So, Nibbles…? (GC spoiler if you live on Mars)

Firstly, I am not suggesting that Nibbles had the beef for dinner. However, how come he’s not facing the same barrage of press questions about doping that both Wiggins and Froome faced?

I understood that he was, but since the conversation wasn’t taking place in English, it’s not been getting the same exposure here?

He has. Mostly in Italian I think so mostly doesn’t get reported here. Given the staff and history at Astana I’d expect there to be a lot of questions.

Ed, I’ve been following the French press coverage as well. Nowhere near the same intensity of grilling.*

*Bertie Beef Reference again.

He’s faced tons of questions, and spoken about it several times – what tour have you been following? I’ve linked to articles about it on the daily TdF threads several times, although I couldn’t really care less what the press thinks about his performance..

Hmmm, maybe I’ve managed to miss it all then. I know he’s on a team with a doper at the helm, which hardly helps, but I just want him to be clean.

What realman said.

..the French press coverage..

Maybe the same reason? (Not been in French either)

Also, I’d have guessed that some of the French riders’ performances this year might be the big story, particularly with the race for the yellow not actually having been much of a race?

Because he wouldn’t look anything like this good if he was racing against Froome and Contador instead of super domestiques.

Because he wouldn’t look anything like this good if he was racing against Froome and Contador instead of super domestiques.

Plus all the jus in the world wouldn’t have led to that amazing ride on the cobbles in those conditions.

Because he wouldn’t look anything like this good if he was racing against Froome and Contador instead of super domestiques.

i think this is key. Yes there’s a lot of closed mouth, easy climbing going on, effortlessly dropping riders, today being a prime example, but he’s not up against the best. There’s no way he’d be as dominant against Bertie or Froome.

i think this is key. Yes there’s a lot of closed mouth, easy climbing going on, effortlessly dropping riders, today being a prime example, but he’s not up against the best. There’s no way he’d be as dominant against Bertie or Froome.

I hope this is the case.

I think it’s going a bit far to say he’s racing against a bunch of super domestiques. It’s fair to say he wouldn’t have been so strong against Bertie and Froome, given that they both dropped him a month ago. And it’s a shame they’re not in it to shake things up a bit. But that’s two guys. He’s still a full 5 minutes ahead of the rest. Assuming he doesn’t suffer the same kind of luck as Bertie and Froome, he’ll be a deserving winner. The guy has raced fantastically from the start. I take my hat off to him. I was rooting for him from the start though, so I might be a bit biased.

I’d argue that he’d still be winning even if Contador and Froome were still in the race. Given the time deficit when he crashed out, we’d have needed to see some amazing riding from Bertie over the mountain stages to see him give Nibbles a challenge, and to be fair, Saxo appear to have good legs (cough cough) so they may have been able to support this.

For sure he’d be leading Froome though. In comparison to previous Tours, Sky have just been making dirty laundry in this parcours, and Froome wouldn’t have been able to fend for himself in the way that Nibali has shown he can.

On another note, I felt sorry for Kiriyenka being made to go up the road today; it seemed to serve no purpose whatsoever and he just looked knackered and forlorn. It’s not like Sky need the TV time, is it?

A thread title started with “so”?

Oh dear

Facts.

Nibali was hanging in the Dauphine from a huge training block and getting weight off. That race was the last stage of the training.

Nibali hasn’t faced as many accusations as Froome because he was always a super talent rather than a guy who got thrown out of the Giro for hanging onto a car.

Nibali dropped Cancellara etc on cobbles on stage 5….

Contador and Froome couldn’t stay upright so they were never in contention.

End of.

Did you see the interview with Alexander Vinokourov on the second rest day? They were asking about doping then and there were references to Astana’s (and Vino’s) chequered past…

After the interview it cut back to Gary Imlach who said in his wonderfully dry manner:
“It’s hard not to wonder whether a pledge from Alexander Vinokourov is worth the French it’s mumbled in”

🙂

I was amused by that and pretty much everything else Gary says.

I’d argue that he’d still be winning even if Contador and Froome were still in the race

I’m inclined to agree with that.

Managed to catch up on the highlights of the mountain stages. After Porte popped like a tube of Pringles, Sky have been nowhere to be seen, while Saxo and Astana have been in the mix. This may just be because Sky have lost a few guys, and the wind is out their sails without Mr Cound contending for the GC.

Brailsford has alluded to it too: http://pelotonmagazine.com/feedzone/sky-froome-wouldve-struggled-against-flying-nibali/

We’ll never know. Nibali is on fire though.

