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

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

He rode good race, couldn't do much different

Yeah it's easy to bash on Alejandro but I don't see a realistic way that could gave him the win today. I hope he takes some initiative in LBL instead of waiting for a sprint for placings

If preserving your energy until the pivotal moments are to be taken into consideration, the mechanical that he had to work with his team to get back on with the peloton (was with 80 km's to go?) certainly figured into what he had left in the final sprint.

 

[Dedelou]

Re: Re:

He rode good race, couldn't do much different

Yeah it's easy to bash on Alejandro but I don't see a realistic way that could gave him the win today. I hope he takes some initiative in LBL instead of waiting for a sprint for placings

If preserving your energy until the pivotal moments are to be taken into consideration, the mechanical that he had to work with his team to get back on with the peloton (was with 80 km's to go?) certainly figured into what he had left in the final sprint.

I wondered for years about the issues of 'energy" lost on the course to explain final result in a sprint finish. To me energy lost plays in whether or not a rider will make the final cut. All those who make it to the sprint have to deal with final burst of speed, positioning and bike handling skills. the ones who are "wasted" in mho are twenty feet behind, not inches.

 

[SeriousSam]

Kwiat was the best sprinter among those that wheelsucked the entire race. Bling would have been better, had he been in Kwiat's position but staying with Gilbert and doing a pull as opposed to leisurely riding up the Cauberg and being dragged to the front by others weakened him.

Speculation obviously, but the directional effect is clear. Exhaustion and fatigue certainly lowers your peak power output. How much it really matters is anyone's guess, but it also seems to explain variation in placings amongst the very best sprinters (pancake flat: Kittel, very hard and long: Kristoff, somewhere inbetween: Cavendish)

 

[Mr.White]

Kwiatkowski didn't wheelsucked on Cauberg, he just couldn't bridge to Gilbert/Matthews. Valverde was boxed and came from way behind, and he eventually bridged to leading duo. Than he and Matthews responded to each acceleration in the leading group. Kwiatkowski rode smoothly in that group, and I think that made little difference in the sprint. Normally both Valverde and especially Matthews are faster than him

 

[SeriousSam]

Simply unique:

 

[trevim]

Re:

Simply unique:

One of the most talented riders of the last 10 years alongside Contador, Boonen and Canc.
Still a bit lame he never rode the Giro but I guess he hates the cold....and italians probably

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Simply unique:

One of the most talented riders of the last 10 years alongside Contador, Boonen and Canc.
Still a bit lame he never rode the Giro but I guess he hates the cold....and italians probably

He said he will do the Giro before he ends his career. I don't think he can win it, but couple of stages would look nice in his palmares

 

[SeriousSam]

A giro stage, maybe the Giro podium, Lombardia and worlds gold would be perfect.

 

[Mr.White]

Worlds gold will be very hard, the course doesn't suit him much in Richmond, and especially in Qatar 2016, neither i think it will suit him in Norway 2017. On the other hand, Olympic gold in Rio will settle things nicely

 

[Fernandez]

Valverde (and his team director) has been always obsessed with Le Tour and he also loves La Vuelta, because he is beloved for the fans in Spain (he is the most spanish of the spanish riders), so its normal he didnt ride Il Giro; if he has to doubles, he does with Tour and Vuelta.

Between winning Lombardia and Worlds, its more probably he wins Lombardia. I think he wont never win the Worlds. And its a pity, because he is one of the best World Championships riders in history.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Valverde (and his team director) has been always obsessed with Le Tour and he also loves La Vuelta, because he is beloved for the fans in Spain (he is the most spanish of the spanish riders), so its normal he didnt ride Il Giro; if he has to doubles, he does with Tour and Vuelta.

Between winning Lombardia and Worlds, its more probably he wins Lombardia. I think he wont never win the Worlds. And its a pity, because he is one of the best World Championships riders in history.

True. Especially since the next 2 editions will be way to easy for him. After that he'll be ancient.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

Valverde (and his team director) has been always obsessed with Le Tour and he also loves La Vuelta, because he is beloved for the fans in Spain (he is the most spanish of the spanish riders), so its normal he didnt ride Il Giro; if he has to doubles, he does with Tour and Vuelta.

Between winning Lombardia and Worlds, its more probably he wins Lombardia. I think he wont never win the Worlds. And its a pity, because he is one of the best World Championships riders in history.

True. Especially since the next 2 editions will be way to easy for him. After that he'll be ancient.

At Alejandro's young age of 35 Horner was barely cracking top 20 in Vuelta. Six years later he won it. It si still time for the worlds.

 

[SeriousSam]

 

[DBotero]

Re:

Easy win today,now let's see if he can do it again in LBL,he's in amazing form

 

[richwagmn]

Outstanding win today. Just dusted the entire field in the finish with everyone watching.

 

[bala v]

He owned that climb, from start to finish!

 

[Fernandez]

What a way to win, pulling the group all the climb and destroying everyone. BRUTAL. By the way, where was Kiakoski?

 

[hrotha]

Not much pulling. In case you didn't notice, everybody was waiting to launch the sprint because apparently they all fancied losing.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

What a way to win, pulling the group all the climb and destroying everyone. BRUTAL. By the way, where was Kiakoski?

I have no idea who Kiakoski is

 

[Fernandez]

Re: Re:

What a way to win, pulling the group all the climb and destroying everyone. BRUTAL. By the way, where was Kiakoski?

I have no idea who Kiakoski is

Yeah, but i know you guess who i am refering, do you?

 

[bala v]

Re:

Not much pulling. In case you didn't notice, everybody was waiting to launch the sprint because apparently they all fancied losing.

Yeah, right. This one was faster than Purito 2012, in fact only 4-5 ascents was faster than this. I would say it was pulling

 

[Netserk]

8 of the previous 11 ascents were faster than today...

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Not much pulling. In case you didn't notice, everybody was waiting to launch the sprint because apparently they all fancied losing.

Yeah, right. This one was faster than Purito 2012, in fact only 4-5 ascents was faster than this. I would say it was pulling

The weather conditions were far worse in 2012 comparing this edition.

 

[hrotha]

Seriously, nobody was pulling after Lampre finished doing their hilarious thing. That's not to lessen Valverde's victory (he did what he had to do, and it's everyone else's fault for letting him do it), it's just about being a wee bit objective. Hell, even Valverde himself said he had slowed things down from the front, waiting for his ideal distance.

 

[Fernandez]

When Valverde doesnt win its all jokes and laughs, and when he wins its all complains. Sorry people, but the master is the master