Nibali vs. Rodriguez

[Afrank]

Who will do better in the Vuelta a Espana, returning champion Vincenzo Nibali, or Joaquin Rodriguez.

 

[Fetisoff]

Who will do better in the Vuelta a Espana, returning champion Vincenzo Nibali, or Joaquin Rodriguez.

Define better.

If you mean GC - then probably Nibali

 

[Midnightfright]

Nibali no doubt in my mind.

 

[maxmartin]

GC of course Nibali
stage wins JR might have more stage wins

Who will do better in the Vuelta a Espana, returning champion Vincenzo Nibali, or Joaquin Rodriguez.

 

[jsem94]

Lo Squalo easily

 

[Richeypen]

Rodriguez, dont really think so but was starting to feel sorry for him reading this thread

 

[Afrank]

yes, I mean GC

 

[Fetisoff]

yes, I mean GC

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=14920

Before this thread gets closed

 

[The Hitch]

Over the last 27 months Joaquim Rodriguez has come 2nd in all 3 Ardennes classics, podiumed the worlds, and come top 10 in all the Grand Tours he has done ( Giro Tour and Vuelta). He has come top 5 in 2 of them.

AGR FW LBL Giro Tour Vuelta and Worlds.

These are the 7 pillars of our sport and in either the last or before last running of each of them, Purito has been a major player.

On the grandest level of our sport he has been a permanent fixture.

And he has never really gone fully at a gt before.

Until last year he worked for Valverde.

The 2010 Tour was his best chance but he did have a hectic schedule leading up to it, and messed up on some stages.

In the Vuelta it was amazing he did so well as everyone expected him to lose time from stage 1 on.

In the Giro this year he was ill.

Nevertheless he was an integral part of all 3 of these gts. Stage stage and 5th overall.

This is his big chance at the Vuelta. Nibali is great but there is still weakness. Puritos tt seems to have improved from the disaster that eliminated him last year. He is in much better shape and the course suits him.

More than it does Nibali.

On the last 2 occasions these 2 have met Nibali has come out on top, yes.

But on both occasions J Rod was in no shape to contest a grand Tour. And on both occasions he run the Shark surprisingly close, considering, under 4.30.

In the Giro, once Purito got back into some sort of form for the last stages we saw what he can produce, attacking on several stages including Macugana which casued Contador to defend Tiralongos lead, and putting a minute into everyone on Sestrieres. Nibali found that pace too hot.

The big worry for Rodriguez is that he might implode on just about any stage. Like he did at Andorra last year and then the tt.

But hes going in on top form with a team built around him and a course that suits him. Last year he only really wanted to wear the red for a few days.

Looking at his last 2 gts and the competition in front of him, Joaquim knows this one is there for the taking.

The stage is set, the sun is out, the man is ready.

This is Puritos time.

 

[Duartista]

I think Nibali will just beat Purito, but it will be close (4th and 5th for me).

Rodriguez's problem, in terms of going for a podium, is that his time gains will likely be measured in seconds whilst his losses (the TT and probably one bad mountain stage) will be in minutes.

 

[jens_attacks]

hitch we're expecting you with some big previews.

i've just watched once again for the billionth time this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bzP-aFxmrg

good as always

"arranca xavi tondo"

 

[hfer07]

Nibali is the better one-with more all-rounded abilities than Purito, whose main weakness remains in the ITT skills- BUT- Purito compensates with excitement & daring attacks, whereas Nibali is very calculating and passive.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm expecting something from Jrod. But I still think Scarponi will win the Vuelta anyway.

 

[The Hitch]

hitch we're expecting you with some big previews.

i've just watched once again for the billionth time this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bzP-aFxmrg

good as always

"arranca xavi tondo"

That was awesome from Mosquera. A shame he never got the stage. I was disapointed. Mosquera never really got a moment of awesomeness. The only major stage he ever won was when he lost the race.

Anyone know who the 3rd commentator is? Has a similar voice to Contador. And no not all Madrillenos sound like that.

Nibali is very calculating and passive.

I can sense a Parrulo response coming

 

[Fetisoff]

I'm expecting something from Jrod. But I still think Scarponi will win the Vuelta anyway.

I would eat my own socks and stop watching cycling forever if Scarponi won

 

[taiwan]

Probably Nibali, who'll be able to take 5 minutes in the 47km chrono. Not that I'm happy about that. Rodriguez was one of the main contenders in the last Vuelta before the TT though. If it all goes right I can see him winning. His time trialling may have improved a little, and it's not that hard to distance Nibali in the mountains - it's just that he always holds on, limits his losses.

It would help Rodriguez a lot if he, Anton and Scarponi could work together and get away from Nibali, Menchov, Wiggins. They could take big time that way.

 

[Walkman]

Over the last 27 months Joaquim Rodriguez has come 2nd in all 3 Ardennes classics, podiumed the worlds, and come top 10 in all the Grand Tours he has done ( Giro Tour and Vuelta). He has come top 5 in 2 of them.

AGR FW LBL Giro Tour Vuelta and Worlds.

These are the 7 pillars of our sport and in either the last or before last running of each of them, Purito has been a major player.

On the grandest level of our sport he has been a permanent fixture.

And he has never really gone fully at a gt before.

Until last year he worked for Valverde.

The 2010 Tour was his best chance but he did have a hectic schedule leading up to it, and messed up on some stages.

In the Vuelta it was amazing he did so well as everyone expected him to lose time from stage 1 on.

In the Giro this year he was ill.

Nevertheless he was an integral part of all 3 of these gts. Stage stage and 5th overall.

This is his big chance at the Vuelta. Nibali is great but there is still weakness. Puritos tt seems to have improved from the disaster that eliminated him last year. He is in much better shape and the course suits him.

More than it does Nibali.

