Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[Valv.Piti]

“It’s almost like stuff of God, a miracle to be here at the finish today. I was feeling really bad - what is happening into my body is difficult to explain right now. We’ve fought a whole lot from the very start. I struggled a lot, and my team-mates helped me out immensely, they were phenomenal. Thanks to them, I’m still here, on my bike. I feel tired, my body doesn’t work right, my legs don’t work properly. When I finish the stage, it’s like normal for me, but my body just doesn’t do things right. More than condition, I profited from my class today. Class never leaves you. At some point of the race, I even thought about withdrawing.”

You can really sense how desperate he is. Must be really frustrating not to know what wen't wrong, but its obvious to everybody, at least it should be, that he isn't 100% at all.

 

[gospina]

He's only a few seconds away from 2nd place going into the final stage (stage 21 is for show). So I agree with what everyone is saying. We expect Froome to be alien, we expect Nairo to be far better than anyone else besides Froome. For Nairo to ONLY be able to just get 2nd or 3rd is considered bad.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

He's only a few seconds away from 2nd place going into the final stage (stage 21 is for show). So I agree with what everyone is saying. We expect Froome to be alien, we expect Nairo to be far better than anyone else besides Froome. For Nairo to ONLY be able to just get 2nd or 3rd is considered bad.

Unless Bardet cracks due to high tempo I highly doubt Nairo has a chance to drop him. Not in this form. Bardet's a really good decender also. As of right now, I'd say 3rd is max.

 

[TomekA]

His form is so bad but he is still 3rd in GC - that shows how good rider he really is. His main challengers for tomorrow are Porte and Aru, I don't believe in Yates as he lost time 2 days in a row to Quintana. Bardet is stronger, it will be very hard to overtake him in GC.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

He's only a few seconds away from 2nd place going into the final stage (stage 21 is for show). So I agree with what everyone is saying. We expect Froome to be alien, we expect Nairo to be far better than anyone else besides Froome. For Nairo to ONLY be able to just get 2nd or 3rd is considered bad.

2nd or 3rd had been bad before the Tour started, but considering how things have been going so far, a podium would be a good performance. Sad, bud true.

 

[saganftw]

i think he would do better if he did giro/vuelta next season,he would be overwhelming favourite for both,got some confidence and experience riding 3 week tours because him not even knowing whats wrong with his body is a major questionmark

 

[Red Rick]

Could it be a mono?

 

[gospina]

Re:

Could it be a mono?

I was just thinking that's what it sounds like. I hope not.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

i think he would do better if he did giro/vuelta next season,he would be overwhelming favourite for both,got some confidence and experience riding 3 week tours because him not even knowing whats wrong with his body is a major questionmark

With Valverde fading and no other reliable GT contender in their roster there is no way Movistar will send to the Tour a team without Nairo.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

i think he would do better if he did giro/vuelta next season,he would be overwhelming favourite for both,got some confidence and experience riding 3 week tours because him not even knowing whats wrong with his body is a major questionmark

This is the 7th GT that he is riding, how many more do you think he needs?

 

[IndianCyclist]

but the guy has to attack to drop Bardet or is he hoping that Bardet will crack by himself and he can safely suck wheels to 2nd place.

 

[saneguy]

Re: Re:

i think he would do better if he did giro/vuelta next season,he would be overwhelming favourite for both,got some confidence and experience riding 3 week tours because him not even knowing whats wrong with his body is a major questionmark

With Valverde fading and no other reliable GT contender in their roster there is no way Movistar will send to the Tour a team without Nairo.

Valverde fading? This guy just finished the Giro and he's still 7th in GC and that too coz he always sacrificed himself for Nairo. Unfortunately Nairo just didnt have the legs all through the tour. Nairo so far in the last 3 tours has had no answer for Froome. Movistar would be far better off sending Valverde to TDF, wheelsuck on Froome and Skyborgs and yet he will get the same 2nd GC position as Nairo. They are far better off sending Nairo to Giro and Vuelta in 2017 and then try for the Tour in 2018 - Froome will be 33 by then (Hoping against hope that age will finally catch up although highly doubtful).

