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

[Red Rick]

Re:

I will hope he goes the Contador-way, starting a Spanish PCT team, he has laid the foundations with the team he has now. I definitely think he still will be involved in racing in some way or the other, maybe also something with Movistar. But there's at least 5 years until that, right.

Yes, any Contador-Valverde feud that may or may not have been must never end

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I will hope he goes the Contador-way, starting a Spanish PCT team, he has laid the foundations with the team he has now. I definitely think he still will be involved in racing in some way or the other, maybe also something with Movistar. But there's at least 5 years until that, right.

I agree with you that it's at least 5 years until then. His contract is through next year, he's said he's definitely racing in 2020 and everything he keeps saying leads to the conclusion he's going race longer than that. He did say why should he consider retiring while he's still winning and having so much fun. I think the 2nd part of the statement is actually more important here. As long as he's having fun he's going to continue to race.

 

[joe_papp]

Just curious, what are Valverde's business interests outside of cycling, if any?

(That is, besides earning income as an athlete, has he developed or invested in any projects outside of sport? For example, LeMond was into property, restaurants, consumer fitness equipment, some other stuff I don't remember, etc...)

What he's doing when he's not racing or training is running the amateur team he owns and has done some organizing of races for the those teams. His amateur team consists of 3 teams: the school, the cadets and a Junior team and he's said he'd like to eventually add a U 23 team to it. When asked about what he'd have done if he couldn't have been a cyclist his response has always been, I was born to race my bike. So to answer your question everything for him is completely centered around cycling in one way or another. The only thing he has said is that he wants no part of being a director.

It wasn't meant as a question w/ negative connotations. I was just curious as to what income-generating businesses outside of cycling he might be invested in and have spoken about publicly.

 

[Koronin]

Just curious, what are Valverde's business interests outside of cycling, if any?

(That is, besides earning income as an athlete, has he developed or invested in any projects outside of sport? For example, LeMond was into property, restaurants, consumer fitness equipment, some other stuff I don't remember, etc...)

What he's doing when he's not racing or training is running the amateur team he owns and has done some organizing of races for the those teams. His amateur team consists of 3 teams: the school, the cadets and a Junior team and he's said he'd like to eventually add a U 23 team to it. When asked about what he'd have done if he couldn't have been a cyclist his response has always been, I was born to race my bike. So to answer your question everything for him is completely centered around cycling in one way or another. The only thing he has said is that he wants no part of being a director.

It wasn't meant as a question w/ negative connotations. I was just curious as to what income-generating businesses outside of cycling he might be invested in and have spoken about publicly.

No worries. I took it as just asking a question out of curiosity. There isn't anything away from cycling that he's involved in that generates any income for him as far as I know. His entire income is basically his salary, race winnings, and personal sponsorship. He made some comment when asked about why he's stayed in Murcia instead of moving to Andorra (with much better tax rates) was something about I won't be paying much in taxes when I retire because my income will be drastically reduced or something along those lines.

I understood what you were asking as I know Rory Sutherland has opened a coffee shop in the Girona area.

 

[joe_papp]

Just curious, what are Valverde's business interests outside of cycling, if any?

(That is, besides earning income as an athlete, has he developed or invested in any projects outside of sport? For example, LeMond was into property, restaurants, consumer fitness equipment, some other stuff I don't remember, etc...)

What he's doing when he's not racing or training is running the amateur team he owns and has done some organizing of races for the those teams. His amateur team consists of 3 teams: the school, the cadets and a Junior team and he's said he'd like to eventually add a U 23 team to it. When asked about what he'd have done if he couldn't have been a cyclist his response has always been, I was born to race my bike. So to answer your question everything for him is completely centered around cycling in one way or another. The only thing he has said is that he wants no part of being a director.

It wasn't meant as a question w/ negative connotations. I was just curious as to what income-generating businesses outside of cycling he might be invested in and have spoken about publicly.

No worries. I took it as just asking a question out of curiosity. There isn't anything away from cycling that he's involved in that generates any income for him as far as I know. His entire income is basically his salary, race winnings, and personal sponsorship. He made some comment when asked about why he's stayed in Murcia instead of moving to Andorra (with much better tax rates) was something about I won't be paying much in taxes when I retire because my income will be drastically reduced or something along those lines.

I understood what you were asking as I know Rory Sutherland has opened a coffee shop in the Girona area.

Cool. Thanks for the additional insights. Cheers

 

[Blanco]

Anybody knows will he ride San Remo?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Anybody knows will he ride San Remo?

Don't know. Milan/San Remo is the 17th, Catalunya starts the 19th. He's definitely going to Catalunya. Don't know if the team wants him to go to Milan/San Remo that close to Catalunya.

Although he's very capable of doing that.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

Anybody knows will he ride San Remo?

Don't know. Milan/San Remo is the 17th, Catalunya starts the 19th. He's definitely going to Catalunya. Don't know if the team wants him to go to Milan/San Remo that close to Catalunya.

Although he's very capable of doing that.

It's still Milano-Sanremo without Le Manie, so maybe he and the team think that riding it so close before Catalunya is just not worth it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I think he did it in 2015 where he won 3 stages and should have won the overall.

Anyways, I don't really care. Sure, if he wants to race, then go for it. Checking his Strava tho, I can assure you that Bala Ballin is putting in work and consequently will absolutely smoke his competitors in Catalunya. No doubt!

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I think he did it in 2015 where he won 3 stages and should have won the overall.

Anyways, I don't really care. Sure, if he wants to race, then go for it. Checking his Strava tho, I can assure you that Bala Ballin is putting in work and consequently will absolutely smoke his competitors in Catalunya. No doubt!

