This tour gets more and more painful for me as I backed Nibali at 33/1 for the King Of The Mountains and not for the Tour plus I'd backed Contador to win the Tour!!!!!
Would love to see Nibali win it because of his descending. As a man who descends like an old woman on a Brompton (because I'm basically a pussy), I am awestruck at anyone who can pull off the frankly ridiculous feats the top descenders can, and Nibali is one of the best I've ever seen.
Would love to see Nibali win it because of his descending. As a man who descends like an old woman on a Brompton (because I'm basically a pussy), I am awestruck at anyone who can pull off the frankly ridiculous feats the top descenders can, and Nibali is one of the best I've ever seen.
Cant disagree with that. Descending absolutely petrifies me. I'm getting better but it takes balls of steel to come down like they do. Some of the steep hills around Westerham, like Brasted, Hogstrough and Sundridge, I'm literally coming down with the brakes jammed on and occasionally letting them off. The first time I came down Brasted I had to get off and walk down. I was literally shaking with fear.
I guess it doesnt help that I had a blow out a few years ago coming down Vigo Hill which I still dont know how I survived without a scratch.
My mate is a demon descender. I get shit up just watching him. He's like a fat bullet. Still, that's largely through necessity as he's watched me disappear up the hill in front of him on the climb beforehand...
I'm getting better at it. I'm OK on straight drops, but bends scare me rigid at speed. I know that speed itself isn't inherently dangerous - it's nervousness that's the real danger, but I've also come off at high speed (60kp) after pinch flatting last year at the very bottom of a hill and getting flung through a hedge into a field without a single serious injury - but my mate totally destroyed his arm (intensive care for two days, complete shoulder reconstruction including joint replacement, about 10 vascular surgeries, nerve surgery and God knows what else and still only has about 60% use of his arm 2 years later) so I'm leery of anything even remotely technical.
I descend very slowly too after a near miss in the Alps a couple of years ago (hit a barrier on a hairpin, fortunately I bounced back in to the middle of the road rather than flying over the barrier down a cliff...).. I am in awe of those who can go downhill at speed... At the weekend, my mates made up 20 mins on me on the descent in to Bedoin, as I went down with the brakes locked permanently on... Before my near miss, I just went for it...managed 90kph on the descent of the Izoard in 2011...now I realise that I'm in my mid 40s and have too much to lose....
Nibali is pretty awesome, but I would also add in Tony Martin and Peter Sagan
Sagan definitely has a claim for the best bike handler in the bunch.
His best moment was on the Mt Ventoux stage last year when he'd been out in front pretty much all day (For the Intermediates)... He knew he'd been caught by the leaders so did a wheelie and waving before being swallowed up
The bloke is going to dominate the Green Jersey for years
Nibali is pretty awesome, but I would also add in Tony Martin and Peter Sagan
Sagan definitely has a claim for the best bike handler in the bunch.
His best moment was on the Mt Ventoux stage last year when he'd been out in front pretty much all day (For the Intermediates)... He knew he'd been caught by the leaders so did a wheelie and waving before being swallowed up
The bloke is going to dominate the Green Jersey for years
Yes that was brilliant as well, as you say he is going to win the green jersey for years, he's so versatile.
Just seen one of the breakaway group absolutely stack it round a corner and having to retire. He landed on his shoulder and then hit his head hard on the tarmac. Looking at a crash like that I'm absolutely amazed that helmets are not compulsory for everyone, could have been so much worse.
This isnt bitterness from a Brit but at least Chris Froome had shown consistency over the whole year before doing what he did over the Tour and on Ventoux.
Nibali though worries me as he's done nothing until the Italian Road Championships (Which he won) and now the Tour which he seems to be cruising to... I know Froome and Contador arent there but the rest of the GC (i.e. Porte etc...) arent that weak!!
Not too sure about that. ..i always thought Nibali was a locked on winner of the GC since his display in 2012 when he finished 3rd behind a monster Sky team.
This tour gets more and more painful for me as I backed Nibali at 33/1 for the King Of The Mountains and not for the Tour plus I'd backed Contador to win the Tour!!!!!
Nibali stormed the Giro last year in similar fashion so I wouldn't say that his performances are highly unusual at all. He's won all the grand tours apart from this one, so perfectly normal in my opinion.
His performance probably looks more commanding/powerful/emphatic as Froome and Contador are not there, leaving him with more space to win. Unfortunately we'll never know how he stacked up against them.
The gaps that Nibali are winning these stages by are less than what Froome won by last year as well, he only won today's stage by 10 seconds.
Bad news for all the Porte each wayers, he is 6 mins off the leader and going backwards
huge day from Nibali
...tell me about it :-(
Did not see yesterdays blow up coming at all and neither did he given his confidence in the pre-stage interview. Still got a quid riding on Valverde though so all's not lost yet.
I only had an each way on Costa this year but he's looking like a passenger and doubt he'll get too many places about his current 9th place. Too many 8/10 rated climbers there in the top places.
Comments
Would love to see Nibali win it because of his descending. As a man who descends like an old woman on a Brompton (because I'm basically a pussy), I am awestruck at anyone who can pull off the frankly ridiculous feats the top descenders can, and Nibali is one of the best I've ever seen.
I guess it doesnt help that I had a blow out a few years ago coming down Vigo Hill which I still dont know how I survived without a scratch.
I'm getting better at it. I'm OK on straight drops, but bends scare me rigid at speed. I know that speed itself isn't inherently dangerous - it's nervousness that's the real danger, but I've also come off at high speed (60kp) after pinch flatting last year at the very bottom of a hill and getting flung through a hedge into a field without a single serious injury - but my mate totally destroyed his arm (intensive care for two days, complete shoulder reconstruction including joint replacement, about 10 vascular surgeries, nerve surgery and God knows what else and still only has about 60% use of his arm 2 years later) so I'm leery of anything even remotely technical.
The bloke is going to dominate the Green Jersey for years
Just seen one of the breakaway group absolutely stack it round a corner and having to retire. He landed on his shoulder and then hit his head hard on the tarmac. Looking at a crash like that I'm absolutely amazed that helmets are not compulsory for everyone, could have been so much worse.
huge day from Nibali
Nibali though worries me as he's done nothing until the Italian Road Championships (Which he won) and now the Tour which he seems to be cruising to... I know Froome and Contador arent there but the rest of the GC (i.e. Porte etc...) arent that weak!!
id say its legit
His performance probably looks more commanding/powerful/emphatic as Froome and Contador are not there, leaving him with more space to win. Unfortunately we'll never know how he stacked up against them.
The gaps that Nibali are winning these stages by are less than what Froome won by last year as well, he only won today's stage by 10 seconds.
Did not see yesterdays blow up coming at all and neither did he given his confidence in the pre-stage interview. Still got a quid riding on Valverde though so all's not lost yet.
Too many 8/10 rated climbers there in the top places.
*secretly hoping he makes me eat my words...