Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

[Miburo]

He has no chance, he's facing maybe a lesser strong astana team than contador last year. Maybe...

But he's not as good as Contador in the mountains, he'll prob lose time in the ITT against nibali too.

And his team is worse than tinkoff last year.

He's *** pretty much

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

He has no chance, he's facing maybe a lesser strong astana team than contador last year. Maybe...

But he's not as good as Contador in the mountains, he'll prob lose time in the ITT against nibali too.

And his team is worse then tinkoff last year.

He's **** pretty much

Thats maybe a bit premature, but to address your points:

It will be extremely hard to win. His goals is at least a podium and a stage or more. Today was a very good day to get that stage win, also getting 10 seconds for free. Its not much...

No he isn't, but yet, how good was Contador really in the mountains last year? Landa waited until the last stage to fully unleash. I don't think Valverde will be that far off considering he display in the Tour last year.

They most definitely are not, but its very far from the A-team. Amador will be much better when its less explosive and Betancur will improve.

 

[Valv.Piti]

http://movistarteam.com

Check the video out with Sutherland.

Really come to like the extranjeros, the Sutherland and Dowsetts of the world, Sutterlin can also be mentioned. Signings you think to yourself wtf, but they are doing a very good job. Unfortunately Sutterlin as been sick, but Sutherland is one of the most professional in the bunch. I really like his attitude in this clip, seems like the kind of guy you really can rely on giving 100%.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Moreno out of the Giro.
I knew they should have selected Ruben Fernandez instead. Unzue please.

Lets see what the boys got. Hopefully they will support Alejandro better than at stage 4.

 

[hrotha]

Yes, Unzue should totes have foreseen that crash.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Yes, Unzue should totes have foreseen that crash.

I think I made it pretty clear i was being sarcastic. My apologies if it wasn't crystal clear

 

[Valv.Piti]

Huge ups and downs this Giro....

Amador has been riding out of his mind, attacking, fighting, descending like a mad man, but that was not enough today! You can really tell how respected Sutherland is within the team and that was some monster pull he did, it was Kiryenka-esque at his best days.

On the other hand, Visconti doesn't seem like a good team member. Chasing his own success despite having 2 men in top-3 and today, he obviously payed the price. Betancur is of no use in proper mountains, but we probably knew that going in. At this point, he is a decent puncher and an atrocious climber. Herrada was in the break as well, but his past is prime. Of no use really.

So, Amador and Valverde needs to gain time. Visconti is the only semi reliable climber they have along with Rojas on a good day. Will be very hard and considering they haven't won any stages, which they should have, Im not super positive right now! But could have been way worse still, obviously. Maybe just an off-day?

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Huge ups and downs this Giro....

Amador has been riding out of his mind, attacking, fighting, descending like a mad man, but that was not enough today! You can really tell how respected Sutherland is within the team and that was some monster pull he did, it was Kiryenka-esque at his best days.

On the other hand, Visconti doesn't seem like a good team member. Chasing his own success despite having 2 men in top-3 and today, he obviously payed the price. Betancur is of no use in proper mountains, but we probably knew that going in. At this point, he is a decent puncher and an atrocious climber. Herrada was in the break as well, but his past is prime. Of no use really.

So, Amador and Valverde needs to gain time. Visconti is the only semi reliable climber they have along with Rojas on a good day. Will be very hard and considering they haven't won any stages, which they should have, Im not super positive right now! But could have been way worse still, obviously. Maybe just an off-day?

Yesterday Visconti went to the hospital after the crash, they feared that he had suffered a broken rib. Still, he isn't exactly the best teamplayer.

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

Amador has been riding out of his mind, attacking, fighting, descending like a mad man, but that was not enough today!

Amador payed for his efforts in helping Valverde. But anyway, he was still kind of overperforming IMHO with pink dress being much more then could be expected so not really any down. Justice I'd say.

Valverde is first time at Giro, with regards to that he is doing very well.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Huge ups and downs this Giro....

Amador has been riding out of his mind, attacking, fighting, descending like a mad man, but that was not enough today! You can really tell how respected Sutherland is within the team and that was some monster pull he did, it was Kiryenka-esque at his best days.

On the other hand, Visconti doesn't seem like a good team member. Chasing his own success despite having 2 men in top-3 and today, he obviously payed the price. Betancur is of no use in proper mountains, but we probably knew that going in. At this point, he is a decent puncher and an atrocious climber. Herrada was in the break as well, but his past is prime. Of no use really.

So, Amador and Valverde needs to gain time. Visconti is the only semi reliable climber they have along with Rojas on a good day. Will be very hard and considering they haven't won any stages, which they should have, Im not super positive right now! But could have been way worse still, obviously. Maybe just an off-day?

Think it's over for Valverde and Amador's chances. Podium still a possibility but the win is out of reach now, especially as there wasn't really any bad luck involved in to lose time

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Amador has been riding out of his mind, attacking, fighting, descending like a mad man, but that was not enough today!

Amador payed for his efforts in helping Valverde. But anyway, he was still kind of overperforming IMHO with pink dress being much more then could be expected so not really any down. Justice I'd say.

Valverde is first time at Giro, with regards to that he is doing very well.

He hasn't really helped Valverde as much as he has chased the Maglia Rosa. Anyways, I would prefer the Amador-version of 2016 anyway: on the attack, fighting and finally getting the jersey for 1 day. Last year, he rode very anomalously to 4th due to the weak field and Hesjedal and Kruiswijk screwing up.
And wait, isn't it a bit harsh to call him losing the jersey 'justice'? I know you don't like Amador for some reason, but Amador has very much deserved anything he has gotten this Giro.

And I don't think he is doing well. Any Valverde-fan with respect for themselves had expected more, he went from the 2nd biggest favourite to a mediocre Nibali to a rider who needs luck to finish at the podium.

