in support of Bertie..

    Forgot about Konig.....
    Believe that a farther shore
    Is reachable from here.
    Believe in miracles
    And cures and healing wells
  • frenchfighterfrenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Maybe he did too much on the flat but when it came to crunch time he was lacking. He would have stayed at Tinkoff if Alberto wanted him.

    610x-132.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
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