Teams & Riders Nairo Quintana discussion thread

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

He was spotted a couple of times pulling on the descent while Landani was in the front group. Momentary lapse of reason or deliberate?

A little bit of both Guy just isn't a team player, he can't help it

This. Not a team player. He was already yelled at by the team in Catalonia for taking pulls in an attack on Valverde. He's never publicly gotten into arguments with Valverde as he already has with Landa. This race is for Landa as it's his home race.

Nevermind which race is for who, but you don't go to the front of the group and accelerating while your teammate is in front. Add to that situation with Valverde in Catalunya and you have one lousy team player.
And actually I noticed one more detail, maybe I'm imagining things, but it looked to me when group of four went and Uran hit the front in the group behind, after a while he stopped and then Quintana accelerated from behind, went to the front, get a quick chat with Rigo,and then Uran again hit the front, with Quintana riding behind him. I don't know, maybe I misunderstood the situation, but it looked really strange to me.

 

[Red Rick]

I didn't see too much of it today, I didn't have the idea he was going full gas after the group behind him, but if it's really true then the Tour should be a ton of fun.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

He was spotted a couple of times pulling on the descent while Landani was in the front group. Momentary lapse of reason or deliberate?

A little bit of both Guy just isn't a team player, he can't help it

This. Not a team player. He was already yelled at by the team in Catalonia for taking pulls in an attack on Valverde. He's never publicly gotten into arguments with Valverde as he already has with Landa. This race is for Landa as it's his home race.

Nevermind which race is for who, but you don't go to the front of the group and accelerating while your teammate is in front. Add to that situation with Valverde in Catalunya and you have one lousy team player.
And actually I noticed one more detail, maybe I'm imagining things, but it looked to me when group of four went and Uran hit the front in the group behind, after a while he stopped and then Quintana accelerated from behind, went to the front, get a quick chat with Rigo,and then Uran again hit the front, with Quintana riding behind him. I don't know, maybe I misunderstood the situation, but it looked really strange to me.

Wouldn't sock me at all if he was trying to help Uran and not caring that his teammate was out front. There are times it appears that the Colombian riders are more interested in working with each other than with their teammates. (At times, not always and this seems to fit into that.) I'm going with a lousy team player and that the more I'm seeing this year the more I expect fireworks at the Tour. If Landa can actually play the part of the ultimate team player in the Ardennes, and with what Quintana did in Catalonia, it is possible (although still unlikely, but possible) that Valverde may eventually take sides when this war actually erupts. (Granted at the moment Valverde is more interested in his assault on the Ardennes and in trying to help Soler continue to learn and improve than in what is going on between Landa and Quintana.)

 

[Red Rick]

Think Valverde is professional enough to do what's best for the team in the Tour, unless it's a 48/52 case. The cobbles are very likely to decide.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Think Valverde is professional enough to do what's best for the team in the Tour, unless it's a 48/52 case. The cobbles are very likely to decide.

I believe he'll do his best to stay out of the war and try to keep the rest of the team from imploding. However, he may get forced into the middle of it although more than likely to play referee.

 

[aarononymous]

Re: Re:

He was spotted a couple of times pulling on the descent while Landani was in the front group. Momentary lapse of reason or deliberate?

A little bit of both Guy just isn't a team player, he can't help it

This. Not a team player. He was already yelled at by the team in Catalonia for taking pulls in an attack on Valverde. He's never publicly gotten into arguments with Valverde as he already has with Landa. This race is for Landa as it's his home race.

Nevermind which race is for who, but you don't go to the front of the group and accelerating while your teammate is in front. Add to that situation with Valverde in Catalunya and you have one lousy team player.
And actually I noticed one more detail, maybe I'm imagining things, but it looked to me when group of four went and Uran hit the front in the group behind, after a while he stopped and then Quintana accelerated from behind, went to the front, get a quick chat with Rigo,and then Uran again hit the front, with Quintana riding behind him. I don't know, maybe I misunderstood the situation, but it looked really strange to me.

Wouldn't sock me at all if he was trying to help Uran and not caring that his teammate was out front. There are times it appears that the Colombian riders are more interested in working with each other than with their teammates. (At times, not always and this seems to fit into that.) I'm going with a lousy team player and that the more I'm seeing this year the more I expect fireworks at the Tour. If Landa can actually play the part of the ultimate team player in the Ardennes, and with what Quintana did in Catalonia, it is possible (although still unlikely, but possible) that Valverde may eventually take sides when this war actually erupts. (Granted at the moment Valverde is more interested in his assault on the Ardennes and in trying to help Soler continue to learn and improve than in what is going on between Landa and Quintana.)

