“Where is Nairo? I don't know anything about his preparation, ”he came up with Nibali during the Dauphiné Liberé, a few weeks ago, as suggesting that the Colombian would have wanted to avoid the controls of the French career,
The ideal test bank for the tour. And the Colombian replied that "training in my house", and then counterattack: "They speak of a place like Colombia as if it were a country lost in a jungle, far from everything and everyone. Two years ago, they also suggested that I am a son of a poor family. My parents are not rich, but not poor, ”he clarified.
Days later, Nibali, conciliator, settled the controversy: "I did not want to discredit a country as Quintana said. I asked where he was training because we had not seen him again from Romandía. I did not want to cause controversy and there was no bad intention. We all knew What others had done, but we didn't know anything about him.
Quintana is one of the favorites, if not the first for the tour ".
It is still symptomatic that an entire Tour champion like the Italian breaks the calm chicha of the statements prior to the great race by putting in the focus the only of his three major rivals who has not won the tour, to the youngest with a difference . Neither accountant, nor Froome; Quintana
In a tour capable of gathering the best in large laps, in a tour that, finally, raises a range of wide and high quality possibilities, perhaps unknown since 2000, when Armstrong began to defend his title against Ullrich and Pantani,
It turns out that a often Colombian is the one who has kidnapped the soul of the romantics of cycling, of whom they expect a tour for history, a race capable of breaking the corsets that have grown in recent editions: Nibali won last year without opposition, with Froome broken by the pavés of Arenberg, and accountant out of combat after a Panic fall down Le Grand Ballon; The Sky, the potent Sky, tyrannized the race in 2012 and 2013, with Wiggins and Froome; Evans won in 2011 for Australian Gloria, but without leaving much in the catalog; and accountant won against Andy Schleck in 2010 a tour whose greatest noise was his attack when the Luxembourg had left the chain.
Then, yellow were removed for the Clembuterol case, a parenthesis that, fair or not, stains this whole story.
This sequence makes fans in the background to wait for something big and according to what a previous one that has raised huge expectations says. That, for example, Quintana contributions
The necessary magic to revitalize a career often too predictable. It makes them wait for the 2009 Verbier accountant, that that definitely buried Lance Armstrong's sports career, leaving the American nailed with a prodigious attack; Finally, they wonder if Pinto's, 32 years old, the oldest of the applicants, will fulfill its objective of emulating the 1998 Pantani, winning the turn and the tour.
And, more or less, all summarize their expectation in four questions, one per applicant:
Will Alberto Accountant achieve double; Will it be the great final track to a career of Legend of Pinto?; Will the Chris Froome Intratable of 2013 return?; Will Nairo Quintana fly in the mountain and will be the first Colombian of Yellow in the Elysee fields?; Or will Vincenzo Nibali who clear the doubts revalidating his victory, this time before the strongest possible rivalry?
The 2015 Tour of France will answer all these questions that fell the fire of the debate held by millions of fans, coinciding in pointing out that
The four great favorites mark a step superior to the rest, although they are not everything, and less in a race marked by all in the calendar, including a long dozen
Outsiders, headed by the Spaniards Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez and Alejandro Valverde, La Pleyade de French; Pinot, Peraud, Bardet, Rolland, maybe Warren Barguil, and Tejay Van Garderen, the American who forced Froome to a colossal deployment to win the Dauphiné ...
Nibali and the Teide Factor
On paper, Aces Poker arrives at the exit of Utrecht in perfect magazine. Only the defender of the title, Nibali, loses something of standing regarding the record that their rivals, dominators of the main races have signed this year. He
Mesina Shark It presents only one victory in 2015, the one obtained a few days ago in the Italian National Championship, but it is already known that that matters little in the Tour, and yes a preparation that the Italian describes as traced to that of last year, when he won with huge superiority.
It does not cease to observe how the enormous quality of its rivals remains focus to the champion, whose backs seem , bets do not pay much for their defeat. Moreover, they place the last of the four. But like the Texan,
Nibali has measured his preparation at the heights of the Teide And he has not made major wires in the races.
