Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[greenedge]

Great rider, really like him. I hope he can stick it to sky and cause some real trouble for froome. I wish he'd got some more racing in at either the tds or dauphine. He's coming into the tour after lots of altitude training which isn't so great.

The first week will not be that hard though so he could ride into form from the altitude.

 

[nick101]

I'm hoping. first mountain stage is on stage 8 and isn't overly difficult, it's only an 8km finishing climb compared to the other mtfs which are all double the difficulty.

 

[RHRH19861986]

That´s going to be interesting... I see clear parallels to spring 2013:

Sky´s top classics riders chose to skip Paris-Nice and Tirreno in order to train in altitude, as the only serious contenders choosing this approach.

Now Quintana is the only of the estimated Tour contenders who chose altitude over Dauphiné and Suisse.

The surprising thing is that he chose this approach early in his career. Mostly, you try new ways as soon as you reached a point you felt something different is needed to further develop. But his career still might be very long, so he might benefit from having made this experience quite early.

End of July, we´ll know how and if it has worked. It´s brave, anyways, and respect to Unzue and Movistar´s direction for allowing him to prepare this way.

 

[Escarabajo]

The pictures are very touching, I thought. Lots of love for the hometown hero. Wish I could have participated.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.381090211990554.1073741876.194971430602434&type=1

The future Nairitos:

 

[ILovecycling]

I hope you don't mind that I edited your post, so that the images now are posted

Thank you very much.

Great!

 

[gooner]

The future Nairitos:

Another thing he spoke about in the Procycling article this month was him cycling to school everyday for 3 years between 15 and 18 doing a climb of 16km at 8 per cent.

I thought Valverde's comments in it were sending out a clear message where he said he can be team leader at races when I'm not there.

Quintana did say he's at the Tour to help Valverde but if an opportunity arises, he's going to go for it.

 

[Escarabajo]

Report on Quintana:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-2013-nairo-quintana-the-outsider

Sky is not ignoring him at all.

On the race’s most mountainous stage Nairo Quintana (Movistar) charged away on the Col de Joux Plane, the single hardest climb of that year’s Dauphiné. Yet for all Team Sky laid down a relentless pace behind designed to wipe out any rival attacks - which, barring a late downhill move by Cadel Evans, largely managed to do - Quintana reached the finish ahead of both the Australian and the Sky-led main pack

This year, Quintana is being groomed for the Tour de France, a race where one top name in Sky’s management admitted to ProCycling that he considered the Colombian so dangerous “we won’t be giving him any room for manouvre at all.”

This is Herrera in the 1984 Tour all over again. Similar situations. Different teams.

 

[Afrank]

Report on Quintana:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-2013-nairo-quintana-the-outsider

Sky is not ignoring him at all.





This is Herrera in the 1984 Tour all over again. Similar situations. Different teams.

Hmm, Sky says they won't be giving him any room to make a move, but if he does make a move will they have much of a choice in how much they give him?

I think not.

 

[xanadu]

This isnt the Vuelta or the Giro or Romandie, its the TDF . This is the place where the big boys come out to play. Make no mistake about it Quintana is good, but this is his debut TDF . IMHO This year he learns, next year he challenges.

 

[Jelantik]

This isnt the Vuelta or the Giro or Romandie, its the TDF . This is the place where the big boys come out to play. Make no mistake about it Quintana is good, but this is his debut TDF . IMHO This year he learns, next year he challenges.

that's ok. I don't think he can win anyway. But I do expect some columbian demolishing derby toward sky express

 

[gustienordic]

I don't think he can quite play with Contador & Froome, but he should outclimb anyone else. Expecting him to lose time to Froome in TT, Contador in Mtns when he puts in a crazy attack. Valverde will be off form is my prediction and Quintana will step up.

 

[Microchip]

Quintana to single-handedly destroy the Sky train and claim his first Grand Tour in July.

I second this!

 

[Afrank]

This isnt the Vuelta or the Giro or Romandie, its the TDF . This is the place where the big boys come out to play. Make no mistake about it Quintana is good, but this is his debut TDF . IMHO This year he learns, next year he challenges.

Or course we shouldn't expect a Tour winning performance from a 23 year old in his first Tour. But for someone as talented as Nairo, it's not unrealistic at all to think he could have a good chance of riding with the favorites on some of the climbs, maybe getting a stage win, or even taking white if he's especially good.

LOL, And this post after Microchip quoted me in a post from April saying he would win. Well, you never know...

 

[Rollthedice]

I don't think he can quite play with Contador & Froome, but he should outclimb anyone else. Expecting him to lose time to Froome in TT, Contador in Mtns when he puts in a crazy attack. Valverde will be off form is my prediction and Quintana will step up.

Interesting prediction on Valverde, I think he showed a good form this season but he can't outclimb Froome and Alberto nor TT close to Froome. Quintana proved to be quite a beast at both TT and mountains but I don't think he is yet ready for Contador and for the 2013 edition of Froome. I wish he delivers a spectacular show this year, Movistar is a very strong team so let's see.

 

[the asian]

Where he will finish, will depend on Valvede's form. Hope he can win a stage at least.

 

[ILovecycling]

Be careful today.
Allez allez allez Nairito!

 

[EnacheV]

Maybe it was asked

It looks so old to me, he is only 23 now ? Looks like 30+

One of the few good prospects to spice things up once dynosaurs generation is gone.

 

[Bexon30]

Maybe it was asked

It looks so old to me, he is only 23 now ? Looks like 30+

One of the few good prospects to spice things up once dynosaurs generation is gone.

He's no prospect any longer he's the one to watch for in any event now. I'm hoping he really gets allowed to race for himself in the GC because I can potentially see a real surprise finish for him. It depends how well he TT's today, but this will be his weaker TT. I can see 5-10 today. Hoping he really sticks close to Froome and launches more attacks come the weekend.
Personally I don't think he looks old, just my opinion though.

 

[King Boonen]

Personally I don't think he looks old, just my opinion though.

I guess it depends how old you are, looks young to me...

 

[ILovecycling]

Maybe it was asked

It looks so old to me, he is only 23 now ? Looks like 30+

One of the few good prospects to spice things up once dynosaurs generation is gone.

It is cos of his race,he is a bit ***.Search pictures of his parents and you'll understand.

As for me he looks old when he smiles,it is just my weird opinion...

Edit:as for TT,i hope he won't lose more than 2 minutes on Froome

 

[EnacheV]

If he is serious about his life, trains good and gets a command role in a good team he will win tdf in 3-4 years

 

[ILovecycling]

If he is serious about his life, trains good and gets a command role in a good team he will win tdf in 1-2 years

I think this.but if he rides Giro or Vuelta as his goal next year he will win it imo.

 

[Baltazar]

So...considering Valverde is now 12 minutes behind, does Quintana now get a free role? I hope so, I really want to see him destroying Sky in the alps...

 

[Afrank]

He was always going to have a free-er role then anybody else on Movistar, now he is their number one leader though.

Very nice to see.

 

[theyoungest]

Nairo is off the leash! My number 1 candidate for the no. 2 spot on GC.