Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[Flamin]

I really hoped he would get a stage win on Alpe at least. But what an amazing rider this guy is. He's the ultimate definition of a pure climber. And he did everything he could to win the Tour. Yeah, maybe he could have attacked earlier on Toussuire, but he would never have gained an additional 1'15". Besides, it's very easy to say in hindsight. He tested Froome on multiple occasions, but Froome either outclimbed him or was on par with him on every single stage previous to that one, so you can't blame him for not being some kind of psychic. I bet he regret not attacking earlier now, but that's racing. It's not a video game.

In the end, 3+ minutes was just too much to make up on a strong Froome and a strong Sky team.

 

[Red Rick]

Well, he should've known that when he was climbing on par with Froome that he wasn't gonna make up on the MTF's alone.

 

[rzombie1988]

He waited too long to attack(even today he shoulda hit it earlier), his team used bonehead tactics all throughout the tour, his team was not working together well and Froome was hot on the right day. It's going to be harder next year with likely more TT and a fresher Contador.

 

[SergeDeM]

I guess this is confirmation of what he's been saying all along. He feels better in the third week. He probably wasn't strong enough to gap Froome in the Pyrinees.

 

[Flamin]

Re:

Well, he should've known that when he was climbing on par with Froome that he wasn't gonna make up on the MTF's alone.

What other place is a 55kg midget going to take time then?

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

He didn't lose the Tour in Zeeland

He lost the Tour when he didn't attack on the Glandon
He lost the Tour when he didnt attack on the Croix de Fer with Nibali
He lost the Tour when he didn't attack sooner on La Toussuire
He lost the Tour when he didn't attack on the hard part of the Croix de Fer today when Froome had only one dom left

He said he came to win the Tour, yet he didn't even try and win it

I think there is one man solely responsible for this passiveness at Movistar and that's Unzue. In the mountain stages I have rarely/never seen Movistar so passive, in most cases with no idea behind. Today Unzue could yet again take the initiative, but he was lucky that the troops of Bardet took the lead in the pursuit. The set-up today at the Croix Fer was nice but what good is it if Quintana must always worry whether Valverde can keep up the pace, typical Unzue...

 

[Billie]

Re:

Clearly if Quintana had attacked in some other climbs or tried from far out, he'd have won this. But that's how it is.

No. Froome was much weaker today than before. See yesterday where he took more than a minute on Valverde but couldn't ride away from him today.

 

[Guybrush]

Great tour by Nairo, Froome was just above anyone else.

 

[hfer07]

FOA - great ride by Quintanita - the man really pushed hard to achieve the unthinkable, but fell short. As far as the so called "debate" on him losing the Tour in the mountains rather than the Zeeland stage - i'd go with the latter, because SKY & Froome literally "murdered" everyone in the Pyrenees -Including Quintanita, but yet if you discount the time lost on Zeeland, he would have managed to get closer & closer to the Alien when it mattered-which was the Alps.

Anyway - we cannot set the facts on "What If"- the take away from this Tour is that Nairito is getting the measure of Froome & getting closer to him, so improvement is indeed taken place, his age is on his side, and with the right approach I truly believe he could well win it in the next year or two-that's what matters

 

[May0maniac]

I'm pissed about the fact that Froome won the Tour, on the other hand it's a good thing that Quintana lost the race in the crosswinds, movistar winning the race by riding like cowards would have been pretty bad. I really like Nario but I don't like the way his team rode to protect Valverde's podium spot.

 

[Scarponi]

The guy is 25, I am still living with dad and drinking beer while watching the Tour. Even if he does not improve he will win a few GTs on this form

 

[RedheadDane]

Seems he thought he'd won the stage.
Was a bit confused when he was celebrating when crossing the line.

 

[SuperBesse]

Re:

Quintana did the Alpe in 39:22. 8 seconds quicker than Sastre in 2008.

The last time it was climbed quicker was Landis and Klöden in 2006, almost a full minute quicker.

sounds about right

 

[Arnout]

Re:

Seems he thought he'd won the stage.
Was a bit confused when he was celebrating when crossing the line.

