Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[hrotha]

Maybe Nibbles has no respect for Wigans because he believes Wiggo's not playing by the rules of the Family.

Regardless, kudos to Nibbles for trying. I wish Evans would realize the route of this Tour forces him to attack from afar.

 

[Poursuivant]

Why does Nibali say he gestured at me, now changed to, he looked at me?


Looks like he is looking who is in the group to me.

 

[slim charles]

As far as I know, Nibali said that he doesn't think Wiggins is better in the mountains than he or Evans are and that they can take time from him. Didn't say he was weak or anything like that. He also said that he was impressed with both Wiggins and Froome in TT.

I don't know what's happened yesterday, it's really hard to know anything by just looking at a photo.Whatever, I don't think that either Wiggins or Nibali did anything particularly bad here. A little rivalry, and even trashtalk is good for the race anyway, as long as there is no offending anyone.

 

[richtea]

I'm rapidly losing respect for Nibali.

He's spent the first half of the Tour giving a daily narrative to the press on his thoughts on Wiggins, usually that he's not that great.

Now he's crying about a lack of respect because Brad looked at him?

Pathetic.

I'm quite enjoying all this trash talk, it is a welcome distraction from the race itself. The sprinters have been a bit mute on that front this year.

 

[jamiephillips]

Maybe Wiggins should make it up to him with an Andy and Bertie style love-in after todays stage?

 

[Cimber]

Wasn't it Nibali who had a big interview in L'Equipe a few days ago, saying he's not impressed with Wiggins?

Well tbh Wiggins would get toasted big time if it wasnt for such a super strong team. If he had a team like BMC it would be very hard for him since he needs a team to make a high but contant tempo. If there were a lot of attacks, accelarations and change of speed he would suffer big time. Hopefully that is exactly what Contador and Andy will bring next year.

 

[cineteq]

Maybe Nibbles has no respect for Wigans because he believes Wiggo's not playing by the rules of the Family.

I think so, the underlying truth is the issue here.

Now that he's angry (with Wiggo and with others...) no way he'll just sit down and see what happens.

He's hungry for more

Nibi is Sicilian, it says it all!!

He takes shyt form noone, he´s proud, he got a hot temper, but he´s honest about what he do, and who don´t love an agressive rider, instead of the dead freaking boring UK POSTAL way of riding a race.

He will shut Wiggo up...no question about it!

according to Bicycling interview, Nibali said he did not even try hard at all today, he just rode his normal descending and all he think about on the road is tomorrow stage. Is this one of his mind games again?

I saw it, actually I had to re-watch it since James Startt said Nibali told HIM that, the CN article kind of confirms it.

 

[rhubroma]

Could somebody actually post the comments made by Nibali in which he supposedly talked "bad" about Wiggins.

 

[johnnycash]

Well tbh Wiggins would get toasted big time if it wasnt for such a super strong team. If he had a team like BMC it would be very hard for him since he needs a team to make a high but contant tempo. If there were a lot of attacks, accelarations and change of speed he would suffer big time. Hopefully that is exactly what Contador and Andy will bring next year.

With the current field in the Tour, I disagree. If it wasn't for Team Sky then Wiggins would have lost some time to Cadel, no doubt. He might not be in yellow either but if he rode smart had a half decent team and still killed the TT's he'd be up there.

Andy attacked once in 2011 so I'm not sure where all these attacks would come from, but Contador yes, it is a shame he's not riding as I'm sure he would have done something to rattle Sky.

 

[rhubroma]

according to Bicycling interview, Nibali said he did not even try hard at all today, he just rode his normal descending and all he think about on the road is tomorrow stage. Is this one of his mind games again?

In the interview in la Gazzetta dello Sport, Nibali said he decided not to push himself into the red after Sagan was dropped, since he knew it would have been next to impossible to hold off Sky.

This does not mean that he "didn't try hard," rather strategically, given the next stage, he did not want to pay in the maintains tomorrow (today now) for his efforts today (when there was little or nothing to be gained from them).

He tried on the only terrain he could have. Unfortunately it was too far from the finish to have worked out better, unless perhaps Cadel had gone away with him. In fact the Australian may have missed an oppurtunity to have done some damage.

 

[cineteq]

Could somebody actually post the comments made by Nibali in which he supposedly talked "bad" about Wiggins.

Bad for Sky fanboys means trash talk, he basically said he's not impressed by Wiggins.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-weve-all-come-here-with-big-ambitions

 

[rhubroma]

Bad for Sky fanboys means trash talk, he basically said he's not impressed by Wiggins.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-weve-all-come-here-with-big-ambitions

Before he departed, Nibali sounded a defiant note when asked if he had any regrets about telling L'Équipe that Wiggins "didn't impress him" as the race entered the mountains.

Yes, but what was the context in which he said he wasn't impressed by Wiggins in the l'Equipe article.

His tactics? Racing style? His British accent? Those ridiculously tall black socks?

Seems to me this is a deliberately inflated and spurious interpretation to put a bad spin on the Brits competition by the Anglo reporting. Now, where have I seen this before?

