Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

[Valv.Piti]

Would be cool indeed. Some pretty hard Vuelta prep, don't know if too hard, and a good kilometres for the youngsters! Probably won't get killed as much as in Portugal.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Thanks to 37-year old Valverde Spring'2017 victories were more fantastic than in 2014-2016, but GT ........:

2014 (top ten overall + stage wins):
Giro: 1st Quintana overall + 2 stage wins(2x Quintana)
TdF: 4th Valverde
Vuelta: 3rd Valverde + 3 stages (team, Valverde, Malori)

2015:
Giro: 4th Amador, + 1 stage (Intxausti)
TdF: 2nd Quintana, 3rd Valverde
Vuelta: 4th Quintana, 7th Valverde +1 stage (Valverde)

2016:
Giro: 3rd Valverde + 1 stage (Valverde)
TdF: 3rd Quintana, 6th Valverde + 1 stage (J. Izagirre)
Vuelta: 1st Quintana, 8th Moreno +1 stage (Quintana)

2017:
Giro: 2nd Quintana +2 stages (Quintana, G. Izagirre)
TdF: ---
Vuelta: ---

 

[Valv.Piti]

Well, at least Movistar will be strong in the mountains next year. Valls will join the next team for one season which might be a pretty good deal. He should ride either the Giro or Vuelta, I think, but will have to earn his spot. Does anybody know why he didn't ride any GT this year, I assume the Vuelta was the plan? They seriously need a few more strongmen tho, so many climbers.

 

[JoeD1997]

Re:

Does anybody know why he didn't ride any GT this year, I assume the Vuelta was the plan? They seriously need a few more strongmen tho, so many climbers.

His crash in Bilbao in Pais Vasco meant he didn't have condition for Giro I think and I then think the team just opted for intermediate stage hunters and Greipel and some of his train for Le Tour, leaving Valls for La Vuelta. Training crash removed him from Vuelta team pretty much last minute.

 

[Pennino]

Hansen was his substitute wasn't he?

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re:

Hansen was his substitute wasn't he?

Yeah, which kept the streak alive.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Hansen was his substitute wasn't he?

Yeah, which kept the streak alive.

The horror, but Lotto did well regardless.

Thanks for the information

 

[Valv.Piti]

Landa is acting like such an idiot... gosh, I hope Unzue tells him to stop spew that kind of crap all the time.

Interesting to see if they will add a few minor pieces..

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I can't help but think the management had the the peloton reduction in mind; they have a higher top-end level this year, but lacks the depth they have had previously. I could see the team looking like this for the 3 main objectives:

Giro: Landa, Amador, Carapaz, De La Parte, Anacona, Pedrero, Bennati, Rojas
Tour: Quintana, Valverde, Landa, Soler, Betancur, Bennati, Sutterlin, Erviti/Oliveira
Vuelta: Quintana, Valverde, Fernandez, rest is very dependent on how the season pans out, who is in shape, new signings etc.

That Tour team is OK. But I would not take Soler. Not yet. Not when the line up are 8. I would leave the rest in depending on what Valverde and Landa decide to do. I don't think the three will go to the Tour. In that case I would pick the bext climber available at the moment.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Landa is acting like such an idiot... gosh, I hope Unzue tells him to stop spew that kind of crap all the time.

Interesting to see if they will add a few minor pieces..

I am not sure what is going on with Movistar with the three leaders but Unzue better decipher what he wants to do with the three of them soon. It is obvious that the arrival of Landa made Quintana and Valverde uncomfortable. To make things worse Valverde immdiatly picked to be the leader for the Giro and Quintana for the Tour. Of course Landa wasn't so happy. LOL. I guess it was to be expected.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

Landa is acting like such an idiot... gosh, I hope Unzue tells him to stop spew that kind of crap all the time.

Interesting to see if they will add a few minor pieces..

I am not sure what is going on with Movistar with the three leaders but Unzue better decipher what he wants to do with the three of them soon. It is obvious that the arrival of Landa made Quintana and Valverde uncomfortable. To make things worse Valverde immdiatly picked to be the leader for the Giro and Quintana for the Tour. Of course Landa wasn't so happy. LOL. I guess it was to be expected.

Drama awaits. I can't figure out why Landa didn't choose to go to a team where he could've been the sole leader for GTs. On the other hand he's stuck between being too good for a gregario and not good enough for a captain.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Landa is acting like such an idiot... gosh, I hope Unzue tells him to stop spew that kind of crap all the time.

Interesting to see if they will add a few minor pieces..

I am not sure what is going on with Movistar with the three leaders but Unzue better decipher what he wants to do with the three of them soon. It is obvious that the arrival of Landa made Quintana and Valverde uncomfortable. To make things worse Valverde immdiatly picked to be the leader for the Giro and Quintana for the Tour. Of course Landa wasn't so happy. LOL. I guess it was to be expected.