It appears as the least cartridges shot, so it is seen in the summary of the four season, and will take the departure in full sports maturity, with 30 years and an overwhelming history in big turns. He has won the three and has eight podiums on the nine participations carried out since 2010.
The preparation of Nibali, supervised by Paolo Slongo, places it in Utrecht with nine days less competition than last year, 36 in total, and with characteristics that have been revealed as valid as those of any favorite, despite being perhaps the less powerful of the four mountain assassins.
Basically, Mesina is a resistant corridor, which is difficult to see, capable of improvising attacks on the most unsuspected sites. He has won races down, is good against the clock and dominates a land that this year can have a lot of weight in the race: the pave.
Last year he broke the tour about Arenberg's cobblestones With his partner in the Astana, Jakob Fuglsang, and surely in this edition he also marked the fourth stage, in Cambrai, with another ration of hell from the north.
Fuglsang on the margin, Nibali's escort is formed by Lars Boom (winner in Arenberg 2014), Andriy Grivko, Dmitriy Gruzdev, Michele Scarponi, Rein Taaraamae, Lieuwe Westra and Tanel Kangert. Attention to the latter, a young Estonian who comes from making a great turn of Italy helping Fabio Aru and Mikel Landa and, at the same time, signing the 13th place in the general.
Froome accelerator
Seen the 2014 champion, let's go with Chris Froome, overwhelming in 2013 but since then by injuries and falls, which have moved him away from that level. In his last big one, the return of 2014, was clearly surpassed by Alberto Contador, but there are indications that he has eased since then.
This year he won the Andalusia return, ahead of Pinto, and a few weeks ago he took the Dauphiné brilliant. Its preparation, also focused on the altitude of the Teide, accumulates only 27 days of competition, the least number among favorites,
a factor that can play in your favor in the extreme hardness of the last week, where your accelerations often dynamite ups. Many see him as the great favorite, although others lower him to a second level due to the little mileage against clock and the ease that his rivals have found lately to take a wheel after his characteristic demargers pulling the grinder.
What is out of any doubt is his team, the powerful Sky, which has surrounded him with eight exceptional quality runners: Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kenaugh, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe, Nicolas Roche, Leopold Konig and Wout Poels .
The Guardians of the Epic
Against the power of the last two winners, who would already guarantee
An interesting tour of France for the clash of stylesAccounting and Quintana appear as guardians of the epic, aroused an unusual interest in seeing how yellow are played in an exchange of blows to the legend in the Tourmalet or in Alpe D’Huez.
The Spanish, with a record already clearly comparable to that of the largest-two tours, two turns and three laps, already discounted the sanction-, seeks
A demonstration for history that allows an apotheosic withdrawal.
It is accountant who closed the last season defeating Evans in 2007, and Armstrong in 2009; who could with Riccó in his own sauce of the turn, who has continued winning in Sky times, who
He remains man to beat in this new era in which another generation asks for the way. In that context, the expected duel with Quintana, seven years younger, would have an obvious symbolism.
The fall and subsequent abandonment of the Colombian in the return of last year, dressed as a leader, deprived the fans of
A hand in hand that now expect anxious. But some of this has been seen this year: Quintana defeated Contador in the Adriatic Tyrerum with the memorable attack under the snow at the Terminillo, showing a mountain potential that refers to other times; And accountant returned the currency on the South Route, with an acceleration to the maximum risk lowering the dangerous Port de Balés.
Nairo then said, who reappeared after two months in Colombia and resisted up to six attacks from his rival, that he could not play it so much in the descent. That will be a pending account and, at the same time, another unknown to clear on this tour, where the descents will be very important.
The accountant motivation engine
Alberto Contador does not win in France since 2009, discounted the 2010 disqualification that conditioned what came later. Its discreet fourth place in 2013 and the abandonment due to the fall of last year act as a motivation engine in Pinto's, as demonstrated by the ambitious plan to look for double, a full -fledged order.
