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

[Valv.Piti]

Lets chill with all the talk about Valverde holding on to his podium. He might have said something that could indicate he would do that in the past, he might have ridden like that, but this is NOT Contador, Froome or Nibali 2014 he is up against. Its Kruijswijk who has finished 7th in the Giro as his best result and is inexperienced, but we all know, all that won't matter if Kruijswijk continues.

Valverde will search for his 'jour sans'. Chances are he won't find it, but he will try, Im positive.

 

[hrotha]

Valverde will keep his eyes peeled so if Kruijswijk hands over the maglia rosa on a silver platter he'll take it, but don't expect him to take any risks to force any situation.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

Valverde will keep his eyes peeled so if Kruijswijk hands over the maglia rosa on a silver platter he'll take it, but don't expect him to take any risks to force any situation.

...and I suspect many here will rake him over the coals for not going on some epic, doomed to fail attack to win the Giro in spectacular fashion. He's done quite well for his first Giro. I too wish he'd given the Giro a shot a few times more but the way that he's riding at his age he may have a couple of years or so to consider returning again. He's an exceptional talent that I've enjoyed watching compete throughout his career.

 

[hfer07]

Re:

The target for Valverde and Chavez will be to keep their podium places.

Chavito will try until the end Valverde is the one likely to defend his spot at all cost

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Kruijswijk is very, very strong, so it'll be very difficult to crack him. Nibali is fourth just behind me but for sure he'll attack too. He's classy and will try to knock me off the podium but I'll fight all the way to Turin

And suddenly Nibali has gone from Ally to enemy

Kruijswijk said that before the race they are talking about alliances, but as you can see that in the end they are all riding for their.
Sure, if Nibbs and Valverde dropped Kruijswijk then they would've worked together. In the end it's the opportunities you get during the racing.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Lets chill with all the talk about Valverde holding on to his podium. He might have said something that could indicate he would do that in the past, he might have ridden like that, but this is NOT Contador, Froome or Nibali 2014 he is up against. Its Kruijswijk who has finished 7th in the Giro as his best result and is inexperienced, but we all know, all that won't matter if Kruijswijk continues.

Valverde will search for his 'jour sans'. Chances are he won't find it, but he will try, Im positive.

Ofcourse. Every rider will try to find his moment of glory or his was to glory. Some riders are good at finding their way to glory (contador) and some will wait for that moment to appear right infront of them.
Valverde will certainly try something again, but he has never been the most inventive rider imo.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Valverde will keep his eyes peeled so if Kruijswijk hands over the maglia rosa on a silver platter he'll take it, but don't expect him to take any risks to force any situation.

...and I suspect many here will rake him over the coals for not going on some epic, doomed to fail attack to win the Giro in spectacular fashion. He's done quite well for his first Giro. I too wish he'd given the Giro a shot a few times more but the way that he's riding at his age he may have a couple of years or so to consider returning again. He's an exceptional talent that I've enjoyed watching compete throughout his career.

Absolutely! Come back next year Alejandro!

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, I'm all for it, #Bala4Rosa

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Yeah, I'm all for it, #Bala4Rosa

Me too.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Indeed and its the 100th Giro and all or whatever is going on next year. The only problem is he won't be as good in either the Ardennes or the Giro and the Ardennes + Tour + Vuelta is just such a good schedule for him. I guess it depends on the route and all as well - say, if the Giro have 3 multi mountain stages similar to Corvara and S. Anna, it probably isn't the best idea... if the sensations are the same in the last week as they were in Corvara.

.. I could see, if Quintana wins the Tour, try for the double in 2017. But thats just speculation.

 

[Red Rick]

Next year is the 100th Giro, so I expect quite a specific parcours, and quite the strong field. Will probably use a lot of the classic climbs, though I'm not sure if that means they'll also make some classic brutal stages

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

The target for Valverde and Chavez will be to keep their podium places.

Chavito will try until the end Valverde is the one likely to defend his spot at all cost

Really? Why didn't he tried today? Nibali, Valverde, Zakarin attacked on the first climb like a mad men, didn't saw him in any move, yet he claims he had a good legs. In fact name me one move he initiated in this whole Giro?

