Tirreno - Adriatico Stage 6, P.S.Elpidio -> P.S.Elpidio, 209 kms (11/03/2013)

[airstream]

great race that barenaked relative weakness of all of contenders. fascinating spectacle! looking forward to surprises tomorrow too I'm doubly happy because in my view that is a real state of things: tight, brutal and uncompromising. It is road cycling.

 

[The Hitch]

yup anyone but sky. This race was lost for Alberto anyway so why not support Nibali? Second or third or 4th or 70th it's all the same - it's not a win

I think you are in debt to whoever it was what told you to keep Contador off your cq team

 

[LaFlorecita]

At least you are honest, a refreshing trait here

I am always honest

F you hitch if he stays under 1000 points I'll pick him next year

 

[BillytheKid]

There are plenty of appropriate threads in the clinic where yall can voice your (imo legitimate) concerns about Nibali, or explain why you dont think there is anything suspicious about a guy who couldnt stay on a bike on such climbs a few years ago, coming top 10 on the stage and being 2nd overall in gc.

Take that downstairs as well and quit being so sneaky, clever or whatever.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

What sensible tactics are you talking about? Controlling the race from A to B with a train and then their leader finishing the job?

That only works when your entire team has exceptional form. The truth is Sky is probably the dumbest WT team out there concerning tactics(not to be confused with strategy). We've seen it numerous times already in both Grand Tours, but especially classics. They're like the Roman army, just throw enough man power against it and you'll win eventually.

Drafting the entire climb and only attacking when it can be decisive is a considerably better tactic than going for glory 500m spurts when you know perfectly well that another team has the horsepower to keep it together until the end.

 

[airstream]

I am always honest

F you hitch if he stays under 1000 points I'll pick him next year

It was cool to relish the Tour-Vuelta double and the 2011 Giro form (hell what an intrigue it implies) during off-season and then after Prati di Tivo to declare about end of cycling because of Sky dominance due to absence of INTRIGUE.

 

[LaFlorecita]

[11.03 17:10]*The 209 kilometer long and constant undulating sixth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico from Porto Saint' Elpidio had several similarities to the hilly spring classics in Belgium. Seven riders formed the front group with 35 kilometers to go and in the peloton, the Canondale team was controlling the pace.

The escapees were caught one by one and in the finale, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) launched a stinging attack from the group of favorites and only Peter Sagan (Canondale) was able to hang on to the Italian.

Team Saxo-Tinkoff's Alberto Contador was in the chase group from which Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) jumped away and bridged the gap to the front duo. In a chase group further behind, Chris Froome (Sky) was chasing Contador and his companions.

No one was able to catch the leading trio and Sagan was not surprisingly the fastest rider on the finish line while Nibali took over the overall lead of the race.

Team Saxo-Tinkoff's Alberto Contador was fighting intensely in the finale and finished 7th on the stage and is now 4th overall:

“It was a crazy and somewhat chaotic stage. Roman (Kreuziger) had a flat at a crucial time in the finale and he didn't make it back to the favorites. Alberto's strong but he couldn't close the gap with his chase group. Now, it's going to be difficult to catch Nibali in the GC but everyone knows that Alberto never gives in and he'll give what he's got on tomorrow's time trial and we'll see how far that takes us,” said Team Saxo-Tinkoff sports director, Philippe Mauduit.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Drafting the entire climb and only attacking when it can be decisive is a considerably better tactic than going for glory 500m spurts when you know perfectly well that another team has the horsepower to keep it together until the end.

Not everyone can race that way

 

[El Pistolero]

Drafting the entire climb and only attacking when it can be decisive is a considerably better tactic than going for glory 500m spurts when you know perfectly well that another team has the horsepower to keep it together until the end.

Sky are just using conventional tactics. Froome had no reason to attack because he was already ahead because of the TTT and he was the third best time trial specialist last year behind Wiggins and Tony Martin.

Contador has every reason to attack as much as he does. He's testing out what will work and what will not work for July. Plus he's trying to win the race at the same time.

