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

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What will Valverde's impact be the cycling world in 2012

  • Nuclear Holocoust

    Votes: 27 100.0%

  • Total voters
    27
Re:

Velolover2 said:
Very high level without winning something yet. Always so close.

Of course it's still very early but the Sagan 2015 season is still haunting the rainbow jersey.


He said in at least 2 interviews before the start of this season that he wasn't going to be close to as high of a level as he's had the last two years to start the season simply because he's racing the Giro and has to be able to hold a good level for a longer period of time like he did in 2016. Plus last year he was basically at a peak when the season started because he was so worried about how good he was going to be when he came back from injury.
 
Re: Re:

wheresmybrakes said:
tobydawq said:
He had an anniversary yesterday.

200 top 50 placings in a row.

I have an anniversary this morning, the 17,781st time of getting up in a morning. I win!
giphy.gif
 
Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Looked liked he mistimed his sprint a bit in the end. But Yates was really strong, damn.

Nice opening to the season, looking forward to some more important races.


Yep agree.

AS published an interview today with Valverde they did at some point during Valencia. They specifically asked if he was going to retire at the Tokyo Olympics and his comment was he would not get off the bike in Tokyo. They asked him if he was going to race in 2021 and he said he doesn't know. He said he doesn't know how much longer he has left, but that he will not put a date to leave. He was to keep his options open to continue racing if he wants to.


He did win the combined classification for the race. Not sure if that counts as a first win for the season or not, but he did win that.

One other note and not sure if this is the right thread or not, but his new U-23 team with rider Miguel Angel Ballesteros won today's U-23 stage and the overall for the race. It was the team's very first race.
 
Re: Re:

Koronin said:
Valv.Piti said:
Looked liked he mistimed his sprint a bit in the end. But Yates was really strong, damn.

Nice opening to the season, looking forward to some more important races.


Yep agree.

AS published an interview today with Valverde they did at some point during Valencia. They specifically asked if he was going to retire at the Tokyo Olympics and his comment was he would not get off the bike in Tokyo. They asked him if he was going to race in 2021 and he said he doesn't know. He said he doesn't know how much longer he has left, but that he will not put a date to leave. He was to keep his options open to continue racing if he wants to.


He did win the combined classification for the race. Not sure if that counts as a first win for the season or not, but he did win that.

One other note and not sure if this is the right thread or not, but his new U-23 team with rider Miguel Angel Ballesteros won today's U-23 stage and the overall for the race. It was the team's very first race.

It absolutely does not.
 
Re:

SHAD0W93 said:
Yay, the only jerseys(not overall) that are significant is the Grand Tour ones. As long as he hits form for April and end of the year I don't see a problem with him.

I forget, is he still going to Giro?


Yes, he's going to the Giro. Which is the big reason he can't start the season as close to an off peak/peak as he typically does.

Another interesting thing from the AS interview. He was asked if he saw more respect by wearing the rainbow jersey than before. He said a little. He said he's always been given a lot of respect within the peloton, but with this jersey there is a little more respect. He also said he didn't know it was possible to be more highly marked than he was before, but that with this jersey he's even more marked than before. He does think it's more just because it's visible and just easier for other riders to know it's him.
 
Koronin said:
LaFlorecita said:
What is going on? It almost seems like he can't be bothered sprinting for minor places anymore.

He seems to have a very different mindset this year. You are right that this is the 2nd time he hasn't bothered to sprint when he would have easily won a sprint. This isn't like him.

Maybe he's aged 10 years during the off season and he just doesn't have it anymore! :D
 
wheresmybrakes said:
Koronin said:
LaFlorecita said:
What is going on? It almost seems like he can't be bothered sprinting for minor places anymore.

He seems to have a very different mindset this year. You are right that this is the 2nd time he hasn't bothered to sprint when he would have easily won a sprint. This isn't like him.

Maybe he's aged 10 years during the off season and he just doesn't have it anymore! :D


LOL, no. This looks mental to me, not physical.
 
wheresmybrakes said:
He is biding his time, he knows he's a marked man, even more so in the stripes. He's waiting for his first win in a much bigger race where he can demolish the field. Nothing to worry about here, the wins will soon appear.


