Paris-Nice Predictions

[whiteboytrash]

Impressive riding by Contador.

Contador is another one of these riders, with no apparent pedigree, who suddenly "gets good" and starts winning everything.

Don't understand these sudden improvements.

With you on all that. At the Astana training camp back one month ago the little greyhound couldn't keep pace with Armstrong & Levi.... and now ? I'm ok with Contador climbing like a nutter but winning time trials !!???

The Chav rode well. As mentioned paced himself well within his limits.

Garate was no good & dropped early.

In closing Sean Kelly thought Contador would blow up becaused he attacked with 7km to go. He just got faster. That's the dope. Sad really.

 

[limerickman]

With on all that. At the Astana training camp back one month ago the little greyhound couldn't keep pace with Armstrong & Levi.... and now ? I'm ok with Contador climbing like a nutter but winning time trials !!???

The Chav rode well. As mentioned paced himself well within his limits.

Garate was no good & dropped early.

In closing Sean Kelly thought Contador would blow up becaused he attacked with 7km to go. He just got faster. That's the dope. Sad really.

I heard Kelly saying that about Contador.

Cav looked to be pretty comfortable today as you say.

 

[RdBiker]

Impressive riding by Contador.

Contador is another one of these riders, with no apparent pedigree, who suddenly "gets good" and starts winning everything.

Don't understand these sudden improvements.

True. He came out of nowhere and really made a breakthrough during the 2007 season. Before that I wouldn't have guessed this was the guy who's going to win the Tour/Giro in a few years time. But no matter what PEDs this guy is on he's already at another level than Lance Armstrong, who was the previous dom inating rider, was. If this is his level in March, god knows what he can do in July. And what level he will be at when he matures a bit more...

 

[RdBiker]

With you on all that. At the Astana training camp back one month ago the little greyhound couldn't keep pace with Armstrong & Levi.... and now ? I'm ok with Contador climbing like a nutter but winning time trials !!???

I remember reading somewhere a statement from Leipheimer (at their training camp) along the lines "I accelerated and after a while when I looked back only Alberto was on my wheel" so my impression is that Contador has been in good shape for a while. This caught my attention because I also read Contador saying his preparation was late this year which made me wonder what his race level would be.

 

[limerickman]

True. He came out of nowhere and really made a breakthrough during the 2007 season. Before that I wouldn't have guessed this was the guy who's going to win the Tour/Giro in a few years time. But no matter what PEDs this guy is on he's already at another level than Lance Armstrong, who was the previous dom inating rider, was. If this is his level in March, god knows what he can do in July. And what level he will be at when he matures a bit more...

Yep remarkable progress.

I take an interest in the sport generally and I take a particular interest in who "is going to be the next great rider", specifically.
And I as you probably know, Contador wouldn't have been regarded as a potentially top 1% rider - which he appears to be now.
This makes his "progress" and/or "improvement" - even more astonishing.

As regards comparing him to Armstrong, there is no comparison.
Contador is a far superior rider than Armstrong was at the equivalent age.
(Armstrong couldn't even complete a GT - after 4 attempts to do so, never mind aim to win a GT).

My point is that Contador, if he keeps going as he s now, is entering real top 1% territory reserved for the likes of Merckx, Hinault, Coppi.

 

[limerickman]

Also remarkable how Mani Saiz couldn't get this rate of improvement out of Contador.

 

[slovakguy]

what? why can't this contador chap catch a break around here? didn't he show you how superiour his talents were last year when he took the giro after lounging about the beach just prior to his team's inclusion? and just how strange is it for a fellow to have three strong efforts in the same week? very plausible. yep, indeed. gotta be that frs stuff that's advertised.

 

[doctorSpoc]

there seems to be a lot of group think going on here... you guys claim to be students of the game but seem to be clueless about the progression of contador... he has made steady progression since turning pro... in 2007 he did progress faster than i thought he would but before i'd say 2005 that it was obvious that he was destined to be a very good and possibly a great rider.. even in 2003 in his 1st year as a pro he was already making a name for himself... but it's 2005 for me that he really burst onto the scene.. not 2007 like many here erroneously report.. if you didn't notice him in from 2005 you just weren't looking...

he started making a name for himself immediately turning pro in 2003... with a set back in 2004 having to have surgery to fix a problem in his nasal passages or something... he burst onto the seen in 2005... he doesn't have a tonnes of wins to his name in that year that's why people who scour the internet looking result won't find anything remarkable.. but people who actually watched him race that year will have known by that point that this guy was has potential to be a great one by the way he rode and that he just needed a little more progression and he'd be able to pull off those brave attacks that he was attempting at that time... this doesn't always pan out but by 2006 you knew he was on his way and by early 2007 i admit that i though it would take at least another 1-2 years for him to graduate to the very top level of the sport (it was VERY obvious that he WAS going to the top of the sport though) but later that year after winning paris - nice that he was already there on took a tour win.. and it has taken a further 2 years for him to progress in his TTing to a point were it doesn't seem to be such a liability any more.. so 3 years to work on his TTing to get to the point he is at now...

so honestly.. when people say that he never had the pedigree and his progression was somehow super fast and his TTing progression happened in the blink of an eye... sorry guys but you are just totally and utterly out to lunch...

as for doping... contador got a get out of jail card... schleck got one... a few riders got them and the other were getting there products at the lab down the street... c'mon guys get a frigg'n clue! i really frigg'n hate hypocrisy!