Sometimes I wonder if you guys are watching another broadcast. Just watched the ending again. When Landa was in the front group Quintana was second wheel in the second group then I believe Uran pulled off. Quintana rode on the front for about 2seconds before Uran said something in his direction and went around Quintana (interpret that however you want). On the decent Quintana was second wheel and was asked to ride through. He went to the front and looked to have a little dig to see if he could escape the gave up.

You could see Quintana and Landa riding next to each other at the beginning of the climb for a bit, you think they are just having a battle of wills and don’t make eye contact? Still don’t see this war in the team or and confirmation of a lot of claims in the various Movistar threads.

 

[Escarabajo]

When you don't like someone you see bad things all the time.

 

[aarononymous]

Re:

When you don't like someone you see bad things all the time.

and hear apparently as well

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

He was spotted a couple of times pulling on the descent while Landani was in the front group. Momentary lapse of reason or deliberate?

A little bit of both Guy just isn't a team player, he can't help it

This. Not a team player. He was already yelled at by the team in Catalonia for taking pulls in an attack on Valverde. He's never publicly gotten into arguments with Valverde as he already has with Landa. This race is for Landa as it's his home race.

Link that tells us he was being yelled at?

 

[Koronin]

Watch the stage. He was taking pulls on that attack until the team got on the radio and you could see him talking to them and they told him to stop basically. Basically getting yelled at or reprimanded.

 

[Jspear]

oh I saw the stage and I saw them on the radio. I was just wondering how the yelling came into the story. It was made up. That's what I thought. Just wanted to confirm. Thought maybe I missed something...

 

[Koronin]

He was being yelled at or reprimanded on the radio. Same difference, not made up.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

He was being yelled at or reprimanded on the radio. Same difference, not made up.

No, they asked him politely not to pull anymore :lol:

 

[telencefalus]

Landa will not do any job for quintana at letour Valverde will sacrifice himself just a bit , difficult for Nairo to win if he has no help from the team hope for quintana that i'm wrong

Of course he still can win and i think he will be the favourite to win if he wil be 2013 2014 2015 and 2016 vuelta espana form but he needs to keep in mind that he can't rely on landa and Valverde

 

[slosada]

Re: Re:

He was spotted a couple of times pulling on the descent while Landani was in the front group. Momentary lapse of reason or deliberate?

A little bit of both Guy just isn't a team player, he can't help it

This. Not a team player. He was already yelled at by the team in Catalonia for taking pulls in an attack on Valverde. He's never publicly gotten into arguments with Valverde as he already has with Landa. This race is for Landa as it's his home race.

Nevermind which race is for who, but you don't go to the front of the group and accelerating while your teammate is in front. Add to that situation with Valverde in Catalunya and you have one lousy team player.
And actually I noticed one more detail, maybe I'm imagining things, but it looked to me when group of four went and Uran hit the front in the group behind, after a while he stopped and then Quintana accelerated from behind, went to the front, get a quick chat with Rigo,and then Uran again hit the front, with Quintana riding behind him. I don't know, maybe I misunderstood the situation, but it looked really strange to me.

Wouldn't sock me at all if he was trying to help Uran and not caring that his teammate was out front. There are times it appears that the Colombian riders are more interested in working with each other than with their teammates. (At times, not always and this seems to fit into that.) I'm going with a lousy team player and that the more I'm seeing this year the more I expect fireworks at the Tour. If Landa can actually play the part of the ultimate team player in the Ardennes, and with what Quintana did in Catalonia, it is possible (although still unlikely, but possible) that Valverde may eventually take sides when this war actually erupts. (Granted at the moment Valverde is more interested in his assault on the Ardennes and in trying to help Soler continue to learn and improve than in what is going on between Landa and Quintana.)

Urán and Quintana are no friends at all! Not enemies but they have had their feuds
Urán helped Chaves for a couple of Kms in that Giro, but dropped him right after, and was sourly scolded by some stupid Colombian journos.
Pantano did an amazing job for Contador
Henao has chased other Colombians while working for Sky.
Should we remember that last stage in Paris Nice where the Spanish commentators were praising the work of 3 Spanish riders in front, and how they referred to the help of Izaguirre in the downhill?

That being said, Nairo rides for himself and should get out from that team as soon as he can... Their calendar choice, their rider selection makes it harder for him to thrive. I don't know what Unzue is thinking with having intestine wars at every race.

 

[Scarponi]

How anyone can have Landa over Quintana is beyond me. Landa is extremely average compared to old Quints at the moment

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Landa is overrated for sure

Certainly if confirmed to Q

 

[hrotha]

Mikel Landa is the Richie Porte of flamboyant climbers. He's more likely to disappoint, but you can sense that, if everything went absolutely right, he could soar above most anybody else.

