Nibali at the same level as Froome/Contador?

[Sciocco]

I think the tactical masterpiece by Contador was when he rode against his own team and beat LA in TDF 2009. After all that has been said and come to light about LA since I think that was pretty ballsy.

It made for one hell of a side story during the '09 TdF that's for sure.

 

[42x16ss]

My point was about there being the luck one creates, as Nibs did on stage 15, avoiding the echelon, and then, the flat out chance/coincidence kind of luck at play, also.

I loved how Nibs just goes. Notice how alert Sagan is too - the first to follow and yeah, team Astana is, "wtf?", as is BMC.

That's it, he just doesn't hesitate. I remember in the 2012 Tour when Nibali was caught in the convoy after going back to the team car. 4 or 5 riders from the team dropped back to help him get back on but Nibali was already halfway through the convoy before his teammates even realised where he was. They had to work harder to respond than Nibali did just to chase back on to the peloton.

 

[pigoonse]

That's it, he just doesn't hesitate. I remember in the 2012 Tour when Nibali was caught in the convoy after going back to the team car. 4 or 5 riders from the team dropped back to help him get back on but Nibali was already halfway through the convoy before his teammates even realised where he was. They had to work harder to respond than Nibali did just to chase back on to the peloton.

He moves like a snake through the peloton.

 

[Pippo_San]

Nibali came in the 2010 Giro as a dom. His shape was unknown and Basso was a much more realiable captain than Kreuziger could ever be.

I still love to remember when Roman said that Nibs had an engine way too little to win the Tour de France.
Now Nibs is part of cycling history, Kreuziger is just a no-name with a possible doping offence in his curriculum.

Cool story bro.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Nibali is in the situation of Pedro Delgado in 1988; he won the Tour in the absence of his main rivals. I hope this means next year's Tour will be as exciting as 1989.

 

[Akuryo]

Nibali is in the situation of Pedro Delgado in 1988; he won the Tour in the absence of his main rivals. I hope this means next year's Tour will be as exciting as 1989.

If he really does the double of Giro-Tour, it will depend on how deep he will dig in May.

 

[Carols]

Nibali is in the situation of Pedro Delgado in 1988; he won the Tour in the absence of his main rivals. I hope this means next year's Tour will be as exciting as 1989.

Why do people keep saying they were Absent? They were there, I saw them! Roche and LeMond did Not Start in 1988, they were absent. There is a big difference between DNS and DNF.

 

[Pentacycle]

Why do people keep saying they were Absent? They were there, I saw them! Roche and LeMond did Not Start in 1988, they were absent. There is a big difference between DNS and DNF.

They were absent, when they were supposed to give us the anticipated fireworks in the mountains. This Tour was too similar to the Giro '13, where the fight FTW was non-existing.

 

[cineteq]

Why do people keep saying they were Absent? They were there, I saw them! Roche and LeMond did Not Start in 1988, they were absent. There is a big difference between DNS and DNF.

The manipulation of the history continues. They won't stop.

My point was about there being the luck one creates, as Nibs did on stage 15, avoiding the echelon, and then, the flat out chance/coincidence kind of luck at play, also.

The Shark of Messina created his own luck! Few quotes that support our thesis, enjoy.

* "I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity" -Oprah Winfrey
* "If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often" -Brian Tracy
* "Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think the tactical masterpiece by Contador was when he rode against his own team and beat LA in TDF 2009. After all that has been said and come to light about LA since I think that was pretty ballsy.

Good call!

 

[BlurryVII]

Why do people keep saying they were Absent? They were there, I saw them! Roche and LeMond did Not Start in 1988, they were absent. There is a big difference between DNS and DNF.

Yep, he still didn't beat them. This stupid point of view is getting redundant, isn't it? You know, it's like if the best Call of Duty player was there at the start of a deathmatch then he gets disconnected. Did the others actually beat him? Are they better than him? Nope.

"I saw them" Did you see them on the first Mountain stage? I didn't. They were absent.

 

[cineteq]

Did you see them on the first Mountain stage? I didn't. They were absent.

Here we go again. Is concentration and bike handling part of road bike racing? If your answer is no, then you're right.

 

[BlurryVII]

Here we go again. Is concentration and bike handling part of road bike racing? If your answer is no, then you're right.

Good call, my answer is no. Is luck part of road bike racing? My answer is yes. Random disconnections, random crashes, you know same thing

Ah come on. You're not gonna doubt concentration and bike handling of 2 guys who already won 8 GT's

 

[Jspear]

Why do people keep saying they were Absent? They were there, I saw them! Roche and LeMond did Not Start in 1988, they were absent. There is a big difference between DNS and DNF.

I think what people mean is that they missed the over half the race, and they missed entirely the racing in the mountains. There was no GC battle amongst them. People saying they were absent should just clarify - Froome was absent from most of the race and AC for over half the race.

 

[Carols]

I think what people mean is that they missed the over half the race, and they missed entirely the racing in the mountains.

