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

[Squire]

Just watched Fleche Wallonne.

_O_

 

[Netserk]

Watched all 500m of it?

 

[Squire]

Re:

Watched all 500m of it?

Pretty much, yes.

 

[KyoGrey]

I love that smile at min 2.57 to 3.10:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB0gaaUkSz8

Interviewer: "How can you explain this performances at 37 yo?"

A.Valverde: "Nature" (Naturaleza)

He is just a cycling professional with all the letters. Never goes on ranting about ethics or such and such are dirty or clean as most anglo dopers. Knows what he has to do to do his job.

 

[KyoGrey]

 

[Valv.Piti]

Valverde is the most natural thing nature ever has created.

 

[red_flanders]

Re: Re:

Not many GC riders have the explosiveness of Valverde. I can only think of Froome nowadays.
Anyway, today he looked like he was having a sunday ride:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hkq6uwXOH8

Oh by the way, I enjoyed 2010's edition. Last 20 minutes (Evans won against Purito and Contador):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIuWhc0RtZY

That was the best Fleche Wallone I ever watched live.
Garzelli attacking right from the base, Kloden absolutely flying for 200m on Huy :lol: , then Igor Anton going ballistic from 600m to the finish with Contador on his wheel and finally with Cadel overtaking Contador in the last 100m. Great race that was...

Interesting thing is how incredibly far back Evans is on the penultimate ascent of the Mur de Huy, whereas Schleck and Contador are basically wasting energy going a good 20s or so faster.

Positioning doesn't matter much in the Ardennes classics, the roads aren't narrow enough. The races are less nervous because of it. That's the main reason why everything almost always comes back together before the final hill.

That's also one of the reasons why Valverde has never won the Amstel Gold Race (and why he wouldn't stand a chance in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, E3 Harelbeke or Omloop het Nieuwsblad).

The Ronde van Vlaanderen already started 100 km from the finish-line because Sagan and Van Avermaet were poorly positioned at the base of the Muur van Geraardsbergen. You can't pass other riders as easily because the roads are too narrow and you're held up by the riders in front of you. In the Flemish classics they basically sprint towards the base of every hill and it makes the races very nervous and unpredictable. You need experience, strength, big balls and a bit of luck to do well in a Flemish classic.

I think you have to modify that to exclude Amstel Gold, where the roads are very narrow and the positioning fights are brutal.

 

[AlexNYC]

The emperor has no clothes?

 

[TomLPC]

Really can't blame Valverde, they all played into his hands

 

[DBotero]

No chance for the others,a level above like Kwiatkowski said before the race

 

[Scarponi]

How come he struggles at Amstel?

 

[Saint Unix]

Greatest hilly classics rider of all time.

 

[Valv.Piti]

So, definitively the best rider of his generation now, there is no doubt in my mind.

Grande! A messy race, but what a finish for Valverde, just too *** easy.

 

[Arredondo]

Really boring race, but not Bala's fault. He's just the best rider on these kind of finishes for more then a decade! GRANDE BALA!!

Now a deserved rest period for him. Actually i'm glad about that, i have seen enough Valverde now for a couple of weeks

 

[Moviestar]

Alto de El Morredero 2006 revisited, just swap Vino with D.Martin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgrX7D0mRqo

 

[WheelofGear]

Well-deserved winner.

But stupid racing by the rest of the teams. 27 riders within 34 seconds.

 

[Velolover2]

Kudos to Valverde. Strongest rider in such a finale.

A shame that the others riders didn't want to make it a hard race.

 

[BigMac]

Iconic

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Great win for Valverde! It is not his fault that it ended up as a very dull race, yet again. When guys like Kwiatkowski are delusional to the point that they believe in beating Valverde on the line after 260k and thus does nothing for the entire race, then the race is bound to unfold this way.
The smartest and strongest rider won.

 

[ad9898]

Never been a big fan of Valverde, but Jesus Christ he's so impressive at the min, I'd love to see his power data

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Oleg on Twitter about Bala...

Hard to argue. I've made a huge mistake not to sign him for 3m in 2014. Contador was highly against that contract.I was stupid to listen him

 

[Fernandez]

Oleg on Twitter about Bala...

Hard to argue. I've made a huge mistake not to sign him for 3m in 2014. Contador was highly against that contract.I was stupid to listen him

Dont think Bala had moved.

 

[jaylew]

Incredible early season. And so many big objectives still to come for him this year.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He will be the biggest challenger for second place at the Tour.

 

[DFA123]

Oleg on Twitter about Bala...

Hard to argue. I've made a huge mistake not to sign him for 3m in 2014. Contador was highly against that contract.I was stupid to listen him

Dont think Bala had moved.

Yeah, surely no chance he would have moved. He loves riding and racing in Spain, surrounded by teammates and support staff who he has long history and relationship with. But Tinkov managed to get in his dig at Contador, so all is well.