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

[Nirvana]

At least now we know that the shape, unlike last year, is there but is even sadder that he has wasted the first week not even trying to fight for a stage on the hilly terrain. On the other hand a very good news is that he's not done on the real mountains, at least in short and not too much demanding stage like yesterday, will be interesting to see if he can limit his losses also on more demanding stages like the ones in the Alps.

 

[Joomla10]

Another great day for Alejandro. This might be, a realy good preparation for Vuelta.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Imagine if he didn't lose all that time playing domestique for Quintana is the Vosges! Climbing with the Tour champ today, not too shabby, not too shabby at all, Alejandro. Looking good.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

What is he doing at the Tour really? Not riding for the GC, but also not letting go and losing time, not trying to win stages, not really working for his teammates. Is he, the current world champion, riding primarily for the team classification?

I recall him riding on the front in the mountains in a previous stage, taking a long turn, dropping off and then coming back to the front to take another turn. Who was he riding for then?

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

What is he doing at the Tour really? Not riding for the GC, but also not letting go and losing time, not trying to win stages, not really working for his teammates. Is he, the current world champion, riding primarily for the team classification?

I recall him riding on the front in the mountains in a previous stage, taking a long turn, dropping off and then coming back to the front to take another turn. Who was he riding for then?

He was riding for Quintana on that stage. Same stage that like yesterday Landa attacked to try to salvage something for all the work the team put in, which he wasn't who they were riding for. If only they didn't have him playing the role of a helper in the first week.

Well he does look good for la Vuelta and he's said la Vuelta, not the Tour was his goal for the second half of the season.

 

[tobydawq]

This is a strange race for him. I'm quite enjoying it actually and I think he comes into the race under-exerted so maybe that will help him in the final week. I don't really think it can offset his altitude problems, though.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

This is a strange race for him. I'm quite enjoying it actually and I think he comes into the race under-exerted so maybe that will help him in the final week. I don't really think it can offset his altitude problems, though.

I do too! Mainly because I had so little expectations which were confirmed at La Planche des Belles Filles. Then he rides a good TT and suddenly is climbing very well again after being completely anonymous.

Dont really need him to go on huge offensives, although it certainly would be interesting. Maybe he will do it one day in the Alps, who knows. Im just really glad that he shows that he hasn't lost it. A top-10 wont matter at all in the big picture, but still, somehow it feels really great.

Im just super confident that he will finish this race nicely with a top-10 and maybe one display in the Alps and then ride a great Vuelta on a very strong team with Carapaz. As a Valverde-fan, you're not really used to him not performing, so when he starts again it just feels really great, even though it isn't a big result when its all said and done.

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

I think Valverde is the rider in the world with the worst ability to lose time on purpose. Not even today did he manage to do it

This. He keeps saying he wants to lose time and he keeps proving he just can't bring himself to do it. His mentality just won't allow for it. Apparently we've finally found something he's actually bad at. :lol: He managed to get himself right in the middle of the GC battle that he says he isn't there for.

The day Valverde rides in the grupetto, they'll have to do introductions.

Yeah, I really have no idea what he's doing at this Tour. Should have followed the Yates blueprint.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

I think Valverde is the rider in the world with the worst ability to lose time on purpose. Not even today did he manage to do it

This. He keeps saying he wants to lose time and he keeps proving he just can't bring himself to do it. His mentality just won't allow for it. Apparently we've finally found something he's actually bad at. :lol: He managed to get himself right in the middle of the GC battle that he says he isn't there for.

The day Valverde rides in the grupetto, they'll have to do introductions.

Yeah, I really have no idea what he's doing at this Tour. Should have followed the Yates blueprint.

No kidding. Not only would have to do introductions, the riders who are usually in the grupetto would have to get over the shock of seeing him there in the first place.

I agree, the Simon Yates blueprint would have been perfect for him if he wants to go stage hunting. At this point I guess he's fighting for a GC top 10 for some reason or another.

