Contador confirmed at Saxo

[jhuskey]

The rumors are confirmed and the shuffle begins.

Bjarne Riis has revealed that Saxo Bank will continue to sponsor his cycling team alongside new sponsor SunGard in 2011, with Tour de France winner Alberto Contador joining the team for the next two years. Specialized will continue as bike sponsor but will not be a title sponsor of the team.

 

[Andrija]

This looks like a change of Riis' concept to me. So far he was developing riders (Basso, Schlecks...) and now he'll work with already developed and proven champion. It's probably more secure way to get TDF victory and Contador probably sees Riis as the best solution there is.
Now, it will be interesting to see reshuffle in Saxo's lines since Voigt, O'Grady and some others are already linked to the new team of Schlecks.
Cancellara has contract with Riis, so this team will be something we haven't seen recently - competitive in monuments and in most important GT. Also with Cancellara, TT power stays in Saxo. Very important because everything goes around TDF and next year's has a TTT, not the longest one, but long enough to play in Contador's favor.

 

[roadhouse]

contador who?

 

[jhuskey]

If Contador had moved to Radio Shack there would have already been 20 comments and three fights would have broken out in this thread.

 

[pennstater]

Wow. Huge move with AC going to Saxo. Should be interesting to see the team members that stick with Saxo and you might see some present Astana riders going to Saxo (not Vino). I actually thought Astana rode really well in the tour, but Riis will have a better team that will win the TTT and the GC (assuming there is a team time trial....)

This might be a good move for Cancellara and his classics' campaign. I know Contador doesn't ride the one day races like FC, but I think he could be a huge asset for FC in some of the spring classics that are quite hilly. Should be interesting

 

[pennstater]

If Contador had moved to Radio Shack there would have already been 20 comments and three fights would have broken out in this thread.

Good point. Sh!t would have hit the fan!!!!

 

[roadhouse]

If Contador had moved to Radio Shack there would have already been 20 comments and three fights would have broken out in this thread.

not by me, i could see the worlds greatest doping kingpin team director cheater fraud and the GC cheat who won by the now infamous 39 seconds together on the same team.

happy?

 

[alienator]

If Contador had moved to Radio Shack there would have already been 20 comments and three fights would have broken out in this thread.

That few?

 

[Andrija]

Wow. Huge move with AC going to Saxo. Should be interesting to see the team members that stick with Saxo and you might see some present Astana riders going to Saxo (not Vino). I actually thought Astana rode really well in the tour, but Riis will have a better team that will win the TTT and the GC (assuming there is a team time trial....)

Spanish riders are expected to go with Contador. If not all of them, then those who he brought to Astana last winter. Domestiques go with star rider, that's usual.

This might be a good move for Cancellara and his classics' campaign. I know Contador doesn't ride the one day races like FC, but I think he could be a huge asset for FC in some of the spring classics that are quite hilly. Should be interesting

Contador's arrival to Saxo won't change much in Cancellara's spring campaign. But it could strengthen (or to be more accurate - maintain) Saxo's potential, because Contador expressed desire to win in Liege and pointed Lombardy as another monument he could target. He rode very well in Liege this year and he didn't ride it to win. Schlecks' schedule includes Liege too (and they were successful there), so it could be fantastic TDF trailer.
Cancellara plans to add remaining two monuments to his palmares, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to do it already next year. He'll need at least couple of years to learn where to attack how he could stay clear on Saint - Nicolas.
I wonder if Contador's choice is related with what he's seen from A. Schleck this summer. He could get the money and support in other teams (keeping in mind that he'll bring some riders with him and that he's coming to weakened Saxo), but Riis is only in Saxo and Schlecks rode only for Riis.

 

[Eldrack]

After JB I guess Riis has one of the best GT records of any of the DSes around at the moment. He'll keep a fair few strong riders even with half the team leaving with the Schlecks and Contador is bringing the Spanish armada that ripped this years TdF apart with him. Could prove to be a deadly combo.

