Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

[deValtos]

Re: Re:

They need a fully fit Malori back honestly. The more I think about it I sense some real danger if there's crosswind stages.

I think they actually selected a team for that purpose if you ask me.

They gave up some mountain horsepower, unless Amador and Betancur are at his best.

Perhaps they did, yet it still doesn't fill me with much confidence. Like I said in my earlier post I think they could do fine on positioning with the bunch especially with Bennati so hopefully for Quintana he won't miss any splits. However if he does, I just see a Movistar led peloton hemorrhaging time to whoever is crushing in the front group.

Also I don't know much about this Imanol Erviti character except for his great classic season last year. It seems he has ridden the TDF/Veulta every year for the last seven years! It seems like he gets selected no matter what his form is, I am wondering if this is justified or not. For instance this year he has been completely anonymous.

Every TDF one of the key points I remember from Movistar is that Quintana is isolated on the flat yet this is partly the job of Erviti no? I wonder to myself if they should make him work more for his selection, I think it's a complacent pick.

 

[trevim]

Weird selection to me since they didn't select neither Ruben Fernandez or Marc Soler. I wonder how much Amador will have in the tank or how Betancur will ride but I can't help but feel that Fernandez or Soler are way better climbers than any of the guys selected except Valverde of course.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

They need a fully fit Malori back honestly. The more I think about it I sense some real danger if there's crosswind stages.

I think they actually selected a team for that purpose if you ask me.

They gave up some mountain horsepower, unless Amador and Betancur are at his best.

Perhaps they did, yet it still doesn't fill me with much confidence. Like I said in my earlier post I think they could do fine on positioning with the bunch especially with Bennati so hopefully for Quintana he won't miss any splits. However if he does, I just see a Movistar led peloton hemorrhaging time to whoever is crushing in the front group.

Also I don't know much about this Imanol Erviti character except for his great classic season last year. It seems he has ridden the TDF/Veulta every year for the last seven years! It seems like he gets selected no matter what his form is, I am wondering if this is justified or not. For instance this year he has been completely anonymous.

Every TDF one of the key points I remember from Movistar is that Quintana is isolated on the flat yet this is partly the job of Erviti no? I wonder to myself if they should make him work more for his selection, I think it's a complacent pick.

Imanol Erviti is one of the best roleurs in the world for quite some time, he's irreplaceable. He could ride on the front for days, one of the big engines of the peloton.

 

[deValtos]

So basically he's on the front before the TV coverage is on? That would explain why I rarely see him.

Though with full stage coverage it will be easier to asses his actual value.

 

[Escarabajo]

I had my doubts about Erviti also. I hope he is better this year. He is taking a full place every year. And they even had to bring Bennati in the off season.

For the mountains, as I said, it all depends on Amador and Betancur which are question marks.

 

[deValtos]

Pretty cool interview from Alex Dowsett about his future: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dowsett-reflects-on-his-future-after-movistar-tour-de-france-snub/

Says he completely understands why Movistar are not selecting him and he would've made the same decisions had he been choosing riders. But of course he cant be happy with not being selected for any GT's in over 2 years now. Time to part ways with the team and find a better fit.

 

[Moviestar]

On the Spanish version of Eurosport Unzue yesterday said that he didn't want Soler to do a GT this year. For the moment he opts for the trio Fernandez-Moreno-Betancur as cards for the Vuelta.

I think he will include Soler eventually and perhaps also a Carapaz who seems ready for a GT debute.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Fernandez, Soler, Carapaz and Betancur would mean I would be pretty intrigued about the race. With Valverde not participating tho, do we think there is a chance Quintana will ride the Vuelta?

 

[Escarabajo]

Talking about Quintana riding the Vuelta is too soon. I doubt it if he does a good performance in this Tour.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Talking about Quintana riding the Vuelta is too soon. I doubt it if he does a good performance in this Tour.

Im just speculating, thats never too soon..

 

[tobydawq]

I think that's out of the question.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Fernandez, Soler, Carapaz and Betancur would mean I would be pretty intrigued about the race. With Valverde not participating tho, do we think there is a chance Quintana will ride the Vuelta?

Not a chance, he's no Valverde.

 

[MovistarRider]

Imagine Nairo doing the Vuelta, after he podiumed at the TDF, and ending again on the podium. That would make it 5 out of 5 podiums at the last 5 GT's.

Naaah, can't see Nairo doing the Vuelta. Dude has been in Europe for almost the whole year till now, surely he want's to go back to Colombia to be with his family and mates.

 

[Squire]

Having lost Valverde, this must be the weakest Movistar team at the Tour for ages. Since 2011?

