Nibali comments
frenchfighter
Posts: 30,642
It's nice to hear it from the horses mouth. Exemplary rider for the fans. A rider like Contador. I'm glad I liked him and termed him the attacker. I wish he had a few more gears - then he would be hands down brilliant.
“I’m racing above all to honour the race: last year, I was a protagonist and I won it,” Nibali said. “I’m also racing to check out the competition ahead of the Giro. And I always race to win.”
“In Oman, [Wiggins] snubbed the race and hid,” Nibali said. “When he did show himself, it was to help Froome. I can’t do what he did: my instinct always pushes me to invent something. I’m not capable of staying still.”
“He never rides just to be a spectator,” Nibali said of Contador. “Wherever he goes, he leaves his mark. He wants to be a protagonist even if he’s racing around the house, never mind at Tirreno-Adriatico.”
Heavyweights both. I watch the sport to see these riders race. If my photosite was working I would litter this thread with photos of Nibali, race face engaged, jumping off the front. Some brilliant racing memories that boy has given.
“I’m racing above all to honour the race: last year, I was a protagonist and I won it,” Nibali said. “I’m also racing to check out the competition ahead of the Giro. And I always race to win.”
“In Oman, [Wiggins] snubbed the race and hid,” Nibali said. “When he did show himself, it was to help Froome. I can’t do what he did: my instinct always pushes me to invent something. I’m not capable of staying still.”
“He never rides just to be a spectator,” Nibali said of Contador. “Wherever he goes, he leaves his mark. He wants to be a protagonist even if he’s racing around the house, never mind at Tirreno-Adriatico.”
Heavyweights both. I watch the sport to see these riders race. If my photosite was working I would litter this thread with photos of Nibali, race face engaged, jumping off the front. Some brilliant racing memories that boy has given.
Contador is the Greatest
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frenchfighter wrote:
“In Oman, [Wiggins] snubbed the race and hid,” Nibali said. “When he did show himself, it was to help Froome. I can’t do what he did: my instinct always pushes me to invent something. I’m not capable of staying still.”
Not giving the Tour of Oman the respect it's rich and storied heritage has earned? The bounder!"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
frenchfighter wrote:“In Oman, [Wiggins] snubbed the race and hid,” Nibali said. “When he did show himself, it was to help Froome. I can’t do what he did: my instinct always pushes me to invent something. I’m not capable of staying still.”
Wasn't there some connection between Nibali and Sky? Could have been Nibali winning the Tour last year instead of Wiggins. Not that he's bitter about it.
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A put down of Wiggins and fawning over Contador, sound like your perfect quote FF. Bet it didn't take you too many strokes before a height was reached when reading that eh Frenchie?0
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Kleenex?0
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greasedscotsman wrote:frenchfighter wrote:“In Oman, [Wiggins] snubbed the race and hid,” Nibali said. “When he did show himself, it was to help Froome. I can’t do what he did: my instinct always pushes me to invent something. I’m not capable of staying still.”
Wasn't there some connection between Nibali and Sky? Could have been Nibali winning the Tour last year instead of Wiggins. Not that he's bitter about it.
Ha! the very same Nibbles who said in a very recent interview that he regrets not having joined Sky in 2010 when they offered him a spot...
According to one of the journos at Oman, the other teams were commenting on the shedloads of work that Wiggins did for the team during the stages. Some GC guys cant get their heads around the fact that a team's 'star' rider - the TdF winner, no less - could ride for a team mate going for GC in a biggish race without insisting on being top banana GC-wise0 -
Four points four negatives. Demonstrative of people's attitudes on this forum. Not sure why some of you watch the sport.
I mean seriously. This is a sport about racing and then when a rider talks about it in this way there are a bunch of let down comments putting him down. If there was a post about about Sky riding tempo or developing a new warm down technique you would probably be head of heels with excitement and we would get 20 pages.
Sometimes I feel for the people who cant derive the enjoyment I do. I pity you, I really do.Contador is the Greatest0 -
I love Nibali as a rider and sometimes I like his spiky comments. But the fact that he's made a point of lauding Contador is sad.0
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Nibali is great, hugely entertaining rider, but this come across as a bit churlish.
Wiggins won a hatful of big races last year, Nibali won just one biggie (Tirreno). For all his attacking riding at MSR, Leige and the Tour he's still lacking in big results. Wiggins is hardly the first big name to soft pedal round an early season race, lets face it, we were all a bit surprised to see so many of the big names fighting for the win in Oman. Let's wait till the end of the season (or at least July) before we start slagging guys off."I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0 -
frenchfighter wrote:Sometimes I feel for the people who cant derive the enjoyment I do. I pity you, I really do.
Can we not derive our enjoyment of the sport in a different way? I don't really enjoy the epic 50km + lone breakaways you do, I don't really like Contador any more, is that so wrong?
Nibali is alright though. Not sure about his comments though, don't think they are really that interesting.0 -
You know that some people don't watch a race or judge a rider by their results. The action during the stage and the story that unfolds is often much more exciting and entertaining. Results matter yes, but they aren't the ultimate goal for a fan like me.Contador is the Greatest0
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I like that cyclists are so blunt about their rivals and their peers - I disagree with Nibali - Sky were obviously riding for Froome, so fairs fair to Wiggins on that, but his year last year was built on consistent results. There isn't a lot of time to go until the Giro, so I would like to see him back in winning ways, its a good habit.
Nibali can descend lik a mo fo. He was also the only person to try and break Sky's stranglehold in the TdF last year. Wouldn't necessarily go as far as FF to say "heavyweight" -close, but he needs a little more....http://www.georgesfoundation.org
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/0 -
I'm hoping we get a real good Nibali-Wiggins show down in the Giro...the road will make the decisions!"I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0
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Mind games innit.
