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

[SeriousSam]

Gold in the RR is worth more than a Giro victory anyway. Second only to wining the Tour in my view. I hope Rio is the main goal of the season for him, he should not do the Giro and ride the Tour as a preparation for Rio, not GC.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Nairo hints that Bala will ride Il Giro, and then Le Tour with him

That would be suicide for Rio. Bala needs to realize after this year that racing too many races isn't a wise thing to do.

I think he will only race one of them.

I agree, I dont think its wise either considering his Ardennes-campaign either.

I can't really decide how much of a **** Valv gives about the Giro. He loves the Tour above all, but if he really wants to try to win the Giro, next year will probably be his last shot, although I think its wiser to try in 2017 instead giving that Rio is a one in a lifetime for Valv. He is my favorite at this moment.

If he really wants to win it, he has to target it next year. At this age, you can't look 2 years ahead. Chance is quite big your body and legs aren't the same anymore.

But i don't think he wants to ride the Giro. Not this year, or next years.

Look what I just wrote: "but if he really wants to try to win the Giro, next year will probably be his last shot, although I think its wiser to try in 2017 instead giving that Rio is a one in a lifetime for Valv".

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Nairo hints that Bala will ride Il Giro, and then Le Tour with him

That would be suicide for Rio. Bala needs to realize after this year that racing too many races isn't a wise thing to do.

I think he will only race one of them.

I agree, I dont think its wise either considering his Ardennes-campaign either.

I can't really decide how much of a **** Valv gives about the Giro. He loves the Tour above all, but if he really wants to try to win the Giro, next year will probably be his last shot, although I think its wiser to try in 2017 instead giving that Rio is a one in a lifetime for Valv. He is my favorite at this moment.

If he really wants to win it, he has to target it next year. At this age, you can't look 2 years ahead. Chance is quite big your body and legs aren't the same anymore.

But i don't think he wants to ride the Giro. Not this year, or next years.

Look what I just wrote: "but if he really wants to try to win the Giro, next year will probably be his last shot, although I think its wiser to try in 2017 instead giving that Rio is a one in a lifetime for Valv".

Sure, but you can read that sentence in two ways. Which i did

 

[nobilis]

Valverde number 1 in Biciciclismo's top 10 for 2015.

http://www.biciciclismo.com/es/los-10-de-biciciclismo-en-2015-de-valverde-a-kristoff-ii-30-10-2015

 

[jsem94]

Valverde in the Giro, feels completely wrong. Even him showing up at the team presentations would for me not guarantee his start.

 

[Mr.White]

Valverde number 1 in Biciciclismo's top 10 for 2015.

http://www.biciciclismo.com/es/los-10-de-biciciclismo-en-2015-de-valverde-a-kristoff-ii-30-10-2015

Deserved, now we're waiting for Velo d'Or!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Gold in the RR is worth more than a Giro victory anyway. Second only to wining the Tour in my view. I hope Rio is the main goal of the season for him, he should not do the Giro and ride the Tour as a preparation for Rio, not GC.

Good God no.

Olympic medals are a huge deal in sports which have no significant mass following of their own, like swimming, sailing, rowing, track cycling etc. It's the one event where they get a significant audience and it's therefore the one event where their participants gain any kind of profile amongst people who aren't aficionados of their discipline. So the Olympics are super prestigious.

In sports with their own audience, their own profile, their own famous traditions, the Olympics are a relatively minor event and the sports own showpiece events are more important. See under tennis, football, baseball, basketball, boxing etc.

The Olympic RR will be one of the ten most important races held next year. But no way number two.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Gold in the RR is worth more than a Giro victory anyway. Second only to wining the Tour in my view. I hope Rio is the main goal of the season for him, he should not do the Giro and ride the Tour as a preparation for Rio, not GC.

Good God no.

Olympic medals are a huge deal in sports which have no significant mass following of their own, like swimming, sailing, rowing, track cycling etc. It's the one event where they get a significant audience and it's therefore the one event where their participants gain any kind of profile amongst people who aren't aficionados of their discipline. So the Olympics are super prestigious.

In sports with their own audience, their own profile, their own famous traditions, the Olympics are a relatively minor event and the sports own showpiece events are more important. See under tennis, football, baseball, basketball, boxing etc.

The Olympic RR will be one of the ten most important races held next year. But no way number two.

There's a case to be made that it's not even the most important one day race. I personally would rank Olympic RR over the worlds, but over PR RVV and MSR?

 

[Angliru]

No one is saying it is the most important one day race.

