So Valverde with 14,5k distance and 86 racedays and still smiling:
Hard not to like the guy imo.

Hard not to like the guy imo.
The Valverde of the Ardennes is the Valverde that hides in the bunch until the last km. There's no way that the Valverde of the Ardennes wins a race like today's Lombardia.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
Roma maxima says hello.ice&fire said:The Valverde of the Ardennes is the Valverde that hides in the bunch until the last km. There's no way that the Valverde of the Ardennes wins a race like today's Lombardia.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
Valverde was clearly the best rider in L-B-L, closed the gap by himself and beat 10 men in a sprint. That was one well deserved win.ice&fire said:The Valverde of the Ardennes is the Valverde that hides in the bunch until the last km. There's no way that the Valverde of the Ardennes wins a race like today's Lombardia.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
Yeah, I saw that, the man is a jokerjens_attacks said:Did anyone see when he was patting rosa on the back and started to laugh?
Freaking legend.
In terms of climbing, I would imagine it being more high intense, short intervals compared to the longer climbs-build up for the GT's, but I think the big thing is his timing of when to peak which I think was pretty obvious targeted to be the Alps where he was tremendous, compared to fx. Froome and thus he only rode at 90% or so early on. If the Mur had been slotted at the 2nd or 3rd week, he would have been a lot better.Red Rick said:I wonder how different the training is in preperation for the Ardennes classics and the GT's. He did his best Tour climbing wise but got totally destroyed on the Mur.
I don't think so. Lombardia is a way different race then Liege. Much harder and much more for climbers. The Valverde of Liege would have followed Nibali with ease uphill.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
Since when is Roma Maxima a Ardennes race?jens_attacks said:Roma maxima says hello.ice&fire said:The Valverde of the Ardennes is the Valverde that hides in the bunch until the last km. There's no way that the Valverde of the Ardennes wins a race like today's Lombardia.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
He won't. The team tried to force him to do it last year and he refused.yaco said:Expect him to ride the Giro in 2016. he's well suited by the profile.
He is the team!GuyIncognito said:He won't. The team tried to force him to do it last year and he refused.yaco said:Expect him to ride the Giro in 2016. he's well suited by the profile.
Yes.Arredondo said:I don't think so. Lombardia is a way different race then Liege. Much harder and much more for climbers. The Valverde of Liege would have followed Nibali with ease uphill.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
But destroying? No
But he wouldn't drop Nibbles and co with 30 seconds. He never did in his whole career, in such a classic. He would have won Lombardia in his Ardennes shape for sure (also because Nibali wasn't that strong), or fighting it out with Purito till the end (two best riders for a race like Lombardia). But destroying is too optimistic.jaylew said:Yes.Arredondo said:I don't think so. Lombardia is a way different race then Liege. Much harder and much more for climbers. The Valverde of Liege would have followed Nibali with ease uphill.Fernandez said:Lombardia is clearly in his legs, he just needs to focus a little bit on it. The next year that the worlds doesnt suit him at all, he should try to prepare the race better. Today, the valverde of ardennes would have destroy everyone.
But destroying? No
Especially if as you say, he would have followed Nibs with ease. Bala was in crazy form and also super focused. Moreno and Purito played the finale pretty much perfectly and still couldn't beat him. The Valverde we've seen at certain other times wouldn't have won that race.
Let's have an honourable mention for Bettini as 3 x winner of the World Cup and 1 time winner of the UCI World Rankings.Mr.White said:Alejandro Valverde for the 4th time in his career is UCI World Tour No.1 rider and also CQ Rankings leader (a record), and he's in some pretty elite company with riders who won season-long cycling competitions 4 times and more:
Eddy Merckx - 7 times winner of Super Prestige Pernod
Sean Kelly - 5 times winner of UCI World Rankings
Jacques Anquetil - 4 times winner of Super Prestige Pernod
Bernard Hinault - 4 times winner of Super Prestige Pernod
Laurent Jalabert - 4 times winner of UCI World Rankings