Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re: Re:

Something happened in this Tour that I cannot explain. I wasn't impressed with Froome either or neither of the contenders. They all looked "stiff".

Maybe external reasons that we don't know. But it was a bad Tour. Froome did some different racing like attacking downhill, but in the mountains he wasn't the rider that we are used to seeing.

IMHO.

He looked really up for Ventoux and Finault tbf, but ofc had crashes on both occasions after attacking and distancing most of his rivals

there was nothing exceptional of froome on ventoux, he couldn't even drop mollema there. no froome was weak, quintana was even weaker in the tour

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Something happened in this Tour that I cannot explain. I wasn't impressed with Froome either or neither of the contenders. They all looked "stiff".

Maybe external reasons that we don't know. But it was a bad Tour. Froome did some different racing like attacking downhill, but in the mountains he wasn't the rider that we are used to seeing.

IMHO.

He looked really up for Ventoux and Finault tbf, but ofc had crashes on both occasions after attacking and distancing most of his rivals

there was nothing exceptional of froome on ventoux, he couldn't even drop mollema there. no froome was weak, quintana was even weaker in the tour

He couldn't drop mollema with his initial acceleration. No point attacking mollema at that point as his main rival was down the road and the stage win was up the road. Doesn't prove that Froome was strong, but nor does it prove that Froome was weak

 

[hrotha]

That his initial acceleration wasn't enough to drop Mollema in the first place is kinda the point.

 

[Billie]

Froome did drop Mollema with his first accelaration but he wasn't good enough to continue at strong pace and Mollema rode back up to Froome and Porte.

You'd expect a Froome in top top form to drop them with his first burts and then be stronger and further grow his lead, not being caught again;

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Something happened in this Tour that I cannot explain. I wasn't impressed with Froome either or neither of the contenders. They all looked "stiff".

Maybe external reasons that we don't know. But it was a bad Tour. Froome did some different racing like attacking downhill, but in the mountains he wasn't the rider that we are used to seeing.

IMHO.

He looked really up for Ventoux and Finault tbf, but ofc had crashes on both occasions after attacking and distancing most of his rivals

there was nothing exceptional of froome on ventoux, he couldn't even drop mollema there. no froome was weak, quintana was even weaker in the tour

He couldn't drop mollema with his initial acceleration. No point attacking mollema at that point as his main rival was down the road and the stage win was up the road. Doesn't prove that Froome was strong, but nor does it prove that Froome was weak

It does. When top form Froome drops someone off his wheel, there's no coming back

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

He looked really up for Ventoux and Finault tbf, but ofc had crashes on both occasions after attacking and distancing most of his rivals

there was nothing exceptional of froome on ventoux, he couldn't even drop mollema there. no froome was weak, quintana was even weaker in the tour

He couldn't drop mollema with his initial acceleration. No point attacking mollema at that point as his main rival was down the road and the stage win was up the road. Doesn't prove that Froome was strong, but nor does it prove that Froome was weak

It does. When top form Froome drops someone off his wheel, there's no coming back

Hmm, that is true tbf

 

[Ataraxus]

Re: Re:

Something happened in this Tour that I cannot explain. I wasn't impressed with Froome either or neither of the contenders. They all looked "stiff".

Maybe external reasons that we don't know. But it was a bad Tour. Froome did some different racing like attacking downhill, but in the mountains he wasn't the rider that we are used to seeing.

IMHO.

He looked really up for Ventoux and Finault tbf, but ofc had crashes on both occasions after attacking and distancing most of his rivals

there was nothing exceptional of froome on ventoux, he couldn't even drop mollema there. no froome was weak, quintana was even weaker in the tour

He couldn't drop mollema with his initial acceleration. No point attacking mollema at that point as his main rival was down the road and the stage win was up the road. Doesn't prove that Froome was strong, but nor does it prove that Froome was weak

It does. When top form Froome drops someone off his wheel, there's no coming back

I'm trying to recall any race event where this sentence isn't true and I cannot find any.
Except for Wiggns in Pyrenees 2012 ofc. :razz:

Edit. There are the half hearted initial attacks in Alpe D'huez and Semnoz in 2013.

