Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

[ice&fire]

The contractual situation of all involved players made end of 2019 perfect to get rid of one of Landa and Quintana and bring in Mas

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

The contractual situation of all involved players made end of 2019 perfect to get rid of one of Landa and Quintana and bring in Mas

Tha is probably the plan, rumour has it that Vino wats to sign Landa or Quintana after 2019.

 

[ice&fire]

In that interview linked by Nirvana Unzué denies any interest of Astana in Landa. Trust him

 

[Nirvana]

Re:

Soler is signed past 2019. Otherwise yes they need to either renew with Telefonica or get a new sponsor before they do much with other contracts. However, we can basically be assured Valverde will have a new contract either before or not long after a new title sponsor contract is signed.


It does seem that they are again going to the Tour with Quintana and Landa as co leaders. Although unlike last year it appears more likely they're giving Valverde his preference of Giro/Vuelta. Landa may go with him to the Giro, and I would expect them to send Carapaz to the Giro. With or without Landa going to the Giro, sending Carapaz with Valverde there would be a great opportunity for Carapaz to learn.

I would think Soler will get Paris-Nice again esp after winning it last year and likely the Duaphine. Either Landa or Quintana to T-A. Landa is likely to be the leader for Basque as it's his home race. Basically let Valverde write his own calendar. It's not like he doesn't basically do that as it is. Likely for stages races: Valencia, Andalucia, Catalonia. He has specifically mentioned Catalonia. He's also talked about a more classics heavy calendar this year. It seems Murcia, the Ardennes, la Vuelta and the Worlds are the main races he's said that he can't miss. I do think October is a bit early to make a full calendar.

Valverde said that he'll ride the new UAE Tour and Catalonia, i think other than that only one day races even if some articles hinted about his presence at Tour Down Under.

If he'll go to the Giro i'd say Mallorcan races (if are going to be held, at the moment are missing from next year calendar), Murcia, UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Catalonia and a break before Ardennes. In 2016 he skipped also Catalonia to prepare for the Giro but he rode Tirreno that year. Maybe he could add Route du Sud after the Giro to prepare the national championship if he's going to rest in july.
If they force him again to the Tour he could have an heavyer schedule with one more stage race in february, the long awaited shot at the Ronde and maybe even Paris-Nice.

Anyway i think that Carapaz will go for the GC at the Giro regardless, Valverde will target the pink jersey at the start and some stages but he's likely to fade in the sequence of hard high mountain stages of the second and especially third week and Landa if he'll ride will be more like a training for the Tour/hunting some stages, i don't think he'll go deep considering that he wants so munch the Tour.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Soler is signed past 2019. Otherwise yes they need to either renew with Telefonica or get a new sponsor before they do much with other contracts. However, we can basically be assured Valverde will have a new contract either before or not long after a new title sponsor contract is signed.


It does seem that they are again going to the Tour with Quintana and Landa as co leaders. Although unlike last year it appears more likely they're giving Valverde his preference of Giro/Vuelta. Landa may go with him to the Giro, and I would expect them to send Carapaz to the Giro. With or without Landa going to the Giro, sending Carapaz with Valverde there would be a great opportunity for Carapaz to learn.

I would think Soler will get Paris-Nice again esp after winning it last year and likely the Duaphine. Either Landa or Quintana to T-A. Landa is likely to be the leader for Basque as it's his home race. Basically let Valverde write his own calendar. It's not like he doesn't basically do that as it is. Likely for stages races: Valencia, Andalucia, Catalonia. He has specifically mentioned Catalonia. He's also talked about a more classics heavy calendar this year. It seems Murcia, the Ardennes, la Vuelta and the Worlds are the main races he's said that he can't miss. I do think October is a bit early to make a full calendar.

Valverde said that he'll ride the new UAE Tour and Catalonia, i think other than that only one day races even if some articles hinted about his presence at Tour Down Under.

If he'll go to the Giro i'd say Mallorcan races (if are going to be held, at the moment are missing from next year calendar), Murcia, UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Catalonia and a break before Ardennes. In 2016 he skipped also Catalonia to prepare for the Giro but he rode Tirreno that year. Maybe he could add Route du Sud after the Giro to prepare the national championship if he's going to rest in july.
If they force him again to the Tour he could have an heavyer schedule with one more stage race in february, the long awaited shot at the Ronde and maybe even Paris-Nice.

Anyway i think that Carapaz will go for the GC at the Giro regardless, Valverde will target the pink jersey at the start and some stages but he's likely to fade in the sequence of hard high mountain stages of the second and especially third week and Landa if he'll ride will be more like a training for the Tour/hunting some stages, i don't think he'll go deep considering that he wants so munch the Tour.

