Purito - Joaquim Rodriguez thread

[Red Rick]

Nooooooooooooooo

Where is he gonna retire then?

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Nooooooooooooooo

Where is he gonna retire then?

After Río.

But i think he will go to La Vuelta. If the shape is still good after the Olympics. Maybe he said it in a moment of too much emotion and adrenaline.

 

[movingtarget]

Great career. But i wish he had won the Giro or Vuelta in 2012. Great wins also at Fleche and Lombardy and many exciting stage wins.

 

[hfer07]

Purito deserves a warm massive farewell in Spain- hope he reconsiders his Vuelta participation...

 

[Red Rick]

Well, the Vino way is a great way to go out.

 

[Arredondo]

Despite the fact he was 4th today, he showed his Tour form was no fluke. He had that kick again today on the final climb, but went too early.

But even if he attacked at the right moment, i think he could not have won this race. Clasica is a too easy race really for Purito, especially to stay away for on the flat. It's no Villa Vergano final like in Lombardia.

But he showed again the form is really good. I hope he does the Vuelta, because a podium + stage win is possible in this shape.

 

[liamito]

Re:

But he showed again the form is really good. I hope he does the Vuelta, because a podium + stage win is possible in this shape.

The thing is, he is afraid the form won't hold up and he will fade too much in the last week. That's how I understand it.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Despite the fact he was 4th today, he showed his Tour form was no fluke. He had that kick again today on the final climb, but went too early.

But even if he attacked at the right moment, i think he could not have won this race. Clasica is a too easy race really for Purito, especially to stay away for on the flat. It's no Villa Vergano final like in Lombardia.

But he showed again the form is really good. I hope he does the Vuelta, because a podium + stage win is possible in this shape.

Rodriguez and S.Yates both went too early.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

But he showed again the form is really good. I hope he does the Vuelta, because a podium + stage win is possible in this shape.

The thing is, he is afraid the form won't hold up and he will fade too much in the last week. That's how I understand it.

He can win a stage in the first week too. Plenty of opportunities.

I don't care if he finishes 3rd, 7th or 12th in GC at the end. I just want a perfect 'goodbye-Tour' for him. He needs to say goodbye in his home GT.

 

[liamito]

Re: Re:

But he showed again the form is really good. I hope he does the Vuelta, because a podium + stage win is possible in this shape.

The thing is, he is afraid the form won't hold up and he will fade too much in the last week. That's how I understand it.

He can win a stage in the first week too. Plenty of opportunities.

I don't care if he finishes 3rd, 7th or 12th in GC at the end. I just want a perfect 'goodbye-Tour' for him. He needs to say goodbye in his home GT.

http://www.teamkatusha.com/news/clasica-ciclista-san-sebastian-last-race-and-superb-goodbye-purito-rodriguez-his-spanish-fans
If you read this there is zero chance he will be at La Vuelta.

 

[Mr.White]

"When Mollema went Valverde and Gallopin really did nothing"!? Wtf! He had one, or maybe two, pulls at the front in 8km and he's complaining that others did nothing?!

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

But he showed again the form is really good. I hope he does the Vuelta, because a podium + stage win is possible in this shape.

The thing is, he is afraid the form won't hold up and he will fade too much in the last week. That's how I understand it.

He can win a stage in the first week too. Plenty of opportunities.

I don't care if he finishes 3rd, 7th or 12th in GC at the end. I just want a perfect 'goodbye-Tour' for him. He needs to say goodbye in his home GT.

http://www.teamkatusha.com/news/clasica-ciclista-san-sebastian-last-race-and-superb-goodbye-purito-rodriguez-his-spanish-fans
If you read this there is zero chance he will be at La Vuelta.

Yeah, i already saw it. Sad, but right decision if the really thinks he can't hold his good shape for long.

 

[Valv.Piti]

And thats why I still don't understand why he would ride TdF. He would've had an outside shot in the Vuelta if he didn't ride in July. I don't understand why he would skip La Vuelta his last year. Pretty sad.

 

[Red Rick]

Somehow it would feel wrong for Purito to not ride the Vuelta in his last year. Especially as a last race, there should be no pressure to go high in GC.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

And thats why I still don't understand why he would ride TdF. He would've had an outside shot in the Vuelta if he didn't ride in July. I don't understand why he would skip La Vuelta his last year. Pretty sad.

