Tirreno - Adriatico Stage 1, San Vincenzo -> Donoratico, 16.9 kms TTT (06/03/2013)

[Leonardus]

OPQS should be the top favorites, can't see any team who could beat them. BMC and Astana for the other two podium spots.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Nibali has 4 podium finishes at GT, one of which being on the top step.
Mollema has a 4th place in the Vuelta. There is now way Mollema is as good a climber as Nibali.
Guts are no replacement for ability, you simply cannot put out the watts on guts alone. Nibali is probably in the top 5 climbers in the world.

Nibali is in the top 5 GT riders of the world. Definately not the top 5 climbers, not even by a long shot

 

[Froome19]

Do you think Mollema would be able to ride up Peyresourde as fast (give or take a few seconds) as Contador and Rasmussen did in '07? Froome, Wiggo and Nibali did.

Nibali? Nibali was beaten on that stage by VDB, Rolland and Pinot and certainly seemed to be struggling a bit.

 

[Netserk]

Nibali? Nibali was beaten on that stage by VDB, Rolland and Pinot and certainly seemed to be struggling a bit.

Take another look at the stage profile. It didn't end on Peyresourde.

 

[cineteq]

Nibali is in the top 5 GT riders of the world. Definately not the top 5 climbers, not even by a long shot

And who are the top 5 climbers IYO?

 

[theyoungest]

And who are the top 5 climbers IYO?

1. Robert Gesink
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Wout Poels
4. Steven Kruijswijk
5. Wilco Kelderman

 

[Froome19]

Take another look at the stage profile. It didn't end on Peyresourde.

aaah you are right. Though I don't see how that climb indicates that much when you consider that they weren't going full gas and it was not all that selective? The group that crested included TJVG, Rolland, Pinot etc.

 

[uphillstruggle]

Nibali is in the top 5 GT riders of the world. Definately not the top 5 climbers, not even by a long shot

He is a good TTer and and a good climber. It's not like he smashes his opponents in the TT a la Evans or Wiggins.

Who is better on the climbs than him then?

 

[Netserk]

aaah you are right. Though I don't see how that climb indicates that much when you consider that they weren't going full gas and it was not all that selective?

That's the impressive thing. Even though they held back, they still went 2 seconds faster than Alberto and Chicken in '07, where they was giving it everything.

 

[cineteq]

1. Robert Gesink
2. Bauke Mollema
3. Wout Poels
4. Steven Kruijswijk
5. Wilco Kelderman

Nice try, but I'd like to hear it from him.

 

[Froome19]

That's the impressive thing. Even though they held back, they still went 2 seconds faster than Alberto and Chicken in '07, where they was giving it everything.

Agreed, still Mollema could easily have crested together with them.
And using that logic you can't say that Nibali trumps Mollema.

 

[Pentacycle]

That's the impressive thing. Even though they held back, they still went 2 seconds faster than Alberto and Chicken in '07, where they was giving it everything.

Constant pace vs. constant tempo changes, different weather factors. And they were giving it their all this year as well, they just didn't attack so much.

 

[BillytheKid]

BMC. Most likely wrong again, but Phinney and Cadel could prove to turn the deal, eh.

Radio Sahck Leopard, Ach! Horner and Schlech can hang on at the back.

Still, Fabs, will keep em within 20 seconds.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Nice try, but I'd like to hear it from him.

this based on their top form

Contador
Froome
Rodriguez
Valverde
Hesjedal
Quintana
Wiggins
S Sanchez
Gesink
Rolland

possibly 1 or 2 others like Pinot, Andy S or Cobo, but for the latter 2 it has been to long ago and Pinot only shows something in june/july so hard to tell

Now you might say this is crazy, but Nibali doesn't have the strange bad days and total irregularity some of these guys have, so in the end he'll end better.
Nibali is very consistent.

 

[Netserk]

IMO Nibali is a better climber than Wiggo.

 

[biopass]

That's the impressive thing. Even though they held back, they still went 2 seconds faster than Alberto and Chicken in '07, where they was giving it everything.