My concern with Nibali is that he doesn’t sweat. He crossed the line yesterday looking as fresh as a daisy, which can’t be right. It’s too easy for him to put time into the rest of the field and make it look like he’s not really trying.

So do the doubters think that Vino is slipping Nibbley the odd crafty syringe or what?

I’m quite inclined to like Nibali. I’m enjoying it enough that the possibility that he isn’t clean isn’t spoiling it for me, anyway. 🙂

We are saying its too easy but he’s not pulled out massive gaps. He’s attacked got a gap and then held it. He’s not done a Lance and attacked and just kept pulling away to the top.
Anyone got any insight into the power per kg stuff?

Plus all the jus in the world wouldn’t have led to that amazing ride on the cobbles in those conditions.

Zulu, either you have the worlds worst built in irony meter or you really don’t read half the things you write.

That article. Where do they get the get the “struggle” bit from? All I can see Brailsford saying it that it would have been “an interesting race” if Froome was there. Been a bit creative there in their headline making.

Using the closed mouth thing as evidence of doping is interesting.
Especially as most famous EPO performances have been fully gasping, painful expressions.
It’s often said that climbing on EPO puts more pain into the legs.

Anyone got any insight into the power per kg stuff?

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All I can see Brailsford saying it that it would have been “an interesting race” if Froome was there.

I had the feeling Froome was gonna crumble from the outset, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Maybe Sir Dave had the same doubts.

Really would have liked to see Bertie racing Nibbles though.

Been a bit creative there in their headline making

Americans. Can’t trust them.

The photo galleries of the stages on their site are good though.

As much as I can’t warm to Froome or Contador, it is a pity they are out. But on the other hand, the race for the other spaces on the podium is getting really interesting.

For sure he’d be leading Froome though. In comparison to previous Tours, Sky have just been making dirty laundry in this parcours, and Froome wouldn’t have been able to fend for himself in the way that Nibali has shown he can.

Froome managed to look out for himself on a couple of stages last year. What makes you think he couldn’t this year. Their plan was destroyed when Froome went out and Porte had a “chest infection”.

I have no idea if Nibali is clean, I hope so. It’s sad that we are now so suspicious of great performance, but it’s understandable.

I do have to ask myself why, if a rider was clean and proud to be seen to be clean, why Astana would be their choice of team, considering the associations with Armstrong, Contador and Vinokourov?

Considering just about every time he’s attacked he’s been unable to drop a 37 year old who no one thought would podium his performances aren’t mega. I mustn’t be watching hard enough, he seems to be sweating/breathing just as hard as everyone else?

I sort of hope that nibbles has just been lucky. No one really was in the the Giro (, Froome, valverde, Contador, shleck, Rodrigues) and Wiggins and Hesjedal crashed out, all he really had to do was finish and everyone’s crashed out of the Tour as well

Wasn’t he third or fourth last year though?

Considering just about every time he’s attacked he’s been unable to drop a 37 year old who no one thought would podium his performances aren’t mega.

Péraud has been drinking a potion made from Chris Horner’s toenail clippings.

Monkeyfudger, you need to be watching it on HD 😉

had the feeling Froome was gonna crumble from the outset, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Maybe Sir Dave had the same doubts.

Then the question would be where was his cover for this scenario

i dont think he did expect it tbh.

i dont think he did expect it tbh.

Indeed. Until his fall in the Dauphine, Froome looked to be on good form. Froome and Contador looked to be a step ahead of the rest of the field.

Hoping the main GC guys have better luck in the first couple of weeks next year. Quintana, Nibali, Froome and Contador going into the last week, now that would be a Tour.

Article here on why Nibbles is getting an easy ride on journos

I think the big factor is that the French are doing so well, so their journos will conclude that this is a sign that things have changed

Since Festina, French riders have faced criminal prosecution for doping, which apparently had quite an effect

Maybe the journos just realised they’d been overdoing it a bit with the constant doping questions the last couple of years?

And the Armstrong fuss has died down a bit now. Seems really obvious and natural to me. Surprised others are surprised.

Interesting Reuters article there…

It took until last Thursday for the first question about drugs to confront Nibali, who eight years ago when cycling’s doping ‘Omerta’ was still firmly in place said cheats should be locked up.

Which makes going to work with Vino and Astana even more puzzling.

I guess pragmatism of needing to be in a team capable of supporting a GT win could possibly explain it for the less cynical.