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

[on3m@n@rmy]

ouch!
Piti may want to consider a different name cos if someone steps on his dog he will have to say "Don't step on Cadel!" That might be too hard for Piti to say.

 

[The Hitch]

He's named his new dog "Cadel". This has numerous benefits.

1) If he wants to use Eufemiano again, and they go through his files, they find a file marked "Cadel" and Valverde's name won't be the first that springs up

Yes he would. You forget that good Ozzie (and generally English speaking) types don't go to evil people like Eufemiano.

 

[Walkman]

king is back...

(-:

Sorry to tell you, but Ullrich isn't coming back...

As for piti I can only say that it is going to be nice seeing Gilbert annihilate him in the classics!

 

[hfer07]

 

[Benotti69]

Yes he would. You forget that good Ozzie (and generally English speaking) types don't go to evil people like Eufemiano.

No they get introduced to Ferarri via Tony Rominger

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Valverde and Contador (if AC gets off) may well combine forces to outwit Evans again this year - like they did in the Dauphine 2009 - may be they'll do a similar Spanish Pact for the TdF-2012.

 

[mewmewmew13]

+1

can't wait for January

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Valverde and Contador (if AC gets off) may well combine forces to outwit Evans again this year - like they did in the Dauphine 2009 - may be they'll do a similar Spanish Pact for the TdF-2012.

They didn't really outwit Evans in the Dauphiné though, imo. Valverde lost time in the ITT and gambled on the attack from far on Ventoux. Contador just shadowed Evans. If Evans had been more willing to chase and less expectant that somebody else would assist in the chase for him, or if Szmyd wasn't as strong as he is, then Valverde wouldn't have taken yellow there. Now, Contador did assist Valverde on the Col de la Madeleine, but that wasn't about outwitting the Australian. No, Evans had taken time on 'his' territory, but contrived not through trickery but through inaction, to lose that time back. Contador helped Valverde to protect the lead, but Evans and Szmyd are what gave him that lead.

 

[gustienordic]

VALVERDE!! I am for one so excited to see him race again. I know everyone has been saying the same thing, but I am rather sick of Gilbert winning everything. I want some more excitement! Explosive riders like Valverde need come along more often

 

[jordan5000]

"I can beat everyone and everything, except a doping test"

-But in all seriousness, good rider who will make things exciting, I assume that "nuclear holocaust" means that he'll be amazing?

 

[Mambo95]

Without the dope he'll probably be as good as Di Luca is now.

 

[airstream]

Without the dope he'll probably be as good as Di Luca is now.

Huh, not so much. Alex is classier, though will also run into many difficulties. I'm very surprised he's going to do the Tour instead of the Vuelta. Probably, sponsor requires it.

 

[jens_attacks]

60 kilos!!!i can say this won't be a il killer like comeback

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/breves2011/20111112_004220_avec-valverde-en-2012.html

«Il s'est entraîné autant que pendant les saisons où il courait, et même plus. Il s'est préparé comme jamais dans tous les domaines, y compris l'alimentation, assure Jesus Hoyos, le médecin de Movistar dans El Pais. Cette année, il a roulé 48.000 km, encore plus qu'en saison normale. Il pèse 60 kg, moins que lors de son dernier Tour de France. Il a une belle musculature et des tablettes de chocolat impressionnantes. Il fait environ 3.000 abdominaux par jour. Et il a envie de vélo.»

 

[ElChingon]

60 kilos!!!i can say this won't be a il killer like comeback

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/breves2011/20111112_004220_avec-valverde-en-2012.html

«Il s'est entraîné autant que pendant les saisons où il courait, et même plus. Il s'est préparé comme jamais dans tous les domaines, y compris l'alimentation, assure Jesus Hoyos, le médecin de Movistar dans El Pais. Cette année, il a roulé 48.000 km, encore plus qu'en saison normale. Il pèse 60 kg, moins que lors de son dernier Tour de France. Il a une belle musculature et des tablettes de chocolat impressionnantes. Il fait environ 3.000 abdominaux par jour. Et il a envie de vélo.»

His Tour weight

 

[The Hitch]

Without the dope he'll probably be as good as Di Luca is now.

I don't get this comment.

He was rolling world number 1 for over 100 straight weeks on the cq rankings right up to his suspension.

He did not test positive once during that time.

Which leads to 2 options.

1 he was not doping, in which case he has already shown he can be one of the absolute best in the world without dope.

