Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[SafeBet]

He doesn't have a chance in LBL because he is tired

Indeed fatigue played a role.
He showed great class anyway with that huge pull for Gasparotto.

If he wants to have a shot at LBL next year he will have to skip Trentino and focus on the Ardennes (and hope to get Roche-aux-faucons back obviously).

 

[cineteq]

Indeed fatigue played a role.
He showed great class anyway with that huge pull for Gasparotto.

If he wants to have a shot at LBL next year he will have to skip Trentino and focus on the Ardennes (and hope to get Roche-aux-faucons back obviously).

You, italians, are having a hard time reading Nibali out.

 

[SafeBet]

You, italians, are having a hard time reading Nibali out.

What do you mean?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Sicilians can be impassive and are hard to read sometimes

 

[maxmartin]

Being a good teammate, he did a long and hard pull for Enrico Gasparotto.

 

[webvan]

Isn't it Fuglsang who did the massive pull towards the end?

 

[Eshnar]

Isn't it Fuglsang who did the massive pull towards the end?

no, it was Nibali.
He said he felt reasonably good yesterday but he lacked the explosiveness to stay with the best on St. Nicholas. So he tried to pull the group for Gasparotto who was definitely better than him in sprinting (indeed he won his sprint).

 

[maxmartin]

Are u guys excited? only a week away

 

[TANK91]

Are u guys excited? only a week away

Cant wait be great battle between Wiggo, Nibali and Hesjedal imo. I thought Hesjedal was just right place right time but he looks so strong last weeks.

 

[Jelantik]

Cant wait be great battle between Wiggo, Nibali and Hesjedal imo. I thought Hesjedal was just right place right time but he looks so strong last weeks.

I hope hesjedal is not just a hype. Seriously. I wan't at least 2 people can be a worthy opponent to sir wiggin. I started to get tired listening to wiggin this, wiggins that. Ow for god shake please some rider, get a good fitness. Give us a good show. Anyway, At least those two are the same type of riders..

 

[webvan]

Hesjedal looked strong in LBL but abandoned at Romandie, not sure why? Just sick?

 

[movingtarget]

Hesjedal looked strong in LBL but abandoned at Romandie, not sure why? Just sick?

It was deliberate. He was never going to finish the race. He preferred to give himself a week without racing before the Giro.

 

[maxmartin]

Hesjedal looked strong in LBL but abandoned at Romandie, not sure why? Just sick?

That is his plan, did the exact same thing last year.

 

[rhubroma]

As has been pointed out, this really belongs here:

Vincenzo Nibali was riding in my group at the front of a Granfondo (yesterday) as a training ride with his teammate Valerio Agnoli who is from Fiuggi, where the race began. Nibali and Agnoli are staying at altitude above Fiuggi in preparation for the Giro, since Nibali's wife is from there (they met because Nibali and Agnoli are good friends). I actually spoke with him, Nibali, briefly while we were cruising along on one of the only flat spots on the 130k (80 mile) course. What did I say? Naturally best of luck at the Giro. He's known as "the Shark of Messina." Now I know why. He doesn't have a muscle or any fat that's not in function of peddling a bike and, I dare say, he doesn't seem to be peddling, but swimming. Weird. The Giro starts next week, so it was interesting to see one of the best bike racers in the world at near maximum form. He will fly in the race. You heard it first here.

He seemed rather down to earth. It was funny, you know. At the start of the Granfondo there were like over 1000 participants. Myself and the guys I ride with were in the first grill, though it still took about 3 minutes to actually depart, because there were about 300 riders in front of us.

The first 20K were lightning fast and so it was a matter of getting your a$$ up to the front without crashing or going fuori giro, then the first climb came!

I got over that with the leaders. We were at that point a group of 40-50, no more. Then there was another climb and that shed another 20 or so out the back. Finally the pace dropped back down in the valley and one could take a bit of a breather before the next climb (there was over 2300 meters of total vertical ascent on the course).

It was at this point that I noticed two really fit guys with sky blue kit among us. I immediately realized neither had race numbers on and remembered that Nibali and Agnoli were above Fiuggi at altitude according to la Gazzetta dello Sport. Then I thought "Sh!t, that's Nibali and Agnoli."

