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Red Rick
BANNED
Re:
Pologne has kinda become the standard for Giro/Vuelta schedules but Valverde's schedule is already pretty heavy, and he'll probably want to be good after the Vuelta as well.
I don't know why he's skipped CSS in the past, I thought he always rode it, but Valverde will probably ride I guess he'll ride CSS/Burgos.
Probably.tobydawq said:
Pologne has kinda become the standard for Giro/Vuelta schedules but Valverde's schedule is already pretty heavy, and he'll probably want to be good after the Vuelta as well.
I don't know why he's skipped CSS in the past, I thought he always rode it, but Valverde will probably ride I guess he'll ride CSS/Burgos.
Re:
Back to two days next year
Brakes.
Break -> Crack
Brake -> Reduce speed
Really sorry, I can't help myself, pet peeve.
At least cycling fans don't make up non existent words like the bbc motorsports commentators with "outbroke" (NOT A WORD!)
Red Rick said:
Back to two days next year
Valv.Piti said:
Brakes.
Break -> Crack
Brake -> Reduce speed
Really sorry, I can't help myself, pet peeve.
At least cycling fans don't make up non existent words like the bbc motorsports commentators with "outbroke" (NOT A WORD!)
Nice I didnt know Murcia is two days now. Thats good news, I liked it back when it was 5 days. Even just 3 days would be cool for that race
Yeah, I completely forgot San Sebastian. He will probably ride that and combine it with Burgos, that would make the most sense.
And yes, it is a very heavy schedule before the Giro. I reckon he will be good for the first 2 weeks and hunt for stages/pink, but the difference is that he is 3 years older now and also has Carapaz and Landa compared to 2019, so he doesnt have the pressure of delivering GC-wise. Everything points in the direction that he probably wont contend for the win, even top-3/top-5 due to his schedule, competition, the route, his team etc. etc. I think he will wait for the Vuelta to have real GC-aspirations and Im completely fine with that. You cant have everything, this makes the most sense.
Yeah, I completely forgot San Sebastian. He will probably ride that and combine it with Burgos, that would make the most sense.
And yes, it is a very heavy schedule before the Giro. I reckon he will be good for the first 2 weeks and hunt for stages/pink, but the difference is that he is 3 years older now and also has Carapaz and Landa compared to 2019, so he doesnt have the pressure of delivering GC-wise. Everything points in the direction that he probably wont contend for the win, even top-3/top-5 due to his schedule, competition, the route, his team etc. etc. I think he will wait for the Vuelta to have real GC-aspirations and Im completely fine with that. You cant have everything, this makes the most sense.
Re:
To be honest, no chances in Giro or Vuelta overall ranking. Maybe some stages, yes.Valv.Piti said:
Murcia added an ITT to their race for this year.
I would add the National Championships to his calendar. I do wonder if he'll race something in June otherwise other than one day for the National Championships he'll have 2 months off between the Giro and San Sebastian.
Valv.Piti, otherwise I think the schedule you posted is accurate for him for this year. I agree with you, I'd also prefer to see him at Andalucia than UAE, but he said something about going there. Unfortunately we could do a schedule for him and end up with way too many race days.
I would expect at this Giro he'll try to get the pink jersey early on as that's one of those few things missing from his collection. Then go stage hunting along with trying to help Landa and Carapaz. Even he said in the last couple of months that he thinks his best days of going after Grand Tours are over.
I would add the National Championships to his calendar. I do wonder if he'll race something in June otherwise other than one day for the National Championships he'll have 2 months off between the Giro and San Sebastian.
Valv.Piti, otherwise I think the schedule you posted is accurate for him for this year. I agree with you, I'd also prefer to see him at Andalucia than UAE, but he said something about going there. Unfortunately we could do a schedule for him and end up with way too many race days.
I would expect at this Giro he'll try to get the pink jersey early on as that's one of those few things missing from his collection. Then go stage hunting along with trying to help Landa and Carapaz. Even he said in the last couple of months that he thinks his best days of going after Grand Tours are over.
Red Rick
BANNED
First big MTF in the Vuelta comes early. That should be the sign for him if he can go for GC or if he should just focus on stages there.
Re:
For the first time since 2009 he should actually be fresh coming into la Vuelta.
Red Rick said:
For the first time since 2009 he should actually be fresh coming into la Vuelta.
Red Rick
BANNED
Re: Re:
True, however the only time he won a GT was la Vuelta in 2009 and he came into it under raced that year. On the other hand he went after the Vuelta GC this year and then won the Worlds while everyone else that were in the top 5 of la Vuelta struggled.
Red Rick said:
True, however the only time he won a GT was la Vuelta in 2009 and he came into it under raced that year. On the other hand he went after the Vuelta GC this year and then won the Worlds while everyone else that were in the top 5 of la Vuelta struggled.
Well, fresh and fresh, but yeah, a couple of months should be more than enough time to recover from the super hard spring he has next year. Its Valverde after all and its La Vuelta, he always performs.
He should be going into the race thinking about GC since Landa won't ride and if Soler and Carapaz will ride, it will be in supportive roles.
He should be going into the race thinking about GC since Landa won't ride and if Soler and Carapaz will ride, it will be in supportive roles.
Red Rick
BANNED
Re:
Soler has said he doesn't think he's ready to ride for GC in a GT yet.
Yes, it's Valverde and La Vuelta and his abilities fit that race very well. (Well that can be said about him and a bunch of races). He's preformed well in la Vuelta from the very beginning.
