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

Page 107 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

What will Valverde's impact be the cycling world in 2012

  • Nuclear Holocoust

    Votes: 27 100.0%

  • Total voters
    27
I enjoyed seeing Valverde riding as tenaciously as ever in the finish of today's stage 2 of the TdF. Sagan looked imperious (and I would trade the rest of my life for just 1 year of being able to be Sagan lol), but Valv. just clawed his way into the top-3 on the stage. Idk...simple pleasures. His season-long consistency and in-race efficiency are quite delightful to behold (for the connoisseur lol)!
 
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Moviestar said:
Was in pole position the last 500m, but then he chose the wrong wheel (An Orica) and got trapped from the left.
Yes, he was expecting to be launched by Mathews, he should has gone to the Sagan wheel. Anyway, today it would have been hard to beat Sagan; Alaphilippe was close, this guy looks really impressive.
 
Jun 30, 2014
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CheckMyPecs said:
Can't the Spanish federation ban Movistar from competing in the nationals unless they show the champion's jersey due respect?
They could make a rule that forces them to make a proper NC's jersey like the French federation.
That was an impressive showing by Valvverde, this year he'll be a great teammate for Quintana.
 
"We couldn't take so many risks before the closing climbs; it wasn't worth for me since, while it's obvious that I could chase the stage win, everyone in this team has come to this Tour to help Nairo out," Valverde said. "He's 100,000 times better positioned than me and with a better shot at the Tour that I'll ever be. That said, into such a finish, with wide roads, it wasn't difficult for me to get in a good place, and once there, you just don't break - you've got to go for it."

He is committed to Narito but I'd sure like to see him get a stage win along the way!
 
Mar 13, 2015
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Escarabajo said:
I hope that gets his win. The sooner the better. Now it might come with a yellow jersey. There is a probability of that anyway.

Yes he might try in stages 5 and 7, and if he wins yellow will come along. After that, already on stage 8, I think he will lose time on purpose
 
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Mr.White said:
Well I think he needs to lose time from now on. If he tries to stay high in the GC, he might ruin his Olympics preparation.

He should think about his main goal of the year and not burn himself out.Still I'm sure he won't give up on the GC yet as he's still only 1 min down and without that pointless break he would have been even closer.
 
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Mr.White said:
Well I think he needs to lose time from now on. If he tries to stay high in the GC, he might ruin his Olympics preparation.

Anyone altering the way they ride the Tour de France so as to improve preparation for the tenth most important road race of the year should be banned for life.

Say what!!! :surprised: Tenth?! :eek: Well I guess we have very different views. To me, and for couple of others (Vlaverde, Nibali, Contador, Purito, Froome, Quintana, etc) it's the most important one!
 
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Mr.White said:
Say what!!! :surprised: Tenth?! :eek: Well I guess we have very different views. To me, and for couple of others (Vlaverde, Nibali, Contador, Purito, Froome, Quintana, etc) it's the most important one!

Olympic events are the most important only in sports with no audience, no traditions and no significant events of their own. They are a huge deal for rowers and archers and track cyclists and swimmers and shot putters and target shooters. They are nothing of great note for athletes involved in actually notable sports with mass audiences of their own.
 
Aug 16, 2013
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I still think it was not the best choice by Bala to ride the Tour. He's getting more tired each upcoming day. If he decides to ride with the same intensity in the Alps, he will burn his chances for Río for sure. But on the other hand, he's got a role to fulfill.

Difficult.

Don't forget Purito is riding well too. There is a chance he's in better shape after the Tour. Then we have another problem for Río.
 
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Mr.White said:
Say what!!! :surprised: Tenth?! :eek: Well I guess we have very different views. To me, and for couple of others (Vlaverde, Nibali, Contador, Purito, Froome, Quintana, etc) it's the most important one!

Olympic events are the most important only in sports with no audience, no traditions and no significant events of their own. They are a huge deal for rowers and archers and track cyclists and swimmers and shot putters and target shooters. They are nothing of great note for athletes involved in actually notable sports with mass audiences of their own.

+10000

Notable sports with mass audiences should be out of the Olympics
 
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Mr.White said:
Well I think he needs to lose time from now on. If he tries to stay high in the GC, he might ruin his Olympics preparation.

