2015 Giro Stage 7 **Spoilers**

frenchfighter
frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
edited May 2015 in Pro race
The only thing that matters today is whether Contador starts and is able to finish.

Why this stage feels the need to be a ridiculous 264km long I have no idea but then some of the other stages are on the 'short' side.

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Contador is the Greatest
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Comments

  • NervexProf
    NervexProf Posts: 4,202
    Cycling News confirm that Contador WILL start stage 7
    Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    edited May 2015
    Days like this are why Oleg cultivates respectful relationships with other professionals in the peloton. You never know when your Alberto will need a non-hostility pact. I'm pretty sure Aru and Porte will see the funny side and not exploit Contador's weakness.

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    @olegtinkov
    Alberto is laughing in the bus; will see
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    NervexProf wrote:
    Cycling News confirm that Contador WILL start stage 7

    Great news.

    "He tells me that he’s okay. He had a good night’s sleep and the shoulder is more or less okay for riding. The other injuries are fine too and not so bad. He will start."

    Lets hope it doesn't start to pain him while racing or in a few days as some have suggested it might.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Richie and Aru have to put him to the sword to be honest.
    '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
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Richie and Aru have to put him to the sword to be honest.

    And be forever remembered as the riders who didn't have the legs to beat him so had to kick him when he was down.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    @albertocontador · 8m 8 minutes ago
    In 1hour I'll be at the start of the stage. They have protected my shoulder and hope it will not go out again.Will be a hard day with 264km.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,926
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Richie and Aru have to put him to the sword to be honest.

    And be forever remembered as the riders who didn't have the legs to beat him so had to kick him when he was down.

    Give it a rest. This is a race not a tea party.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • kleinstroker
    kleinstroker Posts: 2,133
    I don't think Contador will need to worry about Porte & Aru today , but tomorrow will be a very different day as unlikely Bertie will be up on his pedals much.
  • menthel
    menthel Posts: 2,484
    If it came out having gone back in fairly easily I would be concerned about the fact it could pop out fairly easily. That and he may be in a fair amount of pain and have decreased movement in the should due to the tissue damage and inflammation. If I were him and I wanted a crack at the Tour I would not be continuing the Giro.

    Why not drop out now, give the shoulder a chance to fix up and then ride the Tour and Vuelta? He could then ride the 2016 Giro and potentially hold all three at once.
    RIP commute...
    Sometimes seen bimbling around on a purple Fratello Disc or black and red Aprire Vincenza.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I think he would've been better off abandoning overnight.

    If his shoulder is unstable, it could go again, he could fall and hurt himself more etc. I expect he thinks it's one of his last chances to win a GT (against "soft" competition) which is why he's hanging around.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    He made the sign-in! Pity this stage is so long. With Garmindale, EQS and the other vultures it could have been chaos.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,815
    There are only two ways to ride a 264km stage.
    The hard way, or the very hard way.
    At least any doubt won't linger.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    iainf72 wrote:
    I think he would've been better off abandoning overnight.

    If his shoulder is unstable, it could go again, he could fall and hurt himself more etc. I expect he thinks it's one of his last chances to win a GT (against "soft" competition) which is why he's hanging around.

    He has said winning another Tour doesn't motivate him overly much.

    Winning the double does.

    So there is no reason he would abandon unless he knows absolutely he has no chance of winning.

    No sportsman worth his salary would pull out of something they have trained for 6 month for.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • pollys_bott
    pollys_bott Posts: 1,012
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Richie and Aru have to put him to the sword to be honest.

    And be forever remembered as the riders who didn't have the legs to beat him so had to kick him when he was down.

    Says the fan of the man who kicked Andy Schleck whilst his chain was down... :wink:
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Richie and Aru have to put him to the sword to be honest.

    And be forever remembered as the riders who didn't have the legs to beat him so had to kick him when he was down.

