He's coming home!!!! Alejandro Valverde comeback thread.

[LaFlorecita]

How many times did Valverde win in a sprint?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

How many times did Valverde win in a sprint?

Apparently, you still didn't get the point.

 

[Bardamu]

http://movistarteam.com/noticias/2017-2-20/es-una-pasada-haber-conseguido-100-victorias

What a nice interview with Valverde here. Second Vuelta win?

I don't really agree with the sentiment that the other three are sprinters considering Boonen won many races that weren't flat stages.

3x Ronde, 4x Roubaix, 3x G-W, 5x E3 Harelbeke, 1x WC (23 riders survived, Valverde was second), loads of echelon stages in Qatar (+ overall), 2x Belgian Championships, etc.

Still, one can consider Boonen a sprinter since more than half of his victories are from bunch sprints. It is true that his victories are more diverse than those of Cavendish and Greipel.

Valverde has never won in bunch sprints however, only reduced sprints after a heavy race.

 

[El Pistolero]

http://movistarteam.com/noticias/2017-2-20/es-una-pasada-haber-conseguido-100-victorias

What a nice interview with Valverde here. Second Vuelta win?

I don't really agree with the sentiment that the other three are sprinters considering Boonen won many races that weren't flat stages.

3x Ronde, 4x Roubaix, 3x G-W, 5x E3 Harelbeke, 1x WC (23 riders survived, Valverde was second), loads of echelon stages in Qatar (+ overall), 2x Belgian Championships, etc.

Still, one can consider Boonen a sprinter since more than half of his victories are from bunch sprints. It is true that his victories are more diverse than those of Cavendish and Greipel.

Valverde has never won in bunch sprints however, only reduced sprints after a heavy race.

There's no difference between LBL and a flat Tour stage these days. Both are ridden exactly the same way.

And a lot of Valverde's wins are just uphill sprints.

 

[Valv.Piti]

http://movistarteam.com/noticias/2017-2-20/es-una-pasada-haber-conseguido-100-victorias

What a nice interview with Valverde here. Second Vuelta win?

I don't really agree with the sentiment that the other three are sprinters considering Boonen won many races that weren't flat stages.

3x Ronde, 4x Roubaix, 3x G-W, 5x E3 Harelbeke, 1x WC (23 riders survived, Valverde was second), loads of echelon stages in Qatar (+ overall), 2x Belgian Championships, etc.

Still, one can consider Boonen a sprinter since more than half of his victories are from bunch sprints. It is true that his victories are more diverse than those of Cavendish and Greipel.

Valverde has never won in bunch sprints however, only reduced sprints after a heavy race.

There's no difference between LBL and a flat Tour stage these days. Both are ridden exactly the same way.

And a lot of Valverde's wins are just uphill sprints.

Tell me one time more that Liege 06, 08 and 15 were ridden as a simply bunch sprint in the Tour.

 

[spiritualride]

http://movistarteam.com/noticias/2017-2-20/es-una-pasada-haber-conseguido-100-victorias

What a nice interview with Valverde here. Second Vuelta win?

I don't really agree with the sentiment that the other three are sprinters considering Boonen won many races that weren't flat stages.

3x Ronde, 4x Roubaix, 3x G-W, 5x E3 Harelbeke, 1x WC (23 riders survived, Valverde was second), loads of echelon stages in Qatar (+ overall), 2x Belgian Championships, etc.

Still, one can consider Boonen a sprinter since more than half of his victories are from bunch sprints. It is true that his victories are more diverse than those of Cavendish and Greipel.

Valverde has never won in bunch sprints however, only reduced sprints after a heavy race.

There's no difference between LBL and a flat Tour stage these days. Both are ridden exactly the same way.

And a lot of Valverde's wins are just uphill sprints.

The amount of energy used in LBL compared to a flat Tour stage is incomparable, and weight also is a significant factor due to the climbs. You might as well say that a 6km flat prologue is the same as a mountain time trial up Mount Ventoux ...

 

[Arredondo]

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

Yes, the race suddenly just got a lot less interesting to me. Catalunya is out the window as well if its high fever, I think. He will probably race Pais Vasco now, no? Lets hope.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

Shame from a racing point of view - he'd have had a reasonable chance at Paris-Nice. I guess there's a chance it couild be a blessing in disguise though - perhaps with an easy early season this will finally be the year where his form isn't on a downward trajectory by the end of the Vuelta / Worlds / Lombardia.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

Shame from a racing point of view - he'd have had a reasonable chance at Paris-Nice. I guess there's a chance it couild be a blessing in disguise though - perhaps with an easy early season this will finally be the year where his form isn't on a downward trajectory by the end of the Vuelta / Worlds / Lombardia.

