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

[Blanco]

If the forecast weather for the Worlds is accurate I'll be surprised if he doesn't abandon the race very early and then just skip the Ardennes entirely.

Nope, he's a racer, he'll ride. Yorkshire was something different, that was torrential rain all day and really cold, I doubt it will be the case on Sunday. The course itself also wasn't much favorable to him, so he stopped. And he rode before in rain, and rode good. At Florence 2013 was raining.. Heck at Liege 2015 was also raining...He'll ride till the end.

 

[Koronin]

Nope, he's a racer, he'll ride. Yorkshire was something different, that was torrential rain all day and really cold, I doubt it will be the case on Sunday. The course itself also wasn't much favorable to him, so he stopped. And he rode before in rain, and rode good. At Florence 2013 was raining.. Heck at Liege 2015 was also raining...He'll ride till the end.

I hope it's not a repeat of last year.

 

[tobydawq]

Now it looks like the rain will come later in the day. Good for him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Nope, he's a racer, he'll ride. Yorkshire was something different, that was torrential rain all day and really cold, I doubt it will be the case on Sunday. The course itself also wasn't much favorable to him, so he stopped. And he rode before in rain, and rode good. At Florence 2013 was raining.. Heck at Liege 2015 was also raining...He'll ride till the end.

At Liege 2015 he was a young 35-year-old.

 

[ciranda]

Valverde has to be one of the toughest cyclists ever. He had no chance last year in Yorkshire anyway even if it had been the most sunshiny day. He was strongest man in the race last time the world's were in Italy and it was heavy rain. It's super condescending to picture him as some kind of Wiggins type unable to handle different conditions.

 

[Koronin]

He's saying he feels he has the form to compete for the win/podium.

 

[ciranda]

Cool, I'm sure he'll be around close to the best rain or no rain.

 

[Moviestar]

Good, but not good enough anymore. I don't see him fighting for a win or a medal in Tokyo in this way, especially with the young gens stepping up ..

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah wasn't horrible. Ez top-5 and stage win in La Vuelta incoming

 

[Koronin]

Good, but not good enough anymore. I don't see him fighting for a win or a medal in Tokyo in this way, especially with the young gens stepping up ..

After today, I don't think he even goes to Tokyo. He said a week or so ago that he may decide not to go to Tokyo next year. With how poor his form has been all season I wouldn't be shocked if next year he only races several of the Spanish races and nothing else to say goodbye to the fans in Spain.

 

[Red Rick]

Ninja of the Tour

Ninja of the worlds.

 

[Blanco]

Not what we were hoping for, but still, considering his age, decent result. His 11th top 10, he extended his record, next are Merckx, Zoetemelk and Freire with 8. Can't see anybody nowhere near this...

 

[tobydawq]

After today, I don't think he even goes to Tokyo. He said a week or so ago that he may decide not to go to Tokyo next year. With how poor his form has been all season I wouldn't be shocked if next year he only races several of the Spanish races and nothing else to say goodbye to the fans in Spain.

Of course you wouldn't.

 

[tobydawq]

Not what we were hoping for, but still, considering his age, decent result. His 11th top 10, he extended his record, next are Merckx, Zoetemelk and Freire with 8. Can't see anybody nowhere near this...

Longevity is a different thing to predict.

 

[Moviestar]

Not what we were hoping for, but still, considering his age, decent result. His 11th top 10, he extended his record, next are Merckx, Zoetemelk and Freire with 8. Can't see anybody nowhere near this...

Also the first 40-year-old with a top-10 finish in a WC race since Gerrit Schulte in 1956!

 

[Unchained]

Anyone watching this years TDF saw Valverde fight back,push through and finish the race in a higher overall place than any old grandpa..I wish him well..no matter how old he gets he still races his bike like an enthusiast junior!!

 

[RedheadDane]

Anyone watching this years TDF saw Valverde fight back,push through and finish the race in a higher overall place than any old grandpa..

Well... he was the only old grandpa in the race.

 

[yaco]

It was probably his best race for 2020 - Lets see if he has more to give.

 

[tobydawq]

Anyone watching this years TDF saw Valverde fight back,push through and finish the race in a higher overall place than any old grandpa..I wish him well..no matter how old he gets he still races his bike like an enthusiast junior!!

Koronin will tell you that he is really unhappy this year, although he was obviously having fun training with the other Spanish riders in the national kit because there was one photo where he was smiling, however, he has no enthusiasm generally and is just going through the motions at this point and has ridden his last race outside Spain where he will still ride to have a season-long, low-level goodbye campaign because his gear group doesn't please him and the weather is too weathery.

 

[Unchained]

I agree with most..but I think you have to be pretty deep to finish were he did on the tour, so I agree with 99% of what you said but his TDF is slightly above going through the motions,in my opinion..but I think you and I share admiration for him overall..

 

[tobydawq]

I agree with most..but I think you have to be pretty deep to finish were he did on the tour, so I agree with 99% of what you said but his TDF is slightly above going through the motions,in my opinion..but I think you and I share admiration for him overall..

I don't agree with most of the things I wrote (if any).

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Movistar obviously has had something wrong this year. Started to look better third week of the tour though. Top 5 in the Vuelta and last year-ish form next year is what my oracle vision is telling me.

 

[Koronin]

Movistar obviously has had something wrong this year. Started to look better third week of the tour though. Top 5 in the Vuelta and last year-ish form next year is what my oracle vision is telling me.

That goes without saying.

Unfortunately I don't see a top 5 at la Vuelta with the form he's showing. I may be wrong, but he was sounding a bit discouraged after today's race.

 

[Tonton]

8th in a 258km bike race against and in front of most of the best riders in the world, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Age is catching up, we see it, but he's still showing the young guns his back wheel. First Spaniard today. As long as it remains that way, Valverde will feel compelled to wear his national team jersey in Tokyo. He sees the writing on the wall, but there's no better exit than to pull a Vino. And if Valverde does that, what an exclamation point and a decisive argument that he, not Contador, is the best Spanish rider of his generation. Although one may argue that The Don has raced at the top for basically two generations.

 

[Koronin]

8th in a 258km bike race against and in front of most of the best riders in the world, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Age is catching up, we see it, but he's still showing the young guns his back wheel. First Spaniard today. As long as it remains that way, Valverde will feel compelled to wear his national team jersey in Tokyo. He sees the writing on the wall, but there's no better exit than to pull a Vino. And if Valverde does that, what an exclamation point and a decisive argument that he, not Contador, is the best Spanish rider of his generation. Although one may argue that The Don has raced at the top for basically two generations.

Except for one little thing. He's already started saying in interviews that he may not go to Tokyo. Just a few weeks ago he made the comment that if he doesn't think he is good enough to win in Tokyo he won't go and take a place that can be used by a younger rider. As I said he sounded a bit discourages or dejected by what he was and wasn't able to do in this race.