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Teams & Riders He's coming home!!!! Alejandro Valverde comeback thread.

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What will Valverde's impact be the cycling world in 2012

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ice&fire

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Berniece

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Valverde waarschuwt concurrentie voorafgaande aan WK Gravel: “Het zal niet eenvoudig zijn om me te verslaan”

Alejandro Valverde staat zondag met vertrouwen aan de start van het WK Gravel. De profcarrière van de 43-jarige Spanjaard is al bijna een jaar ten einde, maar Bala heeft niet stilgezeten de voorbije maanden. "Ik heb heel 2023 getraind met het WK Gravel als grote doel in mijn achterhoofd", vertelt h
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Alejandro Valverde will be confident at the start of the Gravel World Championships on Sunday. The 43-year-old Spaniard's professional career has been over for almost a year, but Bala has not been idle in recent months. “I have been training throughout 2023 with the Gravel World Championships as a major goal in the back of my mind,” he says in a press release from the organization.

Valverde goes for 'the best possible result' in the Italian Veneto. “I will be in the region in the coming days to explore the route. I have already studied the course a bit, but I want to know every bend. I know it won't be easy against some of the best riders in the world, but I can say one thing for sure: even for them it won't be easy to beat me.”

UCI Gravel World Series
Last year, Valverde contested two Spanish races in the UCI Gravel World Series. He wrote both La indomable and Hutchinson Ranxo Gravel with a great display of power. In the latter race, his former Movistar teammate Iván García Cortina finished second, more than two minutes away.

“When I stopped being a professional cyclist, it was clear to me that I wanted to discover the gravel world. It was something completely new for me, but it gave me the opportunity to keep my competitive spirit alive," he said. At the World Cup, Valverde will compete with Wout van Aert, Florian Vermeersch and defending champion Gianni Vermeersch, among others.
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Unchained

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saunaking said:
Gravel world champs were in Kansas a few months ago.
This UCI gravel course is a bigger joke than the Vuelta 'racing'
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Gravel is a joke.. You have the " spirit of gravel " people who are the beers and gears bunch that are out for fun stop at aid stations stand at finish line and cheer for others.
There is no serious gravel racing in the US, zero and especially not in Kansas.. current gravel conditions are as follows.. King Keegan wins by how much? If he is sick or if he doesn't register to race did I miss any of the variables? Would have enjoyed seeing where Valverde is at being 43 and how he would handle Unbound.. but the field is certainly not a championship field wo Pidcock, Wout and Van Der Poel..Keegan will soon be able to shine if that's what is meant to be..
 
proffate

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Unchained said:
Gravel is a joke.. You have the " spirit of gravel " people who are the beers and gears bunch that are out for fun stop at aid stations stand at finish line and cheer for others.
There is no serious gravel racing in the US, zero and especially not in Kansas.. current gravel conditions are as follows.. King Keegan wins by how much? If he is sick or if he doesn't register to race did I miss any of the variables? Would have enjoyed seeing where Valverde is at being 43 and how he would handle Unbound.. but the field is certainly not a championship field wo Pidcock, Wout and Van Der Poel..Keegan will soon be able to shine if that's what is meant to be..
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I'm sure there were plenty of posts like this on usenet message boards back when the US was busy inventing MTB.
 
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Sciatic

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proffate said:
I'm sure there were plenty of posts like this on usenet message boards back when the US was busy inventing MTB.
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At least for MTB the origins were organic—with some framebuilders racing down Mt Tamalpais (near San Franscisco) old modified old Schwin clunkers.
My sense with the “creation” of gravel bikes and gravel racing was mostly a marketing driven phenomenon. It’s not like it’s a “new” thing in bike racing since many GT stages traveled on gravel or dirt roads before all those roads were paved,
 
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proffate

proffate

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Sciatic said:
At least for MTB the origins were organic—with some framebuilders racing down Mt Tamalpais (near San Franscisco) old modified old Schwin clunkers.
My sense with the “creation” of gravel bikes and gravel racing was mostly a marketing driven phenomenon. It’s not like it’s a “new” thing in bike racing since many GT stages traveled on gravel or dirt roads before all those roads were paved,
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I think gravel bikes are popular because they're more practical and comfortable for the average non racer. Better for commuting and unlock more routes, especially ones that are less trafficked (if you happen to live near some "gravel"). Northern California still drives a lot of cycling culture and the trails in Marin are a lot of double track and fire roads. Much easier to ride there from SF on a gravel bike than MTB. I'm sure the same is true elsewhere. It's true that you can ride a road bike off road, but it's not generally very pleasant, hence why we keep inventing MTBs. As far as gravel events, somehow they've captured the participation culture like tri or marathons which road cycling never could (if you get dropped on the road you're a big fat loser).

Now if you want to discuss marketing driven phenomena, I have some things to say about disc brakes...
 
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proffate said:
I think gravel bikes are popular because they're more practical and comfortable for the average non racer. Better for commuting and unlock more routes, especially ones that are less trafficked (if you happen to live near some "gravel"). Northern California still drives a lot of cycling culture and the trails in Marin are a lot of double track and fire roads. Much easier to ride there from SF on a gravel bike than MTB. I'm sure the same is true elsewhere. It's true that you can ride a road bike off road, but it's not generally very pleasant, hence why we keep inventing MTBs. As far as gravel events, somehow they've captured the participation culture like tri or marathons which road cycling never could (if you get dropped on the road you're a big fat loser).

Now if you want to discuss marketing driven phenomena, I have some things to say about disc brakes...
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Well said, thanks.
 
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Salvarani

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veganrob said:
Yeah, he might win a race, but how important of a race? I agree. He should just move on to other things. Kick back a little.
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Or just let him do what he wants, which is riding his bike if this is to be believed. He finished 6th in Il Lombardia, his last pro race, among other great results in 2022. If anything... he retired too early, while still being able to offer a lot, and seemingly not on his terms or feeling pressured to do so.
 
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veganrob

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Salvarani said:
Or just let him do what he wants, which is riding his bike. He finished 6th in Il Lombardia, his last pro race, among other great results in 2022. If anything... he retired too early, while still being able to offer a lot, and seemingly not on his terms or feeling pressured to do so.
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I guess. If he is having fun. But I don't want to see him do lousy. There are just too many good memories of him.
 
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