Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[DNP-Old]

Re: Re:

I am very eager to see how he does in the Ronde. He needs to be an example to all those other climbers that it is possible for them to play their part in that race. Valverde could win that thing.

:lol:

This takes the biscuit as this week's most fruity statement.

Gilbert won it, why couldn't Valverde? Lmao, an inferior talent like Boogerd actually managed to come close. Even Hoogerland nearly top 10'd that race on multiple occasions.

 

[Netserk]

Gilbert who has won Omloop with long solos a decade ago? Who was twice on the podium in Ronde before he was on the podium in Liège? Gilbert was never as light as Valverde, and he showed from the start of his career that he could ride the cobbled classics. Valverde doesn't have the positioning nor the raw power for it. He needs longer climbs.

 

[DNP-Old]

The difference between Valverde and Gilbert is 6 kilo's. De Ronde tends to get overrated as a cobble classic. Year in, year out you'll see names who wouldn't even think of starting in Roubaix. We're talking about one of the most talented riders ever here, not your ordinary, forgettable star. Give Valverde a year and he contends in that thing.

 

[Koronin]

Well according to Valverde Ronde is tentatively on his calendar. Also due to the cobbled stage of the Tour Movistar has said they are sending all 3 of their GC riders to a cobbled race. They've already announced Landa to one or two of the cobbled races during Catalunya, Quintana to Dwars, that leave Ronde for Valverde. Now the question is rather he actually goes to it or not. Who knows maybe with Nibali actually going it will help convince him to go as well.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah there's no way either Nibali or Valverde could win De Ronde. Gilbert winning it is not really an argument cause he had a decade long history with the cobbled classics at that point, and for however much he loves his LBL, he only had the climbing level to win in 2010 and 2011.

Knowing the race the route and where you need to be in front and jocking for positions is so ridiculously important, and I'm also very sure that climbers like Valverde and Nibali don't have the raw power for the Oude Kwaremont.

 

[DNP-Old]

I stand by my statement. We're like a decade away from Karsten Kroon coming 4th. If he can, then so can superior talents like Nibali and Valverde. If Nibali starts in De Ronde, with the mindset to win, I'm backing him to go a long way.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

I am very eager to see how he does in the Ronde. He needs to be an example to all those other climbers that it is possible for them to play their part in that race. Valverde could win that thing.

:lol:

This takes the biscuit as this week's most fruity statement.

Gilbert won it, why couldn't Valverde? Lmao, an inferior talent like Boogerd actually managed to come close. Even Hoogerland nearly top 10'd that race on multiple occasions.

Gilbert has also won the Amstel Gold Race four times, which has similar twists and turns as the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

 

[Netserk]

I'd back Nibali to do well in Ronde over Valverde any day.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

I'd back Nibali to do well in Ronde over Valverde any day.

Which one?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I'd back Nibali to do well in Ronde over Valverde any day.

Which one?

Exactly. Is Valverde not crashing and Nibali is at his 2014-2018 spring level, Valverde is doing better. End off.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

I'd back Nibali to do well in Ronde over Valverde any day.

Which one?

Exactly. Is Valverde not crashing and Nibali is at his 2014-2018 spring level, Valverde is doing better. End off.

:lol: It was a brother joke.

Nibali has what it takes to do a top-10, if things go right and he is strong. Valverde doesn't.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I'd back Nibali to do well in Ronde over Valverde any day.

Which one?

Exactly. Is Valverde not crashing and Nibali is at his 2014-2018 spring level, Valverde is doing better. End off.

:lol: It was a brother joke.

Nibali has what it takes to do a top-10, if things go right and he is strong. Valverde doesn't.

I have no clue what a brother joke is, but yes, if Nibali is at his absolute best level, he can obviously top-10 and probably more than that. Thing is he won't be so its kinda moot, whereas you know that when and if Valverde is showing of, he will be at a level close to or at his best as usual.

I don't agree, however, than Valverde can't top-10. But I guess thats a pretty pointless argument.

 

[Netserk]

DId I say absolute best? No. Spring level of 2012, that kind of form would give him a shot to do well.

 

[tobydawq]

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

I'd back Nibali to do well in Ronde over Valverde any day.

Which one?

