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

[Fantastico]

Its not a matter of seconds, its a matter of energy you spend. At 1km to go he was the last of the group, he had to spend a lot of energy to come to the front. Energy that he didnt have to respond Alaphilipes attack.
And then, once you dont have the chance to win you dont push the same. He just looked to get the third spot of the podium.

I don't know if he would have been able to beat Roglic or Alaphilippe, but he would have been definitely closer. About 600 m from the finish line he still had to surpass about 10 riders to even get to Roglic's wheel. My rough estimate when re-watching is that he was about 2 seconds behind Roglic at this point.

 

[JosefK]

Pappy Horner is getting jealous, I think.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, I don't think it cost him a position in the end result, either. But it was really a bad position. Quite savvy way to get to the front, though. But okay, he knows his hill and its hidden shortcuts, he has played it many times.

 

[Amazinmets87]

I see very little hope for LBL. Would be thrilled with a podium.

 

[tobydawq]

I see very little hope for LBL. Would be thrilled with a podium.

Hmm, I don't know, his sprint in Amstel was amazing. But yeah, it will not be easy to manage for him. But I think he should be the third biggest favourite behind the Slovenians.

 

[Koronin]

Horrible position going into the Huy. If he would have been positioned where he should have been who knows what the outcome could have been, but to start so far out of position he really only got the final podium spot because of how well he knows the climb.
In an interview after the race he said he doesn't know if this is his last year or if he may race next year. It does sound like he's re-evaluating actually retiring this year.

 

[Salvarani]

Valverde seems to believe in himself at least.

He almost sounded a bit disappointed with the result in the end.

This also seems like someone who is motivated and feeling very good:

"I know I'm in good shape and now Liège is a different race. It's not so much about positioning, it's about your form, and form is clearly something I have".

 

[Fantastico]

In an interview after the race he said he doesn't know if this is his last year or if he may race next year. It does sound like he's re-evaluating actually retiring this year.

I guess that was to be expected considering that he's much more competitive again than last year.

 

[johnymax]

What a man. I'd never imagined he'd reach this level this season. What a man.

 

[Blanco]

I see very little hope for LBL. Would be thrilled with a podium.

? You saw many guys better than him?

 

[Blanco]

His team was bad again. His position into the Mur was disaster. He recovered miraculously but he lacked in the end, although I don't think he could've won.
I think harder and longer race (Liege) could suit him even more, and the battle for position won't be crucial there...

 

[Blanco]

18th podium placing in Ardennes races, 15th in the real Ardennes double (both records, of course..)

 

[CyclistAbi]

Great performance today and congratulations for finishing on the podium.

 

[Amazinmets87]

? You saw many guys better than him?

He's more suited to Fleche than Liege and still couldn't win.

 

[tobydawq]

He's more suited to Fleche than Liege and still couldn't win.

Well, the best rider always wins Flèche, and that was not Valverde, however well he is suited to the race.

In Liège things are not that simple.

 

[SafeBet]

If Valverde wanna win LBL let's start from the basics. Don't waste the team working from far out to bring back the break. It's not Movistar job. Send someone like Jorgenson in the early break and use Verona and Mas to cover moves later or help with positioning before crucial côtes.

Btw I think he has a shot.

 

[Blanco]

If Valverde wanna win LBL let's start from the basics. Don't waste the team working from far out to bring back the break. It's not Movistar job. Send someone like Jorgenson in the early break and use Verona and Mas to cover moves later or help with positioning before crucial côtes.

Btw I think he has a shot.

Team was not wasted, team was bad. Valverde was practically left alone already on penultimate Mur.
Cortina and Serrano were useless both at Fleche and Amstel.
Arcas pulled the most, he did his job correctly.
Jorgenson worked, but he should've last much longer into the race.
Verona was decent, but that's not good enough. At Amstel he was good, at Fleche not.
Mas was nowhere to be seen.

At Liege he can use 2-3 guys to control the race, there will be teams who will also work, that's not a problem, nor it was at Amstel and Fleche. The problem was that he had no one at the crucial part of the race: into the last Cauberg, and last Mur. At Liege that crucial part is from Redoute to RaF. Verona and Mas needs to step up their game and bring Valverde in decent position at the bottom of the Roche. The rest is up to him.

 

[Fantastico]

The problem was that he had no one at the crucial part of the race.

