He's coming home!!!! Alejandro Valverde comeback thread.

[Red Rick]

When was the last time Valverde climbed so good and so consistently for 3 weeks?
Tour 2015 maybe?

I'm impressed.

Got recked a few times but was saved by the route or team in those cases.

 

[Koronin]

It's hard rooting for him sometimes. Why does he need another podium in la vuelta? Can he, for once, try to win the whole thing?

One more Vuelta podium gives him the record.

 

[Noddy97]

One more Vuelta podium gives him the record.

But no one will remember that. People will remember the winner and how many gt's each legend has in his palmares. No one remember how many gt's podiums indurain has but I know he won 5 tours and 2 giros. I can say the same about Hinault, Ulrrich, Pantani, etc. Legends are made of wins!! Not secondary places! Legends try hard to win, no matter what. A podium don't add nothing to valverde's legacy.

 

[Koronin]

But no one will remember that. People will remember the winner and how many gt's each legend has in his palmares. No one remember how many gt's podiums indurain has but I know he won 5 tours and 2 giros. I can say the same about Hinault, Ulrrich, Pantani, etc. Legends are made of wins!! Not secondary places! Legends try hard to win, no matter what. A podium don't add nothing to valverde's legacy.

Except Valverde and his fans will. Plus it actually means something to him. His Worlds podium record means a LOT to him. He was asked a couple years ago (before he won the worlds) if he would trade in his 6 podiums for 1 Worlds win and rainbow jersey. Without hesitating he said no. He said that record means a lot to him and shows how consistent he's been over his career. He may be the only one who would answer that way, but these type of records do have a lot of meaning to him. With all the crazy records he owns, yes la Vuelta podium record AND the all-time Grand Tour top 10 record do mean a lot and do add to his legacy. You're also missing the part that he has always valued his consistency as has the team.

 

[SafeBet]

But no one will remember that. People will remember the winner and how many gt's each legend has in his palmares. No one remember how many gt's podiums indurain has but I know he won 5 tours and 2 giros. I can say the same about Hinault, Ulrrich, Pantani, etc. Legends are made of wins!! Not secondary places! Legends try hard to win, no matter what. A podium don't add nothing to valverde's legacy.

I've got a kind of fetish for podiums (and top10s too) so I can proudly say I will remember that.
Heck I can't wait to update my beloved thread for the most podiums in GTs

 

[tobydawq]

But no one will remember that. People will remember the winner and how many gt's each legend has in his palmares. No one remember how many gt's podiums indurain has but I know he won 5 tours and 2 giros. I can say the same about Hinault, Ulrrich, Pantani, etc. Legends are made of wins!! Not secondary places! Legends try hard to win, no matter what. A podium don't add nothing to valverde's legacy.

1: He couldn't shed Roglic so I don't know what you would have him do.

2: That record itself is probably not that interesting but podiuming in a Grand Tour in 2003 and fricking 2019 is something that certainly will be remembered by a lot of people.

 

[Red Rick]

Almost 3 and a half years between podiums alone makes it a very nice result itself

But for all greatest of his generation talk I see a lot of emphasis on not winning.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

If/when Valverde finish second in this Vuelta that is a huge performance by the old man. Just take a look in the “Who will win the Vuelta thread” and you’ll see a lot of posts like “Valverde is no GC contender” or “he might finish in the top 10”. For a guy his age, with no GT podium in three years and with a lot of people doubting his ability to perform at top level in the though mountains over 3 weeks this Vuelta have been a great, great achievement for Valverde.

 

[Scarponi]

When you start becoming a loser and finishing 3rd and 4th obviously you will say you are proud of coming 4th 10times. If he was a GT winner he would honestly have zero care for these records

 

[Scarponi]

You don’t read Rebellion dropping finishing top ten from 1993 to 2014(or whatever year it was) in classics and semi classics

 

[Escarabajo]

People remember 2nd places in GT's if you repeat them time after time. Like Poulidor ("The Eternal Second" ) or Ulrich.

 

[Scarponi]

People remember 2nd places in GT's if you repeat them time after time. Like Poulidor ("The Eternal Second" ) or Ulrich.