Exactly. Is Valverde not crashing and Nibali is at his 2014-2018 spring level, Valverde is doing better. End off.

:lol: It was a brother joke.

Nibali has what it takes to do a top-10, if things go right and he is strong. Valverde doesn't.

I have no clue what a brother joke is, but yes, if Nibali is at his absolute best level, he can obviously top-10 and probably more than that. Thing is he won't be so its kinda moot, whereas you know that when and if Valverde is showing of, he will be at a level close to or at his best as usual.

I don't agree, however, than Valverde can't top-10. But I guess thats a pretty pointless argument.

Read through the posts again and I'm pretty sure you'll get it

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

DId I say absolute best? No. Spring level of 2012, that kind of form would give him a shot to do well.

Yeah whatever, we don't disagree here. He would obviously do well in that kind of shape. Who disagrees?....

I thought he was referring to which Nibali (shape-wise) would turn up. Lawl.

 

[Red Rick]

I was joking about how good Antonio was riding in PN today.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

You see, this is funny because Nibali has been on the podium of three monuments, and valverde hasn't. And without him having a sprint of any kind.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

You see, this is funny because Nibali has been on the podium of three monuments, and valverde hasn't. And without him having a sprint of any kind.

Yes, that was before 2014. Since then, he hasn't been good outside the races I mentioned.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

You see, this is funny because Nibali has been on the podium of three monuments, and valverde hasn't. And without him having a sprint of any kind.

Yes, that was before 2014. Since then, he hasn't been good outside the races I mentioned.

He kicked Valverde's ass at the Olympics and would've won it without the crash.

When Nibali targets something as his main goal he's usually one of the best.

It's just that these days the Ardennes classics aren't taken as seriously anymore and a lot of great riders skip them or only ride them for training purposes.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

You see, this is funny because Nibali has been on the podium of three monuments, and valverde hasn't. And without him having a sprint of any kind.

Yes, that was before 2014. Since then, he hasn't been good outside the races I mentioned.

Well, ever since 2014 he has become a rider who isn't good for the whole season anymore but someone who usually has two really good peaks and is rubbish for the rest of the year. Since he hasn't peaked for the spring classics in that time period he logically also hasn't been good there, but I think that if he peaks for these races he'd still be as strong as he was before 2014

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

You see, this is funny because Nibali has been on the podium of three monuments, and valverde hasn't. And without him having a sprint of any kind.

Yes, that was before 2014. Since then, he hasn't been good outside the races I mentioned.

He kicked Valverde's *** at the Olympics and would've won it without the crash.

When Nibali targets something as his main goal he's usually one of the best.

It's just that these days the Ardennes classics aren't taken as seriously anymore and a lot of great riders skip them or only ride them for training purposes.

Okay, I'll give you the Olympics - I hadn't thought of that. Though, how he would have beat Henao, I don't know.

And yeah, a lot of riders ride the Ardennes for training purposes. It's quite important to optimise one's shape before the first big break of the season.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

I think it was a brother joke in the Antonio versus Vincenzo mould...

By the way, Valverde would have a much bigger chance than Nibali to do well in Flanders, amongst other reasons because he is capable of riding well without it either being in a GT or in the Italian fall races.

You see, this is funny because Nibali has been on the podium of three monuments, and valverde hasn't. And without him having a sprint of any kind.

Yes, that was before 2014. Since then, he hasn't been good outside the races I mentioned.

He kicked Valverde's *** at the Olympics and would've won it without the crash.

When Nibali targets something as his main goal he's usually one of the best.

It's just that these days the Ardennes classics aren't taken as seriously anymore and a lot of great riders skip them or only ride them for training purposes.

Okay, I'll give you the Olympics - I hadn't thought of that. Though, how he would have beat Henao, I don't know.

And yeah, a lot of riders ride the Ardennes for training purposes. It's quite important to optimise one's shape before the first big break of the season.

He needed a few seconds at the bottom of the climb and would've smoked Henao on the flat. That particular place where he crashed was where he forced the descent one lap before catching Aru and making the first big selection. Terrible bad luck.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

DId I say absolute best? No. Spring level of 2012, that kind of form would give him a shot to do well.

That would be his spring absolute best, he reached that level only once...

 

[Eclipse]

Another incredible addition to his Palmares

A superb racer