I think this has been a general problem for Movistar in recent years. While they still had strong leaders (Quintana, Carapaz, Landa, Valverde, Mas), the amount of domestiques who can help them in really difficult terrain has declined significantly. Of course, Oliveira, Erviti or Rojas are very reliable, but not strong enough climbers. So basically it has come down to Soler, Verona and Pedrero. While some years ago, they had Moreno, the Izagirres, Amador, Anacona (at least sometimes), Castroviejo, Plaza, Intxausti...

 

[Velolover2]

I think we will have a similar scenario to 2020, a group of 4-5 (could be Bala, Rog, Pog, Ala and Woods) surviving RaF.

But at 40, I just don't think he can outsprint Alaphilippe or Roglic. He will have to do "a Stuyven" on the rest.

 

[tobydawq]

I think we will have a similar scenario to 2020, a group of 4-5 (could be Bala, Rog, Pog, Ala and Woods) surviving RaF.

But at 40, I just don't think he can outsprint Alaphilippe or Roglic. He will have to do "a Stuyven" on the rest.

He outsprinted Alaphilippe quite emphatically in Amstel despite opening 350 metres out. Even Matthews only beat him in the photo finish.

 

[Blanco]

He outsprinted Alaphilippe quite emphatically in Amstel despite opening 350 metres out. Even Matthews only beat him in the photo finish.

Exactly. If it comes to that sprint I would back up Bala. Ala is not in absolute top shape, no matter his Fleche win, and I think Liege will be much harder for him. Roglic is fast, but if Valverde produces similar sprint like Amstel, no Roglic can beat that. Who I fear the most, if it comes to sprint is Pogacar, he's a freak and harder a race is, stronger and faster he becomes.

 

[SafeBet]

At Liege he can use 2-3 guys to control the race, there will be teams who will also work, that's not a problem, nor it was at Amstel and Fleche. The problem was that he had no one at the crucial part of the race: into the last Cauberg, and last Mur. At Liege that crucial part is from Redoute to RaF. Verona and Mas needs to step up their game and bring Valverde in decent position at the bottom of the Roche. The rest is up to him.

So instead of deploying different tactics you're suggesting to hope that these riders will magically improve overnight and be there when needed?
I don't think it's gonna happen, but ok.

I think the DS is to blame for the failure at FW. If you have a weak team you don't control a race. Hopefully they don't make the same mistake twice in a week.

 

[BlueRoads]

I don't see Valverde beating Roglic or Pogacar on strength, but tactical games might help him. Movistar are cruelly bad at tactics (the last years), but Jumbo and UAE totally have the ability to beat them in that regard.

 

[Blanco]

So instead of deploying different tactics you're suggesting to hope that these riders will magically improve overnight and be there when needed?
I don't think it's gonna happen, but ok.

I think the DS is to blame for the failure at FW. If you have a weak team you don't control a race. Hopefully they don't make the same mistake twice in a week.

Look, they didn't spent men who should/can be at the race finale. Arcas, Cortina, Serrano and even Jorgenson can't survive deep into the race. It's really only Mas and Verona. They were not working at all, yet they didn't had the strength when it mattered. I can't see how will different tactics improve their race. Arcas and Jorgenson won't be at the end of the race even if they ride whole race at the back of the peloton. Maybe Oliveira should ride, he looked strong at Valencia.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I think this has been a general problem for Movistar in recent years. While they still had strong leaders (Quintana, Carapaz, Landa, Valverde, Mas), the amount of domestiques who can help them in really difficult terrain has declined significantly. Of course, Oliveira, Erviti or Rojas are very reliable, but not strong enough climbers. So basically it has come down to Soler, Verona and Pedrero. While some years ago, they had Moreno, the Izagirres, Amador, Anacona (at least sometimes), Castroviejo, Plaza, Intxausti...

I think support for Quintana, Carapaz, Landa and Mas (i.e., Grand Tours) has still been good to very good in the last few years.
Their problem has been support in the the one-day races has been very bad. For sure, Amador, was a big loss. Riders like Izagirres see better opportunities for themselves elsewhere. But they don't have anyone like Rory Sutherland, a strong all-arounder who lasts deep into the race and knows how to put a leader into position. And outside of maybe Verona, their current climbers just don't last long enough and aren't suited for the classics.

Someone like Jorgensen might be end up similar to the Izagirres in the future. I think Muehlberger was expected to play that sort of role, too.