Teams & Riders Fabio Aru discussion thread

[movingtarget]

At least Nibali tried to help him but Aru does not seem to have the legs at the moment unless he was just having an off day.

 

[Fergoose]

Hopefully that puts to bed any doubts about Nibali's ability to work as a teammate. He could have gone much faster in those conditions.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Maybe Aru is one of those Italian riders who are simply not suited for the Tour climbs.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Maybe Aru is one of those Italian riders who are simply not suited for the Tour climbs.

That is quite weird, because in the Giro and the Vuelta he's done best at those longer more regular climbs, with a huge attack in the latter parts of the climb. Mortirolo, Ancares are the climbs where he got destroyed everytime.

Aru is just in crap shape

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Aru is just in crap shape

Yes, he's not as good as he has been. And the field he is riding against is stronger.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Re: Re:

Aru is just in crap shape

Yes, he's not as good as he has been. And the field he is riding against is stronger.

maybe, but in his normal top shape he shouldn't be behin a front group that consists of amongst other Yates and Martin...

 

[Valv.Piti]

Super disappointing. Has been hyping this guy for a podium this year for some reason despite his shitty season, but at least he is doing better than Pinot. Aight, Tintin?

 

[phanatic]

Aru is still good. He is more suited to the last half of GTs. He is only a minute and half or so behind Froome in yellow. We'll see who can jump on his wheel when Froome and Nairo let him go for a stage or two in the final week. Meanwhile, it looks like Froome and Nairo are dying for a Ventoux rematch.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

After stage 2 we could tell it was an in form Aru. The last 4 stages Astana will create hell if he is within 3-4 minutes. May as well. He'll lose time tomorrow, probably not that much and more during the TT and Mont Ventoux. For the MTT he should be less than 3 minutes behind IMO. Maybe 4 if things go worse.

Or not. Less than 4 minutes by stage 14 has to be the target now. Then who knows what can happen with an in form Nibali by your side.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

Aru is just in crap shape

Yes, he's not as good as he has been. And the field he is riding against is stronger.

maybe, but in his normal top shape he shouldn't be behin a front group that consists of amongst other Yates and Martin...

Yates and Martin are obviously improving. Can't judge from previous years. The Giro and Vuelta are not the Tour. The Tour is the big race where everyone aims for 100% best form. I suspect Fabio isn't at the level needed to be competitive at the Tour. Bit of a reality check. But he has great recovery I am sure he will get better relative to those others as this Tour goes on.

 

[ILovecycling]

I expected this collapse already at Aspin or Luchon but it came later.
As he doesnt have many race days and he is off from high altitude camp I think his form will have a strong peak later.
Forzaaaa Aru

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Aru is just in crap shape

Yes, he's not as good as he has been. And the field he is riding against is stronger.

maybe, but in his normal top shape he shouldn't be behin a front group that consists of amongst other Yates and Martin...

Yates and Martin are obviously improving. Can't judge from previous years. The Giro and Vuelta are not the Tour. The Tour is the big race where everyone aims for 100% best form. I suspect Fabio isn't at the level needed to be competitive at the Tour. Bit of a reality check. But he has great recovery I am sure he will get better relative to those others as this Tour goes on.

The leves he's shown in previous GTs is surely enough to be in the first 10 riders in the peloton of the TdF. Its not close.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Re: Re:

Aru is just in crap shape

Yes, he's not as good as he has been. And the field he is riding against is stronger.

maybe, but in his normal top shape he shouldn't be behin a front group that consists of amongst other Yates and Martin...

Yates and Martin are obviously improving. Can't judge from previous years. The Giro and Vuelta are not the Tour. The Tour is the big race where everyone aims for 100% best form. I suspect Fabio isn't at the level needed to be competitive at the Tour. Bit of a reality check. But he has great recovery I am sure he will get better relative to those others as this Tour goes on.

I don't think ther is anything I can say if you actually belive the Aru of the last couple of years in the mountains is a worse climber than say Mollema on a normal day

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I don't think ther is anything I can say if you actually belive the Aru of the last couple of years in the mountains is a worse climber than say Mollema on a normal day

But this was not Mollema on a normal day. This was Mollema in peak condition on one of the best days of his career.