 

[Red Rick]

Amador showed a lot of heart this Giro.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Amador showed a lot of heart this Giro.

He's not given up once has he and is willing to take risks to keep himself in the race, it's been fun to watch

 

[portugal11]

Valverde is bad at alttitude and he doesn't like snow and cold so it's impossible that he does top 3. Many people are forgetting that valverde is not a top climber, he is a classicomano and he does good results at steep/explosive climbs like in vuelta only because those climbs are raced at 1500 m and have normally 10 km or less

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

Valverde is bad at alttitude and he doesn't like snow and cold so it's impossible that he does top 3. Many people are forgetting that valverde is not a top climber, he is a classicomano and he does good results at steep/explosive climbs like in vuelta only because those climbs are raced at 1500 m and have normally 10 km or less

There are quite a few examples that show that Valverde can perform well at altitude and fail elsewhere for whatever reason. In the 2007 Tour he did fine in Iseran-Galibier to fail miserably in the ITT and the Pyrenees. In 2008 he failed in Hautacam but did well in Lombarde-Bonette and the day after in Galibier-Croix de Fer-L'Alpe d'Huez. In the 2009 Vuelta he was good in Sierra Nevada. In the 2013 Tour he lost all his chances in the echelons. In 2014 he faded day by day, but last year did well in the Tour mountains. It's true that he's inconsistent, but his inconsistency isn't consistently linked to high altitude or long climbs.

 

[roundabout]

I think he may have been dropped in the last km of the Bonette despite there being no attacks at all for the whole climb.

 

[Red Rick]

He's consistenly been better at one climb stages at medium-to high mountain stages than on the absolute roller coaster stages.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Valverde is bad at alttitude and he doesn't like snow and cold so it's impossible that he does top 3. Many people are forgetting that valverde is not a top climber, he is a classicomano and he does good results at steep/explosive climbs like in vuelta only because those climbs are raced at 1500 m and have normally 10 km or less

There are quite a few examples that show that Valverde can perform well at altitude and fail elsewhere for whatever reason. In the 2007 Tour he did fine in Iseran-Galibier to fail miserably in the ITT and the Pyrenees. In 2008 he failed in Hautacam but did well in Lombarde-Bonette and the day after in Galibier-Croix de Fer-L'Alpe d'Huez. In the 2009 Vuelta he was good in Sierra Nevada. In the 2013 Tour he lost all his chances in the echelons. In 2014 he faded day by day, but last year did well in the Tour mountains. It's true that he's inconsistent, but his inconsistency isn't consistently linked to high altitude or long climbs.

Very good post and all true. I simply don't think he had it today and I have a hard time seeing him getting it back somehow...

 

[HelloDolly]

From what I have seen of Valverde I think he was the best riders in the peloton last year but the grinding high altitude climbing is not for him. There is a reason he has never come to the Giro before and this is it...Todays climbing was for pure climbers who can handle altitude well .It is no surprise it was won by a Colombian

 

[Valv.Piti]

Many opportunities for the Blues in the coming days. If Amador can shake his sickness, I hope they will be attacking all out in stages 16 and 18! And altho I acknowledge that Visconti is a great rider, in various terrains, I would like to see him work for either Amador or Valverde at some point to set them up for a win or a decent gain in the GC.

I must admit, I have been a little frustrated with him. He is an incredibly rider when you don't have a big captain, but he has ridden for himself when Valverde was still much in it and Amador was very close and IN the pink jersey.

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

Many opportunities for the Blues in the coming days. If Amador can shake his sickness, I hope they will be attacking all out in stages 16 and 18! And altho I acknowledge that Visconti is a great rider, in various terrains, I would like to see him work for either Amador or Valverde at some point to set them up for a win or a decent gain in the GC.

I must admit, I have been a little frustrated with him. He is an incredibly rider when you don't have a big captain, but he has ridden for himself when Valverde was still much in it and Amador was very close and IN the pink jersey.

It was a necessity to send him upfront ( relative close in the GC), to get the other teams a bit worried and start chasing. With Moreno gone, deception Herrada ( maybe he isn't fully recoverd yet from his injury) and an overcooked Betancur there is not much left.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Nope, there isn't much left at the moment.

Lets see how the break forms tomorrow. Hoping for a break similar to today which is easy to control - Bala is the overwhelming favourite in Pinerolo.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Quintana
Valverde
D. Moreno
G. Izagirre
Castroviejo
Anacona
J. Herrada
Erviti
Rojas

That would be the strongest team with Malori out IMO. The only ones I could see being replaced would be J. Herrada and Rojas (due to Giro) by Dowsett and Oliveira. Amador could potentially do the Tour, he is a diesel and a very good rouleur, but I doubt it. Izagirre could do it, but I find it unlikely since it seems he is scheduled to get a big role in the Vuelta.

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

Quintana
Valverde
D. Moreno
G. Izagirre
Castroviejo
Anacona
J. Herrada
Erviti
Rojas

That would be the strongest team with Malori out IMO. The only ones I could see being replaced would be J. Herrada and Rojas (due to Giro) by Dowsett and Oliveira. Amador could potentially do the Tour, he is a diesel and a very good rouleur, but I doubt it. Izagirre could do it, but I find it unlikely since it seems he is scheduled to get a big role in the Vuelta.

Dowsett is currently in the Pyrenees, could be in the selection. Untill now Anacona hasn't shown anything yet this season, he will have to work hard to earn his spot.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Ok, thanks, I didn't know. He seems well respected and there are MANY flat stages this year, but no TTT.

I think Anacona is a lock if he just shows a little more. He is Colombian, Nairo likes him and he was superb in the last week last year.