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

[Dazed and Confused]

So Valverde with 14,5k distance and 86 racedays and still smiling:

Hard not to like the guy imo.

 

[Moviestar]

Valverde wasn't feeling well due to cramps in the final ( also in Strade this year, the man pays the price of getting older ) , he tried to follow Moreno but he knew that the teamclassification was secured with a 4th place.

http://www.ciclismoafondo.es/competicion/noticias-competicion/articulo/declaraciones-Alejandro-Valverde-Il-lombardia-2015-calambres-cuarto

 

[Fernandez]

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.

 

[jens_attacks]

Did anyone see when he was patting rosa on the back and started to laugh?
Freaking legend.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

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.

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.

 

[jens_attacks]

Re: Re:

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.

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.

Roma maxima says hello.

 

[Red Rick]

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.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

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.

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.

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.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

Did anyone see when he was patting rosa on the back and started to laugh?
Freaking legend.

Yeah, I saw that, the man is a joker

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

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.

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.

 

[joe_papp]

Just so impressed w/ Valverde's 2015 campaign. What a great year, and all the better b/c these moments of weakness - these displays of non-robotic performance - remind us that he is human and yet still a great champion.

Nibali's win in Lombardia was classy, and Valv's gritty sprint for 4th ahead of Rosa may have looked ugly, but he got the job done. Moreno looked hella strong, too.

And the nice thing about being a fan of Valverde during a year like this is that since he's had so much success, it's easy to also appreciate the performance of others like Moreno on a day like today. Valverde's consistency is just so impressive.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

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.

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.

But destroying? No

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

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.

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.

Roma maxima says hello.

Since when is Roma Maxima a Ardennes race?

At least try to read a post

 

[jens_attacks]

oopsyy... yes i hate that kind of valverde...

 

[yaco]

Expect him to ride the Giro in 2016. he's well suited by the profile.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re:

Expect him to ride the Giro in 2016. he's well suited by the profile.

He won't. The team tried to force him to do it last year and he refused.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Expect him to ride the Giro in 2016. he's well suited by the profile.

He won't. The team tried to force him to do it last year and he refused.

He is the team!

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

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.

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.

But destroying? No

Yes.
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.

 

[Scarponi]

I used to dislike this guy because he best Evans a few times but the last few years I have realized he is the pretty much the best rider of the generation

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

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.

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.

But destroying? No

Yes.
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.

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.

 

[Moviestar]

Totally cuit after such a long competitive season. Even Brambilla is now faster lol. Time to rest and recharge the battery for the next season. Curious to see what his post Classics schedule next year will be. Tour to help Quintana, with no GC ambitions, Olympic roadrace and the Vuelta seems to me the best.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He should definitely focus 100% on the Olympic road race next year. He will be the big favorite there and would be awesome for his palmares. And then he just needs the WCRR in 2017

 

[Mr.White]

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

 

[WheelofGear]

Hopefully a less race-heavy program next year. Then he'll be even better!

 

[cellardoor]

Re:

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

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.