Not really. In 2007 it was, if i remember correctly, Boogerds softpedalling until Contador got bored and decided to attack with 11 km remaining. All the Chicken did from there was sucking Contadors wheel, he didnt even take a lead.

Not exactly the same approach SKY made last year.

 

[cineteq]

this based on their top form

Contador
Froome
Rodriguez
Valverde
Hesjedal
Quintana
Wiggins
S Sanchez
Gesink
Rolland

possibly 1 or 2 others like Pinot, Andy S or Cobo, but for the latter 2 it has been to long ago and Pinot only shows something in june/july so hard to tell

Now you might say this is crazy, but Nibali doesn't have the strange bad days and total irregularity some of these guys have, so in the end he'll end better.
Nibali is very consistent.

Not quite like theyoungest suggested. That's a good list, and fair, but I think Nibali should be somewhere in the middle of list. I have a major problem with Hesjedal and Wiggins being in there, at all, though. For once, what's Hesjedal done last year besides winning the Giro? And what is Sir Wiggo without a train?

Where is Rujano and Horner? Just kidding.
Seriously, you miss one heck of a climber: Sergio Henao.

 

[Peccio89]

That's the impressive thing. Even though they held back, they still went 2 seconds faster than Alberto and Chicken in '07, where they was giving it everything.

well, the fact is that in 07 they started the climb slow and then Contador and Rasmussen did a lot of accellerations, than almost suprlus, than accelleration again, they did not keep an high tempo at all.

 

[The Hitch]

Not quite like theyoungest suggested. That's a good list, and fair, but I think Nibali should be somewhere in the middle of list. I have a major problem with Hesjedal and Wiggins being in there, at all, though. For once, what's Hesjedal done last year besides winning the Giro? And what is Sir Wiggo without a train?

Where is Rujano and Horner? Just kidding.
Seriously, you miss one heck of a climber: Sergio Henao.

Train or no train your boy nibali was outclimbed by wiggins in the Tour. Its not like Nibali was doing an individual time trial or anything on PDBF and Peyresoudes. He tried to hold Wiggins. He failed = wiggins better climber.

 

[Netserk]

well, the fact is that in 07 they started the climb slow and then Contador and Rasmussen did a lot of accellerations, than almost suprlus, than accelleration again, they did not keep an high tempo at all.

And yet they took over a minute on Evans...

 

[cineteq]

Train or no train your boy nibali was outclimbed by wiggins in the Tour. Its not like Nibali was doing an individual time trial or anything on PDBF and Peyresoudes. He tried to hold Wiggins. He failed = wiggins better climber.

So train or no train, hmmm you're starting to sound like airstream. With Sir Wiggo being isolated (no train), it's impossible he could have outclimbed Nibali. The dude's too weak mentally to deal with that. And btw, Peyresoudes doesn't count since Nibali was injured.

 

[The Hitch]

isolated (no train), it's impossible he could have outclimbed Nibali. The dude's too weak mentally to deal with that. And btw, Peyresoudes doesn't count since Nibali was injured.

That doesnt really make sense. It was an even playing field on Peyresoudes in that they were both following slipstream all the way, but Nibali still lost time which shows Wiggins was simply stronger on the climb.

But if you dont like the Tour you can look at the 2011 Vuelta.

Oh look, Wiggins dicked on him on every single stage

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Without power metres, wiggins & froome are pooped.

 

[SafeBet]

This is not a mountain stage. This isn't even an individual event. So why are we discussing Nibbles climbing abilities.


Are startlists official at this point? What is OGE team? Chances for a good TTT?

 

[cineteq]

That doesnt really make sense.

I know dude, I know that 'train or no train' doesn't make sense at all.

It was an even playing field on Peyresoudes in that they were both following slipstream all the way, but Nibali still lost time which shows Wiggins was simply stronger on the climb.

But if you dont like the Tour you can look at the 2011 Vuelta.

Oh look, Wiggins dicked on him on every single stage

C'mon Hitch, everybody knows you're notorious for omitting facts in order to be right. I know exactly what happened to Nibali in 2011 Vuelta. Hint for everyone else: stage 7.