 

[whiteboytrash]

To our last caller. You don't know **** & if you were a student of the game you would have failed. The doping greyhound had friggin brain surgery in 2005 & according to reports "could have died". At the end of last year had the operation on his nasal passage putting back his preparation. All this makes the Contador story even more suspect.

Lim is correct. If farking Saiz can't get the guy pushing 500+ watts up 9% cols for 3 hours on end then how the heck did Mr. You might as well win do it ?

********.

 

[Rolfrae]

To our last caller. You don't know **** & if you were a student of the game you would have failed. The doping greyhound had friggin brain surgery in 2005 & according to reports "could have died". At the end of last year had the operation on his nasal passage putting back his preparation. All this makes the Contador story even more suspect.

Lim is correct. If farking Saiz can't get the guy pushing 500+ watts up 9% cols for 3 hours on end then how the heck did Mr. You might as well win do it ?

********.

I was amazed by Contador's ride yesterday. I haven't seen climbing like that since Pantani was at his peak (and I mean physical and HCT peak). His climbing style is awesome, but whether or not it is true is very hard to say. And that's a shame, mostly for us fans and his competitors. He's come out from under the wing (he was forced out) of Manolo Saiz and under the "guidance" of The Hog Bruyneel and so therefore in my book he has near zero levels of credibility. Watching Paris Nice yesterday felt like I'd gone back in time. So much for redemption, so much for the new clean generation. Last night I witnessed cycling at two speeds (or was it three: Contador at top speed, Schleck at second and the FRench et al at third). I'd love to believe in Contador and not be so cynical (realistic) but as a cycling fan I've been fooled too many times and I won;t be fooled again.

 

[RdBiker]

---

Sorry I must have just missed him even though he was "touted as the next big thing" like you say. Probably wasn't following cycling on those days when they said things like that.
Inspired by you I went and looked through Contador's racing history. It looks like he has actually done better in TTs before 2007 at least based on his TT wins.

 

[doctorSpoc]

To our last caller. You don't know **** & if you were a student of the game you would have failed. The doping greyhound had friggin brain surgery in 2005 & according to reports "could have died". At the end of last year had the operation on his nasal passage putting back his preparation. All this makes the Contador story even more suspect.

Lim is correct. If farking Saiz can't get the guy pushing 500+ watts up 9% cols for 3 hours on end then how the heck did Mr. You might as well win do it ?

********.

as I said clueless... 3hr long col? LMAO! nice revisionest history.. you guys are a joke... anyone who saw CSCs performance last year or the performance of the top ten and still think the peleton is clean.. you are a fool.. if you are going to pluck just one rider or one team out of that SYSTEM and burn them at the stake.. you're a hypocritical moron! either that or just straight up ignorant... so which one are you?

 

[Leafer]

if you are going to pluck just one rider or one team out of that SYSTEM and burn them at the stake.. you're a hypocritical moron! either that or just straight up ignorant... so which one are you?

When a rider single-handedly makes a mockery of the sport - which, it seems, is usually is one of Bruyneel's riders, whether it be Armstrong or Mountain-Goat Hincapie or now Contador, or one of his ex-riders, Hamilton, Landis, Heras, take your pick - then yeah, I have no problem with picking on one amongst the many dirty. At least Riis has the decency to tone it down a bit and not let it be so ****ing obvious.

 

[RdBiker]

as I said clueless... 3hr long col? LMAO! nice revisionest history.. you guys are a joke... anyone who saw CSCs performance last year or the performance of the top ten and still think the peleton is clean.. you are a fool.. if you are going to pluck just one rider or one team out of that SYSTEM and burn them at the stake.. you're a hypocritical moron! either that or just straight up ignorant... so which one are you?

Oh yes because everyone on these forums believes that pro cycling is clean EXCEPT for Astana...

Btw awful ride from Contador today and very good tactics from Chav, Schleck, Voigt and Colom. They made Contador work to catch LL and Contador took the bait and fell. I'm a bit sorry for Contador even though it's nice to see that one rider isn't dominating every stage.