 

[Isaak-Gabriel]

If he has mono, his season is over after Champs-Elysées. He must do a complete check-up and know why he's bad.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

but the guy has to attack to drop Bardet or is he hoping that Bardet will crack by himself and he can safely suck wheels to 2nd place.

I hate to say this but Bardet will most likely concede seconds to Quintana to lose second.

I wish Quintana attacked tomorrow and earn the second place. Wishful thinking.

Having said that finishing second at the Tour with the poor form that he had is a testament to the low quality of contenders to Froome today other than Quintana and Contador. This proves that ATM Froome can only be challenged by Quintana. Movistar and Quintana need to reorganize and prepare much better.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

If he has mono, his season is over after Champs-Elysées. He must do a complete check-up and know why he's bad.

On one hand, it would be good since he actually knows thats the reason, on the other hand, pretty bad considering the goals he still have left this season...

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

He's not really saying he's sick, though. He says his performance isn't normal and basically that he doesn't know what's wrong, and then he speculates that perhaps it's an allergy or whatever because literally they can't point at anything in particular that's wrong with him beyond "I kinda suck".

Allergies would be well aligned with his performance today. He looked better today. Although not his best because he is probably fatigued by wind and not being in perfect fitness.

 

[TomekA]

Usually mono starts more aggressive, not that mild like in this case.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

i think he would do better if he did giro/vuelta next season,he would be overwhelming favourite for both,got some confidence and experience riding 3 week tours because him not even knowing whats wrong with his body is a major questionmark

This is the 7th GT that he is riding, how many more do you think he needs?

Do you actually believe all GC riders know their bodies very well?

Just look at Contador the trouble he gets of getting the perfect fitness for the Tour. Maybe many other examples. And all this is combined with other stuff that complicates things a lot more.

 

[saganftw]

Re: Re:

i think he would do better if he did giro/vuelta next season,he would be overwhelming favourite for both,got some confidence and experience riding 3 week tours because him not even knowing whats wrong with his body is a major questionmark

This is the 7th GT that he is riding, how many more do you think he needs?

as many as he needs to get his preparation and fitness through the GT to a level when nothing can surprise him,the problem is not that he is sick or whatever but the fact he doesnt even know why is confusing

is he alergic? how come he never had those problems before - he clearly doesnt know his body enough to perform just right for 3 weeks in july

 

[Flamin]

Re:

His form was so bad today he made sure to follow every single acceleration by Porte.

Admit it, you were grinning while typing this post, weren't you? (after being too harsh on him the first week)

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Nairo declared that he has been sick and had considered dropping out of the TDF. Even this sick, he is still within reach of 2nd. Still something on play for 2nd-6th in this Tour going to stage 20.

Jup, just look at this photo. I don't think I've ever seen him like that. There are no excuses, but it's obvious he's not as good as he should be, whatever the reason may be. He is on his limit every single day. But you've got to hate on him, otherwise you don't fit in.

OMG he is in agony. I've never seen him with that kind of a pain face. He must be hanging on by his fingernails everyday, poor lad

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

Nairo declared that he has been sick and had considered dropping out of the TDF. Even this sick, he is still within reach of 2nd. Still something on play for 2nd-6th in this Tour going to stage 20.

Jup, just look at this photo. I don't think I've ever seen him like that. There are no excuses, but it's obvious he's not as good as he should be, whatever the reason may be. He is on his limit every single day. But you've got to hate on him, otherwise you don't fit in.

It is just a picture, but damn, it really looks like he is suffering in a way we never see behind his glasses.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well Quintana said in an interview today that he was close to abandoning today because he felt so bad

 

[hrotha]

Re: Re:

His form was so bad today he made sure to follow every single acceleration by Porte.

Admit it, you were grinning while typing this post, weren't you? (after being too harsh on him the first week)

I don't think I was too harsh. Seems he felt better in the Pyrenees but let them go to waste, and now he's not very confident even about snagging 2nd place. It vindicates my argument, really.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Well Quintana said in an interview today that he was close to abandoning today because he felt so bad

Sure he was, poor guy