We had been going so hard before and I was so concentrated on my race and holding position, first getting up to the front, then on the climbs, that I hadn't even noticed them. Then I thought, pfff, gotta say something to the bloke, so I did. No big deal. He got a kick out of the fact though that, while American, my mother's side of the family had emigrated to the US from Messina a century or so ago. After our brief exchange then came the next climb to Fiuggi, not the longest of the day, but the steepest. A brutal series of switchbacks, with brief sections at 20% for about 3-4k. Still there, but a break of 4 gets away, among whom was the eventual winner.
It was on the next climb of 10k that Nibali and Agnoli bridged up to the leaders. Bye-Bye…or rather, ciao.

 

[Carols]

What a Great experience for you. riding with Nibs Glad you enjoyed and shared!

 

[rhubroma]

What a Great experience for you. riding with Nibs Glad you enjoyed and shared!

Well how could I not have shared it! Certainly it isn't something you run into everyday.

Cheers

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Meeting Nibali must have been awesome!
Man, you must be in shape keeping up with the best

 

[rhubroma]

Meeting Nibali must have been awesome!
Man, you must be in shape keeping up with the best

Dude, I'm in shape. Now that's not my fault is it?

PS: God only knows how I've busted my a$$ over the last several months to get in shape. On the other hand, to witness up close one such as Nibali at the eve of the Giro, cycling speaking, is like being in the presence of a super fine Brunello. You know you are before a divine work of art.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Dude, I'm in shape. Now that's not my fault is it?

PS: God only knows how I've busted my a$$ over the last several months to get in shape. On the other hand, to witness up close one such as Nibali at the eve of the Giro, cycling speaking, is like being in the presence of a super fine Brunello. You know you are before a divine work of art.

I am not even in the top half of the local crits lol

Yea, I bet he must look sharp as hell! To know that you are one of the best trained humasn inn the world and be in peak form must feel amazing for these guys!

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The professore is much fitter than iimagine...you know, with all the wine and food ...and nice story.

 

[rhubroma]

I am not even in the top half of the local crits lol

Yea, I bet he must look sharp as hell! To know that you are one of the best trained humasn inn the world and be in peak form must feel amazing for these guys!

Indeed along with I'd say a peaked Contador, Wiggins, Froome, Schleck (pre-debacle) and Porte, Nibali is among the "best trained humans" (as you put it) currently in circulation. Now considering that he's on the eve of his main objective of the season there was something both molto forte and extremely delicate about the state thus produced, as if you were in the presence of something so refined that one wrong move and, p00f, it would vanish into thin air.

 

[maxmartin]

and where is Janez Brajkovič?? I though he could be a big help for Nibali in high mountain and he is more than decent at TT.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-2013-astana-send-climbers-to-support-nibali


Maybe Astana realize Jakob Fuglsang is a GC joke, they need someone to ride the Tour. Anyone has inside information???

 

[Cimber]

It was deliberate. He was never going to finish the race. He preferred to give himself a week without racing before the Giro.

A lot of Giro rider abandoned ROmandie due to the horrible weather on that mountain stage.

 

[SafeBet]

and where is Janez Brajkovič?? I though he could be a big help for Nibali in high mountain and he is more than decent at TT.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-2013-astana-send-climbers-to-support-nibali


Maybe Astana realize Jakob Fuglsang is a GC joke, they need someone to ride the Tour. Anyone has inside information???

I like the team as it is. Janez has been invisible so far this season and I'm not even sure he'd be committed to work for Nibbles.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

and where is Janez Brajkovič?? I though he could be a big help for Nibali in high mountain and he is more than decent at TT.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-2013-astana-send-climbers-to-support-nibali


Maybe Astana realize Jakob Fuglsang is a GC joke, they need someone to ride the Tour. Anyone has inside information???

Brajkovic a better GC option for the Tour? Its another card to play, but if the team ends up having both tag along the Sky train stage after stage it will end in failure. Vino should know better.