Abu Dhabi he said maybe. Catalonia was the only one week race he seemed to say definitely. He usually starts his season at Mallorca, so I expect him to go there. He's mentioned Flanders, but he does that every year, so when he actually is at the start line we'll believe he's actually racing it. Murcia is supposed to be a 2 day race next year instead of the one day race. However it's his home race, so he'll be there. He was talking classics heavy. I expect he'll go to Strade as he likes that one. He doesn't seem to care for MSR so he may not go there. It'd be nice to see him race a couple of the cobbled races before Flanders if he's really going to go to Flanders.
Carapaz will benefit greatly from Valverde going with him at the Giro as it will take some of the pressure off of him regardless of who is going after what there.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

If Valverde is going to go to any of the GT's then Movistar should forget about going for GC and concentrate on getting stage wins for Valverde. It will make it too hard going for GC 1 man less if Valverde has a free roll to do as he pleases. Stick to GC when he isn't in the team then they have a full team to back their leader.

 

[tobydawq]

So, Valverde almost just won the Vuelta.

Still, the thought of him going for GC in a GT is apparently absurd for some. The guy has 17 top 10s from 20 GTs and has never been outside top 20 so should we not stop pretending that he wouldn't go for GC in whichever GT he chooses to participate?

 

[Koronin]

If Valverde is going to go to any of the GT's then Movistar should forget about going for GC and concentrate on getting stage wins for Valverde. It will make it too hard going for GC 1 man less if Valverde has a free roll to do as he pleases. Stick to GC when he isn't in the team then they have a full team to back their leader.

He's likely doing the Giro/Vuelta double next year. Also between his comment of racing past 2020 and Mr Unzue saying he expects Valverde to race for years to come, it may be a very a long time before he doesn't race la Vuelta. Oh and he is still very well suited to la Vuelta and still is capable of getting a podium if not another win there. He just finished 5th. Why exactly is it absurd for some to think of him going after a GT even if he'll be 39 by next year's Giro?

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

So, Valverde almost just won the Vuelta.

Still, the thought of him going for GC in a GT is apparently absurd for some. The guy has 17 top 10s from 20 GTs and has never been outside top 20 so should we not stop pretending that he wouldn't go for GC in whichever GT he chooses to participate?

But he didn't, not even a podium. Next GT will be three years since he was last truly competitive and since then he never said fully convinced that he wants to win whatever Grand Tour he started. This of course doesn't mean he will not give everything to get the best placement possible but realistically it's impossible to win while winning stages are realistically possible. Nevertheless I think he will go for GC in Giro, hope he will not be disappointed to finish somewhere in top 10.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

So, Valverde almost just won the Vuelta.

Still, the thought of him going for GC in a GT is apparently absurd for some. The guy has 17 top 10s from 20 GTs and has never been outside top 20 so should we not stop pretending that he wouldn't go for GC in whichever GT he chooses to participate?

But he didn't, not even a podium. Next GT will be three years since he was last truly competitive and since then he never said fully convinced that he wants to win whatever Grand Tour he started. This of course doesn't mean he will not give everything to get the best placement possible but realistically it's impossible to win while winning stages are realistically possible. Nevertheless I think he will go for GC in Giro, hope he will not be disappointed to finish somewhere in top 10.

Remember this year's la Vuelta was the first GT he was racing for GC sort of since the 2016 Giro. The reason I say sort of is because he said before la Vuelta started that he was using it to get ready for the Worlds and that he wasn't going to fight for a GC spot unless maybe it was for the podium.

 

[Nirvana]

Re:

So, Valverde almost just won the Vuelta.

Still, the thought of him going for GC in a GT is apparently absurd for some. The guy has 17 top 10s from 20 GTs and has never been outside top 20 so should we not stop pretending that he wouldn't go for GC in whichever GT he chooses to participate?

In the Vuelta there was only one real mountain stage and was very short but he cracked, and he was suffering already the day before in a long unipuerto, he should up his game a lot to be a contender in 200+ kms with 5.000 meters of climbing of the Giro, if he'll crack on the Gavia with 100 kms to go he'll likely lose minutes and minutes.

We need to verify that but the Vuelta could be an hint that his age is starting to hamper him on the mountains, considering that long and hard mountain stages were always his weakness it's plausible that could be the first thing in which he suffers from the advancing age.

Anyway I'm sure that he'll start with GC in his mind as always but I don't think he could survive in the high positions with the route rumored for the Giro.