 

[limerickman]

there seems to be a lot of group think going on here... you guys claim to be students of the game but seem to be clueless about the progression of contador... he has made steady progression since turning pro... in 2007 he did progress faster than i thought he would but before i'd say 2005 that it was obvious that he was destined to be a very good and possibly a great rider.. even in 2003 in his 1st year as a pro he was already making a name for himself... but it's 2005 for me that he really burst onto the scene.. not 2007 like many here erroneously report.. if you didn't notice him in from 2005 you just weren't looking...

he started making a name for himself immediately turning pro in 2003... with a set back in 2004 having to have surgery to fix a problem in his nasal passages or something... he burst onto the seen in 2005... he doesn't have a tonnes of wins to his name in that year that's why people who scour the internet looking result won't find anything remarkable.. but people who actually watched him race that year will have known by that point that this guy was has potential to be a great one by the way he rode and that he just needed a little more progression and he'd be able to pull off those brave attacks that he was attempting at that time... this doesn't always pan out but by 2006 you knew he was on his way and by early 2007 i admit that i though it would take at least another 1-2 years for him to graduate to the very top level of the sport (it was VERY obvious that he WAS going to the top of the sport though) but later that year after winning paris - nice that he was already there on took a tour win.. and it has taken a further 2 years for him to progress in his TTing to a point were it doesn't seem to be such a liability any more.. so 3 years to work on his TTing to get to the point he is at now...

so honestly.. when people say that he never had the pedigree and his progression was somehow super fast and his TTing progression happened in the blink of an eye... sorry guys but you are just totally and utterly out to lunch...

as for doping... contador got a get out of jail card... schleck got one... a few riders got them and the other were getting there products at the lab down the street... c'mon guys get a frigg'n clue! i really frigg'n hate hypocrisy!

Doc - I never said that Contador wasn't a good rider.
What I suggested was that his earlier career did not suggest his recent dominance ie. only the fifth rider ever to secure all three GT titles.

Even the most ardent Contador fan would never have hinted such dominance.

As I say, if a guy like Saiz, given Saiz well documented career and nefarious activities, could not extract a similar performance from Contador, I'm amazed at what Contador is currently doing.

Although Contador got found out on todays PN finish - Louis Leon Sanchez, Schleck & Co have just put 2 mins in to him on GC.

 

[Rolfrae]

That was some stage today. I think he forgot to eat, perhaps over-confidence led him to forget the basics? He was almost eating the Coke can his soigneur handed him at the finish. Thing is it took six guys to team up against him. I don't think Contador has been riding this Paris Nice for the yellow, he's been riding it to show LA and the Hog that he is the deserved team leader for the Tour. His Astana teammates have been conspicuous by their absence. Today's outcome was not what he hoped for but it sure entertained me.

 

[whiteboytrash]

That was some stage today. I think he forgot to eat, perhaps over-confidence led him to forget the basics? He was almost eating the Coke can his soigneur handed him at the finish. Thing is it took six guys to team up against him. I don't think Contador has been riding this Paris Nice for the yellow, he's been riding it to show LA and the Hog that he is the deserved team leader for the Tour. His Astana teammates have been conspicuous by their absence. Today's outcome was not what he hoped for but it sure entertained me.

Ha ha ha ! I'm still laughing ! Ha ha ! Looks likes the Hog held back the blood bags.... Great shots of Contador drinking the Coke looked farked. He was so tired he couldn't even do his overacting shotgun rountine over the finish line.... Ha ha ha......

 

[Andrija]

Great stage!
It looked like Contador forgot to eat.

Now this is why sport has to be cleaned: Today's stage was something special, but I'm not sure anymore what's real and what's fake.

 

[doctorSpoc]

Doc - I never said that Contador wasn't a good rider.
What I suggested was that his earlier career did not suggest his recent dominance ie. only the fifth rider ever to secure all three GT titles.

Even the most ardent Contador fan would never have hinted such dominance.

As I say, if a guy like Saiz, given Saiz well documented career and nefarious activities, could not extract a similar performance from Contador, I'm amazed at what Contador is currently doing.

Although Contador got found out on todays PN finish - Louis Leon Sanchez, Schleck & Co have just put 2 mins in to him on GC.

Contador was a still a kid when he was with Saiz.. but kids do grow up.. and he did.. and now what have you to say after today's result.. didn't watch the stage myself so i can't really speak, but it sounds like Contador still has some maturing to do..

 

[limerickman]

Contador was a still a kid when he was with Saiz.. but kids do grow up.. and he did.. and now what have you to say after today's result.. didn't watch the stage myself so i can't really speak, but it sounds like Contador still has some maturing to do..

Contador looked like he bonked today - at the finish line he was gasping as the soigneurs handed him liquid/food.


Very entertaining stage today - great riding, including Contador.