Copeland backs Nibali to win

Manama : Bahrain-Merida team manager Brent Copeland believes that Bahrain-Merida’s leader Vincenzo Nibali can wear yellow again in Paris when he rides this year’s Tour de France.

After a disappointing showing in 2017, Bahrain-Merida are throwing everything at the French Grand Tour, with 2014 champion Nibali returning after a two-year absence. It will be Nibali’s first real assault on the Tour’s general classification since he finished fourth in 2015.

Copeland has confidence in the Italian, who finished third at the Giro d’Italia and second at the Vuelta a Espana last season.

“Vincenzo is a champion who when he sets his target on a race, he goes there to win. That’s his main objective,” Copeland said.

“He’s a rider who has finished on the podium 10 times in the last years. He’s an incredibly consistent rider and I think that his chances of winning the Tour de France are good. We’ll support him and his training staff with everything they need to get to the Tour in the best possible shape.”

Sending Nibali to the Tour has been on the cards for 2018 since the start of last season. 

However, with the Giro d’Italia going through his native Sicily once again, the 33-year-old Nibali was tempted to ride his home Grand Tour yet again. Team priorities prevailed in the end, with the Vuelta a Espana featuring on Nibali’s calendar for the second year running as a build-up to a tilt at the rainbow jersey in Innsbruck, Austria.

“It was a decision from the team and the main partners. Vincenzo asked if he could do the Giro in the first year because it went through Sicily. We were okay with that and we asked him to do the Tour de France in the second year if he did the Giro in the first,” explained Copeland. 

“It wasn’t an easy decision because the Giro goes through Sicily again, and being Italian means he loves the Giro.” 

Nibali will start his 2018 campaign at the Vuelta a San Juan later this month. 

The 2018 season is the second for Bahrain-Merida, who made their race debut at last year’s Tour Down Under.