 

[IndianCyclist]

The rumored 3 TTs shift the scales in Dumoulin's favour. Landa and Valverde should go to the Giro only for Stage wins and as preparatory for the coming GTs. Wining would be nigh impossible if D & G ride

 

[Midnightfright]

Has there been comment made from Sunweb or Tom on what his GT programme will be for next year? 3 TTs would be hard for him to turn down surely

 

[Koronin]

Re:

The rumored 3 TTs shift the scales in Dumoulin's favour. Landa and Valverde should go to the Giro only for Stage wins and as preparatory for the coming GTs. Wining would be nigh impossible if D & G ride

As long as the TTs are not all pan flat and not technical Valverde would be their best hope of doing anything GC wise at the Giro. He also wants to race the Giro because he does want to go back to it as he said he enjoyed the first one he went to. Plus he wants to race two GTs and doesn't want to go to the Tour. Thus that leaves the Giro as the other option to go along with la Vuelta.
As for Landa it doesn't seem he knows what he wants to do other than he wants to go to the Tour.

 

[Tonton]

The Vuelta will be pro-Valverde, like the TdF will be (is) pro-French. Hence my posts about route ratings vs. what people want to see. It almost worked in '18, The Don was in it, it didn't pan out, but the excitement was there.

 

[Red Rick]

The Vuelta will be pro-Valverde, like the TdF will be (is) pro-French. Hence my posts about route ratings vs. what people want to see. It almost worked in '18, The Don was in it, it didn't pan out, but the excitement was there.

I'm guessing Spanish GT hopes will rapidly shift to Mas now, but Mas seems good at all things GT so making a route that's good for both isn't mutually exclusive.

Routes for Valverde would be super lame though, cause it means avoiding hard stages.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

The Vuelta will be pro-Valverde, like the TdF will be (is) pro-French. Hence my posts about route ratings vs. what people want to see. It almost worked in '18, The Don was in it, it didn't pan out, but the excitement was there.

I'm guessing Spanish GT hopes will rapidly shift to Mas now, but Mas seems good at all things GT so making a route that's good for both isn't mutually exclusive.

Routes for Valverde would be super lame though, cause it means avoiding hard stages.

Anybody know how to clean coffee off a laptop screen? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Koronin]

Movistar's team presentation is Tuesday Dec 18th. The following day is la Vuelta's route presentation. It seems Movistar and la Vuelta have set this up to have these presentation on back to back days to ensure at least several of Movistar's riders (if not the entire team) will be at the Vuelta's presentation.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

The Vuelta will be pro-Valverde, like the TdF will be (is) pro-French. Hence my posts about route ratings vs. what people want to see. It almost worked in '18, The Don was in it, it didn't pan out, but the excitement was there.

I'm guessing Spanish GT hopes will rapidly shift to Mas now, but Mas seems good at all things GT so making a route that's good for both isn't mutually exclusive.

Routes for Valverde would be super lame though, cause it means avoiding hard stages.

Yes..

 

[Moviestar]

https://www.velonews.com/2018/12/news/analysis-movistar-in-pole-position-for-bernal-sweepstakes_482270

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

I hope It's fake news.

But.. If it means Valverde is fired, I'm quite happy.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Meanwhile today Movistar renewed sponsorship for a few more years.
They also revealed a big factor in the sponsor committing for so long was Valverde telling them he plans to race at least until 2021.

This includes sponsorship of the women's team.

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

I hope It's fake news.

But.. If it means Valverde is fired, I'm quite happy.

I think Landa could be the one who would leave, there were already rumors that Vinokourov would like to sign him + with the growing number of Basks with Astana i wouldn't be surprised to see him going to Astana.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I hope It's fake news.

But.. If it means Valverde is fired, I'm quite happy.

More likely both Landa and Quintana are leaving. Mr Unzue has said several times that Valverde can race for them for as long as he wants to. Valverde isn't leaving that team, he's the face of team.

Rumors are the Quintana is unhappy and wanted to leave this year but couldn't find anyone who would buy out his contract. There are the reports that Landa may go back to Astana. Valverde, however, is not going anywhere and will be with Movistar for as long as he wants to race. The team just needs him to tell them how many years he wants for his next contract.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re: Re:

I hope It's fake news.

But.. If it means Valverde is fired, I'm quite happy.

More likely both Landa and Quintana are leaving. Mr Unzue has said several times that Valverde can race for them for as long as he wants to. Valverde isn't leaving that team, he's the face of team.

Rumors are the Quintana is unhappy and wanted to leave this year but couldn't find anyone who would buy out his contract. There are the reports that Landa may go back to Astana. Valverde, however, is not going anywhere and will be with Movistar for as long as he wants to race. The team just needs him to tell them how many years he wants for his next contract.

Ups..
Probably you are right.
I just hoped I would be able to become a New Movistar Fan (you know, Team Sky is over).