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

[Blanco]

Re:

My god the level of Valverde fanboyism. Valverde the proven GT god.

Valverde is the best rider on the planet for the last 10/15 years. I agree. But on GT's he has always been lacking and I do not see how that would have been any different this year. Now you almost grab the fall as excuse that he suddenly would've proven the opposite.

What fanboyism? Do you see who are the main contenders in this Tour? Bardet, Aru, Dan Martin and freaking Rigoberto Uran! So tell me when Valverde had a problem to ride with these guys? Froome is obviously not at his best, Quintana even worse, Contador past his prime. Who else is better GT rider then Valverde? Who by the way was in form of his life. Everything indicates that he could deal with those guys. I'm not saying he would won the whole thing, but he would certainly be one of the main contenders.

 

[Gigs_98]

I'm not even a huge valverde fan but still I'd love to see him in the tour now. I also honestly think that he could have won this considering how insanely good his spring was

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Thats a pretty flawed argument.

Any (almost) of those who have watched cycling regularly the last couple of years knows that this was a genuine possibility considering how everything has played out. Not just for a podium or a stage, but the whole thing.

Absolutely. Or even if he'd have gone to the Giro again this year, with his spring form, he'd have won that comfortably given the level of competition.

Such a shame the way it played out.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Froome would have struggled to beat Dumoulin on that route

Agreed. But Valverde wouldn't have.

Not sure about that at all. Considering how poor he was last year whenever the race went into high (2000+) mountains, I doubt he'd have come on the podium. There were very few stages which suited him, and it's not like his spring in 2016 was bad. He was better this year but not by so much he could beat an improved Nibali and an insane Dumoulin.

Improved from when?! Didn't saw worse Nibali in years

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

For Valverde, Dan Martin is the perfect reference, as he owns him in every imaginable way.

Now did Martin get recked by anything but Porte?

Indeed. Everything that Dan Martin does, Valverde does better. I hate to sound nonchalant, but thats the bitter truth. Literally EVERYTHING.

 

[Brullnux]

Nibali was, overall, better this year than last. The competition was better, however, so he didn't win. But last year's Nibali would have finished 5th at best.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Nibali was, overall, better this year than last. The competition was better, however, so he didn't win. But last year's Nibali would have finished 5th at best.

No he wasn't, no it wasn't, and no he wouldn't.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Nibali was, overall, better this year than last. The competition was better, however, so he didn't win. But last year's Nibali would have finished 5th at best.

No he wasn't, no it wasn't, and no he wouldn't.

Really? Take out the last two stages and Nibali was pretty damn poor - losing 2 minutes on an ten kilometre MTT, getting dropped on Valparola, losing a minute and a half to Andalo and a mediocre TT. And take the field: Chaves, Kruijswijk, Valverde or Dumoulin, Pinot and Quintana? Add in a massively improved pozzo, a better Zakarin and Mollema? I mean, Atapuma and Siutsou finished in the top 10 last year.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Nibali was, overall, better this year than last. The competition was better, however, so he didn't win. But last year's Nibali would have finished 5th at best.

No he wasn't, no it wasn't, and no he wouldn't.

Really? Take out the last two stages and Nibali was pretty damn poor - losing 2 minutes on an ten kilometre MTT, getting dropped on Valparola, losing a minute and a half to Andalo and a mediocre TT. And take the field: Chaves, Kruijswijk, Valverde or Dumoulin, Pinot and Quintana? Add in a massively improved pozzo, a better Zakarin and Mollema? I mean, Atapuma and Siutsou finished in the top 10 last year.

But add that last two stages and you get the best Nibali since 2014!

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Nibali was, overall, better this year than last. The competition was better, however, so he didn't win. But last year's Nibali would have finished 5th at best.

No he wasn't, no it wasn't, and no he wouldn't.

Really? Take out the last two stages and Nibali was pretty damn poor - losing 2 minutes on an ten kilometre MTT, getting dropped on Valparola, losing a minute and a half to Andalo and a mediocre TT. And take the field: Chaves, Kruijswijk, Valverde or Dumoulin, Pinot and Quintana? Add in a massively improved pozzo, a better Zakarin and Mollema? I mean, Atapuma and Siutsou finished in the top 10 last year.

But add that last two stages and you get the best Nibali since 2014!

That's why I said overall. That was the operating word. He would have been four plus minutes down before the last two stages this year, and no way he'd have recovered that.

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

Would have killed it both on La planche and today. Very likely in yellow.

However you choose to look at it this was his moment and everyone knows it,

No, just no.
You can't say that with a straight face about a guy who has been racing the Tour since 2005 and hasn't been in the yellow jersey since 2008. It's ludicrous. Spring races never tell the whole story because people don't peak for them like they peak for the Tour.

And neither of them has it been this open a race (thanks to a couple chrashes and weak form) nor have he had better form then this. Also, the indication that he started very well, tells us a lot.

Im not saying he would have win but that his chances haven't been better. Nothing controversial really.

