Something interesting. If Valverde wins LBL not only does he tie Merckx for most ever wins at LBL, he also ties Tom Bonnen for 16th on the all-time win list.
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Incomplete list, almost every rider (except Bala and Cav) has more wins than listed.
I did my internal list based on results on Cycling Archives and Memoire du Cyclisme (which I believe is also incomplete) and I find exactly 20 riders in front of Valverde. I counted only road race wins, excluding Criteriums and amateur or U23 races. Merckx tops the list with 277 wins, followed by Van Looy (173) and De Vlaeminck (169).
Koronin said:Something interesting. If Valverde wins LBL not only does he tie Merckx for most ever wins at LBL, he also ties Tom Bonnen for 16th on the all-time win list.
Incomplete list, almost every rider (except Bala and Cav) has more wins than listed.
I did my internal list based on results on Cycling Archives and Memoire du Cyclisme (which I believe is also incomplete) and I find exactly 20 riders in front of Valverde. I counted only road race wins, excluding Criteriums and amateur or U23 races. Merckx tops the list with 277 wins, followed by Van Looy (173) and De Vlaeminck (169).
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Why is it so hard to find complete lists? Yeah, you have to exclude amateur, U 23, and Criterium wins, esp amateur wins as many riders don't have any accurate account of those.
However, it's still impressive how high he is on the list which is mainly sprinters or sprinters/classics specialists.
Blanco said:Koronin said:Something interesting. If Valverde wins LBL not only does he tie Merckx for most ever wins at LBL, he also ties Tom Bonnen for 16th on the all-time win list.
Incomplete list, almost every rider (except Bala and Cav) has more wins than listed.
I did my internal list based on results on Cycling Archives and Memoire du Cyclisme (which I believe is also incomplete) and I find exactly 20 riders in front of Valverde. I counted only road race wins, excluding Criteriums and amateur or U23 races. Merckx tops the list with 277 wins, followed by Van Looy (173) and De Vlaeminck (169).
Why is it so hard to find complete lists? Yeah, you have to exclude amateur, U 23, and Criterium wins, esp amateur wins as many riders don't have any accurate account of those.
However, it's still impressive how high he is on the list which is mainly sprinters or sprinters/classics specialists.
Apparently he has clarified his comment about Flanders next year. He said today that he wants to race Flanders and he has it on his calendar for next year. He hopes to go as long as everything goes well and there are no problems or complications. He's leaving himself an out to again not go. He did say he is definitely NOT racing Paris-Roubaix. He said that one is strictly for the specialists.
I know his team was as bad as it gets again and he probably wasn`t feeling great today but I expected a little bit more.
Not taking a single turn pacing the group or attacking himself expect for his chase of Ala when Jungels was already 30s ahead. In the final sprint for 4th place it looked like he wasn`t even trying...he basically quit the race when Jungels was gone.
Not taking a single turn pacing the group or attacking himself expect for his chase of Ala when Jungels was already 30s ahead. In the final sprint for 4th place it looked like he wasn`t even trying...he basically quit the race when Jungels was gone.
skippo12 said:
Actually I agree with you on this to a point. He did attack and pull on the front. However, it very much appears that he totally gave up on the race today. That was even more evident in the fact that he didn't even try to sprint. Even if he's on the limit and doesn't have anything left he always tries to sprint and today he didn't. That was highly strange. My guess is there's something going on that he's not happy about and we saw it at the very end of this race. It's not normal for him at all.
Time to retire ... while at the top ... I will not miss this him as he reminds me of the past era ...
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He's started to make comments that 2020 may be it for him, but he's definitely racing at least through 2020. He's started to say a few things about not sure if he can really race past 40 (which he'll turn in 2020).
Jancouver said:
He's started to make comments that 2020 may be it for him, but he's definitely racing at least through 2020. He's started to say a few things about not sure if he can really race past 40 (which he'll turn in 2020).
