CyclingQuotes.com uses cookies for statistics and targeting ads. This information is shared with third parties.
ACCEPT COOKIES » MORE INFO »

Every day we bring you more pro-cycling news

"More than I wanted to show that I'm the strongest, I wanted the stage win. I had Hautacam in my memory since last time we rode it at the Tour de France [in 2008]," Nibali says

Photo: Sirotti

ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM

TEAM PROFILE
|
NEWS

TOUR DE FRANCE

RACE PROFILE
|
NEWS

VINCENZO NIBALI

RIDER PROFILE
|
NEWS
24.07.2014 @ 19:44 Posted by Emil Axelgaard

Right from the start of the stage, Vincenzo Nibali made his intentions to win the final mountain battle of the Tour de France clear and he ended up giving his rivals another climbing lesson. The Italian had had the Hautacam climb on his mind since 2008 and was very keen to make a mark in the Pyrenees before the end of the race.

 

Right from the start of the final mountain stage of the Tour de France it was evident that Vincenzo Nibali had no intention of letting the opportunity of another stage win slip away. The Italian asked his teammates to control the stage right throughout the entire day and fianlly ride away from everyone else on the final climb.

 

Having already won a stage in the Alps and the Vosges, the race leader also wanted to prove his strength in the Pyrenees.

 

"It's fantastic to have won four stages," he said. "I didn't believe I'd do that. There aren't many stages till the finish now and my lead is consolidated. I'm pretty serene.

 

"I've wanted to leave a footprint in the Pyrenees. Even after yesterday's stage, I felt good. That's why we have kept the breakaway close to us. More than I wanted to show that I'm the strongest, I wanted the stage win. I had Hautacam in my memory since last time we rode it at the Tour de France [in 2008].

 

"I rode it like an uphill time trial. Maybe I've attacked very early but Chris Horner accelerated. I was afraid of letting the stage win go and I reacted because of a direct rivalry with Horner. I owed the stage win to my guys after the work they had done since the start of the stage.

 

"I didn't hear the gaps very well because there was some noise from the radio. I didn't understand how far ahead Nieve was. He's a great rider. I was afraid he'd be impossible to catch.


"I'm having fun at the Tour de France this year. Two years ago, it was different. The course suited Bradley Wiggins' characteristics with two long time trials where I made most of his advantage and in the mountains, he benefited from a team's domination.

 

"The Tour has been harder this year. Many stages have been demanding, since stage 2 that was very nervous. It was very different and more complicated to read the race than two years ago. I'm talking about two years ago because I didn't ride the Tour last year, so I can't say.


"I've been able to keep the jersey almost all the way since Sheffield thanks to the support of my team. We've handled the race very well so far with letting breakaway go and adjusting the lead.

 

"It's not the first time that I took the leader's jersey so early in a Grand Tour. For instance I've done it at the Vuelta last year and I lost it in the last week because of many attacks coming from different riders like Rodriguez and Valverde. I've learnt from that. I've handled the tensions in the race and the way the race unfolded in a much better way.


"It's normal to control the race when we lead the overall classification. I've done what I had to do with the experience I had from winning the Giro and the Vuelta, from making the podium at the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta, from riding aggressively in the classics even when I wasn't in a great shape.

 

"I came to the Tour with a good preparation and a good team. But I'm not a boss like Lance Armstrong was. Let's leave the past behind us.

 

"I'm very clear about myself. If I have seven minutes lead, it's not because of a great performance one day. It's because of seconds I've collected here and there while my adversaries have sometimes gained something and paid the following day for their efforts. I had to deal with the pressure and understand the race. Mentally it's been a very hard race and some riders have paid for that.

 

"My lead is so big because I succeeded in my first goal to gain time on the cobblestones. It was certainly not easy to get 2.30 there! Hadn't Chris Froome had any problem on the pavés, it would have been a difficult day for him.

 

"Something else to take into consideration is that I've centered all my season on the Tour de France while others have wanted to ride flat out at all the races they took part in, like Froome at the Tour de Romandie, like Froome and Contador at the Dauphiné… My main goal has always been the Tour de France. Also at the Giro last year, I had a considerable lead, about five minutes I think, but I don't remember well [4.43 over Rigoberto Uran].


"My first nickname as a cyclist was « the flea of the Pyrenees » and now I'm finally winning in the Pyrenees. It was given to me by a friend of my father when I was a kid, I wasn't big and I dropped other cyclists in the climbs, but very quickly after that « the shark of the strait » has made everyone forget my first nickname. The « flea of the Pyrenees » was [Vincente] Trueba."

 

Astana team manager Alexandre Vinokourov explained that Vincenzo Nibali had decided to win the stage to Hautacam "to prove whow as the boss" and as a tribute to his team-mates.

 

"This is a great victory and a show of strength by the whole team. Vincenzo wanted to prove he was the boss. He really wanted to win that stage," Vinkourov said.

 

"Congrats to the whole team. He finished off the job nicely. He went from afar but he did not want to let (Chris) Horner go", the Olympic champion added.

