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

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

But Bala should know that reaching a Tour podium is out of his reach. He's just not good enough as a climber to challenge the likes of the big four + Purito and Tejay (who really stepped up this year).

When he is at his best he is a better and more consistent climber than Purito.

But not in the Tour. No way.

When Purito is at his best, he's a better climber in the high mountains. Just look at the Alps '13 and Vuelta 2012. Purito would never falter like Bala did in last years Tour clims.

Valverde beat Purito in the 2012 Vuelta...

Doesn's say anything. One really strange day. Purito was better the whole Vuelta. So perhaps not less consisent, but surely better

I'm even surprised you actually think he's better in the high mountains in a Tour. He never showed that.

I don't. Valverde will peak for the Vuelta and be relatively worse than Purito in the Tour, but if they both peaked for the Tour Valverde would finish higher. Remember that Piti ages better than Purito.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

No you can't say that. Someone who is dropped by 8 other climbers in the Pyrenees, is not a great climber at all. When they are both in top shape, Purito is a better climber (rider) for the Tour, Piti for the Vuelta.

 

[Netserk]

Maybe some years ago, but not any longer.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Maybe some years ago, but not any longer.

Let's wait till the mountains arrive.

But both Piti and Purito don't stand a chance against Aru and Landa in la Vuelta

 

[Netserk]

Not against Landa, of course not. Valverde will beat Aru in the Vuelta though.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Not against Landa, of course not. Valverde will beat Aru in the Vuelta though.

I'm looking forward to it. I just hope both Purito and Piti will animate the race.

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

Not against Landa, of course not. Valverde will beat Aru in the Vuelta though.

I'm looking forward to it. I just hope both Purito and Piti will animate the race.

If you by animating mean looking at each other to make sure neither win any stage, then I agree

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Not against Landa, of course not. Valverde will beat Aru in the Vuelta though.

I'm looking forward to it. I just hope both Purito and Piti will animate the race.

If you by animating mean looking at each other to make sure neither win any stage, then I agree

If it's at the front, then it's good

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

And in every other GT, bar 2013 Tour, in which he would beat him also if not for that crosswind stage

You don't read my arguments. I say he's better in the high mountains in the Tour. Tour 2013 proved that. Without that crosswind stage Bala would not have reached the podium. Froome, Quintana and Purito were the best. That's too easy to say. I can also say Bala was lucky Purito crashed before the Pyrenees

Vuelta 2012 Purito was better in the mountains. In Vuelta 2013 and 2014 Piti was more consistent. The fact Bala finished higher in 2012 isn't relevant. Purito showed there he was the better climber, just watch Bola del Mundo.

Valverde is a climber who was dropped by Ten Dam, Van Garderen, Bardet, Pinot in the Pyrenees. What a climber

No, he was not more consistent, he was better! He dropped Purito in multiple stages, that's just better. Anyway in terms of climbing I find them similar, Valverde little more consistent, Purito when on good day slightly better. But consistency beat peak days, as shown in their H2H in GT's.

And for being dropped by those guys, that was not top form Bala, his form was fading, nothing unusual, happens to Purito also...

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

And in every other GT, bar 2013 Tour, in which he would beat him also if not for that crosswind stage

You don't read my arguments. I say he's better in the high mountains in the Tour. Tour 2013 proved that. Without that crosswind stage Bala would not have reached the podium. Froome, Quintana and Purito were the best. That's too easy to say. I can also say Bala was lucky Purito crashed before the Pyrenees

Vuelta 2012 Purito was better in the mountains. In Vuelta 2013 and 2014 Piti was more consistent. The fact Bala finished higher in 2012 isn't relevant. Purito showed there he was the better climber, just watch Bola del Mundo.

Valverde is a climber who was dropped by Ten Dam, Van Garderen, Bardet, Pinot in the Pyrenees. What a climber

No, he was not more consistent, he was better! He dropped Purito in multiple stages, that's just better. Anyway in terms of climbing I find them similar, Valverde little more consistent, Purito when on good day slightly better. But consistency beat peak days, as shown in their H2H in GT's.

