Basso:
'The other day we met again and we talked for two hours. I found the same Nibali from ten years ago. More of a man but the same person. In the 2010 Giro, we got a glimpse of what he was capable of. He was talented, but not quite mature. More than anything else you could see that his potential was incredible. He was not the new Felice Gimondi. He was Nibali."
Wiggo:
"When I hear the name Nibali, I realize that I was able to share the podium with a rider whom I consider one of the greats of the sport. And especially an Italian who, having won all three grand tours, belongs in the same category as such giants of Italian cycling as Fausto Coppi, Francesco Moser, Marco Pantani, Giuseppe Saronni and Felice Gimondi. Vincenzo, it was a privilege to share the road with you. Without you, cycling loses something, and not a little."
Contador:
"Without a doubt, he is one of my biggest rivals during my career. Vincenzo was complicated to deal with: he could attack you uphill, downhill, or on the flat. He was brave, cycling needs such a person. (One victory stands out head and shoulders above the rest.) The victory in Milan-San Remo, who would have thought he was capable of that? I believe most of his great successes have been achieved thanks to his aggressiveness in the race. Without fear, believing in your own abilities."
Valverde:
"Of all the photos we are in together, the final podium of the 2016 Giro is the most beautiful. Vincenzo won with an amazing comeback and I finished third in my best ever participation. We shared joy and disappointments, fun but also suffering because suffering is part of cycling."
"We were rivals on the bike, but once off the bike everything changed. We are friends and respect each other. Our last races were necessarily meant to coincide, but it had to be this way. I'm happy because we both still have a good level and we hope to prove it one last time at Lombardy. Vincenzo is one of those who left a mark for what they did, one of those who will always be remembered. It is an honor to have lived in his time."
https://www.indeleiderstrui.nl/wiel...valverde-loven-mythische-loopbaan-van-de-haai