Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[carton]

Re:

Disgraceful. I think today's performance (along with the Tour overall) will change a lot of the strategical parameters that the Movistar team and Quintana had made for the long-term.

Not so much because he doesn't climb with the best (which is not entirely his fault), but more because of the psychological weakness displayed in the last km and by the pathetic performance of the team the day after giving interviews where they announced multiple offensive movements.

I think some people in the team car and in Spain may have realised that they don't have the future multi-Tour de France champion they always thought they had since 2013.

Sorry for being harsh. Cheers.

LOL. Yeah, he needs a little more "mentality" into his system. Contador-style. ROFL.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

Isn't Bernal Venezuelan?

Anyway, as somebody who still thinks Contador isn't completely past it at 33, I don't think Quintana is really on his way down. There's clearly something wrong. It's really unfortunate though, especially with all the hype Eurosport created, and with Quintana rapidly approaching 3 years without a GT win even though he was touted as the next dominant climber.

Giro'14 says hello. Think you might be referring to the TdF specifically though.

Oops I misread your post.

3years without a GT win will be pretty much the case.

He won't win this tour, very unlikely he'll win the vuelta and he prob won't race the giro next year.

So yea 3 years without a GT win

 

[Eclipse]

Re: Re:

Isn't Bernal Venezuelan?

Anyway, as somebody who still thinks Contador isn't completely past it at 33, I don't think Quintana is really on his way down. There's clearly something wrong. It's really unfortunate though, especially with all the hype Eurosport created, and with Quintana rapidly approaching 3 years without a GT win even though he was touted as the next dominant climber.

Giro'14 says hello. Think you might be referring to the TdF specifically though.

Oops I misread your post.

If he doesn't win the Vuelta it will have been 3 years without a GT win ie rapidly approaching that point

This is definitely a disappointment though I do think this is either illness or a bizarre prep issue and not a case of Quintana not having it in general (particularly given how strong his early season was)

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Isn't Bernal Venezuelan?

Anyway, as somebody who still thinks Contador isn't completely past it at 33, I don't think Quintana is really on his way down. There's clearly something wrong. It's really unfortunate though, especially with all the hype Eurosport created, and with Quintana rapidly approaching 3 years without a GT win even though he was touted as the next dominant climber.

Giro'14 says hello. Think you might be referring to the TdF specifically though.

Oops I misread your post.

3years without a GT win will be pretty much the case.

He won't win this tour, very unlikely he'll win the vuelta and he prob won't race the giro next year.

So yea 3 years without a GT win

He really needs to 'do a Contador' and start focusing on the lesser, easier GT's to pad out his palmares a bit. Not much point chipping away at the Tour while Froome is still hanging around.

 

[Carols]

Well we know why he hasn't attacked. Those little legs are empty . Shame they wasted Bala trying to set him up.....

 

[movingtarget]

He should do the Giro next year. I think he could win it unless the Yates brothers decide to ride.

 

[Miburo]

He prob went too hard this season, rode too much and the form was too good early on

 

[Gigs_98]

He really is like 2013 contador. Extremely hyped before the tour and then gets dropped by 2nd tier climbers. The only difference is that the whole 2013 season for contador was bad while this year nairo won 2 WT stage races, was 3rd in another one and won another ET stage race. I really thought he would beat froome this year but something went completely wrong.

 

[Isaak-Gabriel]

We didn't know why his legs are bad, if he's sick or not, so we must wait the end of the Tour..

 

[staubsauger]

Worse than mediocre Aru. This certainly ain't his normal level. Although he never really was in a whole other league than Aru despite all the hype anyway!

 

[TomekA]

Remember he was very pale on Arcalis, maybe he was sick and didn't recover. This form is not normal. He shouldn't be slower than Meintjes. Or Bardet.

 

[Miburo]

But no excuses, he had the perfect prep. No excuses were made for contador '13 or nibali last year.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

He should do the Giro next year. I think he could win it unless the Yates brothers decide to ride.

Here you are, so quintana would be froome's biggest rival? So hilarious, this guy isn't even close to contador greatness (climbing ability)

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Remember he was very pale on Arcalis, maybe he was sick and didn't recover. This form is not normal. He shouldn't be slower than Meintjes. Or Bardet.

You'd think if he was sick or had somekind of virus that Movistar wouldn't be sacrificing Valverde for him, putting in attacks every day. I think he could just be struggling with the heat and the effort he's had to put in during flat stages. Also I guess he peaked too early this season, trying to fix the problem he had in previous seasons of starting the race too slowly.

 

[Red Rick]

He really is like 2013 contador. Extremely hyped before the tour and then gets dropped by 2nd tier climbers. The only difference is that the whole 2013 season for contador was bad while this year nairo won 2 WT stage races, was 3rd in another one and won another ET stage race. I really thought he would beat froome this year but something went completely wrong.

The Tour in isolation looks similar, though Contador was even worse. The difference however is that Quintana has his best early season ever, whereas Contador had his worst.

I don't agree that Quintana can't beat Froome. Had he been as good as last year, I don't think he'd have dropped anywhere, not to mention ride a stronger TT.

If Quintana is to come up with excuses or an explanation for his poor form, I don't think it will come out until after the Tour.