 

[Blanco]

So, time for "what if" I think top 5 and a stage win would be certain, and very likely much more that that

 

[Valv.Piti]

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

 

[Tonton]

Re:

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

Valverde could have won this Tour. No doubt. Won the Matthews murito and the Bardet's stage. Just wasn't meant to be.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

Valverde could have won this Tour. No doubt. Won the Matthews murito and the Bardet's stage. Just wasn't meant to be.

I think a few riders will see it as a missed opportunity namely Valverde, Quintana and Porte. How often can you race Froome in that sort of form ? Looking at Froome's past two Tours it seems that 2015 Froome has gone for good which will encourage his rivals.

 

[Squire]

Alejandro Valverde has 35 race days this season (omitting the Tour opening stage).

In 33 of those 35 race days he finished inside the top 20.

In 21 of those 35 race days he finished inside the top 10.

In 8 of those race days, he crossed the line in 1st place.

He won the GC of all stage races he raced this season except the Dauphiné (top 10), making it a total of 11 wins in 35 race days (a win each 3,18 race days).

For comparison, the most amount of wins in a season during the last 10 years was 23 by Mark Cavendish in 2009. He needed 3,74 race days per win.

 

[Netserk]

Kump had a higher win rate in '15, I think.

 

[Lequack]

Some news about Alejandro (unfortunately in Spanish):
http://www.laverdad.es/deportes/ciclismo/aguanta-20170723010408-ntvo.html

 

[lenric]

Re:

Some news about Alejandro (unfortunately in Spanish):
http://www.laverdad.es/deportes/ciclismo/aguanta-20170723010408-ntvo.html

All in all, the doctors are saying that he's recovering at a higher speed than the average joe, so everything's going well.

 

[mariposa]

Re:

Some news about Alejandro (unfortunately in Spanish):
http://www.laverdad.es/deportes/ciclismo/aguanta-20170723010408-ntvo.html

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised to read that Valverde is giving everything to get back to fitness. One of the most dedicated pros dedicating himself to getting back to what he loves. Practically all day spent on physio, exercises and gym work and he wants more! He will even be getting back on a bike in the pool on Tuesday.
The 8cm cut in his anal area hadn't been mentioned in any of the other reports I have read, sounds nasty and could have been a lot worse.
I hope that things are progressing as well as they seem.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Alejandro Valverde has 35 race days this season (omitting the Tour opening stage).

In 33 of those 35 race days he finished inside the top 20.

In 21 of those 35 race days he finished inside the top 10.

In 8 of those race days, he crossed the line in 1st place.

He won the GC of all stage races he raced this season except the Dauphiné (top 10), making it a total of 11 wins in 35 race days (a win each 3,18 race days).

For comparison, the most amount of wins in a season during the last 10 years was 23 by Mark Cavendish in 2009. He needed 3,74 race days per win.

Yes, this season had a great chance of being one of the best or the best single season in modern cycling history with 2 races coming up (Tour + Vuelta) where he likely would have done very well.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

Some news about Alejandro (unfortunately in Spanish):
http://www.laverdad.es/deportes/ciclismo/aguanta-20170723010408-ntvo.html

Look at that day schedule. :lol: This man is obsessed, I love it. Valverde probably doing more exercise than half of this forum whilst having a broken knee.

 

[JS10]

Re: Re:

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

Valverde could have won this Tour. No doubt. Won the Matthews murito and the Bardet's stage. Just wasn't meant to be.

You are obviously forgetting Valverde"s last experience with the Gallibier.Froome &co would have shelled him out with the rest and you don't concede seconds there, only minutes.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

Valverde could have won this Tour. No doubt. Won the Matthews murito and the Bardet's stage. Just wasn't meant to be.

You are obviously forgetting Valverde"s last experience with the Gallibier.Froome &co would have shelled him out with the rest and you don't concede seconds there, only minutes.

Correct me If Im wrong, but that was 2007 and he did very well.

 

[JS10]

Re: Re:

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

Valverde could have won this Tour. No doubt. Won the Matthews murito and the Bardet's stage. Just wasn't meant to be.

You are obviously forgetting Valverde"s last experience with the Gallibier.Froome &co would have shelled him out with the rest and you don't concede seconds there, only minutes.

Correct me If Im wrong, but that was 2007 and he did very well.

No It was me who got my facts wrong.I should have said Stage15 2013 Valverde conceded 2.32 to Froome on the
Ventoux.The point I wished to make is that Valverde is liable to struggle on long high altitude Alpine Stages

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

If it wasn't obvious before the Tour this was his race to win, it definitely is after the race. Every argument we used to argue his case proved to be right, probably even more than we could have imagined. It just sucks. It just sucks so hard........

Valverde could have won this Tour. No doubt. Won the Matthews murito and the Bardet's stage. Just wasn't meant to be.

You are obviously forgetting Valverde"s last experience with the Gallibier.Froome &co would have shelled him out with the rest and you don't concede seconds there, only minutes.

Who would've shelled him, Uran, Bardet, Barguil and Landa as a domestique? No way. If you're looking for a reference point, look at Tour 2015. He was more than good at Allos, Glandon, Croix de Fer and Alpe d'Huez. Only difference is that he would be maybe even better this year, judging by his form throughout the year.