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

[KyoGrey]

Sorry if it was posted elsewhere. (From Spanish forums - jesper skibby)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7_vkcCWkAQ_otv.jpg:large

 

[LaFlorecita]

Sorry if it was posted elsewhere. (From Spanish forums - jesper skibby)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7_vkcCWkAQ_otv.jpg:large

What does it say? "vol..."?

 

[KyoGrey]

Sorry if it was posted elsewhere. (From Spanish forums - jesper skibby)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7_vkcCWkAQ_otv.jpg:large

What does it say? "vol..."?

Volta BMC

 

[portugal11]

Sorry if it was posted elsewhere. (From Spanish forums - jesper skibby)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7_vkcCWkAQ_otv.jpg:large

Rojas and bala are bullying the bmc's clones

 

[hrotha]

It's like they couldn't even think of a joke about the Volta BMC situation so they just gave up.

 

[El Pistolero]

BMC is ahead of them in the WT though.

And Catalunya isn't worth much anyway. Should be demoted alongside Tour Down Under, that Australian one-day race, all the Middle Eastern races (including Turkey), that one-day race in London, Rund um den Finanzplats, Vattenfall Cyclassics, GP Quest-France, the TTT at the WC and that Chinese stage race.

Clasica San Sebastian is also a good race to demote considering how poorly it's organised and broadcast every single year. Seems like a constant in Spanish WT races.

Instead make Brabantse Pijl and Paris-Tours WT. Can't think of any prestigious stage races that could be included in the WT, not many prestigious ones left sadly.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

BMC is ahead of them in the WT though.

And Catalunya isn't worth much anyway. Should be demoted alongside Tour Down Under, that Australian one-day race, all the Middle Eastern races (including Turkey), that one-day race in London, Rund um den Finanzplats, Vattenfall Cyclassics, GP Quest-France, the TTT at the WC and that Chinese stage race.

Clasica San Sebastian is also a good race to demote considering how poorly it's organised and broadcast every single year. Seems like a constant in Spanish WT races.

Instead make Brabantse Pijl and Paris-Tours WT. Can't think of any prestigious stage races that could be included in the WT, not many prestigious ones left sadly.

You're right as usual :lol: I mean just look at the teams and riders they bring, and previous winners, all 2nd and 3rd tiers

Anyway, back to Bala, Juanjo Lobato for Todo x Ciclismo: There is no other like Valverde in history!

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

BMC is ahead of them in the WT though.

And Catalunya isn't worth much anyway. Should be demoted alongside Tour Down Under, that Australian one-day race, all the Middle Eastern races (including Turkey), that one-day race in London, Rund um den Finanzplats, Vattenfall Cyclassics, GP Quest-France, the TTT at the WC and that Chinese stage race.

Clasica San Sebastian is also a good race to demote considering how poorly it's organised and broadcast every single year. Seems like a constant in Spanish WT races.

Instead make Brabantse Pijl and Paris-Tours WT. Can't think of any prestigious stage races that could be included in the WT, not many prestigious ones left sadly.

It's an old historic race. You can't compare it with Down Under. These seven one-stage races should give more points than the rest:

1. Paris-Nice
2. Tirreno-Adriatico
3. Itzulia
4. Tour de Suisse
5. Critérium du Dauphiné
6. Volta a Catalunya
7. Tour de Romandie

Romandie and Catalunya are a bit under the rest, but worth more than Tour of Poland and California.

 

[KyoGrey]

Re:

BMC is ahead of them in the WT though.

And Catalunya isn't worth much anyway. Should be demoted alongside Tour Down Under, that Australian one-day race, all the Middle Eastern races (including Turkey), that one-day race in London, Rund um den Finanzplats, Vattenfall Cyclassics, GP Quest-France, the TTT at the WC and that Chinese stage race.

Clasica San Sebastian is also a good race to demote considering how poorly it's organised and broadcast every single year. Seems like a constant in Spanish WT races.

Instead make Brabantse Pijl and Paris-Tours WT. Can't think of any prestigious stage races that could be included in the WT, not many prestigious ones left sadly.

Volta a Catalunya is much higher over those races in terms of history and prestige, don't let the bad organisation of past years editions mislead you.

Totally on with you in recovering Paris-Tours status, but I don't understand the need to demote San Sebastián.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Thanks again to El Pistolero to brigten my day. The more you dislike the rider who wins a certain race, the more unprestigious it apparantly gets. I have a hard time believing you just compared i to Tour Down Under. :lol:

The Volta BMC thing doesn't seem too bright, but its a statement that their crying isn't forgotten just yet..

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

It's an old historic race. You can't compare it with Down Under. These seven one-stage races should give more points than the rest:

1. Paris-Nice
2. Tirreno-Adriatico
3. Itzulia
4. Tour de Suisse
5. Critérium du Dauphiné
6. Volta a Catalunya
7. Tour de Romandie

Romandie and Catalunya are a bit under the rest, but worth more than Tour of Poland and California.

Agree 100%. But instead, the idiots at UCI decided to demote Itzulia and promote TDU They also promoted Romandie, but that's not as bad because as you say, it's one of the 7 historically big one-week stage races. TDU is now in the same rank as P-N, T-A, Dauphiné, Suisse and Itzulia in the same rank as Eneco Tour and Poland

 

[Cordi333]

La Volta a Catalunya is the 3rd oldest stage race (behind Le Tour de France an Il Giro d'Italia). This has worth.