 

[yaco]

I feel as though he's riding within himself and holding back - S.Yates blueprint is different as Yates came off riding Gc at the Giro.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I donot understand his strategy for this race. He is 8th in GC so he wont be allowed the freedom to win a stage. he worked for his leaders on the previous stages and dropped time. He wont be as fresh for the Vuelta.

 

[tobydawq]

I don't know if Alejandro himself knows this, but the record for most Grand Tour top 10s is 18, shared by Bartali, Delgado and Gimondi.

Valverde currently stands at 17, so if he does make a top 10 in the Tour, he can put himself on top of this list in the Vuelta.

Not too shabby for a guy many people often insist is not a Grand Tour rider. Especially considering that 13 of the 17 are actually top 5 placings.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I don't know if Alejandro himself knows this, but the record for most Grand Tour top 10s is 18, shared by Bartali, Delgado and Gimondi.

Valverde currently stands at 17, so if he does make a top 10 in the Tour, he can put himself on top of this list in the Vuelta.

Not too shabby for a guy many people often insist is not a Grand Tour rider. Especially considering that 13 of the 17 are actually top 5 placings.

I'm guessing that's because he's not a Grand Tour specialist and is so good in the classics and one week races?

Yes, that's an amazing stat that he can achieve.

 

[Valv.Piti]

You dont throw away stages in the Tour, unless you're Valverde and Movistar. Apparently Nibali found his Giro-legs on the last day of the race, so god damn unfortunate for Valverde.

Im so sad. Such an anticlimactic end to this Tour. Ffs.

 

[KZD]

Lol Movistar should have worked for Valverde. They had so much firepower and just wasted it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Lol Movistar should have worked for Valverde. They had so much firepower and just wasted it.

......
Yep. God damn Im so disappointed.

On to La Vuelta. He will be a very dangerous outsider.

 

[bambino]

Re: Re:

Lol Movistar should have worked for Valverde. They had so much firepower and just wasted it.

......
Yep. God damn Im so disappointed.

On to La Vuelta. He will be a very dangerous outsider.

What outsider? He is top 3 favorite to win Vuelta

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Lol Movistar should have worked for Valverde. They had so much firepower and just wasted it.

......
Yep. God damn Im so disappointed.

On to La Vuelta. He will be a very dangerous outsider.

What outsider? He is top 3 favorite to win Vuelta

Only called him a dangeros outsider because I was afraid of the backlash. Screw it.

Valverde can win the race and is one of the favorites. Cant wait.

 

[Blanco]

And what the *** they did again?! I mean there were 4 of them! Did they even had DS in the car?! Ok, Soler was probably told to attack, but what about that little *** Quintana!!! He didn't had a single pedal stroke for the team in entire Tour. He sat there the whole time , neither working for Landa's GC, nor for Valverde's stage win. I'm really glad he's leaving the team. And Landa ffs! If you want a stage you must go earlier, and if you wait for the last km you then work for the fastest guy. What a mess of the team they were in this Tour. And Giro was only two months ago...

 

[Red Rick]

I think they have a roulette game in the DS car.

 

[Blanco]

Although, there are two positive things in this Valverde's Tour:
He had a perfect training for La Vuelta
He tied all-time record for Top 10 placings.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

And what the **** they did again?! I mean there were 4 of them! Did they even had DS in the car?! Ok, Soler was probably told to attack, but what about that little *** Quintana!!! He didn't had a single pedal stroke for the team in entire Tour. He sat there the whole time , neither working for Landa's GC, nor for Valverde's stage win. I'm really glad he's leaving the team. And Landa ffs! If you want a stage you must go earlier, and if you wait for the last km you then work for the fastest guy. What a mess of the team they were in this Tour. And Giro was only two months ago...

Quintana is a ***, but unless he was told to work, but didn't, he wasn't any less useful to the final result than Soler's attack that you are ok with.

 

[Red Rick]

It does really make you wonder where this Valverde has been in the high mountains the last 12 months.

 

[roundabout]

Need more 2 hour 1 climb stages to test the hypothesis

 

[Carols]

Re:

Need more 2 hour 1 climb stages to test the hypothesis

This!