Teams & Riders Vincenzo Nibali discussion thread

[topcat]

Strive for five, Nibali

 

[Climbing]

Nah, I bet he's going for the Giro, unless the course really sucks.
Will probably try a mini build up for Liege, without doing too many races or altitude training before.
It worked for MSR last year, though it failed for LBL, so something similar with just the latter in mind.
Can go fully Classic + Tour prep Tokyo in 2020, while riding for Sky!

 

[Red Rick]

I seem to recall pretty good combo's of LBL/Giro by Purito and Vino.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Probably an hint for next season, Cyclingpro reports that in an interview for Il Messaggero he said that Liege is his favourite race and even if next season schedule is not decided yet he wants it as main target of the season.
Making Liege such a big target could mean no new shot for the Ronde (last year he said he needed a full program to be a real contender and that won't fit with being in top shape for Liege) and probably mean he'll return to the Tour since when he ride the Giro he's nowhere to be seen in Liege.

He needs total carnage to win Liege, but with the likes of Valverde and Alaphilippe who wants controlled race he'll hardly going to get that.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Probably an hint for next season, Cyclingpro reports that in an interview for Il Messaggero he said that Liege is his favourite race and even if next season schedule is not decided yet he wants it as main target of the season.
Making Liege such a big target could mean no new shot for the Ronde (last year he said he needed a full program to be a real contender and that won't fit with being in top shape for Liege) and probably mean he'll return to the Tour since when he ride the Giro he's nowhere to be seen in Liege.

He needs total carnage to win Liege, but with the likes of Valverde and Alaphilippe who wants controlled race he'll hardly going to get that.

I just want a new route out.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Nah, I bet he's going for the Giro, unless the course really sucks.
Will probably try a mini build up for Liege, without doing too many races or altitude training before.
It worked for MSR last year, though it failed for LBL, so something similar with just the latter in mind.
Can go fully Classic + Tour prep Tokyo in 2020, while riding for Sky!

Two weeks between Liege and Giro so altitude camp comes before LBL. Usually when doing Giro he can't be in top form for the monument but with the first stage of the Giro being a TT up San Luca, who knows.

 

[Nirvana]

Re:

Nah, I bet he's going for the Giro, unless the course really sucks.
Will probably try a mini build up for Liege, without doing too many races or altitude training before.
It worked for MSR last year, though it failed for LBL, so something similar with just the latter in mind.
Can go fully Classic + Tour prep Tokyo in 2020, while riding for Sky!

He always suck at Liege when he prepares for the Giro, if he really wants Liege he should make an apposite preparation that won't fit with his usual Giro preparation.
The only way to fit it is going all out on Liege and then "we'll see what will come" for the Giro. Could be possible considering that in the past he has hinted at the fact that at a certain point of his career he'll give up the GTs to focus on the classics. Or maybe after this year he has something pending with the Tour.

 

[Climbing]

Re: Re:

Nah, I bet he's going for the Giro, unless the course really sucks.
Will probably try a mini build up for Liege, without doing too many races or altitude training before.
It worked for MSR last year, though it failed for LBL, so something similar with just the latter in mind.
Can go fully Classic + Tour prep Tokyo in 2020, while riding for Sky!

Two weeks between Liege and Giro so altitude camp comes before LBL. Usually when doing Giro he can't be in top form for the monument but with the first stage of the Giro being a TT up San Luca, who knows.

Ah obviously scratch that, he needs altitude before LGL (and probably after).

 

[Oliver]

I like another shot @ Liege. Even this will mean no Giro. Would love to see him win Liege so much!

 

[SafeBet]

From what I've heard in interviews he had a stomach bug during Liege this year and really thought he had a chance without it.

 

[jsem94]

Re:

I seem to recall pretty good combo's of LBL/Giro by Purito and Vino.

And di Luca. He actually won both.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I seem to recall pretty good combo's of LBL/Giro by Purito and Vino.

And di Luca. He actually won both.

Yep, Il Killer did it with great success. Valverde had problems combining it in 16, but he won Fléche and wasn't necessarily bad in 16, but the new climb and the extremely cold weather didnt play into his hands.

That said, im extremely sceptic about combining those two races and racing for the win if you are Nibali in 2019. Giro > Liege IMO.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I seem to recall pretty good combo's of LBL/Giro by Purito and Vino.

And di Luca. He actually won both.

Yep, Il Killer did it with great success. Valverde had problems combining it in 16, but he won Fléche and wasn't necessarily bad in 16, but the new climb and the extremely cold weather didnt play into his hands.

That said, im extremely sceptic about combining those two races and racing for the win if you are Nibali in 2019. Giro > Liege IMO.

Yeah, especially if you consider that in 2020 the Giro seems unlikely cause the Olympics and Worlds both have appealing routes for him. 2020 is the year to throw it all on one day races and basically freeroll the Tour.