 

[Nirvana]

Re:

La Volta a Catalunya is the 3rd oldest stage race (behind Le Tour de France an Il Giro d'Italia). This has worth.

Fourth oldest, there is also the Tour of Belgium that's three years older.

 

[PremierAndrew]

There's only a certain extent to which age of a race matters. PR is far more prestigious that LBL despite age difference, and of course Strade Bianche has already become one of the most prestigious classics on the calendar

 

[Cordi333]

Re: Re:

La Volta a Catalunya is the 3rd oldest stage race (behind Le Tour de France an Il Giro d'Italia). This has worth.

Fourth oldest, there is also the Tour of Belgium that's three years older.

Yeah, it's true. The Tour of Belgium is even older than the Giro.

 

[El Pistolero]

Thanks again to El Pistolero to brigten my day. The more you dislike the rider who wins a certain race, the more unprestigious it apparantly gets. I have a hard time believing you just compared i to Tour Down Under. :lol:

The Volta BMC thing doesn't seem too bright, but its a statement that their crying isn't forgotten just yet..

I always thought it was a joke race though. At least TDU is organised well, Catalunya isn't.

It's just a boring race most of the time. It doesn't hold to weight P-N and T-A have. And it's not like I'm a Quintana or Henao fan.

 

[Velolover2]

Thanks again to El Pistolero to brigten my day. The more you dislike the rider who wins a certain race, the more unprestigious it apparantly gets. I have a hard time believing you just compared i to Tour Down Under. :lol:

The Volta BMC thing doesn't seem too bright, but its a statement that their crying isn't forgotten just yet..

I always thought it was a joke race though. At least TDU is organised well, Catalunya isn't.

It's just a boring race most of the time. It doesn't hold to weight P-N and T-A have. And it's not like I'm a Quintana or Henao fan.

Catalunya was great this year. Didn't you watch it?

A medium mountain stage (Stage 6) was raced like a marathon. The hilly stage 7 was funny as well. I think it's at least at the level of Dauphine and T-A.

Tour de Suisse is usually called the fourth most prestigious stage race, but it hasn't really been that entertaining in years.

Of "the big 7" (thanks Flo ), only Pais Vasco is really unique with it's short, brutal climbs.

 

[Red Rick]

That medium mountain stage just a split in the peloton, 2 groups chasing each other fore an hour, and then another group ride to the line. Only the 2nd place in GC was on the line. It wasn't that great.

 

[Red Rick]

Suisse is only done competitively by those who can say winning Suisse makes up for a failed Tour. Not-Tour contenders.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

That medium mountain stage just a split in the peloton, 2 groups chasing each other fore an hour, and then another group ride to the line. Only the 2nd place in GC was on the line. It wasn't that great.

Yes it wasn't a very exciting race, it never is too exciting but this year it was even worse, there was no anticipation for attacks that could shake up the GC because the gaps were so big. The only meaningful GC action came from the TTT and a split in the peloton

 

[LaFlorecita]

[
A medium mountain stage (Stage 6) was raced like a marathon. The hilly stage 7 was funny as well. I think it's at least at the level of Dauphine and T-A.

choked on my coffee
I'd rate the races:
1. Paris-Nice
2. Tirreno-Adriatico
3./4. Dauphiné/Itzulia
5. Tour de Suisse

6. Volta a Catalunya
7. Tour de Romandie

Just not sure about 3rd. I'd say Dauphiné is more prestigious, but it is just raced as Tour prep these days so I have a hard time placing it above Itzulia.
Tour de Suisse suffers from a horrible field year after year, just look at the last winners, Rui Costa x3, Spilak, Superman Lopez.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Funny that the discussion goes from Valverde to how bad of a route and how bad of a race Catalunya is (despite the fact that this year's edition definitely have been one of the better editions...) I think we've heard that enough in various other threads, no need to contaminate the great's one with that as well when we can all agree that Catalunya obviously is more prestigious than TdU and the other nonsense Pisto came up with.

 

[roundabout]

Race number 7 on the list has had more big name winners in recent years than race number 1 on the list, so it doesn't make much sense to use the winners to judge the value of race number 5 on the list.

 

[Mr.White]

As for the importance of the races, all 7 ranks pretty equal imo. Maybe I would give slight edge to Paris-Nice, Tirreno and Pais Vasco.
As for the excitement, Pais Vasco never fails, others are sometimes exciting, sometimes not.
Catalunya generally attracts very good field, and in descent shape too. Route is not that great though, but in recent years only big guns are capable of winning this race, so for my money Catalunya is one of the top stage races.

 

[WheelofGear]

Prestige, history, route, field, signature places/climbs all included.

1. Tour
2. Giro
3. Vuelta
..
4. Paris-Nice
5. Pais Vasco
6. T-A
7. Suisse
8. Dauphine (as LaFlorecita said, it's more of a warm-up race where Suisse is a race for the lesser GC riders)
9. Catalunya
10. Romandie
...
11. Some old French or Italian opening race