Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[SafeBet]

Bahrain was actually immaculate today. First creating the split on the descent and then setting the pace on Cordal. Maybe Nibali and Delfino were trying to attack together with Pantano and Contador before Nibbles crashed. But even then, the DS was very smart having Delfino set a stable pace for a long time on Angliru, thus protecting Nibali from attacks. Nobody called their bluff until 2 km to go and then it was too late to really hurt him.

As for next year, I think they should sign Ciccone. He could be their top rider once Nibali calls it quit.

 

[bambino]

Re:

Bahrain was actually immaculate today. First creating the split on the descent and then setting the pace on Cordal. Maybe Nibali and Delfino were trying to attack together with Pantano and Contador before Nibbles crashed. But even then, the DS was very smart having Delfino set a stable pace for a long time on Angliru, thus protecting Nibali from attacks. Nobody called their bluff until 2 km to go and then it was too late to really hurt him.

As for next year, I think they should sign Ciccone. He could be their top rider once Nibali calls it quit.

Has Nieve signed with anyone yet? He would fit to the envelope, also in terms of age

 

[Rollthedice]

It’s a shame for the sliding in the curve – says Vincenzo Nibali – it was raining and the road was dirty and slippery. Until then we did a great race but then I had to defend myself on last climb. I’m glad I was able to defend my second place”.
“My teammates have done a wonderful job – adds the Italian champion – but I must thank Franco Pellizotti in particular. Without him and with the strong pain on my left side I do not know if I would arrive with the best at the finish line at the top of Angliru. ”

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

Has Nieve signed with anyone yet? He would fit to the envelope, also in terms of age

Signed with Orica.

 

[bambino]

Re: Re:

Has Nieve signed with anyone yet? He would fit to the envelope, also in terms of age

Signed with Orica.

Oh indeed. Forgot it.

 

[killswitch]

Re:

The program should be Liegi, Tour, Worlds.
Yes we just lost Contador, hopefully he does have some more years!

If I was Slongo I would design a program similar to Dumoulin's - first peak in the Ardennes/Giro and then second for the Canadian races/Worlds/Autumn classics with fewer racing days overall but racing at a higher level.

 

[PremierAndrew]

He did really really well to keep his 2nd place in the end after the crash, credit where it's due

 

[Rollthedice]

It's interesting that, after finding out all the details, the story of Vincenzo's 2017 Angliru stage changed. It has to be said though that either way it was impossible today to gain significant time on Froome. We thought he didn't have the legs but in the end he was heroically defending his runner-up spot, with the fantastic help of Delfino after the crash that could have ended worse than just loosing the podium.

 

[jsem94]

Honestly didn't think he had crashed, now I retract my previous statement. He can definitely win more GTs. Hopefully the Tour will give ample opportunity next year. Please, we need someone to rattle Sky.

 

[DanielSong39]

Re:

The problem is, Nibali wants to attack but with a team like Sky there is nowhere to go. And his own team is not strong enough to set up an ambush, basically all he has is Pellizotti

If Bahrein strengthen their team significantly for the climbs and can send up man in the attack before Nibali links up with them, he could do some old school classic ****. But He's not getting any younger and soon Sky will not be the only one with a mountain train that churns out 400w all the time

Watch out, Sunweb is getting closer!

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

That picture makes me sad.

Honestly I think the year has been tough and frustrating for Nibali. He's a man of pride, but despite not giving a **** about 2nd or 3rd he hasn't really had the legs to attack, or he hasn't really gotten a chance to make it a mano á mano battle.

I hope he's got a few big years left. Cycling needs him now more than ever, and I'm not too happy about him doing the Tour next year. On the other hand, the Tour does suit him better than the Vuelta.

I think the Tour is the race for him. I think the Tour could be an interesting race next year and I hope the route is better than this year. With Dumoulin, Quintana, Nibali missing the Giro, Aru in better shape and other riders remaining upright. The Tour is harder for Froome now. On a more traditional Tour course I think Froome may have struggled more this year in the mountains. The TT has always been his get out of jail card and he relies on it even more now. The cards favored him in the Tour this year and he will be favorite next year but I don't think he's a certainty for a fifth win. Seems like he will be losing a few good domestiques as well.

