Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[AlexNYC]

Re:

I'll look at the positive, which is that we didn’t have any crashes, because really the organisation doesn't often think about the athlete, the cyclist. They look for a certain type of spectacle but without realising the type of dangers they send us into. We're all risking our lives every day and they need to think more about stages like this.

Don't go there, Nairo.

To be fair, a stage like today must feel even more hair-raising for someone of Nairo's size and weight. But I agree, he should suck it up.

 

[SeriousSam]

Suppose the unthinkable happens and Quintana proves incapable of dropping Froome throughout the Tour. It would mean he is facing a superhuman foe whose power, power to weight, power to aero coefficent, anaerobic ability and sprint surpasses his own.

gg no re.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Suppose the unthinkable happens and Quintana proves incapable of dropping Froome throughout the Tour. It would mean he is facing a superhuman foe whose power, power to weight, power to aero coefficent, anaerobic ability and sprint surpasses his own.

gg no re.

It could happen. But he's dropped Froome in the third week both Tours they rode. Obviously, now they prepared differently, but I think Quintana recovers better. However, the parcour is looking increasingly worse for him, with no high mountain stages that have more then 4 big climbs or more. If he were unable to drop Froome in the third week, he wouldn't really have gotten better compared to last year, except for tt'ing. We'd have to look at some power estimates, ofcourse.

 

[hrotha]

One thing that makes very little sense to me: if Quintana is relying on his recovery to best Froome, isn't it in his best interest that the race is raced as hard as possible to maximize the edge his recovery gives him?

 

[What_What]

Has Quintana ever dropped Froome in the mountains when it's actually mattered/made a genuine or decisive difference to the race?

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

One thing that makes very little sense to me: if Quintana is relying on his recovery to best Froome, isn't it in his best interest that the race is raced as hard as possible to maximize the edge his recovery gives him?

I dont think that Movistar wants to waste their riders that early in the race for that.

D Day for Nairo tomorrow.Couple of seconds put into Froome could mean a significant psychological blow for him.
Go for it Nairo

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Re:

I'll look at the positive, which is that we didn’t have any crashes, because really the organisation doesn't often think about the athlete, the cyclist. They look for a certain type of spectacle but without realising the type of dangers they send us into. We're all risking our lives every day and they need to think more about stages like this.

Don't go there, Nairo.

He's not going to fancy the TT much then. The course runs west and the current forecast is for 30 mph x-winds from the north. Maybe they can get it cancelled

 

[deValtos]

Maybe Dowsett gets back in the team next year?

Erviti has been doing a good job, not sure I've seen Oliveria too much though.

 

[Jonathan]

Without trying to imply anything about how good he is relative to Froome, it appears that Quintana is not in a bad spot at all. His strategy looks the same as it was in the 2014 giro, which would make sense from his point of view. He lost time in the first half then, too.

 

[Taxus4a]

Froome is better in this stages.. this year there are less winndy flat stages than last year, so he must take advantage as long as he can. so good for Froome, nothig to say to Quitana, tough day for him, but he will be the strongest in the mountains.

Froome shoud put this net 2 days goods for him more tha 1 minute to him to add the current differece to have optios in this Tour.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Maybe Dowsett gets back in the team next year?

Erviti has been doing a good job, not sure I've seen Oliveria too much though.

I don't think Dowsett, he is bad in a peloton. Castro and Malori is much better options IMO, coupled with Olivera and Erviti. That makes for some very good rouleurs, some of which also can climb very well at their day (Oliveira and Castro)

 

[deValtos]

Maybe Dowsett gets back in the team next year?

Erviti has been doing a good job, not sure I've seen Oliveria too much though.

I don't think Dowsett, he is bad in a peloton. Castro and Malori is much better options IMO, coupled with Olivera and Erviti. That makes for some very good rouleurs, some of which also can climb very well at their day (Oliveira and Castro)

Completely forgot about Malori, they really needed his engine but ofc he wasn't an option this year. I'm pretty sure Dowsett is stronger than Castro but maybe he is not as good in the group as you say.

I don't think you need 4 barodeurs though but you should have maybe at least 3 strong ones and the rest climbers.

Atm just erviti and oliveria is not be enough to hold vs the behemoth stannard, kiry & rowe combo. (+thomas)

 

[LeSensei]

Re: Re:

He already made many mistakes. Letting froome go on the peyresourde is a blunder. Then the next day, not even attempting one attack.

He's gonna lose at least 1 minute to froome in the ITT, personally i think it'll be even more. GL getting it back

1 minute is being really like really optimistic.

Froome's dominance today was no coincidence - he singlehandedly catched Sagan with the wind on his face. Fabian tried to close the gap himself and had to give up. Froome is in monster form, and I think this year they might hit that 3rd week sweetspot. Movistar have been fooled, they thought this would be all over the same again as in 2015 and 2013; what they haven't realised is that moment came in Pyrenees with Froome still short of form. Now the chance is gone.

Besides Froome today reached the finish line almost euphorically sprinting against Sagan. Quintana on the other hand, back of the group and complaining later on about the stage, allegedly very tired.