But this is his home race. Which is why he look of disinterest is a bit worrying. Although Tobydawg may be correct that it was more annoyance than disinterest.
 
Tomorrow is going to be interesting, Valverde will strike, but where? Bermejo is way too early, he must have some allies to pull that of. But who? Astana looks strongest by far. Cresta del Gallo is not that hard on the other hand, he needs to drop all 4 Astana guys and hold them off. Not easy at all.
 
Re:

Blanco said:
Tomorrow is going to be interesting, Valverde will strike, but where? Bermejo is way too early, he must have some allies to pull that of. But who? Astana looks strongest by far. Cresta del Gallo is not that hard on the other hand, he needs to drop all 4 Astana guys and hold them off. Not easy at all.


Unfortunately not likely and he doesn't have a team that is even close to being able to support him again.
 
Re: Re:

Koronin said:
Serpentin said:
Podium tomorrow at least. As long as they are only one or two with him to the line he can still win. Maybe he can get an allie in LuLu

But it's past time he gets his first win in the rainbow jersey.

I agree, for his own morale he needs to get the first win under his belt. Break the rainbow spell. I thought he would score a win in Mallorca. I know he would like to perform tomorrow. It is a pity that Movistar lacks in depth in these races.

Edit: Is there somewhere you can watch this race online ?
 
Re: Re:

Serpentin said:
Koronin said:
Serpentin said:
Podium tomorrow at least. As long as they are only one or two with him to the line he can still win. Maybe he can get an allie in LuLu

But it's past time he gets his first win in the rainbow jersey.

I agree, for his own morale he needs to get the first win under his belt. Break the rainbow spell. I thought he would score a win in Mallorca. I know he would like to perform tomorrow. It is a pity that Movistar lacks in depth in these races.

Edit: Is there somewhere you can watch this race online ?


Wasn't sure about Mallorca, but I thought he'd get a win at Valencia. Now what I'm seeing from his mentality has me a bit concerned.

It's a local TV station in Murcia that has the broadcast rights. I think they allow the feed online for anyone who wants to watch it.
 
Re: Re:

Koronin said:
Serpentin said:
Koronin said:
Serpentin said:
Podium tomorrow at least. As long as they are only one or two with him to the line he can still win. Maybe he can get an allie in LuLu

But it's past time he gets his first win in the rainbow jersey.

I agree, for his own morale he needs to get the first win under his belt. Break the rainbow spell. I thought he would score a win in Mallorca. I know he would like to perform tomorrow. It is a pity that Movistar lacks in depth in these races.

Edit: Is there somewhere you can watch this race online ?


Wasn't sure about Mallorca, but I thought he'd get a win at Valencia. Now what I'm seeing from his mentality has me a bit concerned.

It's a local TV station in Murcia that has the broadcast rights. I think they allow the feed online for anyone who wants to watch it.

I remember watching it last year somewhere. Maybe he lacks a bit of form and doesn´t have that little bit of extra in the end. I agree that he usually sprints though regardless.

We will see tomorrow.
 
Re: Re:

Serpentin said:
Koronin said:
Serpentin said:
Koronin said:
Serpentin said:
Podium tomorrow at least. As long as they are only one or two with him to the line he can still win. Maybe he can get an allie in LuLu

But it's past time he gets his first win in the rainbow jersey.

I agree, for his own morale he needs to get the first win under his belt. Break the rainbow spell. I thought he would score a win in Mallorca. I know he would like to perform tomorrow. It is a pity that Movistar lacks in depth in these races.

Edit: Is there somewhere you can watch this race online ?


Wasn't sure about Mallorca, but I thought he'd get a win at Valencia. Now what I'm seeing from his mentality has me a bit concerned.

It's a local TV station in Murcia that has the broadcast rights. I think they allow the feed online for anyone who wants to watch it.

I remember watching it last year somewhere. Maybe he lacks a bit of form and doesn´t have that little bit of extra in the end. I agree that he usually sprints though regardless.

We will see tomorrow.


He's intentionally not in as good of form as he has been the last two years this early. He's stated that before due to racing the Giro that he needed to hold off on his form to be able to extend his spring. So his form isn't what I'm worried about it. It's his disinterest in bothering to sprint when he always does regardless of his form. That is what has me worried about him.
 

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