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

The target for Valverde and Chavez will be to keep their podium places.

Chavito will try until the end Valverde is the one likely to defend his spot at all cost

Really? Why didn't he tried today? Nibali, Valverde, Zakarin attacked on the first climb like a mad men, didn't saw him in any move, yet he claims he had a good legs. In fact name me one move he initiated in this whole Giro?

Chaves has attacked this Giro but I certainly don't expect him to have a win at all cost mentality. He's not a multiple GT winner like a Contador or Nibali. He's never even podiumed one. He would be stupid to try anything that jeopardized that. I'm sure he, Bala, and Zaka will attack and will look for chinks in SK's armour but they won't try anything heroic (read: potentially suicidal)

 

[joe_papp]

Re: Re:

...But if he rides conservative, a podium place is very much possible. But i like him to see going all out. Better for the race

After his brilliant and very satisfying stage win today, I would be happy to see him race extremely conservatively for the remainder of the week to defend a podium position (assuming he successfully defends it).

Very pleased to see him win today... Hats of to Zakarin as well for drilling it all the way to the line and not messing about. Don Alejandro was imperious in victory, however.

 

[joe_papp]

Re: Re:

...But, rightly or wrongly, I think they will see Kruijswijk as vulnerable. And both will recognise they may never get a better opportunity to win a GT again.

Just an fyi in case you missed it, but in today's post-stage interview Valverde clearly stated that he did not see Kruijswijk as being vulnerable. In fact, he said that he'd seen absolutely no evidence that the Dutchman might crack.

Link: http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Winner%27s+Interview+from+Stage+16&dashboard=giro-d-italia&id=zZgEAJ4aYfs&yr=2016

 

[yespatterns]

Re: Re:

...But, rightly or wrongly, I think they will see Kruijswijk as vulnerable. And both will recognise they may never get a better opportunity to win a GT again.

Just an fyi in case you missed it, but in today's post-stage interview Valverde clearly stated that he did not see Kruijswijk as being vulnerable. In fact, he said that he'd seen absolutely no evidence that the Dutchman might crack.

Link: http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Winner%27s+Interview+from+Stage+16&dashboard=giro-d-italia&id=zZgEAJ4aYfs&yr=2016

Smokescreen, double bluff... though pro cyclists are known for their honesty.

 

[joe_papp]

Re: Re:

...But, rightly or wrongly, I think they will see Kruijswijk as vulnerable. And both will recognise they may never get a better opportunity to win a GT again.

Just an fyi in case you missed it, but in today's post-stage interview Valverde clearly stated that he did not see Kruijswijk as being vulnerable. In fact, he said that he'd seen absolutely no evidence that the Dutchman might crack.

Link: http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Winner%27s+Interview+from+Stage+16&dashboard=giro-d-italia&id=zZgEAJ4aYfs&yr=2016

Smokescreen, double bluff... though pro cyclists are known for their honesty.

lol.

Valverde trying to lull Kruijswijk into a false sense of security? Or perhaps seeking to manage expectations of the Spanish cycling public. Don Alejandro...maestro on the bike...maestro of off-the-bike psyops

 

[SeriousSam]

 

[DBotero]

Bad day again so he wasn't bluffing about altitude.Podium is gone and i hope he won't take it back from poor Steven K.
I'm not disappointed as he got a stage win and performed better than expected considering it's his first Giro.

 

[Breh]

above 2000m, same old story. Even more of that tomorrow :/

Podium will be hard but I'm rooting for him to take 3rd!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Podium very much within reach. Kruijswijk gonna struggle mightily

 

[jsem94]

Valverde never was a man for the big big mountains, and it showed again. He was still a great addition to the race. Not sure he will ever come back to the Giro, but it was fun to see him try it at least once.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

That's why riders should boost their haematocrit.

 

[hfer07]

Valverde has that unique quality to bounce back great after a bad day, so Is going to be entertaining to see what he can come up with in the last chapter of this year's Giro!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Imagine if Valverde won this Giro. It would be the most lol evah