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

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

There's also a bit of a difference in interest in terms of what fans and experts believe he can do in the race. Valverde at Roubaix would be a curiosity, but nobody would expect too much from him, whereas in De Ronde, people are much more likely to expect him to be a legit contender to make the very pointy end of the race.

True, and I'm not saying he would be able to contend in Roubaix, but he looked like a fish in the water on the Roubaix stage of the Tour. And even though all the GC contenders survived, no-one (bar perhaps Thomas) looked as much at ease as Valverde.

I agree with you. He looked like he'd actually be fine racing Paris-Roubiax if he actually ever decided to. He looked like a natural on those cobbles.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Of course he did and that is no surprise since he is incredibly versatile, but I must admit I was a tiny bit surprised he seemed to be that much at ease. Yeah, im contradicting myself a bit. Still, Roubaix would be stupid unless he rides it in his last year if he is bulking a bit up or something like that, but thats still unrealistic - that he will contend that and he will bulk up, lol.

The flemish classics, however... very much looking forward to that. Me and my friend were supposed to ride the De Ronde sportive, but a training camp got in his way, so we are going to Líege instead (while he is getting 15k elevation gain in Spain, I will get 1-2 k and a lot of beers back in Denmark. Wish me luck). Watching Valverde in the stripes in my favourite race would be pretty special.

 

[Koronin]

Valv.Piti, enjoy your trip to the Ardennes.
Who knows, maybe in 5-7 years he'll bulk up a bit and start his new career as a cobbled classics specialist.

 

[tobydawq]

Flanders seems more and more likely. He thinks he ought to go there, especially in the rainbows, and says he owes it to both himself and his fans.

 

[Velolover2]

https://elpais.com/deportes/2018/10/29/actualidad/1540841669_228711.html

Tour of Flanders is comfirmed! He feels like it's an obligation for him to ride it.

Come on Bala, full classsics schedule. Ride Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem too!

 

[Koronin]

It definitely appears he's going to race it this year. His comment that he feels he owes it to himself and his fans seems to be pushing more that he's racing it. Now if he's going to race it, can we get a full on classics calendar this year? Yes he can still race his maybe 2 favorite winter/early spring stage races.

In that interview I found these two other things to be interesting: His comment that he usually feels suffocated after a season and doesn't want to see his bike for awhile (this part is normal), but that this year he's having to force himself to rest and not do his normal training rides.

The other thing was he was asked about retiring and said he has no idea when he'll retire. Then said basically he'll retire when the suffering becomes too much. I think this goes in line with comments he's made before about, why should I retire when I'm still having so much fun.

 

[Lexman]

he won't ride the TdF, will do Giro and Vuelta it seems
https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20181030_03893451

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

There's also a bit of a difference in interest in terms of what fans and experts believe he can do in the race. Valverde at Roubaix would be a curiosity, but nobody would expect too much from him, whereas in De Ronde, people are much more likely to expect him to be a legit contender to make the very pointy end of the race.

True, and I'm not saying he would be able to contend in Roubaix, but he looked like a fish in the water on the Roubaix stage of the Tour. And even though all the GC contenders survived, no-one (bar perhaps Thomas) looked as much at ease as Valverde.

Dumoulin looked most at ease, even more than Thomas.

But then again, even Quintana had it easy on the cobbles in the Tour.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah. Especially with a headwind there wasn't that much to do.

It's quite logical Dumoulin would be among the better ones on the cobbles of GC riders simply cause he's a bigger, more powerful dude.

As for Valverde, De Ronde is a notoriously nervous race, which really doesn't help his prospects. I think that the nervousness of Sanremo is why he dislikes that race.

 

[Koronin]

Alejandro is headed to Japan for the criterium race to official end his season. Here's the tweet Movistar put out which includes two pictures of Bala with the fold out posters from the Spanish Magazine that did a full issue on his World's win. https://twitter.com/Movistar_Team/status/1058381778690494465

 

[Koronin]

Alejandro looks like he was having fun. However, he definitely isn't going to be playing baseball anytime soon as anything other than a pick up game.

 

[tobydawq]

Not the prettiest rainbow jersey to have seen the light of day.

 

[Velolover2]

I listened to a Spanish podcast/interview about him talking about his schedule for 2019, but now I can't find it! >__<

I think it was something like this:

Mallorca
Valenciana
Murica
UAE
Strade
Sanremo
Catalunya
Dwars
Ronde
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro

Break

Vuelta, Worlds and the Italian classics.

 

[Koronin]

Glad he's planning on Dwards before Rhonde. Although I think a few of us would prefer him to do one or two more of the semi classics before Rhode, but that will work.
Just wish he'd swap UAE with Andalucia. Otherwise I can be very happy with that schedule for him.

Thanks, Velolover.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

I listened to a Spanish podcast/interview about him talking about his schedule for 2019, but now I can't find it! >__<

I think it was something like this:

Mallorca
Valenciana
Murica
UAE
Strade
Sanremo
Catalunya
Dwars
Ronde
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro

Break

Vuelta, Worlds and the Italian classics.

Me gusta muchísimo.

E3 and Paris-Nice would have been nice but you can't have everything.

I don't particularly like the Volta but as a two-time defending champ, I understand his desire to go there.

And I would rather see him win Strade than Paris-Nice. Or maybe equally, but then one race day is preferable to eight in the longer perspective.

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

I listened to a Spanish podcast/interview about him talking about his schedule for 2019, but now I can't find it! >__<

I think it was something like this:

Mallorca
Valenciana
Murica
UAE
Strade
Sanremo
Catalunya
Dwars
Ronde
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro

Break

Vuelta, Worlds and the Italian classics.

Giro with Landa makes sense.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm gonna assume it's Murcia and not 'Murica

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I'm gonna assume it's Murcia and not 'Murica

LOL. It HAS to be Murcia and not 'Murica. Espcially since I'm fairly sure the Worlds are the only times he's actually raced in North America.

 

[Asero831]

Valverde and Thomas

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Can't believe Thomas lost out to Valverde in that sprint, shocking! :lol:

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, that's an insanely nice schedule. Would have preferred Andalucia over UAE and P-N over Catalunya, but it worked this year. And I think E-3 is the better tuneup for Flanders, but oh well, its probably the best that we could have ever hoped for he would race. Close to perfect

 

[Koronin]

Can't believe Thomas lost out to Valverde in that sprint, shocking! :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: Like that was a surprise or unexpected. On the other hand, they were there to have fun and put on an exhibition.

 

[Tim Booth]

"In 2019 I will be a 'killer' wherever I go"
Marca interview
https://www.marca.com/ciclismo/2018/11/04/5bdde65ce5fdeaac6f8b4682.html

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

I'm gonna assume it's Murcia and not 'Murica

Sorry. A freudian slip. :lol:

But as far as I can read, the only prep race for De Ronde will be DDV since E3 and GW collides with Catalunya.

And Movistar isn't even riding the opening cobbled classics. So no Omloop or Le Samyn for him.

 

[Koronin]

Interesting comment from Valverde, although I think a not unexpected one. This is an article published by As Ciclismo today.

Here's the comment about after 2020: "Continuing practicing the sport, of course. For me I would never leave it, even if do not continue riding and training at this leve, of course. But one thing happens to me, if I do not ride a bicycle, I feel worse."