2 He was doping but had a good way to avoid testing positive in which case that method should work as much now as it did 1 and a half years ago, especially since the existing order is pretty much the same as it was then.

 

[Aguirre]

+1

can't wait for January

+1

still 4/5 seasons for "the king" Ale in order to achieve a legendary palmares...

fasten to your seats in 2012!

 

[slowoldman]

ho hum......never was a Valverde fan........didn't miss him. I bet his attorneys are looking forward to it....

 

[woodenswan]

don`t tell me you wouldn`t be happy to see Ricco dancing in the mountains with Contador and Andy...

or just sneaking into big races from behind houses, maybe trying to take a shower afterwards

great poll options btw! i went with desert storm in the end

 

[cycladianpirate]

Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree......

 

[Michielveedeebee]

«Il s'est entraîné autant que pendant les saisons où il courait, et même plus. Il s'est préparé comme jamais dans tous les domaines, y compris l'alimentation, assure Jesus Hoyos, le médecin de Movistar dans El Pais. Cette année, il a roulé 48.000 km, encore plus qu'en saison normale. Il pèse 60 kg, moins que lors de son dernier Tour de France. Il a une belle musculature et des tablettes de chocolat impressionnantes. Il fait environ 3.000 abdominaux par jour. Et il a envie de vélo.»

The regulars know I'm a Piti hater, but he's served his dues. Let him come back and prove he can win clean as well. He'll just make races more exciting(or at least I hope so)

Also, that is one hell of an impressive amount of training

 

[Mambo95]

I don't get this comment.

He was rolling world number 1 for over 100 straight weeks on the cq rankings right up to his suspension.

He did not test positive once during that time.

Which leads to 2 options.

1 he was not doping, in which case he has already shown he can be one of the absolute best in the world without dope.

2 He was doping but had a good way to avoid testing positive in which case that method should work as much now as it did 1 and a half years ago, especially since the existing order is pretty much the same as it was then.

Are you seriously rolling out the 'never tested positive' line? I know you're not that naive.

Once upon a time Di Luca was the World no. 1 who had never tested positive as well.

 

[airstream]

Valverde tried to say good bye to doping before 2007 season. As far as its possible, of course. I don't think GT's are overcome without a pharma nutrition. He decided to ride in peace with no bluff. Its rather obvious based on his perfomances. I don't like him either honestly particularly after his unattractive behavior on Operacion Puerto. Perhaps he's the most contradictory figure (besides Contador) among the current riders. I'm really surprised with the fact he's got so much support in this forum.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't get this comment.

He was rolling world number 1 for over 100 straight weeks on the cq rankings right up to his suspension.

He did not test positive once during that time.

Which leads to 2 options.

1 he was not doping, in which case he has already shown he can be one of the absolute best in the world without dope.

2 He was doping but had a good way to avoid testing positive in which case that method should work as much now as it did 1 and a half years ago, especially since the existing order is pretty much the same as it was then.

Also, he's returning at 31, whereas di Luca was returning at 35. That makes a big difference too.

 

[auscyclefan94]

He's named his new dog "Cadel". This has numerous benefits.

1) If he wants to use Eufemiano again, and they go through his files, they find a file marked "Cadel" and Valverde's name won't be the first that springs up
2) If he's in the péloton, he can always wind Evans up about "Cadel dragging his *** on the carpet".
3) If he's talking smack about Evans to somebody else and Evans calls him out on it, he can claim he's talking about his dog and leave Evans to sulk somewhere else.
4) Like Piti, Cadel is an alsatian. This means that Cadel can terrorise Molly the little ratdog thing that Evans has.
5) It gives us endless scope to laugh at ACF about Cadel literally being Valverde's lapdog.

I don't like you anymore. Evans, Molly and I will take revenge through cleanliness & awesomeness. Good old Valverde won't be able to sit on the wheel of Cadel and Phil anymore like he did in LBL 2010 or Dauphine 2009.

 

[Walkman]

Valverde tried to say good bye to doping before 2007 season. As far as its possible, of course. I don't think GT's are overcome without a pharma nutrition. He decided to ride in peace with no bluff. Its rather obvious based on his perfomances. I don't like him either honestly particularly after his unattractive behavior on Operacion Puerto. Perhaps he's the most contradictory figure (besides Contador) among the current riders. I'm really surprised with the fact he's got so much support in this forum.

It's pretty obvious is not about the dope. The guy is no better than Armstrong clinic wise but still has a lot of fans and while Armstrong only have WonderLance and Polish...