Interesting comment from Riis saying that he thinks Contador can do the triple in the next couple of years. Probably best to play it safe and attempt TdF - Vuelta double first. Then maybe the Giro - Tour double. Then finally the triple. I think that'll be tough to do though, especially with the Schleck brothers nipping at his heels in terms of climbing power although maybe Riis can turn Contadors time trialling into a dominant art. I hope not because the grand tours of the next 5 years will become rather boring after that.

 

[Andrija]

Couple of years ago in some thread on this forum we've discussed about great, all time, achievements in cycling. I wondered if someone will try to win all three Grand Tours in same season. It was more like wishful thinking since it looked like we've already seen everything with Armstrong's seven Tour victories.

It looks like the time has come: Riis Sets Grand Slam Goal For New Signing Contador | Cyclingnews.com
At least as far as Riis is concerned.

I believed then (in the thread I'm mentioning) that Merckx would have tried to do it if racing calendar was like it is today.

It's going to be interesting to hear what Contador thinks about it. That effort could cost him some Tour victories after it.

Edit:
This is not the first time Riis has this kind of ideas on his mind. Remember 2006. and Basso's Giro with the Tour in his mind. It ended catastrophically... For Basso and sport.

 

[slovakguy]

even if contador fails to nail the triple crown, just grabbing the giro-tour double plus a minor race or two along the way would write his name with the greats. should be interesting to see if contador takes a long pull at the front to help f.c. nail some of his classics goals in '11.

 

[Andrija]

To win Grand Slam Contador will need help of his team, that's obvious... You don't have to be rocket scientist to figure that.
That means Saxo will have to create roster of riders able to ride two grand tours on the highest level... Some of them even all three. That's big task.
This Grand Slam goal could prove to be even more demanding than it looks to be.

 

[limerickman]

If AC could do the Grand Slam, it would be phenomenal.

And with regard to Merckx, the poster is correct.
In Merckx day, the vuelta was in April, Giro in May and TDF in July.
It would have been impossible to do the treble back then given the season they used ride.

 

[pennstater]

Wow, the tripple crown of bike racing would be an amazing outcome. He [Contador] has already won the vuelta and Giro in the same year and if he could have raced in 08 probably would have won the tour (just speculation). I think he could do it and is the only rider in recent history that I can think of that would have a chance/even try to win all 3. In my opinion the tour and vuelta will be the races he will have an "easier" time with; the giro, with Basso riding like a king and falling off once July starts has me a bit confused on his overall seasonal intentions (I know he had bronchitis or something). He may be tough to beat in the Giro, let alone Nibali and the other climbers hoping for giro glory. Also, with FC, if all three races feature a TTT... yikes

 

[gman0482]

This wil be very entertaining interesting and fun to follow.

Any news on the Luxembourg team ?

 

[pennstater]

This wil be very entertaining interesting and fun to follow.

Any news on the Luxembourg team ?

No news on the Lux team yet, but since every thread turns to doping, check out what Riis said. I can't wait to see who is Saxo's riders and who Shleck will be riding with.

Riis: Cycling 'very clean sport' - Cycling - Yahoo! Sports

 

[roadhouse]

No news on the Lux team yet, but since every thread turns to doping, check out what Riis said. I can't wait to see who is Saxo's riders and who Shleck will be riding with.

Riis: Cycling 'very clean sport' - Cycling - Yahoo! Sports

the other Rihs, Andy, owner BMC and Phonak (in '06), was one of the only guys to enact an in house dope testing program of the time as part of his team (doctors, physicians, lab testing), the reason being that they could find dopers on their team before the UCI did and thus save them from embarressment by suspending their own riders before the UCI did, all of which Landis' personal doping program found transparent. so much for that idea.

i think it's become too easy to say 'clean' and ignorantly believe for that to be the case.

 

[roadhouse]

probably would have brought less attention to him and his team had he not even mentioned the sport being 'clean'. now we'll always wonder why he brought that up especially in these trying times and i'll personally really question them if something magnificent happens, like this triple crown.

i think he's becoming like Johan, talking too much because of his seemingly invincible all star line-up.

doesn't make sense to me to say anything about that at this time, not at all.

 

[gman0482]

^ ???
And I thought that Landis was a 'flip-flopper', lol.

To go from "I love LA" to "I hate LA", in one single day, that's amazing.