No, too many races to do well at the Ardennes. Adding Flanders with its travelling and weather is what makes it overkill
Or so he said
Or so he said
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GuyIncognito said:No, too many races to do well at the Ardennes. Adding Flanders with its travelling and weather is what makes it overkill
Or so he said
GuyIncognito said:2019 schedule, from the horse's mouth:
Trofeo Palma
Valenciana
Murcia
UAE
Strade Bianche
Catalunya
Dwars
Flanders
("It's too many races before the Ardennes, I don't expect to do well. Twice as much for the Giro". Actual quote.)
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro
-Rest-
Possible June stage race, TBD
Nationals
Poland or Burgos+San Sebastian. Poland more likely.
Vuelta
Worlds
Pre-Lombardia races TBD
Lombardia
Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:2019 schedule, from the horse's mouth:
Trofeo Palma
Valenciana
Murcia
UAE
Strade Bianche
Catalunya
Dwars
Flanders
("It's too many races before the Ardennes, I don't expect to do well. Twice as much for the Giro". Actual quote.)
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro
-Rest-
Possible June stage race, TBD
Nationals
Poland or Burgos+San Sebastian. Poland more likely.
Vuelta
Worlds
Pre-Lombardia races TBD
Lombardia
Interestingly enough I think Val.Piti and I both came up with something similar to this as what we thought his calendar would look like. We just both would prefer to swap UAE for Andalucia. (My guess is he's racing UAE because they are offering a huge bonus/entry fee for him to be there.)
yaco said:Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:2019 schedule, from the horse's mouth:
Trofeo Palma
Valenciana
Murcia
UAE
Strade Bianche
Catalunya
Dwars
Flanders
("It's too many races before the Ardennes, I don't expect to do well. Twice as much for the Giro". Actual quote.)
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro
-Rest-
Possible June stage race, TBD
Nationals
Poland or Burgos+San Sebastian. Poland more likely.
Vuelta
Worlds
Pre-Lombardia races TBD
Lombardia
Interestingly enough I think Val.Piti and I both came up with something similar to this as what we thought his calendar would look like. We just both would prefer to swap UAE for Andalucia. (My guess is he's racing UAE because they are offering a huge bonus/entry fee for him to be there.)
Every WT team is racing the UAE tour.
Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:No, too many races to do well at the Ardennes. Adding Flanders with its travelling and weather is what makes it overkill
Or so he said
Ok. He raced Dwars last year GP Miguel Indurain instead of Flanders, and still did well overall in the Ardennes. I just don't see this really being much different.
I really think this is more him, just being typical of himself in downplaying his chances that he has gotten so very good at doing.
Koronin said:yaco said:Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:2019 schedule, from the horse's mouth:
Trofeo Palma
Valenciana
Murcia
UAE
Strade Bianche
Catalunya
Dwars
Flanders
("It's too many races before the Ardennes, I don't expect to do well. Twice as much for the Giro". Actual quote.)
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro
-Rest-
Possible June stage race, TBD
Nationals
Poland or Burgos+San Sebastian. Poland more likely.
Vuelta
Worlds
Pre-Lombardia races TBD
Lombardia
Interestingly enough I think Val.Piti and I both came up with something similar to this as what we thought his calendar would look like. We just both would prefer to swap UAE for Andalucia. (My guess is he's racing UAE because they are offering a huge bonus/entry fee for him to be there.)
Every WT team is racing the UAE tour.
This is Alejandro's calendar, not Movistar's. These are the races that he personally has on his calendar to race. Some races do pay entrance fees/bonuses to get specific riders to show up for their races.
tobydawq said:Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:No, too many races to do well at the Ardennes. Adding Flanders with its travelling and weather is what makes it overkill
Or so he said
Ok. He raced Dwars last year GP Miguel Indurain instead of Flanders, and still did well overall in the Ardennes. I just don't see this really being much different.
I really think this is more him, just being typical of himself in downplaying his chances that he has gotten so very good at doing.
I think you're right regarding him downplaying his chances but riding Flanders is infinitely more taxing than the Induráin race.
But if he could recover from close to collapse in the Vuelta to Worlds-conquering shape in two weeks, he'll probably be okay in the Ardennes (Amstel is of course two weeks later than Flanders).
And we are all well aware for that.yaco said:Koronin said:yaco said:Koronin said:GuyIncognito said:2019 schedule, from the horse's mouth:
Trofeo Palma
Valenciana
Murcia
UAE
Strade Bianche
Catalunya
Dwars
Flanders
("It's too many races before the Ardennes, I don't expect to do well. Twice as much for the Giro". Actual quote.)
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
Giro
-Rest-
Possible June stage race, TBD
Nationals
Poland or Burgos+San Sebastian. Poland more likely.
Vuelta
Worlds
Pre-Lombardia races TBD
Lombardia
Interestingly enough I think Val.Piti and I both came up with something similar to this as what we thought his calendar would look like. We just both would prefer to swap UAE for Andalucia. (My guess is he's racing UAE because they are offering a huge bonus/entry fee for him to be there.)
Every WT team is racing the UAE tour.
This is Alejandro's calendar, not Movistar's. These are the races that he personally has on his calendar to race. Some races do pay entrance fees/bonuses to get specific riders to show up for their races.
I fully understand your post - The fact is every WT team is riding the UAE tour, while Valverde is the defending champion.
wheresmybrakes said:C'moooooooon, the guy had a race today and his thread is down near the bottom! Got to keep up with the Remco's. :lol:
Blanco said:I have a feeling he's slightly off his usual form at this time of the year. Last year he peaked too early, guess he's trying to get it right this time.
Salvarani said:Blanco said:I have a feeling he's slightly off his usual form at this time of the year. Last year he peaked too early, guess he's trying to get it right this time.
Maybe, but compared to others probably not being in top form either that probably wont matter much. If that would be case.
But I can agree he might have peaked a little bit too early last year. Especially in time for AGR, Fleche and LBL. He looked like he might have been 1-2% off in those races. Kinda hard to tell though with him, but remember thinking that. Even though he was still very much there in all three races.
Eli said:It looks like some of you on this page know more about Valverde than the Man himself.
tobydawq said:He had an anniversary yesterday.
200 top 50 placings in a row.
My personal best streak with that is surprisingly low.wheresmybrakes said:tobydawq said:He had an anniversary yesterday.
200 top 50 placings in a row.
I have an anniversary this morning, the 17,781st time of getting up in a morning. I win!
tobydawq said:He had an anniversary yesterday.
200 top 50 placings in a row.