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And was able to beat great sprinters like O'Grady, Freire and Zabel occasionally in his early 20's but I doubt he was Viviani or Gaviria-level back then. Possibly more like Degenkolb or Colbrelli.GuyIncognito said:He used to do it far far more when he was younger. His first pro race he got in on the bunch sprint and got a placing. As far as I can recall his first noteworthy result - as a neo pro as well - was outsprinting Zabel for 4th behind a break of 3 at the 2002 Vuelta
You don't win 50 races in a ro on the Spanish junior calendar while being a pure sprinter right?Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:He used to do it far far more when he was younger. His first pro race he got in on the bunch sprint and got a placing. As far as I can recall his first noteworthy result - as a neo pro as well - was outsprinting Zabel for 4th behind a break of 3 at the 2002 Vuelta
This is part of why it seems part of the peloton actually thought he was a sprinter when he turned pro. In the biography written about him (came out last year), his manager was asked "Isn't it a bit ambitious for a sprinter to think he can win la Vuelta." This was in 2002 after he was pulled out of the Vuelta (preset) he said he was going to come back and win it the next year. 2003 got his first podium. His manager at the time responded with a we'll see.
Yes, you're right when he was younger did get involved in full field sprints more than he does now. He still has the sprint speed to be up there and get involved when he chooses to.
Red Rick said:You don't win 50 races in a ro on the Spanish junior calendar while being a pure sprinter right?Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:He used to do it far far more when he was younger. His first pro race he got in on the bunch sprint and got a placing. As far as I can recall his first noteworthy result - as a neo pro as well - was outsprinting Zabel for 4th behind a break of 3 at the 2002 Vuelta
This is part of why it seems part of the peloton actually thought he was a sprinter when he turned pro. In the biography written about him (came out last year), his manager was asked "Isn't it a bit ambitious for a sprinter to think he can win la Vuelta." This was in 2002 after he was pulled out of the Vuelta (preset) he said he was going to come back and win it the next year. 2003 got his first podium. His manager at the time responded with a we'll see.
Yes, you're right when he was younger did get involved in full field sprints more than he does now. He still has the sprint speed to be up there and get involved when he chooses to.
GuyIncognito said:Although he won several track nationals, he won climbing races like the Subida del Gallo (or whatever it was called back then). And his manager was Belda who backed him for years and knew exactly what he was like. I don't buy that Belda thought of him as a sprinter.
WheelofGear said:I wonder if he could have won Milano-Sanremo if he had targeted it back in his mid 20's.
I'm sure 2006-Valverde could have been up there. He had a quite start that year but a groundbreaking peak for the Ardennes.
WheelofGear said:I wonder if he could have won Milano-Sanremo if he had targeted it back in his mid 20's.
I'm sure 2006-Valverde could have been up there. He had a quite start that year but a groundbreaking peak for the Ardennes.
Didn't we talk about this before (somewhere in this thread? idk, maybe not)?Koronin said:Red Rick said:You don't win 50 races in a ro on the Spanish junior calendar while being a pure sprinter right?Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:He used to do it far far more when he was younger. His first pro race he got in on the bunch sprint and got a placing. As far as I can recall his first noteworthy result - as a neo pro as well - was outsprinting Zabel for 4th behind a break of 3 at the 2002 Vuelta
This is part of why it seems part of the peloton actually thought he was a sprinter when he turned pro. In the biography written about him (came out last year), his manager was asked "Isn't it a bit ambitious for a sprinter to think he can win la Vuelta." This was in 2002 after he was pulled out of the Vuelta (preset) he said he was going to come back and win it the next year. 2003 got his first podium. His manager at the time responded with a we'll see.
Yes, you're right when he was younger did get involved in full field sprints more than he does now. He still has the sprint speed to be up there and get involved when he chooses to.
He was never a pure sprinter. He just has a very good sprint. Good enough that he has always been able to mix it up with the sprinters and occasionally beat some of them depending on the finish. However, he's also always been able to climb. Pure sprinters, even at the cadet level (which is where he won the 50 plus consecutive races) aren't exactly climbers.
joe_papp said:Didn't we talk about this before (somewhere in this thread? idk, maybe not)?Koronin said:Red Rick said:You don't win 50 races in a ro on the Spanish junior calendar while being a pure sprinter right?Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:He used to do it far far more when he was younger. His first pro race he got in on the bunch sprint and got a placing. As far as I can recall his first noteworthy result - as a neo pro as well - was outsprinting Zabel for 4th behind a break of 3 at the 2002 Vuelta
This is part of why it seems part of the peloton actually thought he was a sprinter when he turned pro. In the biography written about him (came out last year), his manager was asked "Isn't it a bit ambitious for a sprinter to think he can win la Vuelta." This was in 2002 after he was pulled out of the Vuelta (preset) he said he was going to come back and win it the next year. 2003 got his first podium. His manager at the time responded with a we'll see.
Yes, you're right when he was younger did get involved in full field sprints more than he does now. He still has the sprint speed to be up there and get involved when he chooses to.
He was never a pure sprinter. He just has a very good sprint. Good enough that he has always been able to mix it up with the sprinters and occasionally beat some of them depending on the finish. However, he's also always been able to climb. Pure sprinters, even at the cadet level (which is where he won the 50 plus consecutive races) aren't exactly climbers.
He can outclimb all the sprinters, and outsprint all the climbers :lol:
WheelofGear said:I wonder if he could have won Milano-Sanremo if he had targeted it back in his mid 20's.
I'm sure 2006-Valverde could have been up there. He had a quite start that year but a groundbreaking peak for the Ardennes.
Last year he was dropped on Keutenberg by Kwiatkowski when he was in his absolute top shape. At the end of a long, flat race and on a shallow gradient, I don't see how he would be able to follow the best, in subpar shape. I very much doubt he would even be positioned to do that.Blanco said:Last year he would be at the very end with those three, I think. The problem is, he knows something exceptional must happen if the group is going to split on Poggio, and it happens once in 4-5 years. Only then he has a chance.
Netserk said:Last year he was dropped on Keutenberg by Kwiatkowski when he was in his absolute top shape. At the end of a long, flat race and on a shallow gradient, I don't see how he would be able to follow the best, in subpar shape. I very much doubt he would even be positioned to do that.Blanco said:Last year he would be at the very end with those three, I think. The problem is, he knows something exceptional must happen if the group is going to split on Poggio, and it happens once in 4-5 years. Only then he has a chance.
Blanco said:Great TT. Very promising for tomorrow...
lol, afraid of what?? valverde not winning a stupud race like abu dhabi?Valv.Piti said:I would have been very afraid of Dumoulin had he not punctured or whatever happened, but right now I agree: Im pretty confident he will win this race overall and maybe even relatively easy. It kinda sucks for Dumoulin and the race, but oh well.
I hope for a Lo Port-esque display tomorrow.