Ride On
Posts:537
 |
| 05/24/2013 06:00 PM |
|
He seems to have taken it up notch this year.
A) New team, new coach , new training plan?
B) New team, new equipment ?
C) A year older ?
D) New team, new " training plan" ?
E) No real improvement, just all came together at the right time.
F) Something else |
|
|
|
|
lochness
Posts:47
|
| 05/24/2013 06:17 PM |
|
| Nibali's doing all right, sure, but you've got to take into account that Wiggins and Hesjedal bailed, Evans is getting older, and Contador and Froome aren't there. So I'd say, aside from this last TT, that his performance hasn't really been an outlier, but something that shines against the foil of lesser competition. But that uphill TT, ummm...that was special. |
|
|
|
|
Keith Richards
Posts:781
|
| 05/24/2013 06:59 PM |
|
| I am with lochness. Think about how many Vuelta, Giro and Tour wins or podiums are NOT at this Giro and suddenly it makes sense that he should be winning gc at this point. Other than Evans, who would you expect to be leading right now? |
|
| -----
It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. |
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 05/24/2013 07:23 PM |
|
Aside from his last TT...those are the key words.
Until then, nothing really out of the ordinary except that the 2nd week in Giro perhaps surprisingly became a bit predictable. No surprise that he should win the Giro or that final TT. But the margin on that TT and his composure relative to rest was a bit of an eye brow raiser. Nothing more than that for moment though. |
|
|
|
|
Keith Richards
Posts:781
|
| 05/24/2013 07:41 PM |
|
| But when looking at his TT win...has he had to cover a single serious gc move the entire race? As far as I am concerned the TT was the first time he has buried himself since the giro started |
|
| -----
It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. |
|
|
spok
Posts:4
|
| 05/24/2013 07:46 PM |
|
| Was the TT really that surprising? He has always been a decent TT rider for a GT contender, certainly on the same level historically as Evans and much better than a guy like Hesjedal. I just don't think him beating Scarponi or Uran by a minute twenty is that surprising. The gap to Evans was huge, but he was clearly on a bad day. |
|
|
|
|
laurentja
Posts:122
|
| 05/28/2013 03:06 AM |
|
Seems legit to me. Podiums in the Tour last year and Vuelta 2 yrs ago and good stage race results for several years...it seems a steady progression. It's easy to imagine everything going right: no serious interruptions to training this spring, just feeling strong and confident that he has done everything right.
At least, I want to believe... |
|
|
|
|
Pin0Q0
Posts:229
|
| 05/30/2013 05:34 AM |
|
Reasonable article about VN that asks the right questions and compares accurate numbers but I am still skeptical. Like it says, I don't want pie on my ace again!
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/05/news/road/analysis-nibalis-giro-win-represents-quandary-of-new-cycling_289152
|
|
|
|
|
Scanz
Posts:8
|
| 05/30/2013 10:17 AM |
|
| One key point that the article failed to mention is VN's bike handling skills. He's one of the few riders in the pro peleton that is capable of attacking on the descents and gained significant time. Combine that with the time bonuses and it makes his win more believable. However, these are indeed interesting times. |
|
|
|
|