As long as he can win races. Especially one-day races like Fleche, LBL and so on. Keep racing. And of course, as long as he is up for it mentally and physically. I hope ends racing still being one of the best, or just on a high note.
The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to
In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.
Thanks!
Red Rick said:I wonder what the races are he doesn't have yet.
Guess Lombardia and Olympics?
I wonder if he's gonna forego the hyperfocus on the Worlds this year to prepare for Il Lombardia better. Usually the ones that hit top form in either are different names.
Very true, but I doubt those are in the 4 races that were mentioned earlier. I could've been clearertobydawq said:Red Rick said:I wonder what the races are he doesn't have yet.
Guess Lombardia and Olympics?
I wonder if he's gonna forego the hyperfocus on the Worlds this year to prepare for Il Lombardia better. Usually the ones that hit top form in either are different names.
Definitely also Amstel. And maybe Strade.
Red Rick said:I wonder what the races are he doesn't have yet.
Guess Lombardia and Olympics?
I wonder if he's gonna forego the hyperfocus on the Worlds this year to prepare for Il Lombardia better. Usually the ones that hit top form in either are different names.
2013 was a good performance. 2014 was a train wreck of a route he really should've won on.Blanco said:Red Rick said:I wonder what the races are he doesn't have yet.
Guess Lombardia and Olympics?
I wonder if he's gonna forego the hyperfocus on the Worlds this year to prepare for Il Lombardia better. Usually the ones that hit top form in either are different names.
He can do well in both, just look at 2013 and 2014...
Red Rick said:Very true, but I doubt those are in the 4 races that were mentioned earlier. I could've been clearertobydawq said:Red Rick said:I wonder what the races are he doesn't have yet.
Guess Lombardia and Olympics?
I wonder if he's gonna forego the hyperfocus on the Worlds this year to prepare for Il Lombardia better. Usually the ones that hit top form in either are different names.
Definitely also Amstel. And maybe Strade.
Koronin said:The races he specifically mentioned a few years ago that he hadn't won yet that he wanted were Tour of Basque Country, Amstel, Worlds, Lombardia and I think he'd said something about Strade would be nice. He also hasn't won Paris-Nice, but if he's going after Strade he won't be going after Paris-Nice. He also hasn't won T-A, but after only the 2nd time he raced it (2016) he made a comment that he would never go back to it. Then there are some races he's never even raced. (Obviously hasn't won the Olympics, but that's even more of a lottery than the Worlds are.)
Amazinmets87 said:Koronin said:The races he specifically mentioned a few years ago that he hadn't won yet that he wanted were Tour of Basque Country, Amstel, Worlds, Lombardia and I think he'd said something about Strade would be nice. He also hasn't won Paris-Nice, but if he's going after Strade he won't be going after Paris-Nice. He also hasn't won T-A, but after only the 2nd time he raced it (2016) he made a comment that he would never go back to it. Then there are some races he's never even raced. (Obviously hasn't won the Olympics, but that's even more of a lottery than the Worlds are.)
I wouldn't call the Olympics a lottery. You simply have far fewer opportunities than the Worlds
I disagree with him, too!Koronin said:Amazinmets87 said:Koronin said:The races he specifically mentioned a few years ago that he hadn't won yet that he wanted were Tour of Basque Country, Amstel, Worlds, Lombardia and I think he'd said something about Strade would be nice. He also hasn't won Paris-Nice, but if he's going after Strade he won't be going after Paris-Nice. He also hasn't won T-A, but after only the 2nd time he raced it (2016) he made a comment that he would never go back to it. Then there are some races he's never even raced. (Obviously hasn't won the Olympics, but that's even more of a lottery than the Worlds are.)
I wouldn't call the Olympics a lottery. You simply have far fewer opportunities than the Worlds
That's actually what Valverde called it before the 2016 Olympics. He was asked something about being a favorite and his response was along the lines of, this race is a lottery, I just have more tickets than some others have.
Koronin said:Today was his last training ride at home before leaving for Mallorca to join his teammates with a couple of days of training rides before starting his season. Today's training ride was with his U-23 team.
His U-23 team has a few more weeks before their season starts.
Amazinmets87 said:Koronin said:Today was his last training ride at home before leaving for Mallorca to join his teammates with a couple of days of training rides before starting his season. Today's training ride was with his U-23 team.
His U-23 team has a few more weeks before their season starts.
Nice shots! That's the original World's victory bike. Guess he'll use it for training now and bust out the current iteration for races.
Velolover2 said:I wonder if the Trofeo races has been readjusted so that Valverde can win all of them?
Next year, even Trofeo Palma will be an uphill sprint. :lol:
They've announced the 2020 route already?Velolover2 said:I wonder if the Trofeo races has been readjusted so that Valverde can win all of them?
Next year, even Trofeo Palma will be an uphill sprint. :lol:
Koronin said:Velolover2 said:I wonder if the Trofeo races has been readjusted so that Valverde can win all of them?
Next year, even Trofeo Palma will be an uphill sprint. :lol:
:lol: Who knows, but it wouldn't totally shock me. He usually does race 3 of the 4 as it is. He's got a bunch of podiums there, but doesn't actually have a lot of wins in this set of races.
Blanco said:Koronin said:Velolover2 said:I wonder if the Trofeo races has been readjusted so that Valverde can win all of them?
Next year, even Trofeo Palma will be an uphill sprint. :lol:
:lol: Who knows, but it wouldn't totally shock me. He usually does race 3 of the 4 as it is. He's got a bunch of podiums there, but doesn't actually have a lot of wins in this set of races.
He has 5 wins there, only Freire has won more than him - 7 times, so I wouldn't say he doesn't have many wins there...
Oude Geuze said:Very nice photos, such a treat to have a legend in the rainbow jersey for a year!
GuyIncognito said:Flanders is there. He'll race it. The too many races comment is separate
It's more likely to do with the different training to do well in Flanders and the travelling and weather involved there.