There is more prestige in the monuments and the WCRR than the Olympics road race. There is no recognizable and coveted symbol that a rider can wear for those four years after his win. They can dress up their bikes and as Bettini and Samu did add some gold to their team kit but it just doesn't hold the same importance. The riders aspire to win it but I don't think it holds the same importance among the pro's as some of the monuments and the WCRR.

 

[Velolover2]

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

Why? He still has all the 3 GT's up in the air atm, the ardennes, Rio, Worlds etc. His schedule is tough enough as it is. As fun as it would be to see him, I doubt it

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

No one is saying it is the most important one day race.

There is more prestige in the monuments and the WCRR than the Olympics road race. There is no recognizable and coveted symbol that a rider can wear for those four years after his win. They can dress up their bikes and as Bettini and Samu did add some gold to their team kit but it just doesn't hold the same importance. The riders aspire to win it but I don't think it holds the same importance among the pro's as some of the monuments and the WCRR.

I agree with your main point, but SeriousSam was saying precisely that the Olympics RR is the second most important race in the sport. Which means ahead of all of the one day races.

 

[bala v]

Well it's as high as the WC RR, maybe even higher, in my opinion. And I rank Worlds as the most prestigious one-day race!

 

[Valv.Piti]

I have a really hard time ranking it. I think, for some riders, P-R or RVV is bigger, while Lombardia may be bigger for a Italian. The Giro or the Vuelta for that matter may be bigger for a dude who simply values GT's much higher that monuments and one day races, but generally, I tend to say that the Olympic RR is on the same level as those two, maybe along with Roubaix, but I think my main point is it differs from rider to rider.

But lets also remember the career Samu made out of the Olympic RR he won. That was pretty cool.

 

[Red Rick]

The race has 5 man teams, is once every 4 years, and you have to be very lucky to even race it once in your prime on a course that suits you, not to mention that you race for your country in the biggest sporting event in the world.

Nah, Id rather win the annual 'uphill sprint in Ans after holding hands for 260km' event in april every year.

To me, it's by far the highest rated one day race there is.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

The race has 5 man teams, is once every 4 years, and you have to be very lucky to even race it once in your prime on a course that suits you, not to mention that you race for your country in the biggest sporting event in the world.

Nah, Id rather win the annual 'uphill sprint in Ans after holding hands for 260km' event in april every year.

To me, it's by far the highest rated one day race there is.

I dont think anybody mentioned Liege above Olympic..

I dont think you definitely can say which race is bigger than the other, but I think the general consensus should be that the Olympics has the edge. Serious Sam made a ranking, I think a month back ago, which I largely agreed with, only ranking the Tour higher.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

Why? He still has all the 3 GT's up in the air atm, the ardennes, Rio, Worlds etc. His schedule is tough enough as it is. As fun as it would be to see him, I doubt it

I see no reason why he can't race RVV, it may be a very hard race but he can forgo Catalunya and then both race days and fatigue will be lower. Obviously if he feels he can't win it, then there is no point going, but at 35 and with his skill set he could try it, and since Movistar have no cobbled classics specialist that can win he will be leader. Anyway, he's already won Catalunya overall and has won countless stages. I reckon he should give RVV a go.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

Why? He still has all the 3 GT's up in the air atm, the ardennes, Rio, Worlds etc. His schedule is tough enough as it is. As fun as it would be to see him, I doubt it

I see no reason why he can't race RVV, it may be a very hard race but he can forgo Catalunya and then both race days and fatigue will be lower. Obviously if he feels he can't win it, then there is no point going, but at 35 and with his skill set he could try it, and since Movistar have no cobbled classics specialist that can win he will be leader. Anyway, he's already won Catalunya overall and has won countless stages. I reckon he should give RVV a go.

I just gave you a few reasons, the biggest one being he can't peak throughout the season and needs to take care of himself. Look, everybody would like to see him try, but its probably not happening because he is smart enough to realize he has very little chances of winning in a year where he a) may be racing the Giro, obviously along with the Ardennes as usual and b) in a Olympic year on a route made for him. And then you have the Tour and the Vuelta which he pretty much always races.

 

[Brullnux]

But will he do Catalunya?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

But will he do Catalunya?

I could imagine that, but no clue. Either that or Pais Vasco, same for Quintana, just the opposite of what he is doing

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

Why? He still has all the 3 GT's up in the air atm, the ardennes, Rio, Worlds etc. His schedule is tough enough as it is. As fun as it would be to see him, I doubt it

I see no reason why he can't race RVV, it may be a very hard race but he can forgo Catalunya and then both race days and fatigue will be lower. Obviously if he feels he can't win it, then there is no point going, but at 35 and with his skill set he could try it, and since Movistar have no cobbled classics specialist that can win he will be leader. Anyway, he's already won Catalunya overall and has won countless stages. I reckon he should give RVV a go.