The tactic other teams can use to beat the Sky train is simple: make them crash. It's Machiavellian alright, but stuff like that used to happen a lot in cycling. If they don't have the legs to follow the Sky train in the mountains then there's no way they can beat them by other tactics. Froome doesn't have to attack in mountains, he can just follow and win time in the time trials. Other cyclists don't have that blessing.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

*sigh*
He was pulling and then the others started sprinting and he just finished. Look I'm no Sky-fan at all so if you think I am being a fanboy you are wrong.
When the video of the stage has been uploaded you can look for yourself.

he pulled for a grand 150 metres yes

here is the proof

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=60077

 

[del1962]

Chapeau to Nibali, he has this sown up now.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

pfff according to ryo and DT there are at least 15 climbers better then him

yes and what exactly has todays stage got to do with climbing? or is hushovd also a climber? the most climbing stages this tirrenom nibali all dropped with at least 6-7 riders left

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

yes and what exactly has todays stage got to do with climbing? or is hushovd also a climber? the most climbing stages this tirrenom nibali all dropped with at least 6-7 riders left

He was nr. 3 up Tivo?

 

[burning]

He was nr. 3 up Tivo?

3 invisible Colombians beat him on the line

Edit: and Rujano too, as he is better than all Colombians in the world

 

[jaylew]

I don't really see anyone hating on Nibali, everyone probably respects him for his traits that you have mentioned. The only thing missing from Nibali has been results, as he has frequently been losing time to all his rivals in MTFs. Today however he has shown that with the right conditions he can put in an excellent fight to win stage races even against supposed better GC contenders.

Yeah, people have started to come around but imo he's never really been given the respect he deserves around here. And I really don't think he's that lacking in the results department. 4 GT podiums and a win, several wins in sr's and one days. A monument win would help, though he has 2 podiums already(MSR and Liège).

 

[willbick]

Sky are just using conventional tactics. Froome had no reason to attack because he was already ahead because of the TTT and he was the third best time trial specialist last year behind Wiggins and Tony Martin.

Contador has every reason to attack as much as he does. He's testing out what will work and what will not work for July. Plus he's trying to win the race at the same time.

The tactic other teams can use to beat the Sky train is simple: make them crash. It's Machiavellian alright, but stuff like that used to happen a lot in cycling. If they don't have the legs to follow the Sky train in the mountains then there's no way they can beat them by other tactics. Froome doesn't have to attack in mountains, he can just follow and win time in the time trials. Other cyclists don't have that blessing.

thats a fair assessment. i dont think its likely that Sky will have difficulties in the big mountain stages of the GTs, its more likely they could lose time, like today, on a classic type stage where its more chaotic and anything can happen. I suppose there are more of these type of stage in the giro and vuelta than le tour

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He was nr. 3 up Tivo?

7th in chieti, which was more serious climbing.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

no full results yet?

 

[cineteq]

I don't really see anyone hating on Nibali, everyone probably respects him for his traits that you have mentioned.

The only one left is Ryo. He'll find any reason to hate him...same thing as he does with Gesink.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The only one left is Ryo. He'll find any reason to hate him...same thing as he does with Gesink.

nibali rode excellently today, but is that surprising? when does he ever attack in mountainstages? today was rain, hilly and descents if he doesn't do it here, he won't do it anywhere. and gesink there's every reason to.

 

[Cyivel]

Just watching it again, it looks to me like Froome lost most of the time on the descent, assuming I picked out the correct riders from the overhead shot, he was about 10 seconds behind Sagan and 5 behind Contador as they seemed to be going over the top. The coverage was a bit all over the place so I'm not 100% that is exactly right.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

7th in chieti, which was more serious climbing.

Clearly not his best day

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Downhill, rain, balls. Glad to see the Sicilian mobster is a true racer.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Clearly not his best day

oh the bad day excuse is thrown in now?

 

[maltiv]

nibali rode excellently today, but is that surprising? when does he ever attack in mountainstages?

Hmm, let's see...about every mountain stage in last year's TDF and every MTF he has done this year (T-A and Oman)

So hardly ever.