Didn't he just point to heaven as a thank you, he tends to do that. He was in a position to see Pinot cross the line so I doubt he thought he won.

 

[Jalgratas95]

I think Quintana did what he could today. I just didn't like when he stopped attacking when Porte/Poels followed him but Froome was not able to. He wasn't racing with Porte/Poels so he should just have continued with his attack.

He will definitely win Tour de France in next few years.

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

The guy is 25, I am still living with dad and drinking beer while watching the Tour. Even if he does not improve he will win a few GTs on this form

That's what Simoni must have tried to tell Cunego back in 2004.

 

[AA_ESP]

Very good ride by Quintana today. Yes, he fell short, but it was a valiant effort. Posters saying he should have attacked more on earlier stages, but it simply isn't as easy as that. It was only on Stage 18 when I first noticed Froome looking a little bit tired. If you want to be hyper critical you could say that he should have went earlier on La Toussuire, but hindsight, as we all know, is a wonderful thing.

Regarding the crosswinds. I say bravo to Sky. Was it just pure luck that they got the gap, or was it good team planning to include some very decent classics riders in Thomas, Stannard and Rowe, two of which were up front with Froome. Let's be honest, the time gain could have been much more if BMC, with their numerical advantage in the break had perhaps pushed it more.

There will be other TdF's for Quintana, and with the exciting ending to this Stage 20 I'm sure there will be more penultimate stages with iconic mountain top finishes and every competitor will now know that they will need every second possible against little Nairo.

I am never negative to any rider, I just love competitive racing, so chapeau to both Froome and Quintana, they proved themselves the class of the race.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

I'm pissed about the fact that Froome won the Tour, on the other hand it's a good thing that Quintana lost the race in the crosswinds, movistar winning the race by riding like cowards would have been pretty bad. I really like Nario but I don't like the way his team rode to protect Valverde's podium spot.

Wait a minute, so Movistar are cowards and they were protecting Valverde's spot?! And Nairo has no guilt at all?! Is that what your saying?! Unzue and Valverde lost this race, yet Quintana fight till the end? Is that it?!

Well I got some different opinion. The only person who is responsible for not winning this Tour is Nairo Quintana himself!!! He lacks agressivenes, he should of attacked way earlier. Is Unzue's fault because he hasn't attacked on Glandon? Is Unzue's fault he hasn't attacked on Croix de Fer when "protected" Valverde made him a springboard? You say they protected Valverde's podium spot, show me where?! Show me were Movistar done that and show me how that harm Quintana's interests. He could attack whenever and wherever he wanted, he had plenty of opportunities, and he has whole year to remember them!

Despite all this, I regard Nairo Quintana as one hell of a rider, and the best climber on this Tour. Today's ride was one of the best mountain performances of the year. He should of ride past few stages in the same manner though...

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

The guy is 25, I am still living with dad and drinking beer while watching the Tour. Even if he does not improve he will win a few GTs on this form

That's what Simoni must have tried to tell Cunego back in 2004.

haha ohh cunego

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

I'm pissed about the fact that Froome won the Tour, on the other hand it's a good thing that Quintana lost the race in the crosswinds, movistar winning the race by riding like cowards would have been pretty bad. I really like Nario but I don't like the way his team rode to protect Valverde's podium spot.

Wait a minute, so Movistar are cowards and they were protecting Valverde's spot?! And Nairo has no guilt at all?! Is that what your saying?! Unzue and Valverde lost this race, yet Quintana fight till the end? Is that it?!

Well I got some different opinion. The only person who is responsible for not winning this Tour is Nairo Quintana himself!!! He lacks agressivenes, he should of attacked way earlier. Is Unzue's fault because he hasn't attacked on Glandon? Is Unzue's fault he hasn't attacked on Croix de Fer when "protected" Valverde made him a springboard? You say they protected Valverde's podium spot, show me where?! Show me were Movistar done that and show me how that harm Quintana's interests. He could attack whenever and wherever he wanted, he had plenty of opportunities, and he has whole year to remember them!