His form should be good in the spring now with the amount of km's he's going to ride before.

I mean, if he misses Catalunya, his racing schedule will be this, right?

Indurain
Pais Vasco
Amstel, Fleche and Liege
Spanish nationals
Dauphine
Tour
Clasica
Vuelta
Worlds
Italian races

Or will he include a race like Romandie in his schedule now?

 

[Arredondo]

And actually i think it's more exciting if he rides Pais Vasco instead of Catalunya. In the latter race, he's only got a really small chance against someone like Froome with that 40 km flat individual TT.

He's never won Pais Vasco in his career, which is incredible given the fact the race suits him really well, and he rode it a lot of times in the past. If he's in shape, he can fill a hole on his palmares.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

Shame from a racing point of view - he'd have had a reasonable chance at Paris-Nice. I guess there's a chance it couild be a blessing in disguise though - perhaps with an easy early season this will finally be the year where his form isn't on a downward trajectory by the end of the Vuelta / Worlds / Lombardia.

His form should be good in the spring now with the amount of km's he's going to ride before.

I mean, if he misses Catalunya, his racing schedule will be this, right?

Indurain
Pais Vasco
Amstel, Fleche and Liege
Spanish nationals
Dauphine
Tour
Clasica
Vuelta
Worlds
Italian races

Or will he include a race like Romandie in his schedule now?

I guess it would be that - basically just replace Catalunya with Pais Vasco. Looks a very light schedule for him though - it could go the other way I guess and instead of being fresh, he just doesn't have the base and sharpness to hold his peak for as long as usual. At his age, racing pretty much every week may be necessary to keep in form - but we'll see I guess.

I think you're right about PV. For me it's a more prestigious race and one he probably has more chance of winning. Perhaps he was eyeing a longer break before the Ardennes, but if he skips Catalunya surely he'll have to ride PV.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

Shame from a racing point of view - he'd have had a reasonable chance at Paris-Nice. I guess there's a chance it couild be a blessing in disguise though - perhaps with an easy early season this will finally be the year where his form isn't on a downward trajectory by the end of the Vuelta / Worlds / Lombardia.

His form should be good in the spring now with the amount of km's he's going to ride before.

I mean, if he misses Catalunya, his racing schedule will be this, right?

Indurain
Pais Vasco
Amstel, Fleche and Liege
Spanish nationals
Dauphine
Tour
Clasica
Vuelta
Worlds
Italian races

Or will he include a race like Romandie in his schedule now?

I guess it would be that - basically just replace Catalunya with Pais Vasco. Looks a very light schedule for him though - it could go the other way I guess and instead of being fresh, he just doesn't have the base and sharpness to hold his peak for as long as usual. At his age, racing pretty much every week may be necessary to keep in form - but we'll see I guess.

I think you're right about PV. For me it's a more prestigious race and one he probably has more chance of winning. Perhaps he was eyeing a longer break before the Ardennes, but if he skips Catalunya surely he'll have to ride PV.

I agree. Purito and Valverde showed the past seasons that riding Catalunya and skipping Pais Vasco is the best approach for the Ardennes. Bala absolutely owned the field in '15 and '16 at Fleche and Liege because he didn't compete in Pais Vasco.

Interesting weeks coming up.

 

[Squire]

Re:

No Bala in Paris-Nice. He's got flue and a high fever.

Too bad. Could be catastrophic for his chances in Catalunya too.

Horrible news. Was hoping he could finally win it. P-N is my favourite one-week stage race, and for me it's the third most important thing lacking from The Don's palmares, after the Tour de France and the rainbow jersey.

 

[mariposa]

Valverde out of Paris Nice with a fever. Disappointing but best not to take chances as the weather on this race can be miserable.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

And actually i think it's more exciting if he rides Pais Vasco instead of Catalunya. In the latter race, he's only got a really small chance against someone like Froome with that 40 km flat individual TT.

He's never won Pais Vasco in his career, which is incredible given the fact the race suits him really well, and he rode it a lot of times in the past. If he's in shape, he can fill a hole on his palmares.

Pais vasco doesn't suit valverde that well. There aren't bonus seconds and valverde isn't stellar in muritos with gradients above 15%. But the main reason is that valverde is in the same generation of contador, who is clearly made for this race.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

And actually i think it's more exciting if he rides Pais Vasco instead of Catalunya. In the latter race, he's only got a really small chance against someone like Froome with that 40 km flat individual TT.