And for being dropped by those guys, that was not top form Bala, his form was fading, nothing unusual, happens to Purito also...

Purito outclimbed Bala on La Gallina in 2013.

Purito dropped Bala on La Camperona in 2014.

And in most of the mountain stages they finished together. And in some mountain stages Bala dropped Purito (Angliru, Ancares). So it is a matter of consistency

However, i agree mostly with the second part of your post.

 

[DBotero]

Impressive performance for Movistar today and Valverde looking good at the end.Good signs for the next 2 weeks

 

[KyoGrey]

This year Vuelta is special for both of the famous Spanish super-puncheurs because the race has a stage finishing in their home base (one in Murcia for Valverde and one in Andorra for Purito).

It will be interesting to see if they can win in front of their crowds.


BTW, today it seemed that some members of Movistar team were not very happy with Alejando when he recklessly destroyed team cohesion in that penultimate miniclimb of the Tour's TTT. Could have cost some precious seconds to his team.

 

[TI-Raleigh]

Would love to see Valverde podium this year. He looks good so far, but I'm worried for the high mountains.

 

[ray j willings]

If Valerde won that would be something "fantastic".... I would love to see it, just because I know there's all those xenophobic Sky fan boys who would hate it.
You know the ones that think Froome his British and eats swan sandwiches with the queen

 

[Moviestar]

Movistar and Saxo have a nice hydra with the couples Quintana/Valverde and Conta/Kreuziger they can play. Add Rodriguez, Barguil and Bardet who need to attack and you have the ingredients for some exciting stuff in the upcoming mountain stages.

 

[Flamin]

Just rewatched how Movistar split to pieces on an uphill part and it was good old Valverde who blew them up. Once he hits the front, he clearly accelerates (looks like he wanted to 'catch' some slipstream from the motorbikes), while dancing on the pedals. After 20" or so Erviti, sitting in 4th, drops the wheel and a gap opens up. Also Dowsett completely blows and gets dropped.

Unbelievable this kind of stuff happens to a guy with so much experience I would be pissed as hell as a team mate or DS, as this might have cost them the victory.

 

[Moviestar]

According to Leblanc and Guimard ( French moto who followed Movistar) there has been a short verbal incident between Castro and Valverde just after the finish about the incident during the TTT. I think it's just the frustration of just not winning the TTT because of that incident.

 

[AlexNYC]

If those reports are true, that’s very unforgivable from a veteran like Valverde. That’s a Tour stage out the window for Movistar.

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

Typical Valverde and this is why one must love the guy. There is just no such thing as experience when Piti feels to do something (which is in his own interest of course). Either he gives you joy or a couple grey hairs. There is just nothing in between this guy. Next thing you'll know he wins a stage.

Probably Froomes fault by the way.

 

[Fernandez]

Yeah, whatever. Valverde is the bad man of the James Bond movie, isnt it?

 

[Flamin]

Re:

Yeah, whatever. Valverde is the bad man of the James Bond movie, isnt it?

He clearly made a big mistake that could have easily been avoided. Now don't go all calimero.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Yeah, whatever. Valverde is the bad man of the James Bond movie, isnt it?

Does he have a cat too?

 

[Metabolol]

The motorbikes were much too close that is what caused the problem and the crowd was also standing to close which disturbed the rhythm of the team.

 

[KyoGrey]

Re: Re:

Yeah, whatever. Valverde is the bad man of the James Bond movie, isnt it?

Does he have a cat too?

Maybe Piti the dog had a feline counterpart.
One true fact about Valverde is that he is quite addicted to icecreams (the polo ones, not Haagendazs). It's his only luxury in a very controlled diet.

 

[joe_papp]

Re: Re:

Typical Valverde and this is why one must love the guy. There is just no such thing as experience when Piti feels to do something (which is in his own interest of course). Either he gives you joy or a couple grey hairs. There is just nothing in between this guy. Next thing you'll know he wins a stage...

Valverde is such a baller...