Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[yespatterns]

I am a fan of both Nibs and Contie, but I just can't see Nibali being able to make the cut against a healed Froome and Contador next year (crashes/accidents notwithstanding). Should be a great season no matter who chooses what races.

 

[damian13ster]

I think he should do just the Tour. Once he targets the race he can peak beautifully (Giro 2013, Tour 2014). Not sure he can do that twice within a year, and defending Tour jersey should be a priority

 

[maxmartin]

I think he should do just the Tour. Once he targets the race he can peak beautifully (Giro 2013, Tour 2014). Not sure he can do that twice within a year, and defending Tour jersey should be a priority

Exactly, he is usually one big peak guy. He could not pull off Giro-Vuelta double, let alone Giro-Tour humanly impossibility. He should build his legacy by successfully defending Tour.

 

[Miburo]

Exactly, he is usually one big peak guy. He could not pull off Giro-Vuelta double, let alone Giro-Tour humanly impossibility. He should build his legacy by successfully defending Tour.

What legacy are you talking about bro? Beating mosquera, an old evans, and an old french rider is called a legacy these days?

 

[LaFlorecita]

What legacy are you talking about bro? Beating mosquera, an old evans, and an old french rider is called a legacy these days?

He's a troll

 

[Netserk]

Exactly, he is usually one big peak guy. He could not pull off Giro-Vuelta double, let alone Giro-Tour humanly impossibility. He should build his legacy by successfully defending Tour.

What? It happened this year, but that is the exception. He's no Andy. Last year he won both Tirreno and Trentino before the Giro and then almost won the Vuelta before he was the strongest in the WC. He has been competitive throughout the season the years before that too.

 

[cineteq]

What legacy are you talking about bro? Beating mosquera, an old evans, and an old french rider is called a legacy these days?

In other words, you're blaming Nibali's legacy on other riders not wanting to compete with him and/or DNFing the GTs. You're funny. Keep it up.

 

[Rollthedice]

What? It happened this year, but that is the exception. He's no Andy. Last year he won both Tirreno and Trentino before the Giro and then almost won the Vuelta before he was the strongest in the WC. He has been competitive throughout the season the years before that too.

True that. This year has been strange. Below average until the Tour, even Dauphine was showing nothing that could predict the monster form in TdF. Hope this won't become the norm.

 

[SafeBet]

What? It happened this year, but that is the exception. He's no Andy. Last year he won both Tirreno and Trentino before the Giro and then almost won the Vuelta before he was the strongest in the WC. He has been competitive throughout the season the years before that too.

Exactly. He's been the opposite of a one big peak guy pretty much for his whole career.

I just hope he doesn't end up being a Tour focused rider for the rest of his career. Also, would be cool to see him compete in RVV at least once.

 

[Eshnar]

Nibali was a special guest on tv last night
http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/12-10-2014/nibali-come-contador-ospite-fazio-giro-tour-perche-no-90723274569.shtml

"The idea to race also the Giro [before the Tour] is there. I'll have to make the necessary evaluations with the team, and consider how to prepare the next season. We'll see."

 

[LaFlorecita]

Nibali was a special guest on tv last night
http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/12-10-2014/nibali-come-contador-ospite-fazio-giro-tour-perche-no-90723274569.shtml

"The idea to race also the Giro [before the Tour] is there. I'll have to make the necessary evaluations with the team, and consider how to prepare the next season. We'll see."

thank god

....

 

[jaylew]

That would be awesome. If we can only get Froome and Nairo to sack up as well.

 

[Electress]

Of all of Contador's adversaries, I always imagined Nibali was the most likely to go for it because the Giro is his home race, but also because I think he is another rider who cares about the whole season, not just the Tour, and gets that this kind of thing adds a lot of passion and interest to the sport, even if it changes the likelihood of his winning the Tour again.

 

[Piz Buin]

thank god

....

Why are you thinking this is a good thing (for contador) ?

 

[Carols]

Why are you thinking this is a good thing (for contador) ?

It would be a good thing for Froome IMO. Nibali and Berto battling and wearing each other out in the Giro would play right into Froome's hands tiring two of his fiercest rivals.

Still it would be a grand Giro battle and maybe Lo Squalo and Alberto are the only two with enough B*lls to give the double a try.

 

[Afrank]

Why are you thinking this is a good thing (for contador) ?

For Contador it would give him some better competition to go up against rather then his main rival likely being a still developing 24 year old (nothing against Aru, just has a ways to go to get to Contador's level). And just maybe it would prove Contador could beat Nibali, as unlikely a scenario as that is.

For us it would at least mean a more exciting Giro. I'm really hoping Nibali shows up and that he shows up ready to fight for a high GC.

 

[Piz Buin]

It would be a good thing for Froome IMO. Nibali and Berto battling and wearing each other out in the Giro would play right into Froome's hands tiring two of his fiercest rivals.

Still it would be a grand Giro battle and maybe Lo Squalo and Alberto are the only two with enough B*lls to give the double a try.