 

Nibali is now the first yello jersey holder since Eddy Merckx in 1974 to win four stages outside time trials.

 

"To win here with the yellow jersey, it's fantastic. We prepared to be at the level of Froome and Contador, they're no longer here, it's too bad. But it was great Tour and we cross fingers for the two days ahead," Vinokourov added. 

MORE NEWS:

VIEW SELECTED

Bycykling 101: Navigering i byens gader og cykelvenlige... 27.11.2023 @ 12:11The Best Danish Cyclist To Bet On At 2022 Tour De France 13.01.2022 @ 15:262022 Upcoming Tournament Overview 03.01.2022 @ 09:45Best Place to Find Stand-Up Paddleboards 16.06.2021 @ 08:16What are Primoz Roglic’s Chances to Win 2021 Tour de Fr... 17.03.2021 @ 08:37Amazing victory by young champion Sarah Gigante 04.02.2021 @ 14:21Three reasons why cycling is one of the best ways to ex... 28.09.2020 @ 12:03Why do businesses use meeting room managers? 14.09.2020 @ 13:42Five things that you can do, if you want to gain more f... 20.08.2020 @ 15:38One for the road 09.06.2020 @ 15:25List of CyclingQuotes previews 07.05.2020 @ 13:20Blue Energy: room for all interests 26.08.2019 @ 12:56Get your daily dose of exercise at home 08.07.2019 @ 10:443 good advice to be able to afford your favorite bike 25.02.2019 @ 12:32Cycle through gorgeous landscapes 22.10.2018 @ 21:41Balance Your Economy and Diet and Start Saving Money 08.10.2018 @ 11:18Stay Safe: 3 Helmets That Can Keep Your Head Protected... 20.07.2018 @ 07:59Planning to bet on Tour De France - Bet types and strat... 24.05.2018 @ 14:18Basics of cycling betting 25.10.2017 @ 13:10Bauer moves to ORICA-SCOTT 28.08.2017 @ 10:45End of the road for CyclingQuotes 08.01.2017 @ 16:00Rui Costa confirms Giro participation 07.01.2017 @ 12:55Van Avermaet: I am not afraid of Sagan 07.01.2017 @ 09:45Unchanged course for E3 Harelbeke 07.01.2017 @ 09:32Jenner takes surprise win at Australian U23 Championships 07.01.2017 @ 08:53No replacement for Meersman at Fortuneo-Vital Concept 06.01.2017 @ 19:14Barguil with two goals in 2017 06.01.2017 @ 19:06More details about French Vuelta start emerges 06.01.2017 @ 14:16Kristoff to start season at Etoile de Besseges 06.01.2017 @ 14:10Ion Izagirre announces schedule for first year at Bahrain 06.01.2017 @ 12:40JLT Condor optimistic for Herald Sun Tour 06.01.2017 @ 09:19Haas leads Dimension Data trio in fight for Australian... 06.01.2017 @ 09:15Sagan spearheads Bora-hansgrohe at Tour Down Under 06.01.2017 @ 09:12Henao and Thomas lead Sky Down Under 06.01.2017 @ 09:09Bauer crowned New Zealand TT champion 06.01.2017 @ 08:33Van der Poel ready to defend Dutch title 05.01.2017 @ 21:00Pantano ambitious for first Tour with Trek 05.01.2017 @ 20:41Landa with new approach to the Giro 05.01.2017 @ 20:36Sunweb Development Team sign Goos and Zepuntke 05.01.2017 @ 20:27Dumoulin confirms Giro participation 05.01.2017 @ 20:19Bauer targets victories in Quick-Step debut 05.01.2017 @ 20:16Gaviria and Boonen lead Quick-Step in San Juan 05.01.2017 @ 20:13Team Sunweb presented in Germany 05.01.2017 @ 20:09ASO take over major German WorldTour race 05.01.2017 @ 11:01Team Sunweb unveil new jersey 05.01.2017 @ 10:54Reactions from the Australian TT Championships 05.01.2017 @ 08:27Dennis defends Australian TT title 05.01.2017 @ 08:21Scotson takes back to back U23 TT titles in Australia 05.01.2017 @ 08:15Utrecht on track to host 2020 Vuelta 04.01.2017 @ 18:28Pre-season setback for Talansky 04.01.2017 @ 17:56Kristoff: It's not impossible for me to win in Rou... 04.01.2017 @ 17:49Boom close to first cyclo-cross win in LottoNL debut 04.01.2017 @ 17:40UAE Abu Dhabi make late signing of Arab rider 04.01.2017 @ 17:36UAE Abu Dhabi unveil new jersey 04.01.2017 @ 17:30BMC unveil race schedule 04.01.2017 @ 17:21

Currently no news in this list

Christoph HENCH
38 years | today
Kevin MOLLOY
54 years | today
Inez BEIJER
29 years | today
Malcolm LANGE
51 years | today
Christophe PREMONT
35 years | today

© CyclingQuotes.com