That said it'll be interesting to see how Wiggins performs at TA. My feeling is he has a lot to do before the Giro. Following up on last season isn't going to be easy.....
Some posters need to play the ball not the man.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
TailWindHome wrote:Mind games innit.
That said it'll be interesting to see how Wiggins performs at TA. My feeling is he has a lot to do before the Giro. Following up on last season isn't going to be easy.....
Some posters need to play the ball not the man.
He's not riding T-A - Froome is. Wiggins is riding up and down Mt Teide instead (where I suspect his access never mind appetite for online cycling media is non-existent...). His next race is Cataluyna0 -
TailWindHome wrote:Mind games innit.
That said it'll be interesting to see how Wiggins performs at TA. My feeling is he has a lot to do before the Giro. Following up on last season isn't going to be easy.....
Some posters need to play the ball not the man.
Wiggins isn't riding TA.
His build up to the Giro is a bit odd I think...Oman, Catalunya, Giro del Trentino and LBL apparently. What's really odd is that if they stick to that program then he won't be riding a competitive TT until the Giro. It's also strange that after last years early season success he's likely to start the Giro without a win under his belt."I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0 -
I was sure I'd read somewhere that Froome and Wiggins would be split up, one to ride PN the other to ride TA.
Can't remember where I read it though.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
frenchfighter wrote:Four points four negatives. Demonstrative of people's attitudes on this forum. Not sure why some of you watch the sport.
I mean seriously. This is a sport about racing and then when a rider talks about it in this way there are a bunch of let down comments putting him down. If there was a post about about Sky riding tempo or developing a new warm down technique you would probably be head of heels with excitement and we would get 20 pages.
Sometimes I feel for the people who cant derive the enjoyment I do. I pity you, I really do.
This doesn't wash though does it? You post a quote from Nibali that is 50% a critique of another rider - and a critique that doesn't fit with the facts of the race as set out elsewhere, i.e. that Wiggins put himself in the wind a lot for Froome (as he did in his first stage race last year for Porte). That someone should react negatively to a post that is intrinsically negative is hardly surprising.0 -
Refusing to ride for others is the purest form of passion.
I wonder how his domestiques feel about Nibali's comments.0 -
His domestiques are not there to win. And to be honest I was more concerned with his comments about turning up to race all the time just like Contador. I don't really care about the Wiggins comment - I would like him to race but understood that it was the better call in that race for him to help Froome, even though he wasn't there to help him at the front end.Contador is the Greatest0
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Yeah, but he was racing them both to win which is what matters 0
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A thread about how a pretentious twerp loves a pretentious twerp... why am I here? Back to work!0
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I think Nibali has mistaken one tall, skinny rider for another.
Radio Shack have black, white and blue kit, too.
Or else Vince has a very short memory. (frenchie, too?)"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Eh?!Contador is the Greatest0
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I like Wiggins but I have to agree with FF. Love them or hate them both Nibali and Contador have panache by the bucketful.0
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Why has every post from Mr French got something to do with Contador? I thought it was only pre pubescent girls that had crushes on guys.
If Froome was the leader then Wiggins was, by default, a domestique.
Lets see how many attacks Bertie can maintain now he is not, we hope, on the juice.0 -
Are you really that far up your own arse?frenchfighter wrote:Sometimes I feel for the people who cant derive the enjoyment I do. I pity you, I really do.
You should set up your own forum if you don't like sharing this one with us plebs.
Idolising athletes - unrepentant dopers, nearly-men or anyone, for that matter - for their attitude, panache or whatever attributes you admire is perfectly fine, honestly. But why be offended when some of us don't?
I like panache, I like winning, characters and personalities, I like various aspects of the sport. In some ways it appears Sky represents the reduction of success to numbers (and $), yet in reality it's not that black-and-white. To me these guys are ambitious, talented young sportsmen, not gods.
As for his words, Nibali has tried sh1t-stirring before... or perhaps it's the translation. This kind of sabre-rattling 2 months out from a head-to-head is cheap journo fodder but in my mind classy riders don't need to diss their rivals for no particular reason.Aspire not to have more, but to be more.0 -
frenchfighter wrote:Eh?!
Abandony Schleck.
Nibs might have a point about Oman, but has conveniently forgotten that Wiggins won everything he raced, last year.
He's just trying to mess with Brad's Giro head. Not very successfully, I would suggest."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:frenchfighter wrote:Eh?!
Abandony Schleck.
Nibs might have a point about Oman, but has conveniently forgotten that Wiggins won everything he raced, last year.
He's just trying to mess with Brad's Giro head. Not very successfully, I would suggest.
I think Nibali probably didn't even know he was racing. Or a question was asked directly about Wiggins.
Maybe some mind games, maybe some jealousy, maybe some Italian personality, maybe some truth. I don't really care as glanced over those comments and posted only for comments about his own racing nature. I could have left the Wiggin's part out - may have saved some people on here getting upset. The Contador part was just a bonus and nothing we don't know already.
To be honest, these team leaders don't get paid 10 times their domestiques to do a domestique role. They are there to be at the front end, in the limelight and on the podiums and results sheet with their sponsors name given exposure. There are no cameras at the start or beginning of a race. Maybe because Sky are so big bucks then they don't really care as much but then I doubt it.Contador is the Greatest0 -
I cant remember, was there something specific other than looks and a few spiky words behind their fall out at the tour?
As for panache, i quite like contadors style and swagger and Nibs has a bit of the same to a lesser extent, but its difficult to say Wiggo lacked style* last year. Took Yellow early, rode a clever race and smashed the time trials. His rides in the olympics showed some huge strength, and not celebrating the timetrial win until Fabian finished showed some good respect.
This is just press noise and a bit of baiting.
* the youths say tekkers!0
