• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

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

Page 197 - 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
Yeah, I read the recent CN-article as well. I really hope he goes for it - winning GP Miguel Indurain doesn't really matter one bit at this point. I think it depends on this race - if he has fun and can follow the best, I definitely think he will go for it. Fingers crossed, its really a dream of mine to see Valverde in my favourite race on the calender.
 
Re: Re:

El Pistolero said:
Koronin said:
El Pistolero said:
Koronin said:
According to an article I just read Valverde said he is NOT racing Ronde this year. He said he fully intends on racing it eventually, but not this year. He said this isn't the right time to race it, esp not with trying to match Merckx's LBL record. He did say again fully intends on racing it, just not this year.

LBL is also the main goal of Nibali in the first part of the season yet he still rode Milan-San Remo and will ride the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

And?

Valverde has no excuse to skip those races. Other than being a coward.

What an absolutely absurd post. Wow. A rider that competes for the entire season at a higher level than most of the rest and he's a coward? Cowards are those that toss mud while hiding behind the safe anonymity of their keyboard.
 
Aug 16, 2013
7,619
2
0
Visit site
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
 
Re:

Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
Yeah, he didn't have anything left in the end, but still managed to hold on despite being pretty gassed.

I think De Ronde definitely is a race more suited for Valverde than this one, too many flat roads here, you can better get away with being a 62 kg rider in De Ronde. I also think a better weather plays in his favour. In a relatively passive edition until the last 20-30 km, I could still see him top-10 or even top-5.
 
He is 10 kg lighter than most of the riders and has no experience on the cobbles but he is up there with Vanmacke, Terpstra, Stybar, Stuyven and GVA. Riding like he has been doing Northern classics in ages.

Not saying anything.. just hmm. He kinda has to participate in De Ronde now. He is apparently great in these races.
 
Re:

Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
I thought he was very impressive today - perhaps too active earlier in the day to compete in the last 30km with guys who are at their absolute peak right now. I doubt he'll ride Flanders. It would surely be much tougher, but also better weather would probably benefit him more than some of the others. I think top 10 could be possible depending on how chaotic the race becomes - but the Kwaremont will be a huge problem for him.

Its length and low gradient will make it almost impossible to stay with the heavier guys. He'd need some chasers to regroup a bit after that and then try to make the selection on the Paterberg, which should suit him more.

Hopefully he'll do it though - it seems ridiculous not to considering he's already in Belgium, and the alternative is a nothing race like GP Indurain.
 
Re:

Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.

Good race, he showed he can race with these guys, but lacks a little bit of raw power other heavier guys have. As for Sunday, I don't know, if it rains I think he won't ride. Top 10 would be maximum atm.
 
Aug 6, 2015
4,139
2
0
Visit site
Re: Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
Yeah, he didn't have anything left in the end, but still managed to hold on despite being pretty gassed.

I think De Ronde definitely is a race more suited for Valverde than this one, too many flat roads here, you can better get away with being a 62 kg rider in De Ronde. I also think a better weather plays in his favour. In a relatively passive edition until the last 20-30 km, I could still see him top-10 or even top-5.
A sunny ronde is all about raw power and this will decrease valverde's chances. he is a great bike handler, he has more chances on wet cobbles
 
Aug 16, 2013
7,619
2
0
Visit site
Re: Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
Yeah, he didn't have anything left in the end, but still managed to hold on despite being pretty gassed.

I think De Ronde definitely is a race more suited for Valverde than this one, too many flat roads here, you can better get away with being a 62 kg rider in De Ronde. I also think a better weather plays in his favour. In a relatively passive edition until the last 20-30 km, I could still see him top-10 or even top-5.

Mmmm, don't know about that really. I mean, he struggles on the power climbs like Taaienberg. You saw it when Stybar attacked there. And Flanders has got plenty of those type of climbs.

Top-5 is a really bold predicion. I don't see it really.
 
Aug 16, 2013
7,619
2
0
Visit site
Re: Re:

DFA123 said:
Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
I thought he was very impressive today - perhaps too active earlier in the day to compete in the last 30km with guys who are at their absolute peak right now. I doubt he'll ride Flanders. It would surely be much tougher, but also better weather would probably benefit him more than some of the others. I think top 10 could be possible depending on how chaotic the race becomes - but the Kwaremont will be a huge problem for him.

Its length and low gradient will make it almost impossible to stay with the heavier guys. He'd need some chasers to regroup a bit after that and then try to make the selection on the Paterberg, which should suit him more.

Hopefully he'll do it though - it seems ridiculous not to considering he's already in Belgium, and the alternative is a nothing race like GP Indurain.

Yeah i agree on that. And it doesn't favour Valverde that Kwaremont is key in the final; a point the race always explodes.

But he should ride it really. Like you said, there's no alternative. Not when PV is not on his schedule.
 
Really impressive today. Causing selection and being among all the favorites in a small group.

If he is skipping Ronde Van Vlaanderen in favor of... a Spanish B-race, I would be speechless. Especially now where he has proven that he is a contender. His main problem is the weak team. He has no team mates to help him in these races.
 
Aug 16, 2013
7,619
2
0
Visit site
Re:

Velolover2 said:
Really impressive today. Causing selection and being among all the favorites in a small group.

If he is skipping Ronde Van Vlaanderen in favor of... a Spanish B-race, I would be speechless. Especially now where he has proven that he is a contender. His main problem is the weak team. He has no team mates to help him in these races.

Normally Imanol 'The Beast' Erviti should be with him in the final.