You know that Valverde was the guy in the light blue jersey with a big 'M' on it, right? So you missed his attack, his turns on the front, and the fact that he didn't participate in the sprint?skippo12 said:
Squire said:
Actually I would say the fact he didn't participate in the sprint does show he did give up on the race because he usually will sprint even for lower placings and today he didn't for some reason. That reason never includes being on the limit or not having the legs.
Well according to what Alejandro said after the race, he started cramping badly about halfway through the race and cramping badly long before they got to the finish.
He didn't win LBL and people are starting to talk about his retirement :-D You guys are funny :-D It's cycling, there are like 1000000000000 factors influencing the race. Also it looks like Valverde is not peaking at spring as hard as in past. And it also looks like he improved his climbing while sacrificing little bit of his anaerobic capabilities. He will have big win this year, don't worry 
Nice attitude...Squire said:
I stated that he followed an attack from Ala but otherwise he wasn`t doing a lot after Jungels attacked. He for sure wasn`t chasing him. Before Jungels went he followed some minor accelerations but he never paced the group afterwards and there wasn`t any attack initiated by him. Not trying or not participating in a sprint is basically the same. So what exactly is your problem with my statement?
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Well he has started to say recently that he MAY call it a career in 2020. So there is that.
What you saying actually may still be left over results of his rehab as he still doesn't have his full muscle mass back in his injured leg. Now it's POSSIBLE this could end up turning out to be a good thing come the worlds, where he needs to be at the top of his game for climbing. Also think his not peaking as hard right now has to do with his recovery as well as he said he brought himself to a peak back in Dec to see where he was at. I'm not sure he ever actually brought himself down much off that peak and has tried to race the entire first part of the season off that off season peak?
Sartorius said:He didn't win LBL and people are starting to talk about his retirement :-D You guys are funny :-D It's cycling, there are like 1000000000000 factors influencing the race. Also it looks like Valverde is not peaking at spring as hard as in past. And it also looks like he improved his climbing while sacrificing little bit of his anaerobic capabilities. He will have big win this year, don't worry
Well he has started to say recently that he MAY call it a career in 2020. So there is that.
What you saying actually may still be left over results of his rehab as he still doesn't have his full muscle mass back in his injured leg. Now it's POSSIBLE this could end up turning out to be a good thing come the worlds, where he needs to be at the top of his game for climbing. Also think his not peaking as hard right now has to do with his recovery as well as he said he brought himself to a peak back in Dec to see where he was at. I'm not sure he ever actually brought himself down much off that peak and has tried to race the entire first part of the season off that off season peak?
Amazing spring campaign considering what happened to him in July and his advanced age. Still belongs in the absolute world elite, a top-2 rider in the world, but missed a bit today and in Flèche Wallone. He is not a robot and is human after all!
Its interesting that Valverde probably is a better stage racer than one-day racer at this point; as a matter of fact, he is one level above anyone in the world when it comes to one week stage races. He has lacked a little bit in the classics, partly because its more tactical racing (mano-a-mano longer out) and because Movistar hasn't supported him that well, not only in the Ardennes, but also Strade and Dwaars. Now a long break and he will be back with Landa AND Quintana in Tour of Switzerland.
Its interesting that Valverde probably is a better stage racer than one-day racer at this point; as a matter of fact, he is one level above anyone in the world when it comes to one week stage races. He has lacked a little bit in the classics, partly because its more tactical racing (mano-a-mano longer out) and because Movistar hasn't supported him that well, not only in the Ardennes, but also Strade and Dwaars. Now a long break and he will be back with Landa AND Quintana in Tour of Switzerland.
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Unfortunately he proves he's human in races that we would really prefer he didn't prove that in.
However, you're right. Considering what he had to come back from he's had a great spring and he'll have another shot at Merckx's record at LBL next year.
Unfortunately a long break isn't going to do anything to improve the lack of support in this team right now.
Valv.Piti said:
Unfortunately he proves he's human in races that we would really prefer he didn't prove that in.
However, you're right. Considering what he had to come back from he's had a great spring and he'll have another shot at Merckx's record at LBL next year.
