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

Page 298 - 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
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i hope V. Rangel is this one with these 2... hard to see
 
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Reactions: Koronin
Still could be improved a lot though. I don't like these national champion jerseys with just a small banner with the flag in the middle.

It could be, but at least it's better than the regular jersey with the stripes or the even worse small strips over the shoulder. However, I'm also not entirely sure the Spanish flag lends itself to a really nice Champions kit either, although yes it still could be improved.
 
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Reactions: Breezy1985
Valverde is struggling in the mountain stages this season. So far his Burgos campaign is a blueprint of his Valencia campaign earlier this year. He can still use his ability in stages that require a short (explosive) effort. But it seems he cannot deliver the same as before in more demanding stages.
 
It's totally understandable if Valverde loses the edge at some point. Hardly something to be ashamed of at his age. But as Movistar I would really be worried about the rest of the team. I don't know what that was yesterday. Had Mas and Soler to work so hard on the flat? (Only watched the race with one eye.) Have they got their training so wrong? After all Mas is supposed to ride the Tour as a Co-leader in a month and although I did not have much believe in him before, yesterday must have been truly disappointing for him.
 
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Reactions: Red Rick
It's definitely possible age is finally starting to show with Valverde. However, I still wouldn't worry too much about him. He did get a podium spot on the first stage and it does seem he's having a harder time having top form for as long as he used to. I'd be more worried about Mas. Soler's big goal is the Giro, so he shouldn't be in as good of form as the other two.
 
The whole team looked completely out of whack. Mas and Valverde finished the climb together with Verona and Pedrero about 3 minutes behind the leaders. I don’t know if they both have cracked on both stages or whether Mas was shepherding Valverde or vice versa today.

Something is off with the whole team. Mas was underwhelming at times last year (though showed flashe, but he’s got a super engine (according to Bertie) and the talent to compete for GT wins (also according to Bertie). He was dominant at the u-23 level and his trajectory was on the up at a normal progression.

Soler was even worse this week. He has more time but 1 week races have been his forte thus far and I expected him to show more than he did.

I’m wondering if their training was bad, or maybe the quarantine period affected them more with a longer lockdown affecting them. Another guy who has completely disappeared is Sepulveda. People thought he was going to grow into a solid all arounder a few years ago. I don’t even think he rode a GT last year.
 
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Something is off with the whole team. Mas was underwhelming at times last year (though showed flashe, but he’s got a super engine (according to Bertie) and the talent to compete for GT wins (also according to Bertie). He was dominant at the u-23 level and his trajectory was on the up at a normal progression.
Never mind what he has or doesn't have according to Bertie, remember this guy finished on the podium at the Vuelta while at Quick Step.
 

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