That and the routes of the races. I dread the Tour route coming out.

 

[Gigs_98]

I assume this would be an easier decision if he hadn't crashed out of the tour. Now I would kinda understand if he wants return to the biggest gt where he hasn't been competitive since 2015. I kinda hope he'll do the giro but I wouldn't be mad if he goes to france instead. Liege has always been a huge goal for him and the Ardennes in general are a lot more interesting if he is in the mix. Also, I don't think he has anything to prove at the giro. Even if he wastes his last chance to win his home gt by going to the tour instead that doesn't mean there is something missing on his palmares and I hope that even if he starts declining he will ride the giro again at least once in his career anyway.

 

[Red Rick]

Let's go back to the race that where you broke your back on a mountain and the organisation couldn't spare one of 19000 helicopters to get a former champion to a hospital.

 

[kingjr]

What does being a former champion have to do with anything.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

What does being a former champion have to do with anything.

You might expect an event like Le Tour to have some degree of respect to their former champions, but they decided to take a piss on it.

 

[samhocking]

Was his injury that bad to warrant a helicopter? I mean he finished the stage didn't he? I know the tour puts on helicopters to get the GC guys off the mountain, but that is scheduled. A helicopter would need some kind of emergency surely?
I agree he should claim damages from ASO though. I've watched the crash several times from the various sources and the point he crashed is one complete mess of flare bombs, fans on wrong side of barriers that begin at the point of the crash and I think the fans have actually pushed the barriers forwards. All in all it looks like accident waiting to to happen if you ask me. Even a moto rider nearly takes out a couple of fans while blinded by the smoke.

 

[Forever The Best]

Nibali shouldn't go to the Tour for GC. I would say one last go at Giro for GC and then aim for one-day races till retirement.

 

[samhocking]

He said in a recent interview he's not yet sure he will ever make a full recovery from his spinal injury, so one days would be the way to go I think.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

He said in a recent interview he's not yet sure he will ever make a full recovery from his spinal injury, so one days would be the way to go I think.

That was during the depressing days of the Vuelta, by his own admission the hardest GT ever for him, struggling each day to bring his bike to the finish line. He'll see the doctors this week hopes all's fine then off to Zanzibar.

 

[samhocking]

Lets hope he does fully recover as that would be much preferred.

 

[Climbing]

He talked about a slightly off posture after the hasty recover, so has to work on that in the winter.
But yeah, doctors will have the final say in the coming days.
The signs in Lombardia looked good though, hope he can be still competitive, we need him!

 

[Red Rick]

I was really thinking after Lombardia that the appreciation for Nibali has definitely gone up since Contador retired.

Different flavour

Still magical

 

[Rollthedice]

The Shark wrote an open letter to Delfino, here you have the second part, an interesting read:

But do you remember what you did at the 2012 Italian championship in Borgo Valsugana? You came back from two years of disqualification and you put us all in line on a very hard route. One who does something like this means that he has trained well and has a super "engine". You defeated Di Luca, Moreno Moser, Scarponi and me and I was going strong and then came third in the Tour de France.

We would have raced together again in 2014 at Astana you and me, but it did not go well. Who knows maybe you could have helped me to win the Tour, but it was destiny and in the end we met again. We met in Bahrain-Merida in 2017: again after ten years, roommates. Me at night struggle to fall asleep, but in the morning I could sleep for hours and I can take a nap on the bus before the race, you in the evening the first to turn off the light and the first to get up.

Quarrels? Nah. How do you fight with someone like you? Tips? Many. In the evening, analyzing the race that just finished or preparing the next day, or on the bus during the pre-race team meeting. You've always said yours, as if you were a bit of a sports director when you were racing, imagine now that you really do the DS. But you were going strong Pelli, even at 40...

On the Angliru at the Vuelta 2017, after I had crashed before that monster climb and I was in danger of losing the second place, you literally dragged me up to the finish line. “Vince, forza, do not give up, come on ..." I heard you screaming at one point in one of the most difficult hairpin bends.

And Saturday at Lombardia? You came after the Ghisallo to see how I was.
"What are we doing?" you asked. And so you rode the wall of Sormano full gas to keep Roglic in range and you screamed at me, that yes, it was too early to try to attack. Well, this time I was right maybe ...

It was hard this year, so many sacrifices made together in retreat at the San Pellegrino and then my crash in the Tour has ruined everything. But you were there to encourage me, to encourage me to believe in the Worlds. You were great, until the last, because to go strong like that, like you did in Innsbruck, you have to be a great rider. What can I wish you now, dear "Pelli"? To have a great career in the DS car and to be there near the podium to celebrate my next successes.

"Direttore", because now I have to call you so, thanks for everything and good luck. I hope to keep you entertained (and win) again.