 

[yaco]

Think with Nibali it will depend on the routes for the three GT's - As it turned out, the GC field at the 2017 TDF was probably weaker than both the Vuelta and the Giro - I suspect the 2018 TDF will have the strongest three field of the three GC's, so it then becomes a decision for Bahrain Merida to determine where Nibali will obtain his best result - I am unsure it will be the TDF.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Think with Nibali it will depend on the routes for the three GT's - As it turned out, the GC field at the 2017 TDF was probably weaker than both the Vuelta and the Giro - I suspect the 2018 TDF will have the strongest three field of the three GC's, so it then becomes a decision for Bahrain Merida to determine where Nibali will obtain his best result - I am unsure it will be the TDF.

It will most likely be TdF since a season with Liege, Tour and Worlds absolutely makes the most sense for him this season. Cant do that with a Giro - Vuelta double

 

[portugal11]

I don't want nibali to race le tour. He is too good for that crappy race. We already have the movistar train to destroy sky. We just need a good quintana. Landa, valverde, quintana, betancur, bennatti, soler, sutherland and fernandez

 

[staubsauger]

Strangely enough, this has been his best year since 2014. But eventually he won Lombardy 2015 and the Giro in 2016. This year, no big race.

Maybe it really would've been better if he had focused on becoming a classics contender after his great 2015 fall.

This placements doesn't change much for a rider of his caliber in the end. But one victory in a cobbled classics and if it had been only Omloop would've made him the most complete rider since long time ago, obviously!

 

[Climbing]

Yeah too bad, an excellent year, but no big win.
Both 2015 and 2016 were going quite badly, but then BANG he got two huge wins!
Well, it's cycling, sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not.

 

[Laplaz]

There is still Lombardia...

 

[Climbing]

I guess having to show his best with the new team gave him extra motivation as well.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Strangely enough, this has been his best year since 2014. But eventually he won Lombardy 2015 and the Giro in 2016. This year, no big race.

Maybe it really would've been better if he had focused on becoming a classics contender after his great 2015 fall.

This placements doesn't change much for a rider of his caliber in the end. But one victory in a cobbled classics and if it had been only Omloop would've made him the most complete rider since long time ago, obviously!

First and foremost he is a GT rider, you can't flip a switch and compete with Sagan, GVA and Quickstep. Last year he did focus on a very big one day race, Olympic RR and he was very close to win it but that's cycling. Next year he'll focus on the worlds and hopefully will be fit enough to contest LBL. Bahrain is very much his project, he did two GTs in a much more serene environment and in the process helped also the team with his two podiums and two stage wins. There's not very much you can do against Froome and lately if the route suits him, Dumoulin, but if you don't try you'll never know if you can beat them.

 

[rick james]

Re:

I don't want nibali to race le tour. He is too good for that crappy race. We already have the movistar train to destroy sky. We just need a good quintana. Landa, valverde, quintana, betancur, bennatti, soler, sutherland and fernandez

he's not good enough for Vuelta and the giro this year and I doubt he will win another grand tour, don't blame the race for Nibali being poor and past it

 

[LaFlorecita]

His little girl is so cute! She really stole the show on the podium

 

[Gigs_98]

To be honest I don't think he will ever win a gt again. Winning the tour next year will be incredibly difficult and even if he returns to the giro one year later I fear he'll be too old by then. I therefore really really hope he'll improve his classics palmares. If he wins another monument and the wc that would make him something extremely unique for todays era. I especially hope he'll ride paris roubaix one day because I think if he specifically trains for that race and has luck with rain he has a decent shot at winning there.

 

[Bardamu]

Re:

Strangely enough, this has been his best year since 2014. But eventually he won Lombardy 2015 and the Giro in 2016. This year, no big race.

Maybe it really would've been better if he had focused on becoming a classics contender after his great 2015 fall.

This placements doesn't change much for a rider of his caliber in the end. But one victory in a cobbled classics and if it had been only Omloop would've made him the most complete rider since long time ago, obviously!

Why would he want to win a cobbled classic?

 

[bambino]

Re: Re:

I don't want nibali to race le tour. He is too good for that crappy race. We already have the movistar train to destroy sky. We just need a good quintana. Landa, valverde, quintana, betancur, bennatti, soler, sutherland and fernandez

he's not good enough for Vuelta and the giro this year and I doubt he will win another grand tour, don't blame the race for Nibali being poor and past it

Strangely this post kind of says that no-one else is good enough for Vuelta than Froome. Maybe he should compete alone then. Would probably suit us all well having him in separate competition.

In the serious note, I think RJ could be banned more often, at least the quality hasn't increased.

 

[Oliver]

I would like to see him winning Liege Bastogne Liege next year! But first a great Lombardije!