jens_attacks said:
i would say froomey is stronger than in 2012 but not by much
nibali on the other hand, is much stronger
it will be quite the battle this july.vino and vincenzo never give up
You know I love you jens, but what is this based on? If you look at results Nibali 2012 was just as good as 2013. People just kept looking at him with 2011 glasses and trying to justify weak fields bla bla bla.
Tirrno for example the 2 people he beat - Horner and Roman, it was understandable that we all thought back then that he was beating 2 average gc riders on the decline who overperformed to even podium.
But if we revisit that now neither of those riders was anywhere close to actually declining, and they are both currently gt podium contenders who he destroyed easily.
Similarly the TDF, a lot of people were expressing their anger at Sky by trying to claim Froome and Wiggins lucked out and it was no competition bla bla bla. But looking at Froome this year and at the times - on your own website, they were going as fast as anyone has at the TDF in a decade.Being clearly the 3rd best rider in that race was mighty impressive. Nibali 2013 certainly could not have challenged Froome either. Its exactly where he would have finished.
Other than that he also performed in the classics that year. 3rd MSR. Strongest rider and 2nd in Liege.
Nibali clearly improved massively. People were just looking at him with 2011 glasses - the guy who had not won a single race all year and faded in the mountains in both the Giro and the Vuelta. The jump was 2011- 2012, or rather it was a lapse from 2010-11 and then a jump back + more in 2012. 2013 was pretty much the same.