Because Río is his prime objective. Without Tour you don't have a chance there.

But the combi Tour + Vuelta should be no problem for a rider like Purito. He did combine it for many years with great succes.

That's why i think it's a strange decision.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I know Rio has made it all complicated, but what would you rather win - Olympic Gold or Vuelta? After all the near misses, if I was Rodriguez, I would choose Vuelta any day. And you can probably still be somewhat competitive in Rio without Tour de France (Lopez and Chaves performing in Rio would make mu argument better).

Anyways, regardless of him not feeling super well, I think he should go. I mean, he was still the strongest on the Burrito today. This form and make it x2 on Mirador, its early in the race.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Maybe if he was less ambitious and just targeted the Vuelta as his main season objective, he wouldn't be ending his career without a GT on his palmares. Applies to his 2015 too

 

[liamito]

Re:

Somehow it would feel wrong for Purito to not ride the Vuelta in his last year. Especially as a last race, there should be no pressure to go high in GC.

Doesn't Purito put himself under pressure regarding this?

Quiero irme con el recuerdo del segundo puesto en la Vuelta, más una etapa y la combinada que gané. Lo que no quería es comprometerme a correr la Vuelta y luego ver que estoy sufriendo para poder terminarla, que se me hace larga. Quiero despedirme bien, que mi último recuerdo sea bueno, que los aficionados se acuerden de un Purito a un nivel alto.

He wants people to remember the best Purito, finishing 2nd in Vuelta 15.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

I know Rio has made it all complicated, but what would you rather win - Olympic Gold or Vuelta? After all the near misses, if I was Rodriguez, I would choose Vuelta any day. And you can probably still be somewhat competitive in Rio without Tour de France (Lopez and Chaves performing in Rio would make mu argument better).

Anyways, regardless of him not feeling super well, I think he should go. I mean, he was still the strongest on the Burrito today. This form and make it x2 on Mirador, its early in the race.

I think he thinks he can't win a GT anymore. In the Vuelta of last year he was really good, but in the end he got beaten. I think podium is just the best he can achieve nowadays, with or without Tour.

I agree with your last sentence. Just forget about the GC, and chase stage wins. He knows he has the shape to do that.

And even more important: Katusha needs a good Purito at the Vuelta. What do they have left without him? Zakarin and VDB will not attend. Kristoff the same. So only Taaramae? That's not enough for an expensive WT-team.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Somehow it would feel wrong for Purito to not ride the Vuelta in his last year. Especially as a last race, there should be no pressure to go high in GC.

Doesn't Purito put himself under pressure regarding this?

Quiero irme con el recuerdo del segundo puesto en la Vuelta, más una etapa y la combinada que gané. Lo que no quería es comprometerme a correr la Vuelta y luego ver que estoy sufriendo para poder terminarla, que se me hace larga. Quiero despedirme bien, que mi último recuerdo sea bueno, que los aficionados se acuerden de un Purito a un nivel alto.

He wants people to remember the best Purito, finishing 2nd in Vuelta 15.

I think it's even a better way to say goodbye to the cycling fans by attacking 3 weeks long, winning a stage and maybe the mountains jersey. Just end the way you began your career: by being the perfect stage hunter.

The circle will be round then.

 

[Arredondo]

Does anyone know which route Lombardia has this year? The same as 2014, right? Or the route from last year?

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Does anyone know which route Lombardia has this year? The same as 2014, right? Or the route from last year?

I think it's the 2014 one. Absolutely terrible, as last years one was actually the best Lombardia in years, and 2014 the worst

 

[Valv.Piti]

Pretty funny how Amstel, San Sebastian and Lombardia has managed to make their product considerable less attractive by screwing their routes.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Does anyone know which route Lombardia has this year? The same as 2014, right? Or the route from last year?

I think it's the 2014 one. Absolutely terrible, as last years one was actually the best Lombardia in years, and 2014 the worst

Ah great. Because Purito doesn't have a chance on that course: just look back at 2014. So in that case i will not ask myself the question constantly: what if, during the race

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Pretty funny how Amstel, San Sebastian and Lombardia has managed to make their product considerable less attractive by screwing their routes.

Lombardia is still the best of the three though. And if they maintain the 2015 route, it's the best monument in my opinion (with PR).

But also the 2012/2013 edition was better then the 2014 edition.