On the last 2 occasions these 2 have met Nibali has come out on top, yes.

But on both occasions J Rod was in no shape to contest a grand Tour. And on both occasions he run the Shark surprisingly close, considering, under 4.30.

In the Giro, once Purito got back into some sort of form for the last stages we saw what he can produce, attacking on several stages including Macugana which casued Contador to defend Tiralongos lead, and putting a minute into everyone on Sestrieres. Nibali found that pace too hot.

The big worry for Rodriguez is that he might implode on just about any stage. Like he did at Andorra last year and then the tt.

But hes going in on top form with a team built around him and a course that suits him. Last year he only really wanted to wear the red for a few days.

Looking at his last 2 gts and the competition in front of him, Joaquim knows this one is there for the taking.

The stage is set, the sun is out, the man is ready.

This is Puritos time.

Seriously Hitch, can you make up your mind? In another thread when we were debating Contador's competition at the Giro you said that the competiotion was fierce and one of the agruments you used was, and I quote:

And Rodriguez may look weak in that Giro but if you take away Contador and look at the GC from a Scarponi 1st perspective he looks as good as ever.

And now, when you see fit, you say he was ill and "in no shape to contest a grand tour"? It seems to me like you are kind of biased. This is noting personal, I really like your previews and respect you as a forum poster but this is a kind of "fanboyish" I'd say.

 

[Fetisoff]

BTW, just looked on Katusha's website, and they've subbed Pluischin for Karpets in the vuelta line-up, meaning that they basically have no-one for stage hunting, and they will be fully supporting J-Rod...

Oh, man, just judging by how their season has gone this year I can see this ending in a big fail.... REALY REALY hope it won't, but it's just that feeling I can't get rid of

 

[The Hitch]

Seriously Hitch, can you make up your mind? In another thread when we were debating Contador's competition at the Giro you said that the competiotion was fierce and one of the agruments you used was, and I quote:

Well as for arguing that Contadors competition was fierce i aknowledged back in the thread i made the comments in, that i was deliberately beatifying the "Giro competition was great" argument. I said that 6 out of 9 gt winners did the Giro i never said they all had to be on form or have the same ability.

Besides i was comparing the Giro competition to the Tour. And people said the TOur competition was fierce because it had Basso (injury) Cunego ( past it in gts) Samu (screwed) Contador (exhausted) Gesink (injured).

By the same token i can build Menchov, Purito anton etc as rivals to Contador.


And yes Puritos performance was "as good as ever. As i argue in my post in this thread Purito has never gone fully at a gt. In the Giro he was ill, In previous gts he was a) working for Valverde or b) tired from other races or hell c) not yet good enough.

And now, when you see fit, you say he was ill and "in no shape to contest a grand tour"? It seems to me like you are kind of biased. This is noting personal, I really like your previews and respect you as a forum poster but this is a kind of "fanboyish" I'd say

Thanks. Dont worry i dont see it as personal, just discussion which is what the boards are for.

A fanboy for Purito. Well thats a new one. There are a number of riders i have fanboyed way more, including 3 of his rivals for this race.

Admitedly im spicing up Puritos chances slightly, but i know as well as anyone he could fail on any stage and am afraid that its likely to happen. What happened on Andorra with him cracking so severely has happened so many times before, just when the camera wasnt on him as he wasnt in red.

BTW, just looked on Katusha's website, and they've subbed Pluischin for Karpets in the vuelta line-up, meaning that they basically have no-one for stage hunting, and they will be fully supporting J-Rod...

Daniel Browne isnt just a domestique.

 

[jens_attacks]

Anyone know who the 3rd commentator is? Has a similar voice to Contador. And no not all Madrillenos sound like that.

yes it's him.no way he will become a commentator when he will be old.

 

[Fetisoff]

Daniel Browne isnt just a domestique.

I know, I was as happy with him doing what he did in Burgos than with Purito's win. I'm just doing something different for this GT - starting with really really low expectations, and then hoping to be surprised...

 

[uphillstruggle]

Purito seems to really suffer in the wind in TT's so lets all hope it's a nice calm day.

Riders like Purito also take the risk of blowing trying to take time on the hills. Unless you have what Contador has under the hood those punchy attacks are almost as likely to blow the attacker as their opponents, whereas riders like Nibali are more economical with effort and so usually do better as they make time from others mistakes and in the TT's.

This is a crying shame of course as riders like Purito make cycling worth watching.

 

[Parrulo]

That was awesome from Mosquera. A shame he never got the stage. I was disapointed. Mosquera never really got a moment of awesomeness. The only major stage he ever won was when he lost the race.

Anyone know who the 3rd commentator is? Has a similar voice to Contador. And no not all Madrillenos sound like that.




I can sense a Parrulo response coming

it is contador.


meh what is there to say? nibali is indeed a very smart and calculating rider. i disagree that he is a passive one but i am tired of showing examples of nibali being aggressive only for them to get ignored. so i will let lo squalo do the talking during this years vuelta so he can change some opinions.

 

[Parrulo]

yes it's him.no way he will become a commentator when he will be old.

he was actually making a good analyses of the race and was the first one to say that anton would bridge the gap, also noticed that the part where purito was dropped was a part more hidden from the head wind so mosquera was going stronger there.

he clearly lacked the confidence and since he is a shy person he was also nervous bu overall that was some good commentating (the whole 3 minutes of it )

 

[El Pistolero]

he was actually making a good analyses of the race and was the first one to say that anton would bridge the gap, also noticed that the part where purito was dropped was a part more hidden from the head wind so mosquera was going stronger there.

he clearly lacked the confidence and since he is a shy person he was also nervous bu overall that was some good commentating (the whole 3 minutes of it )

Those other Spanish dudes just talk too much lol. Is that Delgado?