Alejandro Valverde Discussion Thread

[christopherrowe]

Call me a hopeless dreamer for reviving this thread, but since Froome and Contador are getting a lot of discussion in advance of the Critérium du Dauphiné it seems only fair to me that Alejandro get some love (or whatever) in advance of the Tour de Suisse. I sincerely hope he's in the mix come July, but I'm interested in what wiser heads than mine have to say about that.

I'm also interested in what rabid fanboys and unashamed nationalists have to say about it.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

he'll come second after Nibali this July. Froome and AC will be so busy looking at each other that they forget to start stage 12 and get discqualified

 

[kingjr]

I hope for the podium and a stage win.

 

[Rollthedice]

he'll come second after Nibali this July. Froome and AC will be so busy looking at each other that they forget to start stage 12 and get discqualified

Amen, brother.

 

[hfer07]

Valverde wants to top-10 the GC.

agreed with Ryo - what a dumb objective.

He should go for some legendary solo breakaway stage wins similar to what he did in 2012 on the Peyragudes stage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIEp_y_cNZ8

 

[GuyIncognito]

agreed with Ryo - what a dumb objective.

He should go for some legendary solo breakaway stage wins similar to what he did in 2012 on the Peyragudes stage

That post was from a year ago, written after Valverde had lost 10 minutes on that flat stage

 

[BigMac]

How come the greated cyclist off all time has so many few posts in his Official Thread!

I'm rooting for him to win the overall. My life would be complete.

VAMOS BAALAAAA!

 

[hfer07]

That post was from a year ago, written after Valverde had lost 10 minutes on that flat stage

still applies for this 2014 Tour

 

[GuyIncognito]

Quite. His stated goal is top 3.

 

[Afrank]

How come the greated cyclist off all time has so many few posts in his Official Thread!

Because this thread was created to have a thread on him with the proper title. There have been other threads on him, like the comeback thread for him.

 

[BigMac]

Because this thread was created to have a thread on him with the proper title. There have been other threads on him, like the comeback thread for him.

I know. But this thread has been around for almost two years. Discussion should be focused here.

 

[ILovecycling]

Possible oponents for Suisse or is he gonna dominate this thing?

 

[BigMac]

Possible oponents for Suisse or is he gonna dominate this thing?

Costa and Mollema. Kreuziger and Pinot.

As I see it, the first two have the better chances.

 

[christopherrowe]

Possible oponents for Suisse or is he gonna dominate this thing?

Rui Costa, Bauke Mollema, Thibaut Pinot, Andy Schleck (?), and, apparently, Sir Bradley Wiggins. I'm cheering for Costa, personally, who is my new favorite rider purely because I'm coincidentally spending the first two weeks of July in Lisbon!

 

[Wallenquist]

Costa and Mollema. Kreuziger and Pinot.

As I see it, the first two have the better chances.

Wiggins and Costa. The only two that can beat Balaverde. Hopefully Alejandro will attack hard on the two final days.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Sir Wiggo will be Valverde's main competitor imo.

 

[BigMac]

Oh, did not know Sir Bradley was racing. Looking forward to his performance then. This year's edition of Suisse is very mountainous though. I'm not sure he will be able to keep with the better climbers.

 

[Jspear]

Just looked at the profiles for the first time. Definitely mountainous. That's gonna make things harder for Wiggo - Even the tt's are hilly which will give the climbers an advantage. I'm thinking Valverde, Kreuziger, Costa, and Wiggins (In that order) will be the one's to watch...assuming they all come with some amount of good form.

 

[Netserk]

Very mountainous my ***. It's the least mountainous edition since 2010 at least.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Very mountainous my ***. It's the least mountainous edition since 2010 at least.

Correct, a top TT'er who can climb well will be in pole position.

Still Valverde will not go down without a fight.

 

[Jspear]

Correct, a top TT'er who can climb well will be in pole position.

Still Valverde will not go down without a fight.

I agree Valverde will not go down easily. IMO Wiggins will have to be even better than he was in Cali to beat the other GC guys coming here. I could see Valverde taking it (gc).

 

[Wallenquist]

According to L'Equipe, Valverde won't ride Suisse but Route de Sud instead looks like he's avoiding his great rivals before Le Grand Depart.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

According to L'Equipe, Valverde won't ride Suisse but Route de Sud instead looks like his avoiding his great rivals before Le Grand Depart.

wow, this would be a really poor decision.

Fans want see the main guys competition against each other.

 

[Arredondo]

That's funny.

He just wants to continue his dominance in smaller races it seems.

 

[christopherrowe]

According to L'Equipe, Valverde won't ride Suisse but Route de Sud instead looks like he's avoiding his great rivals before Le Grand Depart.

Well that's a disappointment. Though I don't think Quintana rode even that last year as Tour prep, much less Suisse or Dauphine.