But it's so strange to even let him start in Flanders. He will not beat true specialist like Cancellara, Vanmarcke, Terpstra and Kristoff. He will not even be close to that. Top 10? Maybe, but who cares.

Compare it with Boogerd. He could finish in the top 10 of Flanders, but nothing more. Why risking a possible victory at Amstel Fleche, Liege or Rio by building a first peak for Flanders? It doesn't make sense. and especially not at this age. If Valverde was 25, he could focus himself on Flanders, learn how to ride it, and really focus on it in 3 years time. He doesn't have that time left anymore.

I think Valverde is clever enough to understand he can't win Flanders. Or Podium it. How great and allround he is as a cyclist, even Bala can not win Flanders against true specialist in a specialist age of time.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

It's the opposite.

On a easier course where riding on cobbles isn't that important (which was the case in Richmond, those two cobbles climb had nothing to do with riding cobbles, but with explosive powers), he can get top-5.

On a real cobbles course like Flanders however, the real cobbles riders come to the fore, he will have difficulty to finish in the top-10. Imagine Valverde against Cancellara, Stybar, GvA, Kristoff and Terpstra on Oude Kwaremont. He would be blown away as a way smaller rider. The names i called are real animals, horseman, bears.

Libby Hill was 300 meters on really good cobbles.

Oude Kwaremont is more then 2 km on bad cobbles, where true power is all that matters.

Really not comparable, Richmond and Flanders.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

If he is not riding Flanders in 2016, i'd strangle him and Unzue. He has a safe top 10 in the bag.

If he can top 5 on an easier course such as the Olympics in Richmond, he should be able to podium the Tour of Flanders which is way harder.

Why? He still has all the 3 GT's up in the air atm, the ardennes, Rio, Worlds etc. His schedule is tough enough as it is. As fun as it would be to see him, I doubt it

I see no reason why he can't race RVV, it may be a very hard race but he can forgo Catalunya and then both race days and fatigue will be lower. Obviously if he feels he can't win it, then there is no point going, but at 35 and with his skill set he could try it, and since Movistar have no cobbled classics specialist that can win he will be leader. Anyway, he's already won Catalunya overall and has won countless stages. I reckon he should give RVV a go.

But it's so strange to even let him start in Flanders. He will not beat true specialist like Cancellara, Vanmarcke, Terpstra and Kristoff. He will not even be close to that. Top 10? Maybe, but who cares.

Compare it with Boogerd. He could finish in the top 10 of Flanders, but nothing more. Why risking a possible victory at Amstel Fleche, Liege or Rio by building a first peak for Flanders? It doesn't make sense. and especially not at this age. If Valverde was 25, he could focus himself on Flanders, learn how to ride it, and really focus on it in 3 years time. He doesn't have that time left anymore.

I think Valverde is clever enough to understand he can't win Flanders. Or Podium it. How great and allround he is as a cyclist, even Bala can not win Flanders against true specialist in a specialist age of time.

I never said he could win it (I think he can't, I made a couple of errors in my first post were it seemed like I thought he could) I just thought he could try it. I was more thinking alone the lines that he would race it to see what happens, but use to get into form and used to the hard one day races for the Ardennes, maybe instead of doing Catalunya which he often does and has won already and always podium. He is 35, has won Liege thrice, Flèche thrice and is only missing Amstel, Worlds and Olympics. A top 10 in RVV is worth more than a podium in Catalunya IMO.

However, I completely understand why Bala shouldn't, and agree it is smarter for him not do it. I just would like to see him there

 

[Carols]

Re:

The race has 5 man teams, is once every 4 years, and you have to be very lucky to even race it once in your prime on a course that suits you, not to mention that you race for your country in the biggest sporting event in the world.

Nah, Id rather win the annual 'uphill sprint in Ans after holding hands for 260km' event in april every year.

To me, it's by far the highest rated one day race there is.

+100 this.

All the other races are held annually. Every 4 years there is one (1) shot at an Olympic Gold Medal.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

The race has 5 man teams, is once every 4 years, and you have to be very lucky to even race it once in your prime on a course that suits you, not to mention that you race for your country in the biggest sporting event in the world.

Nah, Id rather win the annual 'uphill sprint in Ans after holding hands for 260km' event in april every year.

To me, it's by far the highest rated one day race there is.

+100 this.

All the other races are held annually. Every 4 years there is one (1) shot at an Olympic Gold Medal.

I refuse to accept Vinokourov won the highest rated one day race there is.