Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[SafeBet]

I actually was expecting it. Tour trend continued in Il Giro.

OK, but in the Tour you had most of the top GC riders in the world. Here you have Hindley, Kelderman and TGH. I don't think the field is comparable.

 

[Anybody_but..]

How many times are you going to repeat yourself here?
Thank goodness for Ignore

Normally, yes, you'd be of couse right.

But anywhere else than here that was so annoying and ridiculous hype train to anyone rider - continued all the time. Repeated the same b..s.

So finally some sentences are fully understandable to be repeated.

 

[Red Rick]

OK, but in the Tour you had most of the top GC riders in the world. Here you have Hindley, Kelderman and TGH. I don't think the field is comparable.

I was basically expecting it after Nibali's comment about numbers in the ITT. I wasn't expecting him to be shite, and when Sunweb just roflstomped everyone I kinda got vibes that it wasn't all the established names being shite but rather a new death train

 

[Red Rick]

Normally, yes, you'd be of couse right.

But anywhere else than here that was so annoying and ridiculous hype train to anyone rider - continued all the time. Repeated the same b..s.

So finally some sentences are fully understandable to be repeated.

As far as online echo chambers go, this is a pretty mild one

 

[SafeBet]

I was basically expecting it after Nibali's comment about numbers in the ITT. I wasn't expecting him to be shite, and when Sunweb just roflstomped everyone I kinda got vibes that it wasn't all the established names being shite but rather a new death train

You would still expect him to be better than Majka. I mean when is the last time he was worse than Majka in two consecutive GC relevant stages? Never?

What bothers me most is that the Slongo approach has made Nibali a more conservative rider to my eyes. They are always talking about waiting for the hard stages and the altitude mountains and the third week peak and bla bla bla. Nibali was not this kind of Sastre wannabe earlier in his career. I get that you need to measure your efforts more as you get older but geez he has yet to attack once and two weeks have gone.

 

[Anybody_but..]

And we have historical moment: the end of 2nd decade of XXI century with no victories of Bertie, Dawg or Nibs any more.

 

[Red Rick]

You would still expect him to be better than Majka. I mean when is the last time he was worse than Majka in two consecutive GC relevant stages? Never?

What bothers me most is that the Slongo approach has made Nibali a more conservative rider to my eyes. They are always talking about waiting for the hard stages and the altitude mountains and the third week peak and bla bla bla. Nibali was not this kind of Sastre wannabe earlier in his career. I get that you need to measure your efforts more as you get older but geez he has yet to attack once and two stages have gone.

Majka rode his own pace very early with a domestique left. Nibali did a classic boomski. Sadly it seems he's lost all punch these days, even though he was fine on the short steep hills earlier. Maybe he thought the usual watts woudl be enough (which is kinda dumb considering the Tour).

It's also not like he's much of a murito specialist compared to the other guys. I also get not wanting to be eyed by everyone early when your team is dwindling more every stage. In the end the long climbs and stages is still Nibali's greatest asset so I do think it makes sense to not want to risk losing the Giro before that. If he's getting dropped by Wilco frigging Kelderman on the Stelvio no tactics ever mattered anyway.

 

[SafeBet]

Majka rode his own pace very early with a domestique left. Nibali did a classic boomski. Sadly it seems he's lost all punch these days, even though he was fine on the short steep hills earlier. Maybe he thought the usual watts woudl be enough (which is kinda dumb considering the Tour).

It's also not like he's much of a murito specialist compared to the other guys. I also get not wanting to be eyed by everyone early when your team is dwindling more every stage. In the end the long climbs and stages is still Nibali's greatest asset so I do think it makes sense to not want to risk losing the Giro before that. If he's getting dropped by Wilco frigging Kelderman on the Stelvio no tactics ever mattered anyway.

Not for the win but for my own personal entertainment they do matter. A lot.

Remember how many times Contador attacked in the 2017 Vuelta? Every freaking hill.

 

[Red Rick]

Not for the win but for my own personal entertainment they do matter. A lot.

Remember how many times Contador attacked in the 2017 Vuelta? Every freaking hill.

A different time.

A different king.

I guess I've mostly missed Nibali really pushing it on some descent or the other, but maybe that's yet to come. Always thought Nibali magic was way different from Contador magic.

 

[Rollthedice]

Majka rode his own pace very early with a domestique left. Nibali did a classic boomski. Sadly it seems he's lost all punch these days, even though he was fine on the short steep hills earlier. Maybe he thought the usual watts woudl be enough (which is kinda dumb considering the Tour).

