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

[kingjr]

No wins so far. Curse of the rainbow jersey?

Since the season is nearing its end, I think it's fair to answer this question with a resounding yes.

 

[LaFlorecita]

No wins so far. Curse of the rainbow jersey?

Or age...

 

[IndianCyclist]

No wins so far. Curse of the rainbow jersey?

With his palmares, if he wins it is a bonus if he does not no big deal, The WC was the major one missing and he's won it

 

[Koronin]

No wins so far. Curse of the rainbow jersey?

Or age...

Or he's lost some of his desire. He finally won the one race he'd wanted since he was a child. The desire to still race is there, but I'm questioning if the desire to win is still there at this point. So far 3 races where he would have sprinted for a podium (or today a win) and he chooses not to. Thus blatantly gifting those podiums and today's win to other riders.

Today was a blatant gift to Sanchez.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I see it differently. Perhaps he is not as keen on sprinting for minor places but I don't believe for one second he is just gifting away these places left and right like a saint. It is a bit of an insult to the other riders to imply that.

 

[Valv.Piti]

He still has an incredibly high level, but its obvious he has lost a bit of explosion. Thats only natural, he was close to get beaten in the WC as well against skinny climbers and that Astana team is no joke in such races.

 

[Salvarani]

Simply, I think he has just not had good enough legs to win these sprints. Someone just been better so far.

 

[Koronin]

He hasn't bothered to sprint at all. It's almost like he doesn't care. It's possible that after winning the Worlds his desire just isn't the same as it was before.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

He hasn't bothered to sprint at all. It's almost like he doesn't care. It's possible that after winning the Worlds his desire just isn't the same as it was before.

This is becoming a broken record.

Why would he attack and tear up the race on the hill if he didn't care? He obviously does.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

He still has an incredibly high level, but its obvious he has lost a bit of explosion. Thats only natural, he was close to get beaten in the WC as well against skinny climbers and that Astana team is no joke in such races.

He beat certain Peter Sagan just 5-6 months ago, a month before the Worlds, so I doubt that explosion is gone...
As far as these couple of races, as I said before he's slightly below his usual level for this time of the year probably because he wants a peak for Ardennes and for the Giro if possible.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

He still has an incredibly high level, but its obvious he has lost a bit of explosion. Thats only natural, he was close to get beaten in the WC as well against skinny climbers and that Astana team is no joke in such races.

I think he just went from way too far out in the WCRR. A ridiculous move that almost cost him his life-long dream. Just a couple of weeks before he beat Sagan in a sprint he had no business winning.

This year, he hasn't looked fast, though, but he has looked strong and I think he will be good in the races that matter. It was always going to be difficult derailing the Astana train, and the fact that he almost succeeded is quite impressive.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

He hasn't bothered to sprint at all. It's almost like he doesn't care. It's possible that after winning the Worlds his desire just isn't the same as it was before.

This is becoming a broken record.

Why would he attack and tear up the race on the hill if he didn't care? He obviously does.

I did say almost. However, it's very possible the desire isn't the same as it was before. Int his case it is Sanchez and he's gifted Sanchez wins in the past including last year.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

He hasn't bothered to sprint at all. It's almost like he doesn't care. It's possible that after winning the Worlds his desire just isn't the same as it was before.

This is becoming a broken record.

Why would he attack and tear up the race on the hill if he didn't care? He obviously does.

I did say almost. However, it's very possible the desire isn't the same as it was before. Int his case it is Sanchez and he's gifted Sanchez wins in the past including last year.

It makes absolutely no sense to say that he doesn't care. Why on earth would he make the race hard, go solo, fight until the final kilometer to maintain the lead, and then lose interest in the home straight?

It's logically fallible but I know you'll just repeat it over and over and over like you usually do until the other side of the discussion (all the rest of the users) lose interest (for real, not like Valverde) and stop contesting you.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

He hasn't bothered to sprint at all. It's almost like he doesn't care. It's possible that after winning the Worlds his desire just isn't the same as it was before.

This is becoming a broken record.

Why would he attack and tear up the race on the hill if he didn't care? He obviously does.

I did say almost. However, it's very possible the desire isn't the same as it was before. Int his case it is Sanchez and he's gifted Sanchez wins in the past including last year.

It makes absolutely no sense to say that he doesn't care. Why on earth would he make the race hard, go solo, fight until the final kilometer to maintain the lead, and then lose interest in the home straight?

It's logically fallible but I know you'll just repeat it over and over and over like you usually do until the other side of the discussion (all the rest of the users) lose interest (for real, not like Valverde) and stop contesting you.

He said in post race comments to the media that on the descent wasn't willing to risk anything and that he was fully expecting Sanchez to catch him. He also said his form is fine and he's not at all worried about not having a win yet and that he'll eventually get one.

 

[Jancouver]

No wins so far. Curse of the rainbow jersey?

Or age...

or karma ...

 

[kingjr]

Uh, he's driving hard the whole time to keep the gap to the rest... He wouldn't have won that sprint ten years ago either....Has nothing to do with gifts or lack of desire.

 

[Salvarani]

Re:

Uh, he's driving hard the whole time to keep the gap to the rest... He wouldn't have won that sprint ten years ago either....Has nothing to do with gifts or lack of desire.

But his friends are CLEARLY saying thats how it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Uh, he's driving hard the whole time to keep the gap to the rest... He wouldn't have won that sprint ten years ago either....Has nothing to do with gifts or lack of desire.

The comments he made after the race more or less said he gifted the win to Sanchez without actually saying it.

 

[Koronin]

He also made this comment today, "Racing in my home region with this jersey on for the last two days already was a victory for me. Every race I take the start of has that special feeling in the rainbow colors."

That certainly sounds like the desire to win just isn't as strong as it was before.

 

[tobydawq]

"I know you'll just repeat it over and over and over"

Now you've written it here again, in the lesser known race thread again, and on the CN article for good measure.

What a prophet I am.

 

[kingjr]

Re: Re:

Uh, he's driving hard the whole time to keep the gap to the rest... He wouldn't have won that sprint ten years ago either....Has nothing to do with gifts or lack of desire.

The comments he made after the race more or less said he gifted the win to Sanchez without actually saying it.

I sometimes prefer to let the race speak for itself.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Uh, he's driving hard the whole time to keep the gap to the rest... He wouldn't have won that sprint ten years ago either....Has nothing to do with gifts or lack of desire.

The comments he made after the race more or less said he gifted the win to Sanchez without actually saying it.

I sometimes prefer to let the race speak for itself.

His actions did speak pretty loudly. His comments just added to it.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

"I know you'll just repeat it over and over and over"

Now you've written it here again, in the lesser known race thread again, and on the CN article for good measure.

What a prophet I am.

The last thing i posted was simply his own comments after the race, which are pretty telling.

 

[Blanco]

Ok, we all understood, you said it way too many times, it was a GIFT, could we please move on now?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Ok, we all understood, you said it way too many times, it was a GIFT, could we please move on now?

Fine, but the comment I quoted, may be a bigger point of interest.