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Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

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Electress

Aug 26, 2014
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Even though Nibs. is down a bit, and his team don't seem quite all there, he's still got lots of opportunities. Froome seems pretty keen for the first week - I do wonder whether this form will last. I think there are still lots of opportunities for crafty racing. He's nothing like as good as AC or Nibs when it comes to tactics, and look at the challenge AC had marking two guys in the Giro? Froome has basically ensured he is the guy with the target on his back. There's ample opportunity for the wilier, more attacking riders to wear him and the team out, and fray the nerves on the descents. Let's face it, he did not enjoy the pressure of defending champion last year, and as AC said, may well find being the favourite an exhausting position to be in day after day in the mountains. Especially if we get some bad weather.

Guile and guts…Nibs and Contador have it in spades. It is be no means over for either of them. Nairo is in a much worst position to my mind because he hasn't the team, has lost more time, and doesn't seem as likely to try and make opportunities as they others.
 
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damian13ster

May 27, 2014
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I don't understand why Froome is stereotyped as tactically inept rider. He rides perfectly so far, positions himself well, etc. He is just so strong that he doesn't have to resort to long range attacks in the races he is in top shape.
Show me one race in which he lost GC because of tactics?
I am not saying he might not make mistakes in such situations but that hasn't been verified at all.
 
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Eagle

Mar 13, 2015
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Re:

SafeBet said:
Great ride today, but team has been underwhelming thus far.
I mean, where was Boom?

I'm not saying it's over, but Froome looks fantastic and it's almost impossible to put Sky under pressure without a super team. Look at 2012.
Click to expand...
Boom had a puncture
 
staubsauger

staubsauger

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Re:

FCKAC said:
“He was strong yesterday and maybe even stronger today. I thought before that Quintana was the man to beat, but now Froome is really the strongest at this moment,” Martinelli said. “Right now he’s certainly the strongest.”

Interesting, before today's stage Martinelli thought Q is the man to beat.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I thought that too on Saturday!
 
TMP402

TMP402

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Re:

damian13ster said:
I don't understand why Froome is stereotyped as tactically inept rider. He rides perfectly so far, positions himself well, etc. He is just so strong that he doesn't have to resort to long range attacks in the races he is in top shape.
Show me one race in which he lost GC because of tactics?
I am not saying he might not make mistakes in such situations but that hasn't been verified at all.
Click to expand...

You could make a case for Romandie this year - from memory, instead of chasing Pinot(?)'s attack, Froome rode a high tempo up the climb, which stopped Quintana et al from attacking him (and when the climb flattened out, Quintana and everyone else was able to sprint for bonus seconds) but ultimately meant he lost the GC to Zakarin.

In terms of basic judgement there is also the Vuelta last year when he lost major time to Contador after starting top quickly, but I guess the DS' could have given better advice and instructions so not entirely his fault. Both weak cases.
 
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Electress

Aug 26, 2014
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He's the reigning champion. He's on the backfoot with time to make up on a rival who looks in super good form. I'm not surprised he's feeling the pressure. Of all the contenders, he's under the cosh: AC has already won and is trying to do something near impossible; Quintana is kind of under the radar screen still and Froome, though hot favourite, seems to be very relaxed that he's not defending champion.
 
Jelantik

Jelantik

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Re:

Electress said:
He's the reigning champion. He's on the backfoot with time to make up on a rival who looks in super good form. I'm not surprised he's feeling the pressure. Of all the contenders, he's under the cosh: AC has already won and is trying to do something near impossible; Quintana is kind of under the radar screen still and Froome, though hot favourite, seems to be very relaxed that he's not defending champion.
Click to expand...

yep. my thought too. when TDF started few days ago, I was like.. uhm.. Nibali is flying from the start. But then, he made dumb mistake on crosswind. Suddenly he was in the backfoot. But I still thought, he was excellent last year in the cobble. Turns out nothing happened in the cobble for nibali. (kinda like Porte waiting for ITT, but the road has other way before he got there). So i think he is now under pressure to gain time. And the only changes will be on TTT or he finally has to rely on his climbing leg to start shaving off his time deficit. (also descent skill). But Froome is clearly strong now. He is relax, and I think he knows that he can ride off his opponent (at least at the moment). Quintana so far to me like his Giro 2014. He wasn't impressive in the first week, and lost tons of time too. After that debacle on the neutralize descent, he finally showed on the next mountain that he deserved to win it.
 
DBotero

DBotero

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Re: Nibali discussion thread

Here's what Vincenzo Nibali had to say after the stage
"The teams always want to be at the front. It's difficult to be well positioned. I crashed 400 metres from the line. I don't quite understand how we found ourselves in such a mess. I don't understand.
"Personally I'm OK. I only slightly hurt my leg and shoulder. It's always a problem to crash. I really don't know what happened. I know it went from left to right and I fell over Froome, who was on my right. I think Barguil is the one who fell over me. I don't know for sure." >Cyclingnews' live coverage
 
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TI-Raleigh

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It's been a tale of two races for Nibali. Last year, no mistakes and no crashes. This year, although his form appears to be similar to 2014, he has been put in difficult situations he did not face last year. Must be very frustrating. If stays within a minute or two of Froome, I expect to see him attack on decents and a long raid on a mid-mountain stage.
 
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