Unfortunately a long break isn't going to do anything to improve the lack of support in this team right now.
Today La Gazzetta had a nice short interview with him:
- He still loves to train, it doesn't feel like work
- Only goes for 3-4 hour rides in training (intense ones), has only done a few 5 hou training rides in his life and never anything longer than that.
- When asked about moving away from Murcia for financial reasons he said that he feels at home there, it's his land and moving away just because of taxes wasn't worth it (I remember Scarponi giving almost exactly the same answer)
- He said that he heat could change the race, mainly because of people having pollen allergies.
- He still loves to train, it doesn't feel like work
- Only goes for 3-4 hour rides in training (intense ones), has only done a few 5 hou training rides in his life and never anything longer than that.
- When asked about moving away from Murcia for financial reasons he said that he feels at home there, it's his land and moving away just because of taxes wasn't worth it (I remember Scarponi giving almost exactly the same answer)
- He said that he heat could change the race, mainly because of people having pollen allergies.
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He has been accepted a domestique position for Quintana in TDF.
I cannot see that he is preparing for TDF along with Landa and Quintana.
His reasonable target should be the WCRR where requires a lot of 5/10/20 seconds hard efforts.
His form seems to arrive early this season and has a peak around GP Miguel Induráin and Catalunya
Cramping is a indication that fatigue and form drops..It will be too short for a nice Giro.
Late form in Veulta and then a top appearance in WCRR is better. Hope he could retire high as Vino.
Sartorius said:He didn't win LBL and people are starting to talk about his retirement :-D You guys are funny :-D It's cycling, there are like 1000000000000 factors influencing the race. Also it looks like Valverde is not peaking at spring as hard as in past. And it also looks like he improved his climbing while sacrificing little bit of his anaerobic capabilities. He will have big win this year, don't worry
He has been accepted a domestique position for Quintana in TDF.
I cannot see that he is preparing for TDF along with Landa and Quintana.
His reasonable target should be the WCRR where requires a lot of 5/10/20 seconds hard efforts.
His form seems to arrive early this season and has a peak around GP Miguel Induráin and Catalunya
Cramping is a indication that fatigue and form drops..It will be too short for a nice Giro.
Late form in Veulta and then a top appearance in WCRR is better. Hope he could retire high as Vino.
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The competition was very weak in the stage races he won. Contador is retired and froome/nibs/porte/quintana don't seem to care about one-week stage races this year. I doubt he can beat Roglic in a one-week stage race. Tour de Suisse also has a weak field, so not surprised that Valverde has set his eyes on that race.Valv.Piti said:
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That is a pure BS as he never liked to train and he always used races as part of his training
... he is full of it and you should not believe one word the old convict has to say
Mayomaniac said:
That is a pure BS as he never liked to train and he always used races as part of his training
... he is full of it and you should not believe one word the old convict has to say
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See Philippe Gilbert today. He attacked around 20km to go. Bought back then Bob Jungels go immediately.
Gilbert rare to work for others before. It is a nice transformation for a team. May be QS has learnt from Boonen late reasons.
Look at Movistar's starts list. QS is stronger but Movistar won't be too far away. But they put Valverde as the unique leader.
Blanco said:The king is dead
See Philippe Gilbert today. He attacked around 20km to go. Bought back then Bob Jungels go immediately.
Gilbert rare to work for others before. It is a nice transformation for a team. May be QS has learnt from Boonen late reasons.
Look at Movistar's starts list. QS is stronger but Movistar won't be too far away. But they put Valverde as the unique leader.
Re: Re:
And Valverde tell them all to stop on the Raf, right?
toolittle said:Blanco said:The king is dead
See Philippe Gilbert today. He attacked around 20km to go. Bought back then Bob Jungels go immediately.
Gilbert rare to work for others before. It is a nice transformation for a team. May be QS has learnt from Boonen late reasons.
Look at Movistar's starts list. QS is stronger but Movistar won't be too far away. But they put Valverde as the unique leader.
And Valverde tell them all to stop on the Raf, right?
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