It is quite obvious that Aru has not arrived into this Tour with the very best form he has ever produced. It is also quite obvious that the standard of the field is higher than it was in his Vuelta win (big names, but not in peak condition) or in his good Vuelta and Giro placings. Beating Amador and Hesjedal or finishing between Uran and Rolland does not take Tour Podium form.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

I don't think ther is anything I can say if you actually belive the Aru of the last couple of years in the mountains is a worse climber than say Mollema on a normal day

But this was not Mollema on a normal day. This was Mollema in peak condition on one of the best days of his career.

It is quite obvious that Aru has not arrived into this Tour with the very best form he has ever produced. It is also quite obvious that the standard of the field is higher than it was in his Vuelta win (big names, but not in peak condition) or in his good Vuelta and Giro placings. Beating Amador and Hesjedal or finishing between Uran and Rolland does not take Tour Podium form.

The post was not directed at you, I don't think, because Vino is saying very similar things to you: Aru isn't in top shape.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I don't think ther is anything I can say if you actually belive the Aru of the last couple of years in the mountains is a worse climber than say Mollema on a normal day

But this was not Mollema on a normal day. This was Mollema in peak condition on one of the best days of his career.

It is quite obvious that Aru has not arrived into this Tour with the very best form he has ever produced. It is also quite obvious that the standard of the field is higher than it was in his Vuelta win (big names, but not in peak condition) or in his good Vuelta and Giro placings. Beating Amador and Hesjedal or finishing between Uran and Rolland does not take Tour Podium form.

The post was not directed at you, I don't think, because Vino is saying very similar things to you: Aru isn't in top shape.

I wasn't trying to confront an opinion that I thought was "wrong" or targeted at me. I think most in this discussion are aware that Aru is not showing his top ability and also that the Tour field is stronger than that at a Vuelta or Giro. Neither of those things are really controversial. What's being debated is the degree of weight to put on two obviously relevant factors.

Hopefully Aru will ride himself into form and we will get to see where he actually stacks up against these guys.

 

[staubsauger]

Aru ain't comfortable with rain anyway so his little lost ain't too worrying so far. We've seen this at last year's Giro as well.

At the 2014 Vuelta he was surprisingly close to the fabulous 4 for a new kid on the block. And that was the first time in his career Aru rode two gt's as a leader.

The worrying trend seems to be that after his rookie performances at Aosta and his major shape improvement from 2013 to 2014 he has stagnated a bit or has had less improvement in 2015 and 2016 than we hoped for 2 years ago. I claimed that already last month.

He might be just fine for Ventoux and the Alps just in time to get on the podium, though. Then everything's gonna be alright and all eyes on the 2017 Giro!

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm surprised Nibali worked for him, also Nibali's form seems to be getting better. Hopefully he can do something epic in the last week.

 

[Praying Mantis]

 

[Angliru]

Re:

Kind of has a Flock of Seagulls look going on.

 

[Billie]

Not worried at all about Fabio. He'll be up there with Quintana as best climber in the final week. Think he lost too much time to threaten for the win but he'll surely fight back to the podium.

 

[staubsauger]

Seriously, pal. You should've stayed with the Giro like Gibo. The Tour ain't you're bike race like it never was for Gibo. You already could've been a Giro winner by now. Instead you need a strong fall to save you're season. Otherwise it's gonna be a lost year due to wrong season planning I fear!

 

[Carols]

Re:

Seriously, pal. You should've stayed with the Giro like Gibo. The Tour ain't you're bike race like it never was for Gibo. You already could've been a Giro winner by now. Instead you need a strong fall to save you're season. Otherwise it's gonna be a lost year due to wrong season planning I fear!

One must give it a try you know, not just give up in advance! He is still only 26, so with some TT training, experience and physical maturity he can maybe be a contender.

 

[phanatic]

Astana should work to send Aru for the stage win at Culoz while he is still far enough behind.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Hoping he rides in La Vuelta. Disappointed so far, but then again, he might just come strongly in the end and randomnly get a podium