- Jan 23, 2016
- 2,505
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- Aug 3, 2015
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Re:
I'd still take Froome's record this year, but astonishing level in 2016 apart from that baaaad Tour. I don't care about Sud, but adding Catalunya and Romandie is huge. He needs P-N next year and then I hope he goes for Dauphine/Suisse.
I don't think he had any troubles today, just played it conservatively. Would have liked to see the role reversed to see just how much he could have gotten (if any) on Froome.
DNP-Old said:
I'd still take Froome's record this year, but astonishing level in 2016 apart from that baaaad Tour. I don't care about Sud, but adding Catalunya and Romandie is huge. He needs P-N next year and then I hope he goes for Dauphine/Suisse.
I don't think he had any troubles today, just played it conservatively. Would have liked to see the role reversed to see just how much he could have gotten (if any) on Froome.
Re: Re:
I continue to not understand what's happening in le tour and i don't beleive that he was sick or the windy stages took a lot energy of him because bardet, yates and all others gt contenders didn't suffer with this. His poor form will be a great mistery to me for the rest of his careerValv.Piti said:
Re:
Agree. Why do you want to sprint for nothing. Could have made a great gesture by shaking hands with Froome at the finish for a great race.portugal11 said:
- Nov 7, 2010
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Do you think there's any chance at all he might go for the Giro/Vuelta double next year. Especially if the Tour has significant amount of TTing?
Sponsors may not mind too much if Valverde peaks for the Tour and challenges for the podium, and he'd have a genuine chance at the double.
Valv.Piti said:
Do you think there's any chance at all he might go for the Giro/Vuelta double next year. Especially if the Tour has significant amount of TTing?
Sponsors may not mind too much if Valverde peaks for the Tour and challenges for the podium, and he'd have a genuine chance at the double.
- Nov 7, 2010
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Re: Re:
Yeah, I guess so. But, say if there is a flattish 50km TT (and we are long overdue one in the Tour), his chances would be pretty small. And winning the double - particularly in the anniversary year for the Giro - would be a huge achievement in its own right.Arredondo said:
- Aug 3, 2015
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I don't think so and I honestly don't hope so - I wan't him to beat Froome now, he wants that as well and especially in July. He will firstly need to improve his ITT furthermore obviously, but its definitely doable to beat Froome. He might decline a bit, who knows - he isn't young anymore and that could be all Nairo needs if he shows up at 100%.
DFA123 said:
I don't think so and I honestly don't hope so - I wan't him to beat Froome now, he wants that as well and especially in July. He will firstly need to improve his ITT furthermore obviously, but its definitely doable to beat Froome. He might decline a bit, who knows - he isn't young anymore and that could be all Nairo needs if he shows up at 100%.
- Nov 7, 2010
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Yeah, I suppose you're right. Also the Formigal stage may have opened his eyes a bit to some different possibilites to take time. Obviously wouldn't be so simple against full strength Sky - but if you believe you can take several minutes on a mountain stage, then suddenly the TT doesn't necessarily become the defining part of the race.Valv.Piti said:
- Apr 16, 2009
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Never, never, never. No chance. Unless the sponsors lose their mind completely, there is no chance of that happening.DFA123 said:
- Aug 16, 2013
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Sure, but then he needs to think and race differently then he did the past years. Not attack on the final climb, but before. Risking all you have. A bit like he did in 2015, but then earlier and with even more belief.
If you wait every singe mountain stage till the final climb, you're dead. Especially with that long flattish TT and a Sky team which is totally used and structured on that way of racing.
Important for Quintana will be the presency of Contador. The latter one can't win the Tour anymore, but can help Nairo in doing a Formigal in France.
DFA123 said:
Sure, but then he needs to think and race differently then he did the past years. Not attack on the final climb, but before. Risking all you have. A bit like he did in 2015, but then earlier and with even more belief.
If you wait every singe mountain stage till the final climb, you're dead. Especially with that long flattish TT and a Sky team which is totally used and structured on that way of racing.
Important for Quintana will be the presency of Contador. The latter one can't win the Tour anymore, but can help Nairo in doing a Formigal in France.
- Apr 16, 2009
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He can only improves his TT so much. Again he is not bad. Just the way God made him. He just needs to change tactics and mentality.
If there is a flat TT with strong winds, how in the world he is going to perform good??? I have said it million times, and he even said it in an interview, it is physically impossible.
If there is a flat TT with strong winds, how in the world he is going to perform good??? I have said it million times, and he even said it in an interview, it is physically impossible.
- Nov 7, 2010
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Good points. I'm not convinced Contador can assist too much anymore though. Froome just doesn't fear him nowdays, and Sky would close down his attacks easily - like they did with him and Valverde on the Andorra stage last year. If someone like Bardet or Nibali could step up a level though it could be very interesting. With Quintana as the only serious challenger, it's a bit too easy for Sky to control. If they have to keep their eye on three or four genuine challengers though - the other teams could co-operate a bit and create havac. Chaves as well if he decides to ride the tour and there's no big TT.Arredondo said:
- Sep 8, 2009
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- Feb 20, 2012
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Congrats to Quintana, very much the deserved winner of the Vuelta. I've given him a lot of slack for riding conservatively in the past, but he's ridden this Vuelta very well. I maybe expected a wee bit better in the tt, considering all the tt's before the Tour, but then thisbone had the worst circumstances of all of them.
As for next year, I don't think Quintana is in a position where he can skip the Tour. He hasn't won it yet, winning it would complete his list, and I don't think he'll want to dodge Froome. That is assuming the parcours isn't totally atrocious for him.
As for next year, I don't think Quintana is in a position where he can skip the Tour. He hasn't won it yet, winning it would complete his list, and I don't think he'll want to dodge Froome. That is assuming the parcours isn't totally atrocious for him.
Re: Re:
Formigal will never happen against Sky in Tour. It wouldnt also happen in Vuelta if it was Movistar on receiving end. You need to have a contender with relatively weak team to pull something like that off
Formigal will never happen against Sky in Tour. It wouldnt also happen in Vuelta if it was Movistar on receiving end. You need to have a contender with relatively weak team to pull something like that off
- May 3, 2010
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Cool to see how he replied to those attacks. He didn't flinch. Barring an accident tomorrow El Sueño Rojo is coming true!
- May 9, 2014
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- Apr 16, 2009
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The Tour organizers will not put a heavy TT Tour knowing the French don't have a good TT and that the only contender for Froome is very small climber from Colombia. They don't want to screw up their race for sure.
- Aug 16, 2013
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But the fact he doesn't fear Contador anymore, maybe also plays in his (and Quintana's) favour: because Froome isn't bothered to react immediately. But you're right, with a Sky team at full strenght, it's really really difficult to create havoc from afar. The competition just has to hope key riders like Poels, Landa and Henao are not on their usual level. Then, you have a chance. But you have to know/risk/smell it. And you can only make it happen, by trying. But most of the time, that's the problem.
Sure Contador is past his prime. But the Contador from that Andorra stage was injured and way below his best shape. The Contador from País Vasco still can create damage/a-typical racing. But you're right, the Tour needs a good Nibali, Bardet, Chaves, Pinot, Aru... Riders who dare to do something.
DFA123 said:
But the fact he doesn't fear Contador anymore, maybe also plays in his (and Quintana's) favour: because Froome isn't bothered to react immediately. But you're right, with a Sky team at full strenght, it's really really difficult to create havoc from afar. The competition just has to hope key riders like Poels, Landa and Henao are not on their usual level. Then, you have a chance. But you have to know/risk/smell it. And you can only make it happen, by trying. But most of the time, that's the problem.
Sure Contador is past his prime. But the Contador from that Andorra stage was injured and way below his best shape. The Contador from País Vasco still can create damage/a-typical racing. But you're right, the Tour needs a good Nibali, Bardet, Chaves, Pinot, Aru... Riders who dare to do something.
- Apr 16, 2009
- 17,600
- 6,854
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They asked him about the sprint in the interview and he said that every second matters, just like Froome said in the past when he outsprinted him as well. LOL. Additionally he said that Froome is a great Champion and a great contender.
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