Vincenzo Nibali, Tour of Oman 2013

VINCENZO NIBALI

Date of birth: 14 November 1984

From: Messina, Sicily

Team: Astana

Previous teams: Liquigas-Cannondale (2006-2012), Fassa Bortolo (2005)

Vincenzo Nibali career profile

Vincenzo Nibali's overall win at the 2010 edition of the Vuelta a Espana went some way in fulfilling the young Italian rider's immense promise.

While there is no doubt that Nibali benefited from the abandonment of race leader Igor Anton to take over the red jersey, from then on the Liquigas rider oozed class and composure.

He calmly limited his losses to Ezequiel Mosquera on the penultimate day to capture his first Grand Tour title and become the first Italian to win at the Vuelta for 20 years.

The win completed a great 2010 for Nibali. Earlier in the year he won an individual stage and spent time in the leader's pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia. This was despite riding in support of Liquigas team captain Ivan Basso. He also won the 2010 Tour of Slovenia to confirm his stage racing credentials.

Just a year earlier, team politics had threatened to overshadow Nibali's progress and there were strong rumours that he wanted to leave Liquigas but the determined Italian let his riding do the talking.

With four potential leaders jostling for position ahead of the 2009 Tour de France, Nibali eclipsed teammates Roman Kreuziger and Frando Pellizotti to finish 7t, just 2:11 off the podium. Not bad in his second Tour at the age of just 24.

Nibali is mainly known for his climbing  and descending skills and is nicknamed ‘il Squalo di Messina' - the Shark of Messina - because supposedly you don't see him until he attacks, but by then it's too late. But he can also time trial and is tipped by many to be the next great Italian three-week stage race rider: something he proved by winning the 2010 Vuelta a Espana.

Like many Sicilians, Nibali combines a quiet character with ferocious resolve and personal pride and if he continues his upward career trajectory could make a serious contender for the Tour de France.

Nibali switched from Liquigas-Cannondale to Astana for the 2013 season, where he promptly won the Giro d'Italia.

Nibali completed his collection of Grand Tour wins with overall victory in the 2014 Tour de France. However, he appeared off-form in the Tour in 2015 despite winning stage 19, and finished fourth overall. An appearance at the 2015 Vuelta was short-lived, as be was controversially kicked out of the race for holding on to a team car.

Nibali made amends for a poor 2015 season - by his standards - by claiming the final WorldTour race of the year, Il Lombardia - his biggest single-day race win.

Vincenzo Nibali results
2015
Tour de France; stage 19

Il Lombardia

Italian road race national champion

Tre Valli Varesine

Coppa Bernocchi

2014
Italian road race national champion
Tour de France; stage two

Tour de France; stage 10

Tour de France; stage 13

Tour de France; stage 18

Tour de France; overall

2013
Tirreno-Adriatico; overall

Giro del Trentino; stage four

Giro del Trentino; overall

Giro d'Italia; stage 18 (ITT)

Giro d'Italia; stage 20

Giro d'Italia; overall

2012
Tour of Oman; stage five
Tirreno-Adriatico; stage five
Tirreno-Adriatico; overall

2010

Vuelta a Espana - overall

Trofeo Melinda

Tour de Slovenie

Giro d'Italia - Stage 14

Tour de San Luis - overall

Tour de San Luis - Stages 1 and 4

2009

Gran Premio Citta di Camaiore

Giro dell'Appennino

2008

Giro de Trentino - overall

Giro del Trentino - stage 3

2007

Tour de Slovenie - Stages 3 and 4

Giro di Toscana

GP Industria & Artigianato

2006

GP Ouest France - Plouay

Settimana Coppi e Bartali - stage 2

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