Maybe Amador en Sütterlin too.
 
Re: Re:

Arredondo said:
Velolover2 said:
Really impressive today. Causing selection and being among all the favorites in a small group.

If he is skipping Ronde Van Vlaanderen in favor of... a Spanish B-race, I would be speechless. Especially now where he has proven that he is a contender. His main problem is the weak team. He has no team mates to help him in these races.

Normally Imanol 'The Beast' Erviti should be with him in the final.

Maybe Amador en Sütterlin too.

I don't think any of those are strong enough. Erviti had a great season in 2016, I'll admit.

Lost of past it riders like Bennati who could even help Sagan back in the Saxo days. The fact that Valverde himself is the strongest cobbles rider on the team tells you a lot.
 
Re: Re:

Arredondo said:
DFA123 said:
Arredondo said:
Decent race. He rode agressive in the first part, but he ran out of fuel in the final.

What do you think? Will he ride Flanders after today's experience?

Maybe it's good to get some more experience in these kind of races, but i don't think he can fight for top-10 on sunday.
I thought he was very impressive today - perhaps too active earlier in the day to compete in the last 30km with guys who are at their absolute peak right now. I doubt he'll ride Flanders. It would surely be much tougher, but also better weather would probably benefit him more than some of the others. I think top 10 could be possible depending on how chaotic the race becomes - but the Kwaremont will be a huge problem for him.

Its length and low gradient will make it almost impossible to stay with the heavier guys. He'd need some chasers to regroup a bit after that and then try to make the selection on the Paterberg, which should suit him more.

Hopefully he'll do it though - it seems ridiculous not to considering he's already in Belgium, and the alternative is a nothing race like GP Indurain.

Yeah i agree on that. And it doesn't favour Valverde that Kwaremont is key in the final; a point the race always explodes.

But he should ride it really. Like you said, there's no alternative. Not when PV is not on his schedule.
I think lack of experience would hurt him a lot as well. The other favourites have raced these roads countless times and know every key corner and exactly when to fight for position. They also know when to follow a wheel and when its best to conserve a bit of energy. Valverde will be wasting a lot more energy finding these things out - which I think would lead him to blow up in the finale - specifically on the Kwaremont.

But then so will most other riders, so a top 10 position certainly isn't impossible.
 
Re:

Velolover2 said:
Really impressive today. Causing selection and being among all the favorites in a small group.

If he is skipping Ronde Van Vlaanderen in favor of... a Spanish B-race, I would be speechless. Especially now where he has proven that he is a contender. His main problem is the weak team. He has no team mates to help him in these races.

I fully agree with you, the only thing is that the GP Indurain is their homerace near their headquarters. Given the fact that this year the race will be special (20th year) with hommages to Indurain and Echevarri i could imagine he would return to Spain.
 
Re: Re:

Moviestar said:
Velolover2 said:
Really impressive today. Causing selection and being among all the favorites in a small group.

If he is skipping Ronde Van Vlaanderen in favor of... a Spanish B-race, I would be speechless. Especially now where he has proven that he is a contender. His main problem is the weak team. He has no team mates to help him in these races.

I fully agree with you, the only thing is that the GP Indurain is their homerace near their headquarters. Given the fact that this year the race will be special (20th year) with hommages to Indurain and Echevarri i could imagine he would return to Spain.

Not as special as racing De Ronde, though. ;) There are a lot of riders on Movistar who deserve a chance to lead the team in those smaller hilly races.

I know many people consider Valverde immortal but it's still best to race the greatest Monuments before it's too late. Especially such a big race. And he is in great shape right now.
 
Re: Re:

Moviestar said:
Velolover2 said:
Really impressive today. Causing selection and being among all the favorites in a small group.

If he is skipping Ronde Van Vlaanderen in favor of... a Spanish B-race, I would be speechless. Especially now where he has proven that he is a contender. His main problem is the weak team. He has no team mates to help him in these races.

I fully agree with you, the only thing is that the GP Indurain is their homerace near their headquarters. Given the fact that this year the race will be special (20th year) with hommages to Indurain and Echevarri i could imagine he would return to Spain.
One of the most annoying thing about cycling in the 90s was that Indurain never tried his hand at Flanders or Roubaix. He could have been a contender. Hopefully his race (which isn't really an anniversary, because its been going since the 1950s under various names) won't now prevent Valverde from giving it a go as well!
 
Erviti's top 10's in 2016 at Flanders and Roubiax were because he was in the break all day in both races and strong enough to hold on. Movistar has maybe 4 decent (at best) cobbled riders on the team (not including Valverde). There is no way the team can support anyone in a cobbled race trying to get a top 10 or win it. I do think he proved today he's the best cobbled rider on the team. That's actually a very sad statement about Movistar's cobbled teams. On the bright side, Quickstep's DS was praising Valverde after today's stage.
 
If rumours are true, this Sunday cobbled classics specialists will certainly have to put an eye on this up and coming talent.

trofeo-manacor-alejandro-valverde-co-valenciana-kelme-picture-id504018697


Destroy them on the Koppenberg, Bala!!! :D
 
Jul 16, 2010
17,455
5
0
Visit site
“Riders like him and [Vincenzo] Nibali are really strong and talented. They can do everything. You really have to watch them because you cannot let them go,” Lampaert said. “We went full gas on the Taaienberg, and he was right there. He’s one of the best riders in the last century. I really look up to him. He’s always on attack mode.”

Lol, what? That's flat out false.
 

TRENDING THREADS