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

[kingjr]

Van Avermaet won the Road Race mainly because he managed to stay on his bike on a difficult decent.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

Van Avermaet won the Road Race mainly because he managed to stay on his bike on a difficult decent.

Nope, because he anticipated and attacked early. Nibali and co were taking risks because they needed bigger time gaps.

The rightful person won and I'm saying this as a big Nibali fan.

 

[kingjr]

Re: Re:

Van Avermaet won the Road Race mainly because he managed to stay on his bike on a difficult decent.

Nope, because he anticipated and attacked early. Nibali and co were taking risks because they needed bigger time gaps.

The rightful person won and I'm saying this as a big Nibali fan.

I don't dispute that he was the rightful winner. I didn't think it was the result of a tactical masterstroke though.

Out of interest, are you one of those contributors who feel very strongly about certain riders, one way or the other?

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Once again showing that he's one of the most agressive riders in the peloton. Chapeau!

Except in the races that truly matter, he sits in someone else's wheel all day then.

It's almost as if he chooses the best tactic depending on the field and particular race. Struggling to recall many hilly classics won recently with a 70km solo break. Aggressive doesn't mean suicidal.

His tactics in those hilly classics have often made him lose actually. The only hilly race he keeps winning is the one where tactics don't play any role (and it is therefor the least prestigious one by far).

Anyway, the best hilly riders don't ride LBL or aren't in top shape then (Sagan, Van Avermaet and Nibali).

What a joke! :lol:

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Once again showing that he's one of the most agressive riders in the peloton. Chapeau!

Except in the races that truly matter, he sits in someone else's wheel all day then.

It's almost as if he chooses the best tactic depending on the field and particular race. Struggling to recall many hilly classics won recently with a 70km solo break. Aggressive doesn't mean suicidal.

His tactics in those hilly classics have often made him lose actually. The only hilly race he keeps winning is the one where tactics don't play any role (and it is therefor the least prestigious one by far).

Anyway, the best hilly riders don't ride LBL or aren't in top shape then (Sagan, Van Avermaet and Nibali).

What a joke! :lol:

I saw those hilly classics specialists getting their butt kicked by Sagan and GVA during the Olympics and the Canadian races. There's no doubt in my mind that these 3 riders are far superior to the likes of Valverde when they're on their A game.

And just compare how many cobbled classic specialists have won the WC lately compared to hilly classic specialists.

2005: Boonen
2006: Bettini (he always rode the Omloop and Flanders as well)
2007: Bettini
2008; Ballan
2009: Cadel Evans
2010: Hushovd
2011: Cavendish (not a classic specialists, but he does ride Roubaix)
2012: Philippe Gilbert (rides both)
2013: Rui Costa
2014: Kwiatkowski (rides both)
2015: Sagan
2016: Sagan

So in the last 12 years, only two riders who only focus on the hilly classics have managed to win the WC. Bolded are riders who mostly focus on cobbled classics.

 

[Red Rick]

Well Canada isn't the same kind of hilly as the Ardennes. There's no doubt Valverde is top notch in the Ardennes.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

Well Canada isn't the same kind of hilly as the Ardennes. There's no doubt Valverde is top notch in the Ardennes.

Never said he wasn't top notch though.

Just saying he'd get his ass kicked if GVA or Sagan ever decided to make LBL their main goal. And Nibali at his best is also a level beyond Valverde, it's just a shame he's so inconsistent these days.

 

[Flamin]

Good win in the absence of Wellens.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Well Canada isn't the same kind of hilly as the Ardennes. There's no doubt Valverde is top notch in the Ardennes.

Never said he wasn't top notch though.

Just saying he'd get his *** kicked if GVA or Sagan ever decided to make LBL their main goal. And Nibali at his best is also a level beyond Valverde, it's just a shame he's so inconsistent these days.

You do realize your hilly classics giants made only 2 major wins, yet Valverde alone has 3 or 4 times more?!
Yeah you do, but I've got a feeling you're going to say that Fleche and San Sebastian aren't big races at all, and Liege has no significance cause best hilly riders (GVA, Sagan and Nibali of course) are not peaking for that race, at least Sagan and GVA, while Nibali is often out of shape, so Liege win is basically worthless. So we came to the point that Canadian races are in fact the most important hilly classics in the world, with two notable exceptions, Olympic road race in Rio and Il Lombardia 2015. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Asero831]

Re: Re:

Will he ride Strade Bianche ?

Think Movistar said he was doing Paris-Nice instead this year. Kind of a shame, but the renewed focus on stage races early on suggests he might have something big planned for the Ardennes or later in the year.