 

[silvergrenade]

It happened in the Dauphine 2015 when TJVG came back after being dropped.
Depends on what you mean by peak form. IMO Dauphine, Tour is top form.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Froome did drop Mollema with his first accelaration but he wasn't good enough to continue at strong pace and Mollema rode back up to Froome and Porte.

You'd expect a Froome in top top form to drop them with his first burts and then be stronger and further grow his lead, not being caught again;

Well it was obvious that Bardet, Porte and Mollema were doing better in the Tour than before. I think Froome controlled the race but even with the problems Porte had, and Mollema later on, they both climbed well and even if the entire Ventoux stage was raced Froome did not look like he was a certainty to drop them. Contador had his usual issues in the Tour and Quintana was the one that was off his game and would have lost even more time on the Ventoux if the entire stage was raced. I just think Froome was looking to have a stronger third week than last year and was dosing his efforts instead of going all out on every mountain stage and it has also helped him coming into the Vuelta because he is not showing much fatigue at all while racing smart and probably waiting for the TT.

 

[ILovecycling]

Yep,'the point is they were both weak,'which is pretty ubelievable tbh. I wonder what numbers we will see after La Vuelta

 

[Poursuivant]

Re: Re:

Froome did drop Mollema with his first accelaration but he wasn't good enough to continue at strong pace and Mollema rode back up to Froome and Porte.

You'd expect a Froome in top top form to drop them with his first burts and then be stronger and further grow his lead, not being caught again;

Well it was obvious that Bardet, Porte and Mollema were doing better in the Tour than before. I think Froome controlled the race but even with the problems Porte had, and Mollema later on, they both climbed well and even if the entire Ventoux stage was raced Froome did not look like he was a certainty to drop them. Contador had his usual issues in the Tour and Quintana was the one that was off his game and would have lost even more time on the Ventoux if the entire stage was raced. I just think Froome was looking to have a stronger third week than last year and was dosing his efforts instead of going all out on every mountain stage and it has also helped him coming into the Vuelta because he is not showing much fatigue at all while racing smart and probably waiting for the TT.

Agree with this, the lack of attacks you would expect Froome to usually face in the TDF, have definitely helped him this Vuelta, and as you say, he was dosing his efforts because he was scared of Quintana in the third week; which proved unnecessary this year but he was right to be wary of him.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Big middlefinger to all the haters. Thank You, Nairo.

 

[Moviestar]

Nairo showed his balls today.

 

[Miburo]

First the motorbikes gave him a giro and now Contador gave him a vuelta

 

[LaFlorecita]

I've criticized Quintana in the past but he rode like a champion today

 

[DFA123]

Think this Vuelta has well and truly put to bed the myth that Quintana isn't an aggresive rider. He just didn't have the shape at the Tour - any attack there would have been absolute suicide. The way he TTd nearly everyone off his wheel in those last 8km - without looking back - was the display of a winner.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

First the motorbikes gave him a giro and now Contador gave him a vuelta

Good alliance with Contador.

Come on Miburo, give the little guy some credit.

 

[IndianCyclist]

He has won it from the front this time. Not waiting to see if anybody helped him or not

 

[Red Rick]

Props for being alert and taking initiative at the right moment. No doubts he's the strongest in the race.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

First the motorbikes gave him a giro and now Contador gave him a vuelta

Good alliance with Contador.

Come on Miburo, give the little guy some credit.

I was joking of course, he deserves this vuelta, he's the best and rode like a champ.

Good now?

 

[sir fly]

Hopefully he's finally learned the importance of initiative.
Even more so when there's obvious talent.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Great riding yet again. He's slowly turning me over. But he just looks and talks so boring anyway

 

[Scarponi]

Re:

Think this Vuelta has well and truly put to bed the myth that Quintana isn't an aggresive rider. He just didn't have the shape at the Tour - any attack there would have been absolute suicide. The way he TTd nearly everyone off his wheel in those last 8km - without looking back - was the display of a winner.

I think he was unlucky the final climb was a little tougher. Could have put more in to everyone

 

[Flamin]

*Gonna make you win the Vuelta mate*

 

[Eclipse]

Class from Nairito again. This has been an excellent race from him so far and is doing a good job of dispelling a lot of myths about him