Quintana is more boring, in that you already know more or less what to expect* (despite his recent somewhat sketchy record). But he's obviously a much safer bet and a much more accomplished rider.

*Ok he's more boring in some other ways too

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Mikel Landa is the Richie Porte of flamboyant climbers. He's more likely to disappoint, but you can sense that, if everything went absolutely right, he could soar above most anybody else.

Quintana is more boring, in that you already know more or less what to expect* (despite his recent somewhat sketchy record). But he's obviously a much safer bet and a much more accomplished rider.

*Ok he's more boring in some other ways too

That's a pretty good take on it.

I do think he hasn't had that many opportunities to ride for himself, especially in GTs, so for him there's a sense of what if. That, and many people just like him, so many just hope he does well and then hype a bit more for fun.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Mikel Landa is the Richie Porte of flamboyant climbers. He's more likely to disappoint, but you can sense that, if everything went absolutely right, he could soar above most anybody else.

Quintana is more boring, in that you already know more or less what to expect* (despite his recent somewhat sketchy record). But he's obviously a much safer bet and a much more accomplished rider.

*Ok he's more boring in some other ways too

Overall good analysis. I'd go with Quintana is just plainly boring.

Landa is much more entertaining both on and off the bike. I also think for many Spanish fans he's currently their hope with their "golden" generation mostly retired. (Valverde being the only star of that group left and who knows how many more years he can race for). For those fans I think Soler and Mas (who are of the generation after Landa's) are a better bet for the future.

Of course Landa has really only had 1 real opportunity to try to lead a GT team and that was the 2016 Giro where he got sick.

 

[telencefalus]

Landa is boring as Nairo and off the bike i simply don't care

 

[hrotha]

Landa is boring as Nairo and off the bike i simply don't care

On the bike, I would agree that Landa is overhyped, in terms of how much panache he displays and what not. So far he has not walked the walk.
Off the bike, well, that stuff is important too. Don't underestimate the power of an enthralling narrative and how important narratives have always been in pro cycling.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

Mikel Landa is the Richie Porte of flamboyant climbers. He's more likely to disappoint, but you can sense that, if everything went absolutely right, he could soar above most anybody else.

Quintana is more boring, in that you already know more or less what to expect* (despite his recent somewhat sketchy record). But he's obviously a much safer bet and a much more accomplished rider.

*Ok he's more boring in some other ways too

That's a pretty good take on it.

I do think he hasn't had that many opportunities to ride for himself, especially in GTs, so for him there's a sense of what if. That, and many people just like him, so many just hope he does well and then hype a bit more for fun.

Having some credentials as a promising climber, Landa jumped on the big stage out of the blue in the last year of his contract with Astana. Then he choose the big bucks at Sky. He had one big opportunity cut short by a bizarre disease. Back to gregario duties and another opportunity, crashes with the joint leader. No pressure climbs like it's party time, robogregario for Froome, has had enough. Signs for a team with two established leaders. He thinks he has the right to be the captain for Tour de France. I don't.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Mikel Landa is the Richie Porte of flamboyant climbers. He's more likely to disappoint, but you can sense that, if everything went absolutely right, he could soar above most anybody else.

Quintana is more boring, in that you already know more or less what to expect* (despite his recent somewhat sketchy record). But he's obviously a much safer bet and a much more accomplished rider.

*Ok he's more boring in some other ways too

That's a pretty good take on it.

I do think he hasn't had that many opportunities to ride for himself, especially in GTs, so for him there's a sense of what if. That, and many people just like him, so many just hope he does well and then hype a bit more for fun.

Having some credentials as a promising climber, Landa jumped on the big stage out of the blue in the last year of his contract with Astana. Then he choose the big bucks at Sky. He had one big opportunity cut short by a bizarre disease. Back to gregario duties and another opportunity, crashes with the joint leader. No pressure climbs like it's party time, robogregario for Froome, has had enough. Signs for a team with two established leaders. He thinks he has the right to be the captain for Tour de France.

Hence the entertaining off the bike part, and this could lead to entertaining race, even if it's just between two Movistar riders, who may not even be in the GC conversation after the combination TTT and cobbled stage (forget about the later ITT).

 

[yaco]

Re:

Mikel Landa is the Richie Porte of flamboyant climbers. He's more likely to disappoint, but you can sense that, if everything went absolutely right, he could soar above most anybody else.

Quintana is more boring, in that you already know more or less what to expect* (despite his recent somewhat sketchy record). But he's obviously a much safer bet and a much more accomplished rider.

*Ok he's more boring in some other ways too

This is my dream scenario - Both in shape, then attacking a mountain finish with the last climb 10km at 8% gradient - Then it's on for old and young.