I think he'll do both

Think that would be a mistake. There is literally about 18 hours between the end of Strade Bianche and the start of Paris-Nice. To compete at the sharp end of SB, do all post race and doping controls, get to an airport, fly 1200km, get to a hotel in Paris, a good nights sleep and be immediately ready for a week long stage race is a tough ask and seems a bit unnecessary in early March, even for a rider like Valverde. Can't imagine he'll win Paris-Nice with a hard classic in his legs.

He has done back to back a year or two before.
MSR to Catalunya.

He did well in Catalunya there.

 

[Carols]

Nice Long solo win by the ever young Bala

 

[Tonton]

Don Alejandro won a la Merckx. I don't understand the bickering. He's in a class of his own in his generation, except for Nibali (kind of). Great GT rider, great one-day race rider. Bravo!

 

[movingtarget]

Don Alejandro won a la Merckx. I don't understand the bickering. He's in a class of his own in his generation, except for Nibali (kind of). Great GT rider, great one-day race rider. Bravo!

Like a fine wine gets better with age..............................

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

Well Canada isn't the same kind of hilly as the Ardennes. There's no doubt Valverde is top notch in the Ardennes.

Never said he wasn't top notch though.

Just saying he'd get his *** kicked if GVA or Sagan ever decided to make LBL their main goal. And Nibali at his best is also a level beyond Valverde, it's just a shame he's so inconsistent these days.

You can't have it both ways. Nibali can't be inconsistent and then be better. I'm certain he love to win LBL but the fact is he hasn't so now way is he IMO far above Valverde.

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Once again showing that he's one of the most agressive riders in the peloton. Chapeau!

Except in the races that truly matter, he sits in someone else's wheel all day then.

It's almost as if he chooses the best tactic depending on the field and particular race. Struggling to recall many hilly classics won recently with a 70km solo break. Aggressive doesn't mean suicidal.

His tactics in those hilly classics have often made him lose actually. The only hilly race he keeps winning is the one where tactics don't play any role (and it is therefor the least prestigious one by far).

Anyway, the best hilly riders don't ride LBL or aren't in top shape then (Sagan, Van Avermaet and Nibali).

No, no, and no.

 

[yaco]

Seems one or two are shitty that the grandfather Valverde continues to mature as a fine wine - It's hard to beat classy riders.

To say Van Avermaat had no luck in the Olympics is strange indeed - The reason he won ( excluding the crashes ) is Fulgsand attacked from the chasing peleton.

 

[LaFlorecita]

El Pisti, you should change your name to Il Squalo. Also, don't be ridiculous and stop arguing for the sake of it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Well Canada isn't the same kind of hilly as the Ardennes. There's no doubt Valverde is top notch in the Ardennes.

Never said he wasn't top notch though.

Just saying he'd get his *** kicked if GVA or Sagan ever decided to make LBL their main goal. And Nibali at his best is also a level beyond Valverde, it's just a shame he's so inconsistent these days.

You do realize your hilly classics giants made only 2 major wins, yet Valverde alone has 3 or 4 times more?!
Yeah you do, but I've got a feeling you're going to say that Fleche and San Sebastian aren't big races at all, and Liege has no significance cause best hilly riders (GVA, Sagan and Nibali of course) are not peaking for that race, at least Sagan and GVA, while Nibali is often out of shape, so Liege win is basically worthless. So we came to the point that Canadian races are in fact the most important hilly classics in the world, with two notable exceptions, Olympic road race in Rio and Il Lombardia 2015. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Quoted for truth, brotha!

 

[Red Rick]

How about agreeing to disagree and moving on. I'm pretty sure we've all made up our minds about this. Please keep the personal stuff out of this

 

[KyoGrey]

Valverde literally flying over the Murcian roads he has ridden since a kid during his solo exhibition victory days ago (credit to SamhainDanzig of the Spanish forums). Trully spectacular GIF.

https://j.gifs.com/GZ25kL.gif

Attack at 70km to the finish:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4YxFkiXUAUkzH4.jpg:large

Alone in the foggy roads:

Maintaining the difference with a helpless peloton:

Champion:

 

[Valv.Piti]

Thanks Kyo!

Do you know if they have made a highlight video alá those in Mallorca?

 

[Netserk]

I know it was from about 70km out, but is it possible to get a more precise measure of his ride?

 

[mariposa]

Re:

I know it was from about 70km out, but is it possible to get a more precise measure of his ride?

Restrepo said it was at 5 k from the top of the Bermejo so at about 68.4 k.

What a great ride it was by Valverde. An attack into the fog over the mountain, descending on familiar roads and then tackling almost 36 k into a headwind to the finish. No wonder the Murcianos love this guy.

Hopefully the highlights video won't be too long in coming. They were filming all the way around but only the last 10 k transmitted live.

 

[Velolover2]

Valverde literally flying to victory down a descent.

 

[SKSemtex]

Mr. Cyclist

He is THE Legend for sure. At least for me.