Of course you're right...thats why i was wondering why the biggest alberto fan in this forum is happy about nibali riding the giro.

It diminishes albertos chances to achieve the double greatly. He cant win the giro with 80% now, thus he cant be at 100% at the tour.

Only chance would be to gamble and show up with 80-85% in italy, hoping that nibali will rather focus on the tour and ride for podium/top10/stages at the giro

 

[LaFlorecita]

Of course you're right...thats why i was wondering why the biggest alberto fan in this forum is happy about nibali riding the giro.

It diminishes albertos chances to achieve the double greatly. He cant win the giro with 80% now, thus he cant be at 100% at the tour.

Only chance would be to gamble and show up with 80-85% in italy, hoping that nibali will rather focus on the tour and ride for podium/top10/stages at the giro

I agree, but it shows Nibali is not as pathetic as he seemed to be when it looked like Contador had scared him off. The double is impossible anyway and this way Contador can beat Nibali and show who's boss.

 

[Rollthedice]

Of course you're right...thats why i was wondering why the biggest alberto fan in this forum is happy about nibali riding the giro.

It diminishes albertos chances to achieve the double greatly. He cant win the giro with 80% now, thus he cant be at 100% at the tour.

Only chance would be to gamble and show up with 80-85% in italy, hoping that nibali will rather focus on the tour and ride for podium/top10/stages at the giro

The biggest Contador fan on this forum wants to see the showdown between the two, somehow nothing else matters, no Tour victory or defeating Froome is important. Nibali must be put in his place. As a supporter of course I would like to see this clash happening, Contador raced against Astana Nibali only once in a GT and we all know what happened. But of course Vino, Martinelli and Nibs might have other plans.

 

[jaylew]

Of course you're right...thats why i was wondering why the biggest alberto fan in this forum is happy about nibali riding the giro.

It diminishes albertos chances to achieve the double greatly. He cant win the giro with 80% now, thus he cant be at 100% at the tour.

Maybe she's a cycling fan first and foremost and wants to see the top guys go up against each other when they're all at their best? Imo, every cycling fan, whether a fan of Nibs, AC, Nairo, Froome, or none of the above, should want them all to go head-to-head in as many GTs as possible. How awesome would it be to see all 4 of those guys fresh and motivated to win at the Giro next year?

 

[LaFlorecita]

The biggest Contador fan on this forum wants to see the showdown between the two, somehow nothing else matters, no Tour victory or defeating Froome is important. Nibali must be put in his place. As a supporter of course I would like to see this clash happening, Contador raced against Astana Nibali only once in a GT and we all know what happened. But of course Vino, Martinelli and Nibs might have other plans.

It is important, but Alberto has decided to race il Giro.

 

[Jspear]

The biggest Contador fan on this forum wants to see the showdown between the two, somehow nothing else matters, no Tour victory or defeating Froome is important. Nibali must be put in his place. As a supporter of course I would like to see this clash happening, Contador raced against Astana Nibali only once in a GT and we all know what happened. But of course Vino, Martinelli and Nibs might have other plans.

He only raced against an Astana Nibali for 10 ten days. I understand why you wouldn't want to talk about any other type of Nibali.

Whatever about the past....I'm hoping they are both there to fight it out.

 

[Rollthedice]

He only raced against an Astana Nibali for 10 ten days. I understand why you wouldn't want to talk about any other type of Nibali.

Whatever about the past....I'm hoping they are both there to fight it out.

It's pointless to compare Nibali before he joined Astana with Contador from those times. It was no contest, but Nibs improved a lot, I mean a lot since riding for Vino and that is what people here tend to forget when they compare the two riders. He almost won all 3 GTs where he competed. I'm pretty sure that if they would have met in Giro last year, given the shape Contador was all year and Nibali's new found dominance he would have beaten Alberto. This year Tour could have been a close contest if not for the crash. Come to tink off, Contador was pretty awesome while at Astana too.

 

[86TDFWinner]

Maybe she's a cycling fan first and foremost and wants to see the top guys go up against each other when they're all at their best? Imo, every cycling fan, whether a fan of Nibs, AC, Nairo, Froome, or none of the above, should want them all to go head-to-head in as many GTs as possible. How awesome would it be to see all 4 of those guys fresh and motivated to win at the Giro next year?

This!!! That's what everyone wants to see no doubt, but some take the Nibali thing to extremes I think. Win the tour against ALL the top riders, then you can have bragging rights. Nibali won it when all the top challengers were out, he found a way to win, good for him. I don't think it means the same IMO, I think he'd probably liked to have won it against Froome and Horner and Contador, etc....

Just my opinion.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

maybe Lo Squalo and Alberto are the only two with enough B*lls to give the double a try.

No way Brailsford is letting Froome do the Giro. He's too smart for that. Of course, a few sound bites stating the merit of a double/triple attempt, whilst not ruling Froome out, is all good publicity.