He won the turn without beating at any stage, but he did it by leaving
Several solo exhibitions (Mortirolo, Verbania ...) and a fainting in the finisre that could only overcome by experience of experience and, why not say it, thanks to the tactical chaos of Astana, undecided when it comes to playing openly Mikel Landa's letter. Maybe too many energy spent, but there is the difficulty of the challenge. With the plus of the Italian turn, it arrives in Utrecht with 44 days of competition, the one that among the favorites.
After wearing pink in Milan, accountant has led a measured preparation, with rest and height training, and has proven to keep the spark with his victory on the South Route. From experience, something so important in the tour,
is above its rivals. And by ambition and motivation, he does not lose, because he has cited with history.
His team, the Tinkoff-Saxo, is presented with a star as shocking as Peter Sagan, and gives him a great mountain escort, with the Polish Rafal Majka, future chief of rows if he does not twist. If we add names of many carats such as Roman Kreuziger, Michael Rogers, Ivan Basso, Daniele Bennati, Michael Valgren and Matteo Tosatto, it seems that
Tinkoff arrives in a position not to repeat its trigger of the turn, where accountant had to respond in first person to all attacks in Astana.
The last to reach the super elite
And Nairo Quintana remains, which has 56 mountain ports, seven of them of special category, to take to Colombia
The first yellow jersey in the cycling history of the coffee country.
A year ago, after his brilliant victory in the Tour of Italy, Movistar decided that his time had not yet faced the tour as head of the rows. Eusebio Unzú created debate with an easily refutable decision from the exceptional benefits of the Colombian of Tunja in the 2013 Tour, when he debuted uploading to the podium as second in the general, and with the jerseys of the mountain and the best young man.
The abandonment in the 2014 Vuelta and its non -participation in this year's turn have been postponing what the cycling world expects anxious:
Check if Quintana wins the greats applying their exceptional features such as climber, with that impassive style that makes him upload sitting without apparent difficulty, such as Lucho Herrera but without so much pitch, and an intelligence out of the common to his age, which makes him know when his attack can do more damage.
The future seems yours, but it is not yet known what piece of the present belongs to it. He is early and very ambitious, his statements avoid the false modesty and speaks clearly of his aspirations, even if he is the last to reach the super elite. Unlike others, he prefers the heat of his to train, in his town, at 2,800 meters altitude, surrounded by
An emotional and orographic ecosystem ideal for natural climbers, As the.
In that facet everyone fear. And they know of their intelligence when waiting for their moment. This is how he dealt with his master coup in Los Dolomitas to win the 2014 Giro, so he broke Froome at the climb to Senoz, 2013 Tour.
An innocent face predator That he arrives at the great appointment with 36 days of racing and a very well selected team, with a second leader like Alejandro Valverde, current number 1 ICU, and his compatriot Winner Anacona, a request from his to the directors to feel safer in the prelimars of the mountainous battles. Imanol Erviti, Jonathan Castroviejo, Gorka Izagirre, José Herrada, Adriano Malori and Alex Dowsett, Recordman of the hour until Wiggins arrived and sprayed his record, complete a team at the height of the best.
The other great support to the Colombian candidacy arrives with the tour. Despite the suspension of the climb to the Galibier, because of a landslide that blocked the road in the Chambon tunnel area, and that the authorities of the Department of Isère have not been able to resolve in time forcing the organization to include a second ascent to the Croix de Fer,
The 2015 Tour presents a lot of land for a climber like Quintana, as long as it is unscathed from the dangerous first week.
You must start by limiting damage against the 14 -kilometer inaugural clock in Utrecht, where it will take the exit two hours before the other favorites and, therefore, without references. And then save the dreaded stage of the cobblestones in Cambrai (4th), in addition to the classical type finals in the Huy wall, the end of the Vallea arrow, the stage of Le Havre, or the Brittany wall, ideal that is what the way , for Purito Rodríguez to join the cast of favorites.
