Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[Afrank]

So for the win tomorrow. He needs a Pyreness stage to finish the collection. Astana team should ride their hearts out tomorrow keeping the break at a tight leash.

Hautacam! No better stage to complete the collection on.

 

[the_cutter]

I'm sure Nibbles will try to go for the win tomorrow to cap off this joyride. Hopefully, Astana can control the break (no more Majka with 1+min lead!) and then Nibs will do the rest.

Or Peraud to do a Horner just to annoy me.

 

[SeriousSam]

Riis is going to bestow his in-depth knowledge of Hautacam climbing upon Majka. No way Nibali wins.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

So for the win tomorrow. He needs a Pyreness stage to finish the collection. Astana team should ride their hearts out tomorrow keeping the break at a tight leash.

I think he should. He can handle the Toumalet descent and the last climb on his own. Go for it.

 

[whittashau]

I think TS will ride on the front and help Astana over the first climb and Majka will secure his jersey there.

 

[the_cutter]

Riis is going to bestow his in-depth knowledge of Hautacam climbing upon Majka. No way Nibali wins.

What? Isn't EPO still banned?







(Clinic jokes are allowed, right?)

 

[maxmartin]

I'm sure Nibbles will try to go for the win tomorrow to cap off this joyride. Hopefully, Astana can control the break (no more Majka with 1+min lead!) and then Nibs will do the rest.

Or Peraud to do a Horner just to annoy me.

I doubt he can. His performance is already impressive considering he already had a heavy Giro in his legs. Maybe he is one of those rare breeds good for two GT consecutively.

 

[Carols]

Lo Squalo in Complete Control; what a Boss!!!!

 

[whittashau]

I really want to see him go flat out. On every climb he's attacked for and gained 20-30 secs and then rode at the same tempo as the riders behind. I want to see a Froome like attack where he blasts off and also continues to increase the advantage

Perhaps not possible, but I'd like to see it. However, I do feel this Tour has been far more difficult than last year's despite the lack of competition. And perhaps he could have done those sorts of attacks if it wasn't for the difficulty of this Tour.

 

[damian13ster]

I really want to see him go flat out. On every climb he's attacked for and gained 20-30 secs and then rode at the same tempo as the riders behind. I want to see a Froome like attack where he blasts off and also continues to increase the advantage

Perhaps not possible, but I'd like to see it. However, I do feel this Tour has been far more difficult than last year's despite the lack of competition. And perhaps he could have done those sorts of attacks if it wasn't for the difficulty of this Tour.

I think it is possible he will go full out. Last mountain stage, but with TT looming he might not want to (although 4+ minute advantage and he is best TTer among contenders?). I think if Astana can bring back the break to around 60 seconds before Tourmaleat, Nibali will go full out. Even Majka isnt going to hold on to 60s lead over entire climb in this scenario.

There is no way TSX is going to help Astana though. I also dont see FdJ doing the pulling before last climb. They wont catch Nibali and they will just try to drop others on Hautacam. The entire stage is going to be decided by Rodriguez. If he goes in the break, Majka goes and we have good racing. If he doesnt then 130km of borefest and then fireworks begin

 

[pigoonse]

My favorite stage was the cobblestones stage 5. However, I wish Froome and especially Contador would have been luckier and stayed in the Tour. The battle between all of them is what I miss. Still, Nibali has been brilliant and a very tranquillo boss

 

[Netserk]

While I've not watched every minute of this year's Tour I've seen enough to come to one conclusion: Nibali has ridden the smartest Tour in years.
He knows where to be, when to use his energy and when to slack off.
He may not even be the strongest guy in the Tour this year. He hasn't had to be and, while many argue what makes a Champion, Nibali has shown so far that the proper amount of aggression can get you far. He definitely reflects his nickname.