It's also not like he's much of a murito specialist compared to the other guys. I also get not wanting to be eyed by everyone early when your team is dwindling more every stage. In the end the long climbs and stages is still Nibali's greatest asset so I do think it makes sense to not want to risk losing the Giro before that. If he's getting dropped by Wilco frigging Kelderman on the Stelvio no tactics ever mattered anyway.

Even if they expected the Tour postlockdownpowerwtf there's nothing he can do. All he can do is take these guys on an endurance ride in monster stages with dangerous descents. Let's see.

 

[Rollthedice]

You would still expect him to be better than Majka. I mean when is the last time he was worse than Majka in two consecutive GC relevant stages? Never?

What bothers me most is that the Slongo approach has made Nibali a more conservative rider to my eyes. They are always talking about waiting for the hard stages and the altitude mountains and the third week peak and bla bla bla. Nibali was not this kind of Sastre wannabe earlier in his career. I get that you need to measure your efforts more as you get older but geez he has yet to attack once and two stages have gone.

It worked in 2014 and it set the trend. I was calling for "Slongo out" years ago but he won big races in the meantime though first year in Astana Slongo wasn't with him and he had a great year. In the end they climbed the highest mountains together and will fail together, that's how it is.

 

[Red Rick]

Even if they expected the Tour postlockdownpowerwtf there's nothing he can do. All he can do is take these guys on an endurance ride in monster stages with dangerous descents. Let's see.

The king is dead.

Long live the king.

Spoiler

Maybe he will be the king maker

 

[Red Rick]

It worked in 2014 and it set the trend. I was calling for "Slongo out" years ago but he won big races in the meantime though first year in Astana Slongo wasn't with him and he had a great year. In the end they climbed the highest mountains together and will fail together, that's how it is.

Do feel like he maybe needs a change of scenery in that regard tbh.

 

[Rollthedice]

Do feel like he maybe needs a change of scenery in that regard tbh.

He needs it but it won't happen, at least that's my take.

 

[Red Rick]

He needs it but it won't happen, at least that's my take.

I agree, sadly.

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

Well I don't think it's very fair to praise Slongo's magic all the time when he's riding well and now that he's an oldie struggling for results against the youngsters suddenly we must burn the witch.

The fact that the numbers are there shows the usual approach has not failed even in the time of Covid. I'm just bitter that even with 2017 form he can't climb with the likes of Tao & Kelderman.

 

[Red Rick]

Well I don't think it's very fair to praise Slongo's magic all the time when he's riding well and now that he's an oldie struggling for results against the youngsters suddenly we must burn the witch.

The fact that the numbers are there shows the usual approach has not failed even in the time of Covid. I'm just bitter that even with 2017 form he can't climb with the likes of Tao & Kelderman.

I think that's an adjustment related to the other subforum and it's gonna be waiting until 2018 to judge for Nibali's further career. Sadly he won't ever see a field this shambolic and a 3rd week this great for him ever again.

 

[Climbing]

We had this conversation many times, now it's too late at 36 years and running.

 

[SafeBet]

Well I don't think it's very fair to praise Slongo's magic all the time when he's riding well and now that he's an oldie struggling for results against the youngsters suddenly we must burn the witch.

The fact that the numbers are there shows the usual approach has not failed even in the time of Covid. I'm just bitter that even with 2017 form he can't climb with the likes of Tao & Kelderman.

I was never a fan of the super peak thing and never praised the Slongo's magic, which ultimately was just hitting the jackpot in the 2014 Tour.

I have no reason to believe Nibali's one day race success have anything to do with Slongo. The talent was there from the early years. If anything, the Slongo approach prevented him from riding LBL in good shape like he did a number of times before 2014.

 

[Climbing]

I strongly advocated the trainer switch in 2015 tbh, would have been perfect timing.
Edit: they won a lot together so it's a moot point anyway.

 

[Rollthedice]

I think that's an adjustment related to the other subforum and it's gonna be waiting until 2018 to judge for Nibali's further career. Sadly he won't ever see a field this shambolic and a 3rd week this great for him ever again.

That elusive third Giro and third Lombardia, both were looking in the bag, Giro last year and Lombardia in 2018 (before the Alpe crash not during the race). See, the bag returns.

 

[Red Rick]

That elusive third Giro and third Lombardia, both were looking in the bag, Giro last year and Lombardia in 2018 (before the Alpe crash not during the race). See, the bag returns.

Sad thing I just don't know what's left anymore. A long shot at Olympics? Another shot at the Giro?

 

[Rollthedice]

Sad thing I just don't know what's left anymore. A long shot at Olympics? Another shot at the Giro?

Where will the world be next year?

 

[Red Rick]

Where will the world be next year?

This question is too philosophical for me

But the world championships will be in Flanders

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

Paris-Roubaix 2021 in the bag.