 

[Machu Picchu]

Before he departed, Nibali sounded a defiant note when asked if he had any regrets about telling L'Équipe that Wiggins "didn't impress him" as the race entered the mountains.

Yes, but what was the context in which he said he wasn't impressed by Wiggins in the l'Equipe article.

His tactics? Racing style? His British accent? Those ridiculously tall black socks?

Seems to me this is a deliberately inflated and spurious interpretation to put a bad spin on the Brits competition by the Anglo reporting. Now, where have I seen this before?

Please stop it, your sensible understanding of what was said is completely at odds with our (British) ‘let’s bash the foreigner / us against them mentality’ it just won’t do.

The very idea that the media could be exaggerating these comments is equally farfetched.

 

[Carols]

Bradley is trying to be The Patron I think....hope it backfires big time. But when you have UKPostal at your disposal and Nibs, JVDB the only ones with B*LLS all moves are difficult. Won't stop Nibs though. He will Battle on!

I never expected more from him than a podium, he isn't of the needed quality just yet. But he has time and I Like His Style

Geez I wish Contador was here...so we could see Wiggo go down in little Wiggo pieces.

 

[Angliru]

I thought Nibbs rode for Liquigas? what do they know about respect?

all is fair in love, war, and cycling

I don't recall any of Sagan's opponents having a problem with his celebrations.
As a matter of fact the common response was if you don't like his celebrations the obvious solution is to beat him to the line.

 

[Angliru]

I'm rapidly losing respect for Nibali.

He's spent the first half of the Tour giving a daily narrative to the press on his thoughts on Wiggins, usually that he's not that great.

Now he's crying about a lack of respect because Brad looked at him?

Pathetic.

His narrative was likely a consequence of Wiggins position in the gc and that being the primary line of questioning. He's also given a narrative on what he had to do to combat the deficit that he's in and that has been the majority of what he's spoken on. The Wiggins statements have just been the more dramatic.

 

[Angliru]

1st Vuelta, 2nd and 3rd Giro, vs one 3rd in Vuelta. All I have to say.

+1000
Of course the counter argument will be that Wiggins only recently began seriously pursuing gc success but still within the course of Wiggins' serious pursuit of grand tour glory (2009-Present), the above results still speak for themselves.

 

[simo1733]

I don't think Wiggans stared at him but he will today.

 

[johnnycash]

+1000
Of course the counter argument will be that Wiggins only recently began seriously pursuing gc success but still within the course of Wiggins' serious pursuit of grand tour glory (2009-Present), the above results still speak for themselves.

But what do they say? That Nibali is a grand tour contender? Well yes he is but do you honestly see him as a future Tour winner? I don't.

You're only as good as you're last race and in 2012 Wiggo has definitely shown more Tour winning potential in than Nibs. Looking at past Vueltas and Giros doesn't really mean anything.

 

[Parrulo]

But what do they say? That Nibali is a grand tour contender? Well yes he is but do you honestly see him as a future Tour winner? I don't.

You're only as good as you're last race and in 2012 Wiggo has definitely shown more Tour winning potential in than Nibs. Looking at past Vueltas and Giros doesn't really mean anything.

Under that logic contador no longer is a GT contender because he only finished fifth on the tour last year and was beaten by levi "the bottle" leipheimer on the tour de san luis.

 

[Machu Picchu]

Under that logic contador no longer is a GT contender because he only finished fifth on the tour last year and was beaten by levi "the bottle" leipheimer on the tour de san luis.

I'm sure that the poster would agree that Contador would still be seen as a GT conten....

...Looking at past Vueltas and Giros doesn't really mean anything.

oh, guess not.

 

[johnnycash]

I'm sure that the poster would agree that Contador would still be seen as a GT conten....



oh, guess not.

What I mean is that a top 3 rider, or even winner, of past Vueltas doesn't mean they are a potential tour winner. Comparison with recent form in similar events, which Brad has in spades and Nibs has none, is a more relevant indication of potential success. You think Scarponi can compete here? Giro 2011 winner.... I think not.

Contador is obviously still a favourite in any GT. Doesn't really need saying but apparantly for you, it does.

 

[Machu Picchu]

What I mean is that a top 3 rider, or even winner, of past Vueltas doesn't mean they are a potential tour winner. Comparison with recent form in similar events, which Brad has in spades and Nibs has none, is a more relevant indication of potential success. You think Scarponi can compete here? Giro 2011 winner.... I think not.

Contador is obviously still a favourite in any GT. Doesn't really need saying but apparantly for you, it does.

A reply to Brad wins ‘in spades’ comment is clinic material, but yes Nibali won T-A this year and team sky* apart would still be a favourite here.

Scarponi didn’t really win the 2011 Giro (take Conti out and would have been a very different race) and this year came 4th in the Giro so no, I don’t think anyone would have picked him to win the tour.

And yes, the Contador thing did need explaining from you as it contradicts your earlier post, even if I did mean it light-heartedly.

 

[maxmartin]

Thank you Nibali for today!!!!!

 

[Parrulo]

seems like nibali and VdB are the only ones left that can give us hope and beat the sky train

nibali was awesome today tho on a climb that suited wiggins and froome to perfection