Red Rick said:
Soler has said he doesn't think he's ready to ride for GC in a GT yet.
Valv.Piti said:
Yes, it's Valverde and La Vuelta and his abilities fit that race very well. (Well that can be said about him and a bunch of races). He's preformed well in la Vuelta from the very beginning.
Re: Re:
True, although that can be said for many GT specialists. Very good stage racers, but not good 1 day racers. More interesting if you look at the top 4 at last year's Worlds, Valverde and Woods raced the Vuelta, while Dumoulin and Bardet did not.
roundabout said:
True, although that can be said for many GT specialists. Very good stage racers, but not good 1 day racers. More interesting if you look at the top 4 at last year's Worlds, Valverde and Woods raced the Vuelta, while Dumoulin and Bardet did not.
Soler will once again be a domestique in Tour de France and target Paris-Nice and Catalunya in the spring. Imagine a schedule much like this year which doesnt leave a lot of personal ambitions in the GTs. If he rides la Vuelta, which is a big if I think, he will be 100% domestique unless something unpredictable happens.
Maybe, just maybe, he will keep his chances as the 3rd string and not throw time before the mountains in TdF, but I actually really doubt that. Time will come for him, at least I hope so since I really like him as a rider and character.
Maybe, just maybe, he will keep his chances as the 3rd string and not throw time before the mountains in TdF, but I actually really doubt that. Time will come for him, at least I hope so since I really like him as a rider and character.
Red Rick
BANNED
The GC rider / 1 day racer thing is quite fascinating, but while there's definitely a big difference, and while the lines between climbers of different ability blur on hills in one day races, I think most GC riders could ride adequately in on day races if they only learned how to do it, and many don't really try. I think MAL getting 2nd in Milan Torino and then not riding Lombardia is the most striking example of this.
There's also just really the fact that very hilly one day races are just very rare on the calendar. If you don't have significant puncheur ability, a climber would need to get lucky to get top 5 in Liege. San Sebastian is a little better, but really I consider Milan Torino and Il Lombardia the only one day races that are truly climber friendly. And that's just really thin, and really a big loss too cause it really limits the options for interesting races if all climbing is limited to stage races.
There's also just really the fact that very hilly one day races are just very rare on the calendar. If you don't have significant puncheur ability, a climber would need to get lucky to get top 5 in Liege. San Sebastian is a little better, but really I consider Milan Torino and Il Lombardia the only one day races that are truly climber friendly. And that's just really thin, and really a big loss too cause it really limits the options for interesting races if all climbing is limited to stage races.
2019 will be Soler's fifth year in the peleton - With his attributes he should be at least riding a 'soft GC' in a GT - He'll need to reconsider his options if this doesnt occur this year.
Re:
He's claiming he's not ready yet, he also is saying he's not ready to race more than one GT in a year yet. He's also only raced 2 GTs in his career so far. In 2017 he raced la Vuelta and did try to go for GC even though it was his first GT and really had no leader at all for that race. Last year he raced the Tour. I think his trying to race for GC in the 2017 Vuelta without much direction may be hampering him right now. He doesn't have the confidence to do it at the moment.
yaco said:
He's claiming he's not ready yet, he also is saying he's not ready to race more than one GT in a year yet. He's also only raced 2 GTs in his career so far. In 2017 he raced la Vuelta and did try to go for GC even though it was his first GT and really had no leader at all for that race. Last year he raced the Tour. I think his trying to race for GC in the 2017 Vuelta without much direction may be hampering him right now. He doesn't have the confidence to do it at the moment.
Red Rick
BANNED
Dude races 3 stage races in a month for GC, but won't try for a GT at like 25?
Can we write him off as a prospect yet.
Can we write him off as a prospect yet.
Re:
Someone needs to find a way to get him more confidence. Unfortunately I think the way they did the 2017 Vuelta after Alejandro's injury has become a problem for Soler. (I think we may need to move the discussion about Soler to his thread).
Red Rick said:
Someone needs to find a way to get him more confidence. Unfortunately I think the way they did the 2017 Vuelta after Alejandro's injury has become a problem for Soler. (I think we may need to move the discussion about Soler to his thread).
Re: Re:
What's the matter with him focusing on one week stage races and the Ardennes and maybe TOC or even Dauphine - Then reset to ride GC at the Vuelta - He doesn't need to ride the Giro or the TDF - I fail to see any planning in MoviStar's approach to Soler - Also you need to see if Soler can ride GC at a three week tour to plan your squad in upcoming years.
Koronin said:
What's the matter with him focusing on one week stage races and the Ardennes and maybe TOC or even Dauphine - Then reset to ride GC at the Vuelta - He doesn't need to ride the Giro or the TDF - I fail to see any planning in MoviStar's approach to Soler - Also you need to see if Soler can ride GC at a three week tour to plan your squad in upcoming years.
Re: Re:
That could work as well. (TOC = California? Until the UCI starts requiring teams to go to all WT races Movistar won't be over here). But sending him to the Vuelta and not either of the other two could be fine as well. I'd like him in a GT where Valverde can truly guide him as a GC rider. I'm with you that it doesn't appear Movistar knows how to plan for his future.
yaco said:
That could work as well. (TOC = California? Until the UCI starts requiring teams to go to all WT races Movistar won't be over here). But sending him to the Vuelta and not either of the other two could be fine as well. I'd like him in a GT where Valverde can truly guide him as a GC rider. I'm with you that it doesn't appear Movistar knows how to plan for his future.
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