    It doesn't matter what happens now, if Richie or Aru win everyone is going to say the above, if Contador wins everyone is going to say that this proves Richie is rubbish because he couldn't even beat an injured Contador (by "everyone" I mostly mean you :D ).
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Well, I think they should try to kick him while he's down, not that I believe he is. Good luck with that though, no doubt he's taken the opportunity to be out of his brains on painkillers and we know the benefits, but we'll probably see him crash of his own accord today now (due to painkillers this time that is, not because of his sh1t bike handling).
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,933
    Bo Duke wrote:
    Richie and Aru have to put him to the sword to be honest.

    And be forever remembered as the riders who didn't have the legs to beat him so had to kick him when he was down.

    Says the fan of the man who kicked Andy Schleck whilst his chain was down... :wink:

    But Dirty Bertie wasn't there, he was doing a Lance and just pretending to be riding that Tour! :roll:

    Sky and Astana should attack Contador hard over the next few days.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,815
    Nice little nothing break of 4 riders already well established, so that should mean a pretty easy next few hours.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941
    Save for a crash Contador has nothing to lose really by starting today.
    Quick decision tonight then regroup for the Tour.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    43 km Bandiera Boem De Negri Mihaylov have 10'23" Very strong winds apparently. Headwinds, alas.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,737
    Maybe the peloton will let the break stay away out of respect for Colli’s injuries yesterday.

    Put down whatever you are smoking.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
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    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,157
    De Negri in the break is a Nippo-Vini Fantini rider. Maybe the peloton will let the break stay away out of respect for Colli’s injuries yesterday.
    He broke his arm, he's not in a coma.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mulletmaster
    mulletmaster Posts: 502
    I'm just going to put it out there now....having reduced dozens if not hundreds of shoulders in my time, that is not a shoulder that was out of joint yesterday. Theres more swelling around my ankles after a day in the office than on either of those shoulders.
    That's not to say it isn't sore, but I suspect this was like his leg break which must have been more like a leg chip.
    Still 100% want him to win this though.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    I'm just going to put it out there now....having reduced dozens if not hundreds of shoulders in my time, that is not a shoulder that was out of joint yesterday. Theres more swelling around my ankles after a day in the office than on either of those shoulders.
    That's not to say it isn't sore, but I suspect this was like his leg break which must have been more like a leg chip.
    Still 100% want him to win this though.

    What are you doing in that Office :shock: :shock:
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    It's amazing what a night on the immobilisers can do for a man's spirits.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    The sheeple speak.

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    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    iainf72 wrote:
    I think he would've been better off abandoning overnight.

    If his shoulder is unstable, it could go again, he could fall and hurt himself more etc. I expect he thinks it's one of his last chances to win a GT (against "soft" competition) which is why he's hanging around.

    He has said winning another Tour doesn't motivate him overly much.

    Winning the double does.

    So there is no reason he would abandon unless he knows absolutely he has no chance of winning.

    No sportsman worth his salary would pull out of something they have trained for 6 month for.[/quote]

    Didnt stop him pulling out of last years Tour when he realised he was not up to it. Saxo always big things up, ready made excuse for failure.

    If his dislocation was that bad he would not start. Look at last year, drops out of the Tour with a "Broken" leg. If it was bad enough to make a motivated athlete abandon the years top event how come 6 weeks later he is fit enough to not only ride the Vuelta but win it? You cant train for cycling with a broken leg, unlike a collar bone or a wrist injury where you can at least use the Turbo to maintain some fitness.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    I imagine the GC teams will just see this as a stage to get through rather than a chance to test him. Unless there are crosswinds of course.

    Tomorrow they're going to give Contador a massive working over though. As they should do.
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    Milton50 wrote:
    I imagine the GC teams will just see this as a stage to get through rather than a chance to test him. Unless there are crosswinds of course.

    Tomorrow they're going to give Contador a massive working over though. As they should do.

    Surely they will all ride there usual race today, and why not? Yesterday is history. Crashes happen, so do mechanicals, the teams cant neutralise a whole race cose someone gets hurt in the first week or we would never see a proper race again. If a rider is fit to start he is there to be beaten. :evil: