Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

I think he will do giro-vuelta next year. Aso will understand that big tom is the only guy who can beat froome/sky. So they will put 60 km of time trials

I hope that they do put 100 km of ITT, like in the Indurain years. The climbers have had many tailor made Tours already.

I call those Tours the most entertaining Tours that I have watched in my life!!!

Followed by 7 very interesting Tours!!

Enjoy it because is coming Iker. Everyone shares your taste!

 

[tristecsinamigos]

During the Colombian tv broadcast of this TdF it was hinted that Quintana-Betancur relationship in Movistar might not be very good, and that Betancur is basically riding "by himself" at this point. It's gossip but, just sayian...

 

[DFA123]

During the Colombian tv broadcast of this TdF it was hinted that Quintana-Betancur relationship in Movistar might not be very good, and that Betancur is basically riding "by himself" at this point. It's gossip but, just sayian...

Maybe that links in with Visconti basically saying Quintana was insufferable as a team leader. You can probably get away with that when challenging for the win, but the troops might not take so kindly to it when you're not delivering the goods. Kind of like what happened to Contador at Tinkov perhaps.

 

[Escarabajo]

Really?
Time for the coach to step in.

Visconti took shots at everyone at Movistar, not just Quintana.

 

[Valv.Piti]

You could kinda see is coming after watching stage 9, Nairo basically rode 100 kilometres alone. Thats completely unheard of on Movistar and Betancur was of no help what so ever in the break. It can't be denied. Carlos also seem like the extremely tranquillo type, maybe not so serious all the time, while Nairo basically is everything than Betancur isn't.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

You could kinda see is coming after watching stage 9, Nairo basically rode 100 kilometres alone. Thats completely unheard of on Movistar and Betancur was of no help what so ever in the break. It can't be denied. Carlos also seem like the extremely tranquillo type, maybe not so serious all the time, while Nairo basically is everything than Betancur isn't.

Sometimes I think that la vuelta is more important than le tour for movistar. Soler and fernedez could very well doing le tour

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

You could kinda see is coming after watching stage 9, Nairo basically rode 100 kilometres alone. Thats completely unheard of on Movistar and Betancur was of no help what so ever in the break. It can't be denied. Carlos also seem like the extremely tranquillo type, maybe not so serious all the time, while Nairo basically is everything than Betancur isn't.

Sometimes I think that la vuelta is more important than le tour for movistar. Soler and fernedez could very well doing le tour

Its not, but it obviously means a lot given its a Spanish team. They were just unlucky that their best rider crashed out.

 

[cipurian]

Huge fan if piti, but quintana is a beast and he deserves team support.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Huge fan if piti, but quintana is a beast and he deserves team support.

Obviously Quintana deserves team support, he is STILL the 2nd best GT rider in the world. I don't think you can make a case for anyone else despite he got beaten fair and square by Dumoulin. But everything pointed in the direction from the start that Valverde would be Moivstar's best bet in this Tour de France. So while that cannot be proven, Im as sure as you can get that would've been the case!

 

[Escarabajo]

I agree that Soler and Fernandez would have been better help in this Tour.

I kind of question the selection of Amador and Betancur. I understood the selection of the bigger riders based on what happened last year. Amador is way below his usual performance. But Betancur is actually climbing OK. So after Valverde crashed out and Amador being tired from the Giro the only one they can rely on is Betancur. So if he decides to do his own race put yourself in the shoes of Quintana. You have to give support to your leader.

 

[slosada]

Movistar put the best team at the Giro to help an undertrained Nairo win. That way they limited their pool of resources before the TdF. Then they lost Valverde, and the media commented about him taking too many risks because he had "his own aspirations".

Now the bashing is on Betancur as he's from another region and has openly declared his affinity with Piti.
They say Betancur is riding for himself and he went on the break selfishly. Conveniently, forgetting that Herrada also was there. By the time Nairo was dropped, Betancur was cooked and that was evident since the previous climb. Also, MdC steepness makes very hard to help. Any errors from Movistar or Quintana himself are not mentioned, or quickly dismissed, because it affects Telefonica's interests or the idol the press built.
This is a similar to the media-bashing Uran got last year because Nairo wanted sole leadership in Rio. It included blaming Rigo for not helping Chaves at the Giro! FFS.
Would you believe that Tunja Nationals were in several outlets as "Nairo nationals" like RCN put "Watch Nairo thru RCN" as their advertising for the race. And the analysis afterwards was "why Nairo lost the Nationals", at least in El Colombiano. They have galvanized the opinion of the regular Joe that had not been following cycling since the 80s. Don't dare question Nairo for anything via Tweeter.

 

[Taxus4a]

I think Quintana will be the strongest in the mountains from now on..but maybe not enough to win le Tour after the time he losed already, Valverde out and the last ITT. I hope to see him into the attack, but for that he needs more mountain stages in his legs and more altitude.

 

[Blanco]

Time to attack tomorrow, already on Port de Bales. If Contador goes also, even better. True champion in decent form would try. If not, he's trying then to sneak into podium which will bring basically nothing to his career and palmares, and I sincerely hope, if this is the case, that he will not achieve that.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The theory that Nairo is better in his 2nd GT is going to be put to the test very soon.

 

[Escarabajo]

Podium will not bring anything to him TBH. If he feels good time to attack from Bales. But I doubt it. It sounds like a late attack just to get closer to the podium and gain confidence based on his interview.

http://www.revistamundociclistico.com/ruta/23550-no-estoy-lejos-del-podio-y-no-pierdo-la-esperanza-vamos-a-ver-como-se-encuentran-las-piernas-manana-nairo-quintana.html

 

[Valv.Piti]

He is not attacking on Bales unless he feels incredibly well and has at least one teammate up the road. The descent is simply too 'flat' and Sky is pretty strong, altho they do lack Thomas and Poels.

 

[portugal11]

Very poor shape... i didn't expect this. Worse than in the giro

 

[saneguy]

Done and dusted for this year. Getting in the red even when the tempo is not really high. Now we have to wait for next year!

Is this the last race for him in this calendar? Or will he do 1-2 more small / day races?

 

[Escarabajo]

He should be better than this TBH.

Having said this, looking at all the riders that did the Giro the look awful except for Landa. But we can't use him as reference because he was out of contention from week one. He was good on the breaks but is not the same being at the front 100% of the time in all stages.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Very poor shape... i didn't expect this. Worse than in the giro

Not just than the Giro, this has to be the worst Quintana we have seen in any stage race since before 2013. Dropping from a big group 2km into the Peyresourde is really horrible for a rider of his quality.

 

[Eclipse]

Today really confirmed that the plan has failed spectacularly, even if his recovery ride was decent.

Barring a miraculous rediscovery of form and a miracle escape the podium is done and dusted. Think he should tank it tomorrow and then try for a stage win rather than cling on to top 10 in the hopes of something outrageous

 

[portugal11]

I'm not a fan of him but in this year, quintana looks like 2013 contador (in gt's). He can't be declining with 27 years old... he is (way) worse than 2015 contador who also made the giro-tour attempt (specially in the tour)

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I'm not a fan of him but in this year, quintana looks like 2013 contador (in gt's). He can't be declining with 27 years old... he is (way) worse than 2015 contador who also made the giro-tour attempt (specially in the tour)

Why did Movistar expect him to be better in his second GT ? The fatigue from the Giro has set in.

 

[Eclipse]

Re: Re:

I'm not a fan of him but in this year, quintana looks like 2013 contador (in gt's). He can't be declining with 27 years old... he is (way) worse than 2015 contador who also made the giro-tour attempt (specially in the tour)

Why did Movistar expect him to be better in his second GT ? The fatigue from the Giro has set in.

They came out with a bunch of stuff before the season about how data was suggesting Nairo was better in his second Grand Tour so they'd try a Giro Tour double this season to have him in peak condition...

... and well we've all seen what's happened

 

[classicomano]

His career is finished. Valverde will be prime leader in every GT next season.