Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

[Popchu]

Bananito looking relatively slim. Be afraid, be very afraid!

Relatively, indeed. Could be better, could be worse. Starting his season in Argentina and Colombia, before targetting the classics and the Giro d'Italia.

 

[Escarabajo]

Bananito looking relatively slim. Be afraid, be very afraid!

Can't wait for that season highpoint GC top 20 at a random stagerace

Like the Tour in 2017?

 

[Valv.Piti]

The irony of Landa leaving and now having to share leader duties with Quintana and Valverde. Lmao, it must be hard.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

The irony of Landa leaving and now having to share leader duties with Quintana and Valverde. Lmao, it must be hard.

he will prove that he is the best gt rider in movistar. (I know quintana has a better palmares)

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

The irony of Landa leaving and now having to share leader duties with Quintana and Valverde. Lmao, it must be hard.

he will prove that he is the best gt rider in movistar. (I know quintana has a better palmares)

And is a better GT rider than Landa (and a better climber too).

 

[Koronin]

Well technically Valverde has the best GT palmares of the 3. 8 total podiums and only 2 finishes outside the top 10 of GTs he's finished. The 2012 Tour where he was coming back from his ban and the 2016 Vuelta where he was racing his 3rd GT of the season.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Well technically Valverde has the best GT palmares of the 3. 8 total podiums and only 2 finishes outside the top 10 of GTs he's finished. The 2012 Tour where he was coming back from his ban and the 2016 Vuelta where he was racing his 3rd GT of the season.

Quintana’s record is more impressive, as shown here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33607

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

Nice colors. Wish them the best!

Wish the M was yellow though

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re:

Well technically Valverde has the best GT palmares of the 3. 8 total podiums and only 2 finishes outside the top 10 of GTs he's finished. The 2012 Tour where he was coming back from his ban and the 2016 Vuelta where he was racing his 3rd GT of the season.

Even more he finished 12th and if he didn't crack on that one stage he would have been in top 10.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Well technically Valverde has the best GT palmares of the 3. 8 total podiums and only 2 finishes outside the top 10 of GTs he's finished. The 2012 Tour where he was coming back from his ban and the 2016 Vuelta where he was racing his 3rd GT of the season.

Even more he finished 12th and if he didn't crack on that one stage he would have been in top 10.

Yep. Actually that's even more impressive when you think about it.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re: Re:

Well technically Valverde has the best GT palmares of the 3. 8 total podiums and only 2 finishes outside the top 10 of GTs he's finished. The 2012 Tour where he was coming back from his ban and the 2016 Vuelta where he was racing his 3rd GT of the season.

Even more he finished 12th and if he didn't crack on that one stage he would have been in top 10.

Yep. Actually that's even more impressive when you think about it.

I was sad he couldn't do it. Was hoping he would.

 

[WheelofGear]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/landa-i-have-to-pursue-my-goals/

It seems like Quintana is NOT the main dog for the Tour.

What the hell are the going to do on the cobbled stage? If it's rainy or aggressive, it could destroy the hopes for all of them. And Movistar don't have many riders who can do well in such terrain.

Maybe one of them should ride some cobbled classics to gain more experience?

Imagine Landa or Quintana in Paris-Roubaix. :lol:

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/landa-i-have-to-pursue-my-goals/

It seems like Quintana is NOT the main dog for the Tour.

More precisely, it seems that Landa is very concerned with whether or not Quintana is the main dog for the Tour.

 

[yaco]

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/landa-i-have-to-pursue-my-goals/

It seems like Quintana is NOT the main dog for the Tour.

What the hell are the going to do on the cobbled stage? If it's rainy or aggressive, it could destroy the hopes for all of them. And Movistar don't have many riders who can do well in such terrain.

Maybe one of them should ride some cobbled classics to gain more experience?

Imagine Landa or Quintana in Paris-Roubaix. :lol:

Well Valverde actually does have cobbled racing experience. He's raced a couple of the cobbled semi-classics a few times and done decently in them. Depending on how his recovery has gone and with the cobbled stage this year I wouldn't be shocked to see him race one of them again this year. He does keep promising he's going to race Flanders and last year said maybe he'd race Paris-Roubiax. If Movistar sends any of the 3 it will be Valverde if he wants to go. The only other Movistar rider with any good results in cobbled races is Valverde's longtime domestique Erviti. If Valverde's able to come back close to what he was before the injury he actually may be their best hope for the Tour even though he really would rather chase another Vuelta.
Funny part is that mostly Landa is only going after Quintana in his comments and only once said he wouldn't wait for Valverde either, but otherwise hasn't mentioned him. He's also said he expects to race with Valverde in a couple of early races as co leaders. Both Valverde and Landa have said they think it will be fun to race together as their styles are very different and think they compliment each others styles very well.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

Interesting point. Who knows, maybe this actually is the plan? It would certainly be a new one.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

I'm not sure if there will be a Skytrain at the Tour

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

I'm not sure if there will be a Skytrain at the Tour

Exactly my thought!

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re: Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

I'm not sure if there will be a Skytrain at the Tour

Exactly my thought!

There will be, I can assure you both!
Questions are: who will be the Sky leader, and second, which team will be stronger. I must admit MovistarTrain in Giro'17 was sometimes astonishing (i.e. on Blockhaus stage).

 

[Squire]

Re: Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

I'm not sure if there will be a Skytrain at the Tour

Exactly my thought!

There will be, I can assure you both!
Questions are: who will be the Sky leader, and second, which team will be stronger. I must admit MovistarTrain in Giro'17 was sometimes astonishing (i.e. on Blockhaus stage).

If Roson, Valls, Betancur et.al. are firing on all cylinders, there might actually be a contest.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

I'm not sure if there will be a Skytrain at the Tour

Exactly my thought!

There will be, I can assure you both!
Questions are: who will be the Sky leader, and second, which team will be stronger. I must admit MovistarTrain in Giro'17 was sometimes astonishing (i.e. on Blockhaus stage).

If Roson, Valls, Betancur et.al. are firing on all cylinders, there might actually be a contest.

But I actually dont think these guys will even ride the Tour, since you obviously have the leaders, then need 3 rouleurs which means only 2 mountain domestiques. And there you also have Fernandez, Anacona and Soler. even De La Parte who have been very good. They have a very good amount of depth this year so they should be able to send 3 very strong teams for each GT.
And I really hope Valverde DOESNT ride the Tour and take on the Giro instead, Vuelta and then WCs.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

The MS plan seems fraught with danger but if they can keep their three riders out of trouble in the first week, then their lack of teamwork could disrupt the Skytrain - Stranger things have happened.

I'm not sure if there will be a Skytrain at the Tour

Exactly my thought!

There will be, I can assure you both!
Questions are: who will be the Sky leader, and second, which team will be stronger. I must admit MovistarTrain in Giro'17 was sometimes astonishing (i.e. on Blockhaus stage).

I'm not sure even Lappartient could assure that, let alone you

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I just hope Movistar goes full *** and brings all their best mountain domestiques. Quintana, Landa, Valverde, Amador, Anacona, Carapaz, Betancur, Roson, or something. Significant time loss in the first week and then madness all throughout the mountains. One can dream.

 

[yaco]

MS only need one mountain domestique if they take 3 leaders to the TDF - And then then I'd be more tempted to take a rouleur in place of the mountain domestique, especially considering support is required on the flat and of course the TTT.

 

[Robert5091]

If Movistar can get through the first week at the TdF without calamities, then it'll be really interesting.