You are absolutely right, that is what I said all along the way. Just like yesterday, what is the point to follow Pinot next to his wheel considering a long descent is ahead of them and Pinot is not particular good for his descending skill. Nibali reads the race very well. To be a great GT rider, you need to know where and when to spend your energy most effectively.

 

[hfer07]

Nibbs already has Hautacam penciled in

 

[ciranda]

An excellent poster for an excellent cause (cancer treatment):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/141354800976

That drawing looks like Richie Porte wtf. Those kind of big-head caricatures are the most stupid thing ever.

 

[whittashau]

Surely the easiest way for Majka to secure the jersey is for them to ride at the front with Astana and for Majka to take the points on the Tourmalet though? If he's first over that climb there is no way Purito can get enough points on the Hautacam as he'll be riding against the GT boys.

 

[sittingbison]

Gentle(wo)men,
Please keep doping talk, insinuations and jokes to the clinic

Cheers
Bison

 

[damian13ster]

Surely the easiest way for Majka to secure the jersey is for them to ride at the front with Astana and for Majka to take the points on the Tourmalet though? If he's first over that climb there is no way Purito can get enough points on the Hautacam as he'll be riding against the GT boys.

No. Nibali has only 31 points less, so if majka doesnt win Tourmalet and doesnt top 10 the stage, Nibali can take it. Too much risk. Easiest thing is to stay put and hope brake without Rodriguez makes it. Alternative is simple, attack

 

[whittashau]

He needs to make sure he's over the Tourmalet first. 149+25=174. And if Nibali wins 118+50=168. He can also go for the early climbs too.

He just has to reel in the break before the top of the Tourmalet imo, and then he has to make sure Pinot does cross the top before him as he will attack in order to descend by himself.

 

[alin.constantin89]

Nibali:
"...Had riders like Froome and Contador still been here racing, I might have been forced to push more and race in a more conservative way. When those riders attack, they are very explosive. I know them well and I have a great respect for them. I've raced more against Contador than Froome who has been around for three years only."

 

[Miburo]

I like nibali and i really think he had a chance of winning this with froome and contador in it. This racing style doesn't suit him, it's like with contador in tour '09.

Imo this tour would have been the greatest tour since '03 if none of them crashed. Now a lot of people are wondering and i think nibali is one of them what would have happened if those 2 were here.

You just know nibali would have attacked yesterday on the port de bales if froome and AC were there.

So sad, it's gonna take a year until i'm really over this lol Would have been such an amazing tour

 

[alin.constantin89]

I like nibali and i really think he had a chance of winning this with froome and contador in it. This racing style doesn't suit him, it's like with contador in tour '09.

Imo this tour would have been the greatest tour since '03 if none of them crashed. Now a lot of people are wondering and i think nibali is one of them what would have happened if those 2 were here.

You just know nibali would have attacked yesterday on the port de bales if froome and AC were there.

So sad, it's gonna take a year until i'm really over this lol

And we don't know if they will be all 3 in their best shape next year compared to this one...

 

[Miburo]

And we don't know if they will be all 3 in their best shape next year compared to this one...

That's the other thing, i would give it at a 20% chance they'll all be there at 100% at the first MTF's next year.

It's prob lower than 20%.

 

[ILovecycling]

Yeah,thats true.
Tour 2007 coulda looked like tour of Azerbaijan in comparison with possible 2014, if they didnt crash.

Blame frenchies and their roads

 

[arvc40]

If Nibali is capable of beating Froome and Contador we will see it at some point in next 2 years.

If he wants to race them he just has to show up because one or the other will be there.

 

[whittashau]

"My condition's been very good, but I've never looked to push right to the end, I think that you can see this from my face," Nibali said. "When I get to the finish, I've never given everything because there hasn't been the need. You need to think of the following day's stage, where you never know when you could have a crisis or something. So I've never had to push too much."

So, from the man himself. Obviously he could be lying, and I'm sure many a AC and Froome fan will say that he is, but if true it's a little sad. The leader of the TdF should be pushed to the limit at least once.