I agree. This one is up to him rather he wants to race it or not. I also don't care if he goes, as that race just like Paris-Roubiax doesn't suit him at all.

I'm thinking some of the kids on his amateur team finally convinced him to get a Strava account. It certainly looks like he's using it to discourage the rest of the pros. Without you had a portion of the pro field show up already conceding to him.

What I want to know is when he's in the Ardennes if he's going put a recon ride up the Mur de Huy on Strava or not.

At this point I think his biggest competition at Catalunya is A) Contador, who's in the broadcast booth (wonder if Alberto is going to interview Alejandro) or B) his own teammates, whom neither one are as explosive.

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

I think he did it in 2015 where he won 3 stages and should have won the overall.

Anyways, I don't really care. Sure, if he wants to race, then go for it. Checking his Strava tho, I can assure you that Bala Ballin is putting in work and consequently will absolutely smoke his competitors in Catalunya. No doubt!

I agree. This one is up to him rather he wants to race it or not. I also don't care if he goes, as that race just like Paris-Roubiax doesn't suit him at all.

I'm thinking some of the kids on his amateur team finally convinced him to get a Strava account. It certainly looks like he's using it to discourage the rest of the pros. Without you had a portion of the pro field show up already conceding to him.

What I want to know is when he's in the Ardennes if he's going put a recon ride up the Mur de Huy on Strava or not.

At this point I think his biggest competition at Catalunya is A) Contador, who's in the broadcast booth (wonder if Alberto is going to interview Alejandro) or B) his own teammates, whom neither one are as explosive.

MSR doesn’t suit him entirely, but it does more than PR. Nibali was able to podium in MSR. Also riders like Kwiatkowski and Alaphilipe.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Dammit!
https://twitter.com/romainbardet/status/975027753622925313

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, if he doesn't crash, he's winning comfortably. #Stravain2018

 

[Koronin]

I'm still trying to find his competition and I have yet to see it anywhere. At this point I'm not even sure he's got any actual competition for the Ardennes. His getting a Strava account is only making it more obvious what we already knew. As for competition, Contador is in the broadcast booth and Quintana has raced once this year. Soler isn't at his level, nor are any of the other GC guys in the field.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Only a super strong pre-ban or 2014 Contador would have had a chance against Valverde on this route, on this team anyways. He will probably find a weird way to lose now, but I can't imagine anyone beating him straight up...

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Only a super strong pre-ban or 2014 Contador would have had a chance against Valverde on this route, on this team anyways. He will probably find a weird way to lose now, but I can't imagine anyone beating him straight up...

Agreed. That's why Contador is the only one I can think of that could be competition. After Bala's Strava numbers, I wouldn't be shocked if Contador is sitting in the broadcast booth very happy he's retired. You have a point, he very well could find some way to screw up tactics somewhere in the race. Although his Strava numbers may be discouraging to a good portion of the peloton as well. You had kids all the way through his racing the Junior level resigning themselves to racing for 2nd unless he screwed up, with him now on Strava we may just be seeing that a bit more so at this level. We already have it in the Ardennes with much of the peloton (esp Fleche Wallone) asking to just give him the trophy and let everyone else race for 2nd.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

I realise that. It's hard to target a race if you're not on the startline, which was my point. But yes, he certainly has a way higher chance of winning Catalunya than Milan-Sanremo so it's hard to blame him.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

After Bala's Strava numbers, I wouldn't be shocked if Contador is sitting in the broadcast booth very happy he's retired.

What a weird thing to say.
As if Contador is even aware of Valverde's Strava rides.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

I realise that. It's hard to target a race if you're not on the startline, which was my point. But yes, he certainly has a way higher chance of winning Catalunya than Milan-Sanremo so it's hard to blame him.

I think also that Nibali was inexplicably underestimated and given too much rope by the other favourites, in a way that Valverde probably wouldn't have been.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

I realise that. It's hard to target a race if you're not on the startline, which was my point. But yes, he certainly has a way higher chance of winning Catalunya than Milan-Sanremo so it's hard to blame him.

But MSR >>> Catalunya and he's already won Catalunya. He should regret not starting after seeing the result.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

I realise that. It's hard to target a race if you're not on the startline, which was my point. But yes, he certainly has a way higher chance of winning Catalunya than Milan-Sanremo so it's hard to blame him.

Then again, nobody gives a damn about Catalunya while winning MSR like Nibali did makes you a legend.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

I realise that. It's hard to target a race if you're not on the startline, which was my point. But yes, he certainly has a way higher chance of winning Catalunya than Milan-Sanremo so it's hard to blame him.

But MSR >>> Catalunya and he's already won Catalunya. He should regret not starting after seeing the result.

This kind of thing is always going to happen to riders who are so good at both stage races and one day races. There are always going to be 'missed opportunities' where a similar rider wins, because you can't enter everything - particularly at this time of year.

Also, perhaps his wife and kids prefer Barcelona to Milan at this time of year.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

He should have been at the start in Milan today. Might just have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win Milan-Sanremo.

Except he was never targeting Milan-San Remo this year. He is however, targeting Catalunya which in the year's he's raced Milan-San Remo has not raced.

I realise that. It's hard to target a race if you're not on the startline, which was my point. But yes, he certainly has a way higher chance of winning Catalunya than Milan-Sanremo so it's hard to blame him.

But MSR >>> Catalunya and he's already won Catalunya. He should regret not starting after seeing the result.

It doesn't make sense to regret your decisions based on results. I assume he always knew that winning Milan-Sanremo was a possibility but that he made a calculated decision to go for Catalunya instead. Nibali winning today shouldn't affect anything, rationally. That said, and as I was getting at in my first post, personally I think that he should have done Sanremo instead.