He's never won Pais Vasco in his career, which is incredible given the fact the race suits him really well, and he rode it a lot of times in the past. If he's in shape, he can fill a hole on his palmares.

Pais vasco doesn't suit valverde that well. There aren't bonus seconds and valverde isn't stellar in muritos with gradients above 15%. But the main reason is that valverde is in the same generation of contador, who is clearly made for this race.

It doesn't really matter whether it suits him as well or not. It would just be to get into top shape ahead of the Ardennes and build some miles for the Tour. If he misses P-N and Catalunya then he probably has to do PV. Of course, the riders who specialize in week long stage races - like Henao, Spilak and Contador will always be the favourites. In contrast, Valverde has his eye on bigger prizes; PV would of course be nice to win, but it's more of a means to an end for him.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

And actually i think it's more exciting if he rides Pais Vasco instead of Catalunya. In the latter race, he's only got a really small chance against someone like Froome with that 40 km flat individual TT.

He's never won Pais Vasco in his career, which is incredible given the fact the race suits him really well, and he rode it a lot of times in the past. If he's in shape, he can fill a hole on his palmares.

Pais vasco doesn't suit valverde that well. There aren't bonus seconds and valverde isn't stellar in muritos with gradients above 15%. But the main reason is that valverde is in the same generation of contador, who is clearly made for this race.

It doesn't really matter whether it suits him as well or not. It would just be to get into top shape ahead of the Ardennes and build some miles for the Tour. If he misses P-N and Catalunya then he probably has to do PV. Of course, the riders who specialize in week long stage races - like Henao, Spilak and Contador will always be the favourites. In contrast, Valverde has his eye on bigger prizes; PV would of course be nice to win, but it's more of a means to an end for him.

Contador yes, but Henao and especially Spilak are certainly not in Valverde's league when it comes to a week-long races, even when he's watching a bigger prize!

 

[Aguirre]

he has a flu with fewer, apparently from mid week, he should be able to resume training again next week, so he should be fine for Cataluña, which starts with a 40 km TT (team trial, not individual).

He might go to Milano-San Remo as well two days before, then Indurain, Amorebieta en the 3 Ardennes.

After missing P-N, he might do Romandia as well (spring is long)

 

[Aguirre]

this year Pais Vasco doesnt suit him at all, there is a 27 km with a 5 km climb 6%.

Very difficult against Contador, plus no bonus seconds and a parcour less hard.

He should follow the agenda to be strong in Ardennes, and attack at Amstel at 18 km from the finish... and see what happens

 

[Velolover2]

He should skip Catalunya and race Flanders for fun.

He can get into shape for Pais Vasco by racing a couple of cobble races.

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

And actually i think it's more exciting if he rides Pais Vasco instead of Catalunya. In the latter race, he's only got a really small chance against someone like Froome with that 40 km flat individual TT.

He's never won Pais Vasco in his career, which is incredible given the fact the race suits him really well, and he rode it a lot of times in the past. If he's in shape, he can fill a hole on his palmares.

Pais vasco doesn't suit valverde that well. There aren't bonus seconds and valverde isn't stellar in muritos with gradients above 15%. But the main reason is that valverde is in the same generation of contador, who is clearly made for this race.

There aren't many climbs over 15%. And Valverde is one of the best on those, if not the best along with Henao, Contador, Chaves and Froome.

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

He should skip Catalunya and race Flanders for fun.

He can get into shape for Pais Vasco by racing a couple of cobble races.

He could also do Catalunya + a couple of Northern classics and skip Pais Vasco. Let Quintana ride it.

 

[DBotero]

Too bad he can't ride Paris-Nice Big opportunity missed to try to add this race to his palmares.Hopefully he'll recover fast enough to start in Catalunya in a decent shape.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

And actually i think it's more exciting if he rides Pais Vasco instead of Catalunya. In the latter race, he's only got a really small chance against someone like Froome with that 40 km flat individual TT.

He's never won Pais Vasco in his career, which is incredible given the fact the race suits him really well, and he rode it a lot of times in the past. If he's in shape, he can fill a hole on his palmares.

Pais vasco doesn't suit valverde that well. There aren't bonus seconds and valverde isn't stellar in muritos with gradients above 15%. But the main reason is that valverde is in the same generation of contador, who is clearly made for this race.

There aren't many climbs over 15%. And Valverde is one of the best on those, if not the best along with Henao, Contador, Chaves and Froome.

Purito always was the benchmark of muritos. Henao and contador are better than valverde in these muritos of gradients above 15%