And if that's the case, then there's also no point in critizising Quintana since Froome is currently unbeatable. Nairo will give it his best where he's expected to, in the mountains in the third week. He honestly can't beat Froome any other way so why bother?

If he doesnt attacks in his terrain, the mountains, the only thing left for us to discuss is the flat. I think we can both agree Quintana cant win there.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Quintana and Movistar complaining about the stage and organizers looks like sour grapes to me.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Well... merckx is right, this guy only knows how to climb. He isn't a good time trialist, he loose time in wind stages. He loose time in muritos. He barely attack when he is a couple of seconds behind the leader. He doesn't have charisma, panache. Will he ever win a tour?

Hey, criticize Quintana for not attacking but more than half of what you said is not truth.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I'll look at the positive, which is that we didn’t have any crashes, because really the organisation doesn't often think about the athlete, the cyclist. They look for a certain type of spectacle but without realising the type of dangers they send us into. We're all risking our lives every day and they need to think more about stages like this.

Don't go there, Nairo.

Quintana never should have said that. Maybe he was just steaming from loosing more time. He needs to control himself a little more.

 

[movingtarget]

Not a good look for a guy that wants to win the race. All riders are subject to the conditions and organizers don't plan stages based on weather reports.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Not a good look for a guy that wants to win the race. All riders are subject to the conditions and organizers don't plan stages based on weather reports.

Was he complaining about the weather conditions or more about the route itself with passing through narrow roads when going through towns and a heap of road furniture

"As always, losing time is not what we want but looking at this incomprehensible route - which seems hard to believe, honestly - which made us pass through the series of towns that we did, on top of that wind, racing with the risks that entails to riders, to the public,"

He has a point about the route, I noticed alot of road furniture and bottlenecks along the route. Nobody can blame ASO about the weather conditions so he shouldn't of said anything about the wind.

 

[Kwibus]

After AC went KO I was rooting for Quintana, but after a few stages and comments by Quintana it's clear that I'm rooting for Froome now.

So it's likely that Nairo will win the TdF.

 

[offbyone]

I don't recall him complaining about the safety of that giro stage in the mountains in the snow and rain wchich was sort of neutralized and he subsequently raided.

Either way, he isn't helping his appeal. And really, movistar, like all teams with a contender, should know to be in the front on a windy day.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Not a good look for a guy that wants to win the race. All riders are subject to the conditions and organizers don't plan stages based on weather reports.

Was he complaining about the weather conditions or more about the route itself with passing through narrow roads when going through towns and a heap of road furniture

"As always, losing time is not what we want but looking at this incomprehensible route - which seems hard to believe, honestly - which made us pass through the series of towns that we did, on top of that wind, racing with the risks that entails to riders, to the public,"

He has a point about the route, I noticed alot of road furniture and bottlenecks along the route. Nobody can blame ASO about the weather conditions so he shouldn't of said anything about the wind.

Road furniture is a problem in many races now. Once local councils start doing ridiculous things there is no turning back. In some races they actually move things when they can if it is too dangerous but it is rare. And what is also dangerous is that spectators like to stand on every piece of road furniture and as we have seen there have been some very bad accidents. When race organizers put the route together I doubt that road furniture is a priority except for the finishes. If Movistar keep getting caught out Froome will win the race in increments instead of his usual big attacks and defend a lead. The TTs also favour him. Although the second one looks good for Quintana.

 

[dacooley]

Last year Nairo Quintana made up about 50 seconds over Chris Froome on all mountain stages combined. What allows to suggest he has weightly improved his climbing this season? Dropping Bertie in Catalunya and victory in Romandie on the stage when Zaka was disqualified. Anything else?

Quintana is surely the most likely man to be the best climber in the tour. notwithstanding, it really really difficult to imagine him putting 2-3 minutes into Froome in the Alpes.

 

[Escarabajo]

After AC went KO I was rooting for Quintana, but after a few stages and comments by Quintana it's clear that I'm rooting for Froome now.

So it's likely that Nairo will win the TdF.

LOL. I like your conclusion!!

 

[spalco]

Re: Re:

He has a point about the route, I noticed alot of road furniture and bottlenecks along the route. Nobody can blame ASO about the weather conditions so he shouldn't of said anything about the wind.

Please. If he wants to ride 200km a day on the autobahn he should just focus on the Vuelta.

The Tour is as much a very long tourism ad as it's a sporting event, of course they pass through as many towns as they can.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

He has a point about the route, I noticed alot of road furniture and bottlenecks along the route. Nobody can blame ASO about the weather conditions so he shouldn't of said anything about the wind.

Please. If he wants to ride 200km a day on the autobahn he should just focus on the Vuelta.

The Tour is as much a very long tourism ad as it's a sporting event, of course they pass through as many towns as they can.

He's allowed to complain about it isn't he? Anyway ask him today and he might say something different, getting quotes from riders just after a stage has finished, after an intense effort when things don't go 100% and you'll most likely get a poorly thought out quote like what Quintana said. I don't understand why people react so negatively to these things, put yourself in the riders shoes with reporters asking you questions and you'd most likely say something you wouldn't say after a few hours rest.