Well then they should stop using examples where the other favorites DNS, like in 1988.

 

[senatorrick]

Bottom line Tinkoff was by far the strongest team. Astana second ! Sky was in disarray, but if Contador was there till end he would have dominated! nibs would have been pulling a 2011 Evans to stay within 3 minutes

 

[sir fly]

Bottom line Tinkoff was by far the strongest team. Astana second ! Sky was in disarray, but if Contador was there till end he would have dominated! nibs would have been pulling a 2011 Evans to stay within 3 minutes

Bottom line, till the Pyrenees Andy Schleck would've been forced to start each stage half an hour behind the peloton on his own because of the damage he made to the race gaining 3 hours in the Alps.
Nibali and Contador with their whole teams would've abandoned the race crying by the road.
Sky would've stayed in the race, but only to bring the bottles of beer to Andy, while Trek riders are having fun touring through France.
What do you say now... Who was the strongest team and rider in this imaginative development of the race?

 

[Pantani_lives]

If Eddy Merckx was 45 years younger he might have won.

 

[ro1324]

What?

I love the cluelessness, really.
I guess 2013 tirreno adriatico, giro and vuelta don't count for Nibali...
Whatever, they all started the 2014 Tour, Nibali won and the others went home empty. Doesn't get anymore direct competition than that.

Nonetheless, let me break it down for you:

1) Contador is finished as a brand name since he had to quit doping 2 years ago. In general the era of brand names in cycling took the way of doping. AC is 31 and if he works really hard and is really lucky he _might_ be able to pull another killer season in a couple of years and then go the way of Evans and Basso.
2) If you knew anything first hand about training and physiology you would see Froome was clearly overtrained and too skinny and brittle already at the Dauphine' 2014. You are supposed to get like that at the end of the tour not three weeks ahead, and if you keep this up for too long anything that can go bad on the road generally does, your fitness takes a nose dive and you are done for the year. A few years ago it would taken a little 'test' at the end of the Dauphine' for Froome to rebuild the joints for the TDF but this days in age you can really be at the top for either one of the three GTs. So what you win and don't win in the prep races simply depends upon who shows up.
3) Nibali was very smart and timed his prep slowly and to perfection and took the big victory. Can he do it again? Maybe, if he's lucky and doesn't get too greedy.

I Like Nibali the best but I'm afraid until there is concrete proof I have to think back to the last time the three were competing together and Nibbles got his **** whipped at everything by the other two.

Also the margins he is beating the field by on the last two days doesn't feel as big a margin as Contador or Froome would have.

Would expect the vast majority to vote NO as I have done.

Sorry Nibbles but the truth hurts.

 

[Jspear]

I love the cluelessness, really.
I guess 2013 tirreno adriatico, giro and vuelta don't count for Nibali...
Whatever, they all started the 2014 Tour, Nibali won and the others went home empty. Doesn't get anymore direct competition than that.

Nonetheless, let me break it down for you:

1) Contador is finished as a brand name since he had to quit doping 2 years ago. In general the era of brand names in cycling took the way of doping. AC is 31 and if he works really hard and is really lucky he _might_ be able to pull another killer season in a couple of years and then go the way of Evans and Basso.
2) If you knew anything first hand about training and physiology you would see Froome was clearly overtrained and too skinny and brittle already at the Dauphine' 2014. You are supposed to get like that at the end of the tour not three weeks ahead, and if you keep this up for too long anything that can go bad on the road generally does, your fitness takes a nose dive and you are done for the year. A few years ago it would taken a little 'test' at the end of the Dauphine' for Froome to rebuild the joints for the TDF but this days in age you can really be at the top for either one of the three GTs. So what you win and don't win in the prep races simply depends upon who shows up.
3) Nibali was very smart and timed his prep slowly and to perfection and took the big victory. Can he do it again? Maybe, if he's lucky and doesn't get too greedy.

You seem to be clueless as well. AC was in AMAZING form this year. He is not finished yet. He proved that this year in a very emphatic manner. Yes Nibali beat AC in the Tour but it was not from a lack of form. He beat him because AC crashed out.

 

[icefire]

If Eddy Merckx was 45 years younger he might have won.

Merckx would be unable to pedal with any gear shorter than 42x21. He doesn't have cadence.

 

[maxmartin]

Nibali’s estimated Power Duration curve from this year’s Tour de France is effectively indistinguishable from Froome’s 2013 curve. They very likely would be matched evenly and both likely would be competitive compared to the podium finishers from the 2002-2007 baseline.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/08/t...lysis-of-climbing-data-and-what-does-it-mean/

Consider Nibali was not pushed and he would lead CF more than 3 mins after the cobble stages, for sure Nibali would beat CF easily in this Tour.

 

[jens_attacks]

those comparisons usually are going nowhere.
but yes, vincenzo was in his best shape ever, awesome.
we'll never know about chris and alberto though. tour is over, nibali won fair and square. simple.