Except for the fact that Valverde's actual comments have not exactly said that. He said that there are 3 GC riders and they can each lead one race and his is la Vuelta (which both Quintana and Landa have agreed with). He also said he would ride a 2nd GT but not as race leader. He said that he's wanting the Giro/Vuelta double because he doesn't want to go to the Tour. With the different comments he's made he seems to be fine with Landa leading the Giro team, he just wants to do 2 GTs, but doesn't want to go to the Tour and definitely wants la Vuelta as his. That does not seem like he's uncomfortable. Also he's again recently stated that he's free of pressure now when he's racing and that he's now truly just racing because he loves it and very literally can't walk away from it. He's also stated he's perfectly fine with Landa coming to the team.

 

[Nick]

Re:

Landa is acting like such an idiot... gosh, I hope Unzue tells him to stop spew that kind of crap all the time.

Interesting to see if they will add a few minor pieces..

Respectfully, how exactly has Landa behaved like an idiot? Last time I looked it was Quintana who was saying the unwelcoming words and stepping on not just Landa's toes, but also Valverde's. Landa is not the one who arrogantly claimed he was going to basically tell Valverde he has to go into a race he's already stated he doesn't want to go into. All ML said was he would have liked a better welcome from Quintana. Who wouldn't? How is this spewing crap?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Landa has been saying stuff like that since the Tour and its just really, really annoying in the long run because I genuinely like him as a rider.

 

[Red Rick]

Whatever Landa is thinking, this is not the way to get it. But we don't have enough riders speaking their minds, so *** yes Landa.

This all boils down to what guarantees Landa got when he signed and what's going on behind the scenes now in regards to scheduling for next year. Valverde is a big unkown for next year, and having 3 GT riders of this calibre is quite unfeasable especially now they've gotten a lot weaker on the support side. Landa signing for Movistart may be a really stupid mistake for both parties.

Movistar have gotten themself quite the puzzle. Tour route absolutely blows for them and winning the Tour seems extremely unlikely. I honestly think they're better off commiting to winning the Giro and/or Vuelta and have Valverde focus on the classics. However, it seems that the Giro is gonna have 2 ITTs and a prologue, which would make Dumoulin likely to participate on an anaemic route, and the Vuelta route seems garbage from everything that I've seen, so 2018 looks like Movistar have been dealt a terrible hand.

 

[May0maniac]

Landa really is the Basque Gibo, he also talks like him.
Landa isn't a bad guy, he just has no filter and always speaks his mind.

 

[portugal11]

free landa!! hope to see him in the tour against quintana

 

[Koronin]

I really like how Landa is handling this. If anything Quintana is the one causing problems and being rude to from what I can tell everyone. It's time someone puts him in his place and it appears that Landa is the one that is going to do. IMO, it's about time. Next year this team will be interesting to watch, and if both Landa and Quintana go to the Tour the Tour will be interesting, but not for the right reasons.

 

[jens_attacks]

landani, the only climber with charisma since ricky ricco

god bless him.

 

[hfer07]

Mr Landa:

Last time I checked, Whining & Complaining don't get to win Tours. Please do the talking with the legs & everybody will love you for it.

 

[offbyone]

Re: Re:

Landa is acting like such an idiot... gosh, I hope Unzue tells him to stop spew that kind of crap all the time.

Interesting to see if they will add a few minor pieces..

I am not sure what is going on with Movistar with the three leaders but Unzue better decipher what he wants to do with the three of them soon. It is obvious that the arrival of Landa made Quintana and Valverde uncomfortable. To make things worse Valverde immdiatly picked to be the leader for the Giro and Quintana for the Tour. Of course Landa wasn't so happy. LOL. I guess it was to be expected.

Drama awaits. I can't figure out why Landa didn't choose to go to a team where he could've been the sole leader for GTs. On the other hand he's stuck between being too good for a gregario and not good enough for a captain.

It is so hard to understand given his whining routine after the tour de france. You sign with Sky knowing your role and then you complain about it. Then he signs with a team that has not one, but two guys ahead of him in the pecking order. Quintana has earned his #1 spot and Valverde, mr. consistent, was just amazing last year until his accident.

Landa might be a talent, but I can't imagine this routine is ingratiating himself with anyone. Frankly, after all his talk I still want to see him get his chance to back it up. Although if Movistar really wants to win a grand tour, Landa would likely best help the team by playing a domestic for Quintana.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think that Landa should be behind Valverde in the pecking order in regards to GTs. Especially the Giro

 

[el chava]

Re:

landani, the only climber with charisma since ricky ricco

god bless him.

Or Rasmussen. Anyways, he seems to have that panache we've been waiting for.

 

[hrotha]

Does he really, or does he just like to talk about it?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I don't think that Landa should be behind Valverde in the pecking order in regards to GTs. Especially the Giro

Well if you take what Valverde said in an interview at this year Vuelta, it would appear he figures that Landa will be the race leader for the Giro. He said there are 3 GTs and each of them (Quintana, Landa and himself) would get one each and la Vuelta is his. He said they can argue over the other two. It now appears that both Quintana and Landa have said that the Vuelta is Valverde and are more interested in arguing with each other over the Tour. The way they are arguing it very well could end up giving Valverde both the Vuelta he wants plus the Giro.