Then, after the rest day that happens to the chrono by Plumelec teams (July 12), the ‘Other Tour’ begins, which actually puts Nairo among the great favorites. He does it with the end, beautiful in landscapes, in the Pierre de Saint Martin, a kind of prolongation of the Saudet Col that will make the first great selection.
The stage adds to the hardness the wide margin to surprises of the day after the rest day. And we must not forget that it will be July 14, French National Party, day marked by Thibaut Pinot, Jean Cristophe Peraud and Romain Bardet, among other members of the Gallic Squadron.
After the first grand finale, the Pyrenean block holds the very interesting stage of the Tumalet, which is climbed on the classic side of Sainte Marie de Campan, and is crowned 37 kilometers from the goal of Cauterets, a very bearable port. The end of the stage invites you to attack from afar and take advantage of the very quick descent of the Tourmalet, just because of the slope where Induráin dynamited the 1991 tour.
Then, in the next stage Plateau de Beille, a special classic of special category that is seasoned with two first category, La Core and Lers.
Completed the Pyrenees, the transition to the Alps will not be simple, since the organization has put in between the central massif, repeating the end in Mende, a second short and hard category that in the 90s jumped to the fame to see Induráin of a great eleven attack.
That land, so difficult to control by the equipment, will be repeated in GAP, before the second rest day. The Alpine appetizer will have strategically placed the Col de Manse, 12 kilometers from the finish line, with a decrease that will invite to make differences.
And then, the final traca, with four days in the Alps: the first. It is a wink to the history of Tour, with the end in Pra Loup, the port that sank the great Eddy Merckx, prior passing through the col d'a allos, that with the absence of the Galibier, the Henry Desgrange Prize is awarding to be the highest peak of this edition (2,250 meters); The next day, they expect 186 kiómetters and seven ports on the journey to Saint Jean of Maurienne, with the very hard Glandon 39 kilometers from the finish line. The stage contains a trap, because the vertiginous descent is broken with a short and very hard climb to Montvernier lacets, a second category that can hold surprises.
But the real hardness will arrive in the last and penultimate stage, with two tours for pure climbers, the ‘Nairo territory’. The first will be explosive, of only 136 kilometers, but with the ascents to Chaussy, as soon as he left, and a new climb to the Glandon to link up with the Col de la Croix de Fer. The Col de Mollard (2nd category) and the end in the Toussuare (1st), will finish off the differences that occur.
As if that were not enough, the climax will put Alpe d’Huez, the end that many expect is the scenario of an unforgettable final battle. The hardness of the Alpine station mitigates the effects of the suppression of the Galibier, replaced by the most bearable slope of the Croix de Fer. It will be the route that just crown the champion, one day before the Elysees fields.
The last week, without truce, typical of the Giro de Italia, the winner will decide. His hardness could play against Contador, for the already accumulated effort, and be the great trick of his rivals, cooler on paper. All of them have measured the preparation with less ambitious seasonal planning and have directed it to perform precisely there.
But the tour, fortunately, is not only mathematics, although in recent years it has seemed. And the least mathematician of all, accountant apart, is Quintana. In a way, the future is yours, but also the present, as the head of a new generation of Colombians that refers to the 80s, when Lucho Herrera, Fabio Parra, Pacho Rodríguez ...
Early and ambitious, Nairo leads a generation that will be presented with other names of great level, such as Rigoberto Urán, Julián Arredondo, Jarlinson Pantano or Winner Anacona, the squire of the leader of the Movistar.
It looks like beeting time, and the largest is a 25 -year -old boy, who climbed and down the Alejandro de Humboldt school through a huge port of 16 kilometers, day and day too. That boy, son of peasants, started in cycling at the Santiago de Tunja school, is Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas.
And accountant has insisted on invading his time, to remain the best in time of ‘Naironman’, as they say in Colombia to the great beetle. Do not say it is not exciting.