Anyone altering the way they ride the Tour de France so as to improve preparation for the tenth most important road race of the year should be banned for life.


Last time I checked the Olympics events come every FOUR years. That is one of the things that makes a medal so valuable and prestigious. You can't go for one annually, and an athlete can only last so long so has very few if an opportunities.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Lol if you believe there are 9 one day races more important than the Olympics. There's not one cyclist out there who would rather win Milan-San Remo than the Olympics.
 
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Carols said:
Last time I checked the Olympics events come every FOUR years.

The Olympics come once every four years in every sport. They come once every four years in piddling little sports where the Olympics are the main event. And they come once every four years in actually significant sports with an audience of their own, where they do not matter. People who want to elevate the significance of the Olympic Road Race are simply running down the significance of cycling as a sport and running down the significance of its own events and traditions.

Track cycling is about the Olympics precisely because track is like target shooting or rowing or curling. A very minor sport with no audience of its own. That's what the Olympics is for, lending hobby sports a temporary audience. Well that and making money and providing an opportunity for nationalist chest beating.
 
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Carols said:
Last time I checked the Olympics events come every FOUR years.

The Olympics come once every four years in every sport. They come once ever four years in piddling little sports where the Olympics are the main event. And they come once every four years in actually significant sports with an audience of their own, where they do not matter. People who want to elevate the significance of the Olympic Road Race are simply running down the significance of cycling as a sport and running down the significance of its own events and traditions.

Track cycling is about the Olympics precisely because track is like target shooting or rowing or curling. A very minor sport with no audience of its own.

I totally disagree so we will have to agree to disagree :). Ice Skating and Equestrian to name 2 are huge sports with a tremendous following and huge dollars at stake. Olympic medals are rated much higher than medals that can be earned yearly.

Cyclists that have won medals have certainly spoken as if they value them very highly also.

So just carry on your rants as you please, you will anyway :).
 
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Carols said:
I totally disagree so we will have to agree to disagree :). Ice Skating and Equestrian to name 2 are huge sports with a tremendous following and huge dollars at stake. Olympic medals are rated much higher than medals that can be earned yearly.

There is one equestrian sport that is actually a big deal to a wide public. It's horse racing and it's not even in the Olympics. Ice skating is just an Olympic sport, which gets close to no attention or public interest outside of the Olympics. With the slight exception of a local cultural quirk in Holland where for some unknown reason some people care about speed skating, ranking it somewhere just below cyclocross as a notable discipline.

All of the major sports that actually have a significant audience of their own are either outside of the Olympics or treat the Olympics as a minor sideshow, an entertaining diversion or something for kids or amateurs. Soccer, baseball, boxing, tennis, golf, basketball, cricket, rugby, etc. On the other hand, for sports like target shooting and curling and shot putting and rowing and sailing and three day eventing, the Olympics is their chance to shine for thirty seconds every four years and thus the centre of their world.

In my view, road cycling belongs in the category of sports that have an audience, traditions and important events of their own. Some others apparently believe that it belongs in the category of sports that do not. That is, of course, their right.
 
Mar 13, 2015
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Mr.White said:
Say what!!! :surprised: Tenth?! :eek: Well I guess we have very different views. To me, and for couple of others (Vlaverde, Nibali, Contador, Purito, Froome, Quintana, etc) it's the most important one!

Olympic events are the most important only in sports with no audience, no traditions and no significant events of their own. They are a huge deal for rowers and archers and track cyclists and swimmers and shot putters and target shooters. They are nothing of great note for athletes involved in actually notable sports with mass audiences of their own.

Ask Paolo Bettini which is the biggest win of his career (aside from that Lombardia 2006 for obvious emotional reasons). I'm sure he would put Olympics if not on very top, than in line with his WC RR titles. And don't give me that crap about monuments, how they're bigger then WC, OG, cause they aren't! Samu Sanchez's whole career is highlighted with his Beijing Gold medal. Every sportsman considers Olympic Gold medal as something greatest or among the greatest things he had done in his sporting career. There are numerous examples, Michael Jordan and Rafael Nadal for instance.
 
The amazing thing of Valverde is that he is top ten with the Giro in his legs and working for Quintana. If he hadnt wasted energy at the begining of the stage I think he could have finished with the best today. And he will be fighting for medals in Rio, dont doubt it.
 

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