 

[DFA123]

He really is like 2013 contador. Extremely hyped before the tour and then gets dropped by 2nd tier climbers. The only difference is that the whole 2013 season for contador was bad while this year nairo won 2 WT stage races, was 3rd in another one and won another ET stage race. I really thought he would beat froome this year but something went completely wrong.

The Tour in isolation looks similar, though Contador was even worse. The difference however is that Quintana has his best early season ever, whereas Contador had his worst.

I don't agree that Quintana can't beat Froome. Had he been as good as last year, I don't think he'd have dropped anywhere, not to mention ride a stronger TT.

If Quintana is to come up with excuses or an explanation for his poor form, I don't think it will come out until after the Tour.

If he knows he has some problem, e.g. virus or other illness, why would he do these weak attacks, provoking the other GC riders into action and showing them how weak he is? Surely if there was some known cause for his lack of power, he would just sit tight and try to limit losses, hoping he would get better later in the race.

I think he may have just peaked too early this season. He was basically flying from Catalonia through to Route de Sud - and now his form seems to have fallen off a cliff.

 

[RattaKuningas]

He really is like 2013 contador. Extremely hyped before the tour and then gets dropped by 2nd tier climbers. The only difference is that the whole 2013 season for contador was bad while this year nairo won 2 WT stage races, was 3rd in another one and won another ET stage race. I really thought he would beat froome this year but something went completely wrong.

The Tour in isolation looks similar, though Contador was even worse. The difference however is that Quintana has his best early season ever, whereas Contador had his worst.

I don't agree that Quintana can't beat Froome. Had he been as good as last year, I don't think he'd have dropped anywhere, not to mention ride a stronger TT.

If Quintana is to come up with excuses or an explanation for his poor form, I don't think it will come out until after the Tour.

If he knows he has some problem, e.g. virus or other illness, why would he do these weak attacks, provoking the other GC riders into action and showing them how weak he is? Surely if there was some known cause for his lack of power, he would just sit tight and try to limit losses, hoping he would get better later in the race.

I think he may have just peaked too early this season. He was basically flying from Catalonia through to Route de Sud - and now his form seems to have fallen off a cliff.

He seemed to be stronger on 1st week when he managed to stay with Froome on Arcalis and now Meintjes is finishing ahead of him which might explain that his form is getting worse.

 

[Pippo_San]

Again showing how massively overrated and overhyped he is.
Not to mention a proven cheat.
Zero excuses. He's no Velasco / Dawg or even Nibbles level.

 

[saneguy]

All his prep has been laid waste. I am hoping he is graceful enough to accept defeat and move on. Froome is a far more all around rider than him. Froome can descend, follow Sagan's wheel and hey btw he can climb as well. Unfortunately Nairo is far too dependent only on climbing and nothing else. That doesnt work in this day and age.

I dont know what different he can do next year - if in case he still chooses to ride the Tour. I dont see any scenario in which he can defeat Froome. The Skyborgs are too good!

The only point that I have in favor of Quintana is that Movistar has a super weak team in this Tour. Not one rider has been there at the end baring Valverde. Forget setting tempo they cant even stay in the peleton.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

All his prep has been laid waste. I am hoping he is graceful enough to accept defeat and move on. Froome is a far more all around rider than him. Froome can descend, follow Sagan's wheel and hey btw he can climb as well. Unfortunately Nairo is far too dependent only on climbing and nothing else. That doesnt work in this day and age.

I dont know what different he can do next year - if in case he still chooses to ride the Tour. I dont see any scenario in which he can defeat Froome. The Skyborgs are too good!

The only point that I have in favor of Quintana is that Movistar has a super weak team in this Tour. Not one rider has been there at the end baring Valverde. Forget setting tempo they cant even stay in the peleton.

It was good enough to finish 2nd in the Tour twice. Should all those that finished behind him those 2 years find another vocation since they are so inferior that they can't finish higher than such a one-dimensional rider?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Nairo has to be sick. Best spring, looked formidable in Sud and at Arcalis.

If he is not, I dno. I simply have no explanation. It made sense he was below par at Ventoux, but on this stage, 2 climbs tailor made for him, back-to-back? Furthermore, Emosson almost had the exact same stats to Annecy Semnoz.. just to make it worse. Seems an awful long time ago now, that awesome day in 2013. Probably still the best MTF I can remember.

 

[hfer07]

Well...........

It seems to me he's having his very first year off (bad year)..........
something must have gone wrong during the 2nd week with either some illness not publicly disclosed, or a sudden massive drop in fitness due to lack of rhythm........ whatever is the reason, he's not even near to what he was last year...

either way, Nairito & Movistar must rethink their approach to the Tour if they truly want to win it- otherwise Nairo better switch to Il Giro & La Vuelta once more to regain some confidence.

 

[IndianCyclist]

He was too weak most likely due to winds. When the 2nd rung climbers start to drop him means something went seriously wrong. Movistar made a blunder in selecting riders only for mountains that they forgot that there are flat stages as well.

 

[Poursuivant]

What's happened then? Because he has been excellent all year up to and including RDS. I have a suspicion he has been ill.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ok. Quintana just doesn't have it this year... fair enough