Official Valverde thread.

[Gung Ho Gun]

Valverde never really had the opportunity to show off at the Tour pre-Puerto
Courchevel might have been a lucky shot or it might be that he hasn't reached that level again
I do believe he took his doping down a notch around 2006

 

[Benotti69]

How could it be anything other than doping? Are you kidding? Take a step back, look at the parcours of the Tour and then at that of the Vuelta. Compare them. Note the different distances covered and real mountains climbed.

It'd be perfectly reasonable for a clean rider to be able to be a contender at the Vuelta while not being good enough at the Tour.

Valverde is a disgraceful unrepentant doper, but it so happens he could never perform at his best at the Tour even in the mid to late 00s, before his suspension, and when ASO wasn't very hostile to doping.

Because it's not that he isn't at his best in France (Dauphiné, anyone?); he's simply not able to do better at the Tour.

When did ASO ever give a fig about doping?

 

[hrotha]

When did ASO ever give a fig about doping?

Briefly in 2008.

 

[D-Queued]

Valverde never really had the opportunity to show off at the Tour pre-Puerto
Courchevel might have been a lucky shot or it might be that he hasn't reached that level again
I do believe he took his doping down a notch around 2006

Assuming you are correct, when you say down a notch, are we talking about 100 transfusions down to 99? Microdosing daily instead of dosing weekly? Or targeting an HCT of 49.1 instead of 49.5?

Something like that?

Dave.

 

[Gung Ho Gun]

Assuming you are correct, when you say down a notch, are we talking about 100 transfusions down to 99? Microdosing daily instead of dosing weekly? Or targeting an HCT of 49.1 instead of 49.5?

Something like that?

Dave.

Something like 1.5 bloodbags instead of 2

 

[the sceptic]

Valverde is taking his super peaks to new heights this year.. 7 months is it?

maybe next year he can throw in the giro too.

 

[doperhopper]

dont be so negative about Piti - he just lost his long time crown of THE Wheelsucker Of ProCycling to Gerro, there will be wild celebrations in the spanish base camp

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Valverde is taking his super peaks to new heights this year.. 7 months is it?

maybe next year he can throw in the giro too.

Valverde stopped doping in 2006, he is one of the coool guys now.

 

[Ferminal]

Well he did have eight weeks or so off, doesn't feel much more impressive than last year.

You have to wonder about his long-term health though (saying this as someone sceptical of the side-effects). you can probably win the Tour with just 8 months of doping a year but I doubt Piti goes a day without a cocktail.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

About business as usual. 80+ race days being very competitive.
Still his top end performance was lower this year compared to last imo.

A chemical experiment most likely. Poor man I think.

 

[ralphbert]

About business as usual. 80+ race days being very competitive.
Still his top end performance was lower this year compared to last imo.

A chemical experiment most likely. Poor man I think.

And he has just signed up for three more years. His poor body

 

[Dr. Juice]

We all wonder why Valverde is always much in the Vuelta in his 2nd GT than in the Tour. If it's blood bags or riskier doping or other things.

Now the question: If he does the Giro, will Giro Valverde ressemble Tour de France Valverde or Vuelta Piti and why?

 

[Netserk]

Bad weather + real mountains = bad Piti

 

[the sceptic]

Calling 2014 his best season “by a mile,” Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) reflected on winning the UCI WorldTour points title Wednesday.

“It’s been a long 12 years on the top of the sport, but as I’ve stated before many times, when I train or compete nowadays, my feelings are better than when I was younger,” Valverde said. “Where do I feel superior to that young man? I take things easier, I feel my body able to cope better with pressure, I’m more mature. Also, races take less of me than before. It’s true that I might have lost that sort of ‘sparkle’ in my moves, taking more risks in situations where I don’t risk so much now — I raced a bit more crazily before.”
Read more at http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...-consistent-season_349537#7YrJJCHsEMaJjG7H.99

Impressive, considering he has been clean since 2006.

 

[peloton]

Impressive, considering he has been clean since 2006.

He mastered a 10 month peak at the of 35. Impressive indeed.

 

[nayr497]

It seems like you'd get darn tired of doping if you had to do it daily for years. But, I guess if it's how you make a living you just get on with it.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=5

The graph does not include the classic he just won.

This guy was suspended for alleged doping. It's not even Giro time yet.

 

[burning]

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=5

The graph does not include the classic he just won.

This guy was suspended for alleged doping. It's not even Giro time yet.

He's just defending his CQ points, nothing to see here.

 

[SeriousSam]

Consistently good, no sudden jumps in performance, never tested positive. Cleans.

 

[DBotero]

Nothing new,performing as usual,consistent as always.

 

[The Hitch]

Ironically the profile of that graph is exactly the kind of stage pati struggles with?

 

[frenchfry]

He is in good company with Rebellin and Argentin as 3 time winners of the Flèche Wallonne. All cleans.

 

[nayr497]

Shhhheeeeit, and a baseball cap on the podium to rub it in...

 

[doperhopper]

Re:

Impressive, considering he has been clean since 2006.

He mastered a 10 month peak at the of 35. Impressive indeed.

now imagine what happens when he reaches grandpa monster age

 

[skippythepinhead]

Re: Re:

Impressive, considering he has been clean since 2006.

He mastered a 10 month peak at the of 35. Impressive indeed.

now imagine what happens when he reaches grandpa monster age

Already have him pencilled in for top step of podium Vuelta 2023.