Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Thanks both, hopefully not a sign of things to come!!

Not at all, I think he is ready and looked pretty thin, race weight achieved I'd say. On another note, Sonny Colbrelli has some interesting thoughts about Nibali and Le Tour:

"We should all take an example from him, he is the ideal captain, one who never puts stress on you. I envy him: we are tense, worried, agitated, and he is always calm, peaceful, serene. It's one of his additional strengths.

Bahrain will leave for France a day early, Wednesday, to dedicate the day on Thursday to try the team time trial of the third stage, in Cholet.

"That and the stage of the pavè will be two key moments. In the Tour of Switzerland we arrived seventh in the team time trial, I am convinced that we will have a great test on the Tour. Bahrain is strong, and for me it is an honor to be one of the seven that can bring Vincenzo to Paris. For the climbs there are the Izagirre brothers, Pellizotti and Pozzovivo. For the cobbles it's me, Koren and Haussler. Koren is then one that if you put it there in front pulls all day.

As for him, he will have free way in some stage, "but I do not count, the important thing is to be all with Vincenzo".

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re: Re:

Thanks both, hopefully not a sign of things to come!!

Not at all, I think he is ready and looked pretty thin, race weight achieved I'd say. On another note, Sonny Colbrelli has some interesting thoughts about Nibali and Le Tour:

"We should all take an example from him, he is the ideal captain, one who never puts stress on you. I envy him: we are tense, worried, agitated, and he is always calm, peaceful, serene. It's one of his additional strengths.

Bahrain will leave for France a day early, Wednesday, to dedicate the day on Thursday to try the team time trial of the third stage, in Cholet.

"That and the stage of the pavè will be two key moments. In the Tour of Switzerland we arrived seventh in the team time trial, I am convinced that we will have a great test on the Tour. Bahrain is strong, and for me it is an honor to be one of the seven that can bring Vincenzo to Paris. For the climbs there are the Izagirre brothers, Pellizotti and Pozzovivo. For the cobbles it's me, Koren and Haussler. Koren is then one that if you put it there in front pulls all day.

As for him, he will have free way in some stage, "but I do not count, the important thing is to be all with Vincenzo".

Nice words from Sonny!

 

[jmdirt]

VN has been relatively low key, but I have high expectations for him.
VN and most of the other GC guys have mentioned how hard it is to attack Sky. I don't necessarily want them to have "formal" agreements with each other, but if they all race hard, that makes it tougher for Sky.

 

[Rollthedice]

Operazione Tour de France has begun. He is in France, tomorrow with the team they will test the TTT route.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

VN has been relatively low key, but I have high expectations for him.
VN and most of the other GC guys have mentioned how hard it is to attack Sky. I don't necessarily want them to have "formal" agreements with each other, but if they all race hard, that makes it tougher for Sky.

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re: Re:

VN has been relatively low key, but I have high expectations for him.
VN and most of the other GC guys have mentioned how hard it is to attack Sky. I don't necessarily want them to have "formal" agreements with each other, but if they all race hard, that makes it tougher for Sky.

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

I really agree, it might work.
But, wait a minute, yesterday you said there is no point in watching TdF?

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

VN has been relatively low key, but I have high expectations for him.
VN and most of the other GC guys have mentioned how hard it is to attack Sky. I don't necessarily want them to have "formal" agreements with each other, but if they all race hard, that makes it tougher for Sky.

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

I really agree, it might work.
But, wait a minute, yesterday you said there is no point in watching TdF?

Might doesn't mean that either it will or you can actually get teams to co operate. I'm not aware of what amounts to two extremely good friends racing for different teams that also both happen to be two of the top GC riders riders in the peloton currently.

 

[cantpedal]

Re: Re:

VN has been relatively low key, but I have high expectations for him.
VN and most of the other GC guys have mentioned how hard it is to attack Sky. I don't necessarily want them to have "formal" agreements with each other, but if they all race hard, that makes it tougher for Sky.

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

I really agree, it might work.
But, wait a minute, yesterday you said there is no point in watching TdF?

Might doesn't mean that either it will or you can actually get teams to co operate. I'm not aware of what amounts to two extremely good friends racing for different teams that also both happen to be two of the top GC riders riders in the peloton currently.

Froome and Porte

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

He’s flown a little too far under the radar for my liking. I hope he can get in the mix, but I’m not expecting it.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

VN has been relatively low key, but I have high expectations for him.
VN and most of the other GC guys have mentioned how hard it is to attack Sky. I don't necessarily want them to have "formal" agreements with each other, but if they all race hard, that makes it tougher for Sky.

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

I really agree, it might work.
But, wait a minute, yesterday you said there is no point in watching TdF?

Might doesn't mean that either it will or you can actually get teams to co operate. I'm not aware of what amounts to two extremely good friends racing for different teams that also both happen to be two of the top GC riders riders in the peloton currently.

Froome and Porte

Difference is Porte still looks like a domestique for Froome.

 

[Singer01]

He will either be the one to push Froome the hardest, or finish 5-10. I'm fine with that, It is better to live one day as a lion than ten years as a lamb (i'm looking at you Louis Meintjes).

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

You be lucky to get co-operation between Landa and Quintana never mind cross team co-operation.

