Candidate cage match: Alejandro Valverde vs. Sean Kelly

[Koronin]

And of course, I suppose a totally possible option is that they'll just sit down, have some coffee, and talk about their respective careers.

Dunno where they're gonna get the coffee from. Details!

That's the most likely outcome. I don't know about Kelly, but Valverde loves to listen to other riders (and former riders) tell stories of races from their careers and he enjoys telling the stories of his career as well.

 

[@NL_LeMondFans]

I think the main difference between those 2 riders is that Kelly was among the best sprinters in a peloton sprint.

Valverde is fast, but the points jerseys he won were due to the uphill finishes in the Vuelta. I don't think I've ever seen him going at it in a peloton sprint.

 

[tobydawq]

I think the main difference between those 2 riders is that Kelly was among the best sprinters in a peloton sprint.

Valverde is fast, but the points jerseys he won were due to the uphill finishes in the Vuelta. I don't think I've ever seen him going at it in a peloton sprint.

When he was young he was really fast. Of course he was no Petacchi or Cavendish but his silver medal in Madrid in 2005 behind Boonen says something (also about the not so impressive depth of the sprinting field there, of course).

Then again, a year later, he was without chance against Bettini and Zabel, so you may have a point.

 

[Koronin]

I think the main difference between those 2 riders is that Kelly was among the best sprinters in a peloton sprint.

Valverde is fast, but the points jerseys he won were due to the uphill finishes in the Vuelta. I don't think I've ever seen him going at it in a peloton sprint.

Valverde was considered a sprinter when he turned pro. In his younger days he did get involved in full field sprints a lot more than he has since he's gotten older. Although he did win a field sprint in Catalonia in 2018. Granted not a great class of sprinters for that race, but still. He was never a top tier sprinter.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I remember Valverde winning back-to-back bunch sprints in the 2005 Vuelta a Pays Vasco and then ended up nowhere on GC. I don't think there weren't any top sprinters there, tho.

Edit: I "remember" it because I watched it during the spring lockdown!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Carlton (at a race like Liège-Bastogne-Liège): "and what about Richie Porte as a threat here, after all he won Paris-Nice"
Séan: "oh, Paris-Nice is easy to win"