Despite all this, I regard Nairo Quintana as one hell of a rider, and the best climber on this Tour. Today's ride was one of the best mountain performances of the year. He should of ride past few stages in the same manner though...

Of course he's also to blame.

 

[MatParker117]

Re: Re:

I'm pissed about the fact that Froome won the Tour, on the other hand it's a good thing that Quintana lost the race in the crosswinds, movistar winning the race by riding like cowards would have been pretty bad. I really like Nario but I don't like the way his team rode to protect Valverde's podium spot.

Wait a minute, so Movistar are cowards and they were protecting Valverde's spot?! And Nairo has no guilt at all?! Is that what your saying?! Unzue and Valverde lost this race, yet Quintana fight till the end? Is that it?!

Well I got some different opinion. The only person who is responsible for not winning this Tour is Nairo Quintana himself!!! He lacks agressivenes, he should of attacked way earlier. Is Unzue's fault because he hasn't attacked on Glandon? Is Unzue's fault he hasn't attacked on Croix de Fer when "protected" Valverde made him a springboard? You say they protected Valverde's podium spot, show me where?! Show me were Movistar done that and show me how that harm Quintana's interests. He could attack whenever and wherever he wanted, he had plenty of opportunities, and he has whole year to remember them!

Despite all this, I regard Nairo Quintana as one hell of a rider, and the best climber on this Tour. Today's ride was one of the best mountain performances of the year. He should of ride past few stages in the same manner though...

Technically that's Froome!

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Seems he thought he'd won the stage.
Was a bit confused when he was celebrating when crossing the line.

Didn't he just point to heaven as a thank you, he tends to do that. He was in a position to see Pinot cross the line so I doubt he thought he won.

There was an interview afterwards where it seemed like he said something to the effect of "at least I got the stage."
But of course it could be a translation error from the subtitle-people; my Spanish isn't that good.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

I'm pissed about the fact that Froome won the Tour, on the other hand it's a good thing that Quintana lost the race in the crosswinds, movistar winning the race by riding like cowards would have been pretty bad. I really like Nario but I don't like the way his team rode to protect Valverde's podium spot.

Wait a minute, so Movistar are cowards and they were protecting Valverde's spot?! And Nairo has no guilt at all?! Is that what your saying?! Unzue and Valverde lost this race, yet Quintana fight till the end? Is that it?!

Well I got some different opinion. The only person who is responsible for not winning this Tour is Nairo Quintana himself!!! He lacks agressivenes, he should of attacked way earlier. Is Unzue's fault because he hasn't attacked on Glandon? Is Unzue's fault he hasn't attacked on Croix de Fer when "protected" Valverde made him a springboard? You say they protected Valverde's podium spot, show me where?! Show me were Movistar done that and show me how that harm Quintana's interests. He could attack whenever and wherever he wanted, he had plenty of opportunities, and he has whole year to remember them!

Despite all this, I regard Nairo Quintana as one hell of a rider, and the best climber on this Tour. Today's ride was one of the best mountain performances of the year. He should of ride past few stages in the same manner though...

yeah... he should have chipped his deficit in some long stages before. 3+ minutes.. is too much to gap.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Seems he thought he'd won the stage.
Was a bit confused when he was celebrating when crossing the line.

Didn't he just point to heaven as a thank you, he tends to do that. He was in a position to see Pinot cross the line so I doubt he thought he won.

There was an interview afterwards where it seemed like he said something to the effect of "at least I got the stage."
But of course it could be a translation error from the subtitle-people; my Spanish isn't that good.

he might have thought Hesjedal was the last man. Pinot was 40+ second in front of him. So he might not seeing him.

 

[sir fly]

As I've expected, he's the best climber in this year's Tour. And he'd have certainly done better if he could.
I think Froome can't perform better than he did this year, so Quintana should be looking forward to the coming years.