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

[Valv.Piti]

How do you guys think he will fare in the time trial? I think he will finish around Porte and Contador, around 30 sec or even 1 minute down on Froomey. Maybe I'm overestimating him, Froome, here - lets see!

 

[lenric]

I can see him finishing around Contador, both of them below Porte, who'll be below Froome.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re:

None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.

Technically there's only one main contender for the title, though if you include the other podium contenders, too, then I'd say 20 seconds is a rather conservative estimate (unless Froome doesn't have it in this Dauphine', of course, but its too early to tell).

Keep in mind that Froome was babysitting Wiggins in 2012. Gaps would have obviously been bigger otherwise.

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.

Not literally decided, but if Froome doesn't win, and he'll try for sure, I think it's going to be hard mental blow to him. In all previous times when he won, he took advantage early on and then his team guided him safely through majority of the stages. In the 3rd week he's vulnerable and I don't think he would want to wait for the Galibier and Izoard to win the race. I wouldn't bet on him if he does. He usually has couple of stages red circled and I think Planche is the first one. Stage 12 in Pyrenees might be another one. Jura stage is probably harder than both, but Mont du Chat is 25km from the finish. So I think Froome will go all out in stages 5 and 12, and if someone survives that without damage (being dropped), he's in prime position imo.

why is that? because he was ill in the 3rd week one year of this race, we have no proof he will be vulnerable in the 3rd week

Well he lost time twice in the 3rd week, 2013 and 2015, so I would take that as a indicator that he's not firing on all cylinders at that particular part of the race, if you don't mind...

2015 he was ill


when in 2013 did he lose time? was it the Annecy stage? I really cant remember him loosing much time in 2013

 

[Brullnux]

Alpe d'Huez and the gel which shouldn't have been, Annecy, all of the late mountain stages post Ventoux; except the stage with Madeleine which was soft pedalled.

 

[Breh]

I'm ready to celebrate his Tour win

 

[Valv.Piti]

Guy is just on a different level this season, even out time trialing the likes of Froome and Contador in Dauphine, a race where he usually is pretty mediocre. Porte is the obvious favourite and I don't think he will climb as well as him, at least not in this race.

 

[yaco]

Valverde is a talented cyclist

 

[Arredondo]

Bala is riding on a different planet this year. Best season of his career no doubt.

But winning Le Tour? I mean, that would be really really strange. For a 37 year old guy who has never showed he can beat the best at the most important race. I still think Froome and Porte (he's flying this year) will be ahead of him.

Beating Contador however for 3rd place should not be a problem at all.

 

[LaFlorecita]

A great result yet again. Obviously a big favorite for the Tour win.

 

[Breh]

Re:

Bala is riding on a different planet this year. Best season of his career no doubt.

But winning Le Tour? I mean, that would be really really strange. For a 37 year old guy who has never showed he can beat the best at the most important race. I still think Froome and Porte (he's flying this year) will be ahead of him.

Beating Contador however for 3rd place should not be a problem at all.

Nah, I don't think he'll win le Tour. Would be great tho.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

A great result yet again. Obviously a big favorite for the Tour win.

I wouldn't say he's a big favorite, there are bigger ones... But he could be a contender alright

 

[portugal11]

Re:

A great result yet again. Obviously a big favorite for the Tour win.

Big favourite? C'mon... this hype train is getting ridiculous

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

A great result yet again. Obviously a big favorite for the Tour win.

Big favourite? C'mon... this hype train is getting ridiculous

Hurry up and hop on the hype train !

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

His form continues to be very strong. Impressive. Really looking forward to seeing him compete with the others in the mountains.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

A great result yet again. Obviously a big favorite for the Tour win.

Big favourite? C'mon... this hype train is getting ridiculous

But then again who is a big favorite? Froome? He has had a unusually bad season so far. Contador? He is probably past his prime. Quintana? With the giro in his legs? Porte? A bit of an unknown since he has never been close to win a gt.
Valverde isn't the one big favorite but thats only because right now I think there is not one outstanding favorite. And considering how good Valverde has been this year I don't see why we shouldn't rate him as high as the ones mentioned above

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Re: Re:

A great result yet again. Obviously a big favorite for the Tour win.

Big favourite? C'mon... this hype train is getting ridiculous

But then again who is a big favorite? Froome? He has had a unusually bad season so far. Contador? He is probably past his prime. Quintana? With the giro in his legs? Porte? A bit of an unknown since he has never been close to win a gt.
Valverde isn't the one big favorite but thats only because right now I think there is not one outstanding favorite. And considering how good Valverde has been this year I don't see why we shouldn't rate him as high as the ones mentioned above

Let's see what happens the next few days. Right now I'd put money on Porte emerging as the favorite. I'd love for Valverde to be in that conversation though.

 

[Katabatic]

Wide open year this year and with parcours that suits him. Valverde should definitely be mentioned among the favorites.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Well Valverde definitely isn't the top favorite, but he is one of the 5 riders in the world who can win TdF and his chances seem to be getting better day by day right now.

Froome is still top dawg, but there isn't that far down to Valv, Porte, Contador and Quintana at this point.

 

[portugal11]

I would put froome at 70% to win le tour. Porte at 15%, contador at 8%, valverde at 5%, quintana at 1%, others at 1%

 

[frisenfruitig]

The fact that Valverde is even among the favorites for the TdF at the age of 37 is just... Well I don't know what word to use.
Movistar should just give him an indefinite contract, the guy is going to win big races until he decides he's had enough.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

The fact that Valverde is even among the favorites for the TdF at the age of 37 is just... Well I don't know what word to use.
Movistar should just give him an indefinite contract, the guy is going to win big races until he decides he's had enough.

Lifetime contract :lol:

 

[WheelofGear]

Amazing time trialing this year. And none of the time trials have been very hilly or MTTs.

2nd in the Andalucia TT.
(Kinda) won the TTT in Catalunya.
2nd in the Pais Vaso TT.
And now a 3rd in the Dauphine TT.

Have been working in the wind tunnel?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Amazing time trialing this year. And none of the time trials have been very hilly or MTTs.

2nd in the Andalucia TT.
(Kinda) won the TTT in Catalunya.
2nd in the Pais Vaso TT.
And now a 3rd in the Dauphine TT.

Have been working in the wind tunnel?

Pais Vasco was pretty hilly.
But it's true that he built his advantage on the flat part.

 

[DFA123]

It's surely a certainty now that Valverde should go into the Tour as no.1 protected rider, with Quintana just given a free role in the first couple of weeks to see where he's at. This is easily the best sustained run of form he's had in stage races now, and with the ridiculous possibility of Quintana as a mountain domestique for him in the final week - it's surely now or never for a real crack at the Tour.