Think Froome will be weakened from Giro though, in which case the favourites are Nibali and Quintana

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

He’s flown a little too far under the radar for my liking. I hope he can get in the mix, but I’m not expecting it.

I'm sure he'll be in best possible shape when they hit the mountains. Whether that's good enough to win it, we'll see. If he'll be within a minute to Froome and have some time on the Movistars before the stage to Le Grand-Bornand it will become interesting.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

[quote="

Not at all. Froome's domestiques ride along in front of him with bored looks on their faces with their mouths tightly closed. Froome is behind them talking to his armpit and looking at his handlebars. The Froome/Porte friendship is only off the bike now and has been for quite a while as last year's Dauphine clearly showed. The whole thing was overblown simply because they were the only ones who could often respond to each other's attacks but Porte was never usually good enough to drop Froome. Not in the grand tours anyway.

 

[cantpedal]

Re: Re:

[quote="

Not at all. Froome's domestiques ride along in front of him with bored looks on their faces with their mouths tightly closed. Froome is behind them talking to his armpit and looking at his handlebars. The Froome/Porte friendship is only off the bike now and has been for quite a while as last year's Dauphine clearly showed. The whole thing was overblown simply because they were the only ones who could often respond to each other's attacks but Porte was never usually good enough to drop Froome. Not in the grand tours anyway.

This

and I don't get others view that Landa only rides for himself theory. He clearly rode for Froome last year against his own interest.

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

You be lucky to get co-operation between Landa and Quintana never mind cross team co-operation.

Think Froome will be weakened from Giro though, in which case the favourites are Nibali and Quintana

I don't even really want cooperation, as much as I want them all to race hard. They have the mindset that its hard to attack Sky, but you can't beat them by following them around (or only attacking in the final K).

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

Thanks both, hopefully not a sign of things to come!!

Not at all, I think he is ready and looked pretty thin, race weight achieved I'd say. On another note, Sonny Colbrelli has some interesting thoughts about Nibali and Le Tour:

"We should all take an example from him, he is the ideal captain, one who never puts stress on you. I envy him: we are tense, worried, agitated, and he is always calm, peaceful, serene. It's one of his additional strengths.

Bahrain will leave for France a day early, Wednesday, to dedicate the day on Thursday to try the team time trial of the third stage, in Cholet.

"That and the stage of the pavè will be two key moments. In the Tour of Switzerland we arrived seventh in the team time trial, I am convinced that we will have a great test on the Tour. Bahrain is strong, and for me it is an honor to be one of the seven that can bring Vincenzo to Paris. For the climbs there are the Izagirre brothers, Pellizotti and Pozzovivo. For the cobbles it's me, Koren and Haussler. Koren is then one that if you put it there in front pulls all day.

As for him, he will have free way in some stage, "but I do not count, the important thing is to be all with Vincenzo".

That's great to hear.

 

[Salvarani]

Re: Re:

In 2015 when Contador and Valverde made a deal to use their two teams together to go after Sky they did succeed in finally breaking Sky on stage 20. So they proved it could be done, but they really needed to have started sooner, and if you can find a way to get more teams to co operate they could do it. Plus with Bahrain having Nibali plus the Izagirre brothers and Movistar having the 3 Musketeers plus Amador and Soler, then throw in another team somewhere (maybe AG2R) it might work, but you're going to need several rights on more than one or two teams to do it.

You be lucky to get co-operation between Landa and Quintana never mind cross team co-operation.

Think Froome will be weakened from Giro though, in which case the favourites are Nibali and Quintana

I don't even really want cooperation, as much as I want them all to race hard. They have the mindset that its hard to attack Sky, but you can't beat them by following them around (or only attacking in the final K).

It is still hard to attack when the guy has 4 guys to help him almost as strong as you...

You can attack and attack but you can only keep that acceleration for so long. Then you got to find an own pace. When Froome has that much help and on good form, they can just set the high steady pace and they will catch you or loose very little time on you.

Only way to beat him is if he would just not be in good form or he has trouble with a crash or mechanical and you take advantage of it. And then he still might come back with a freak performance out of nowhere to win

Smh

 

[skippo12]

He looked really skinny today...hope that`s not a bad sign for the cobbled stage.

 

[Rollthedice]

He looked really skinny today...hope that`s not a bad sign for the cobbled stage.

Sagan will drop him on the last cobbled sector. I think he looked tired, needs some good sleep.

 

[Koronin]

He looked really skinny today...hope that`s not a bad sign for the cobbled stage.

Sagan will drop him on the last cobbled sector. I think he looked tired, needs some good sleep.

He doesn't have to win on the cobbles, he just needs to put time into the other GC guys on the cobbles.

 

[Rollthedice]

He looked really skinny today...hope that`s not a bad sign for the cobbled stage.

Sagan will drop him on the last cobbled sector. I think he looked tired, needs some good sleep.

He doesn't have to win on the cobbles, he just needs to put time into the other GC guys on the cobbles.

It was a joke, anyway I think it depends a lot on the weather if he can make a difference. Sure some of the GC guys will loose time regardless but I don't have high hopes that he'll gain significant time on the likes of Froome, Valverde or Dumoulin if it's sunny and dry.

 

[Poursuivant]

Still salty about Froome not giving him the 2017 Vuelta.

 

[Carols]

Nice finish today

 

[JosephK]

I hear the Shark recently ordered a new voodoo kit.