There is 2nd in the TDF like Ullrich, Evans Poulide, Quintana, A.Schleck and there is 2nd in the Veulta

 

[tobydawq]

When you start becoming a loser and finishing 3rd and 4th obviously you will say you are proud of coming 4th 10times. If he was a GT winner he would honestly have zero care for these records

Oh, come on, this isn't fourth places we're talking about, but you have proven yourself to be pretty hardcore anti-Valverde so no need for me to get too deeply into this discussion with you.

He is a Grand Tour winner, though, and there was no way he could beat Roglic in this Vuelta, and of course he cares about the result, Nibali did the same in the Giro this year, and everybody always does.

 

[Scarponi]

Oh, come on, this isn't fourth places we're talking about, but you have proven yourself to be pretty hardcore anti-Valverde so no need for me to get too deeply into this discussion with you.

He is a Grand Tour winner, though, and there was no way he could beat Roglic in this Vuelta, and of course he cares about the result, Nibali did the same in the Giro this year, and everybody always does.

I was a fan until the stuff he has pulled this year, imagine a 40 year old with 130 wins being so petty, it wasn’t that long ago he was yelling Contador off for having a go at Quintana. That GT win was by some absolutely filthy Spanish/Italian standard bias. I’d never expect such treatment if Australia had a three week tour.

 

[tobydawq]

I have literally zero idea what you're talking about?

 

[Scarponi]

I have literally zero idea what you're talking about?

I used to like him until he went publicly against Quintana this year? And true winners like Contador / Armstrong Merkxc would only care about “consistency” if they weren’t out right winners is my point.

 

[tobydawq]

I used to like him until he went publicly against Quintana this year?

So because Quintana just let his team do the work and was too proud to admit to being on the verge of cracking, rendering all the work useless after multiple times always having the need to be captain over Valverde even though he has been inferior most times, was finally the straw that broke the camel's back for Valverde who in one comment criticised the little one, you can't be a fan of him any more and instead need to undermine his performances?

Okay.

 

[Carols]

He is a Grand Tour winner, though, and there was no way he could beat Roglic in this Vuelta, and of course he cares about the result, Nibali did the same in the Giro this year, and everybody always does.

Everyone except Contador. There is a reason all his GT podiums were Top Step. No 2nd or 3rds for him. It was win or fall over trying!

Bala is a grand racer but doesn't have 20% of the courage of Contador!

 

[Scarponi]

So because Quintana just let his team do the work and was too proud to admit to being on the verge of cracking, rendering all the work useless after multiple times always having the need to be captain over Valverde even though he has been inferior most times, was finally the straw that broke the camel's back for Valverde who in one comment criticised the little one, you can't be a fan of him any more and instead need to undermine his performances?

Okay.

I’ve stated several times how selfish Valverde has been for the last 5 years with his little “free role”
And “stage hunting”
Ruining the dynamics of the team and I’ve never seen him completely bury himself to a stand still for a stronger team mate once.I still
Think it’s amazing he has been riding at a high level for so long, the 2003 to 19
Is absolutely
Mental in GC riding when you consider most riders contend for 5 years. I just don’t think he is the literal God some posters on here think he is when they can’t even admit he has made mistakes in 16 years on the bike.

 

[SafeBet]

You don’t read Rebellion dropping finishing top ten from 1993 to 2014(or whatever year it was) in classics and semi classics

BTW Rebellin is second among active riders for most top10 in Monuments (18).

 

[Koronin]

Valverde is a different type of rider than Contador and many others. Valverde does value consistency. Part of why he doesn't have high peaks.

Safe Bet, that's an impressive stat for Rebellin.

 

[Scarponi]

Valverde is a different type of rider than Contador and many others. Valverde does value consistency. Part of why he doesn't have high peaks.

Safe Bet, that's an impressive stat for Rebellin.

5th in Tirreno in 1993, 8th Suisse 1993 and 5th Amstel 1994 amongst others. Feels like a literal life time ago. I was born in 1990...

 

[Koronin]

5th in Tirreno in 1993, 8th Suisse 1993 and 5th Amstel 1994 amongst others. Feels like a literal life time ago. I was born in 1990...

I was graduating high school in '93. That does feel like a lifetime ago.

 

[Carols]

Valverde is a different type of rider than Contador and many others. Valverde does value consistency. Part of why he doesn't have high peaks.

Safe Bet, that's an impressive stat for Rebellin.

He is near/at his High year round! It's amazing!

 

[Lequack]

He's one of those riders that we will only miss once he's gone, like Condator, Purito etc. Taken for granted because of his consistency.