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

Having lost Valverde, this must be the weakest Movistar team at the Tour for ages. Since 2011?

The team seems very handicapped indeed. For the last climb they were with some men, but on the climb you would expect a Betancur ( who said on beforehand that he is near his 100% form) and a Castroviejo to hang on a little longer with Quintana. Amador pays the price for this crash in stage 2 and Herrada isn't a true climber. The climbers are not in topform to put it mildly.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Having lost Valverde, this must be the weakest Movistar team at the Tour for ages. Since 2011?

Yes, since 2011. I don't quite remember the 2012-team, but that wasn't that good either really. And Valverde and Quintana wont ride the Vuelta, the horror.

 

[Squire]

Re: Re:

Having lost Valverde, this must be the weakest Movistar team at the Tour for ages. Since 2011?

The team seems very handicapped indeed. For the last climb they were with some men, but on the climb you would expect a Betancur ( who said on beforehand that he is near his 100% form) and a Castroviejo to hang on a little longer with Quintana. Amador pays the price for this crash in stage 2 and Herrada isn't a true climber. The climbers are not in topform to put it mildly.

That's surely impossible after such an amputated season as last year. He must be severely lacking quality mileage.

The Vuelta will be intruiging with no clear leader. Potentially, all of Soler, Moreno, Fernandez, Carapaz & Betancur could lay claim to leadership (mentioned in order of likelyhood of that happening) for GC.

And I haven't commented on the rumours for next season yet. That really sounds mouth-watering.

 

[Escarabajo]

The team looks very weak in the mountains. Well is OK if Quintana is not challenging for the win.

 

[Moviestar]

Re: Re:

Having lost Valverde, this must be the weakest Movistar team at the Tour for ages. Since 2011?

The team seems very handicapped indeed. For the last climb they were with some men, but on the climb you would expect a Betancur ( who said on beforehand that he is near his 100% form) and a Castroviejo to hang on a little longer with Quintana. Amador pays the price for this crash in stage 2 and Herrada isn't a true climber. The climbers are not in topform to put it mildly.

That's surely impossible after such an amputated season as last year. He must be severely lacking quality mileage.

The Vuelta will be intruiging with no clear leader. Potentially, all of Soler, Moreno, Fernandez, Carapaz & Betancur could lay claim to leadership (mentioned in order of likelyhood of that happening) for GC.

And I haven't commented on the rumours for next season yet. That really sounds mouth-watering.

Yes that will be very interesting to see how the pepites will fare.

 

[MovistarRider]

If Nairo doesn't miraculously finds a way to upset the other favourites at this TDF then this will truly be a lost year for Movistar since there will be no Alejandro and Nairo at the Vuelta.

Team looks as far as support act in the mountains goes weakest since 5 years or so. Hard days for the Movistar boys.

 

[Escarabajo]

A lost year???

From the GC for the GT maybe, otherwise it has been a success for Movistar if you ask me.

 

[MovistarRider]

Yeah I obviously was pointing out the GC of the last 2 major GT's

Alejandro's succes before the Dauphine alone makes sure that 2017 isn't a lost year. But yeah, the GT's wont be succesful unless Nairo manage to pull out something very scary of his hat.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Well Don and Quintana had both great springs, Alejandro's was amazing. Quintana missed the Giro which was not a big deal really, but not having success in the two biggest targets of a GT-focused team is pretty bad and frankly unprecedented for Movistar (you have to go back to 2011). That said, we don't know if Quintana will live up during the Tour (I would be surprised if he didnt net a top-5) and how about the youngers in the Vuelta? I think Soler will be really motivated, Betancur will be in some seriously good shape (I hope), Fernandez will have to show something and Carapaz is just a stud. Realistically, I only think Soler can do something serious, but the others will get their chance to shine and there are lots and lots of opportunies compared to this horrible Tour de France.

 

[MovistarRider]

Yeah, looking on the bright side of every issue there might indeed be some youngsters who could announce themselves on the world stage given the chance in the absence of the big two. Soler and Carapaz are two talented climbers, especially Carapaz display at the Route du Sud i've been very impressed with. Sutterlin is another rider i would love to see at the Vuelta just for the sake of seeing what he is capable of in the 42km TT at stage 16. Which 9 riders would you take?

 

[perico]

Re:

Yeah, looking on the bright side of every issue there might indeed be some youngsters who could announce themselves on the world stage given the chance in the absence of the big two. Soler and Carapaz are two talented climbers, especially Carapaz display at the Route du Sud i've been very impressed with. Sutterlin is another rider i would love to see at the Vuelta just for the sake of seeing what he is capable of in the 42km TT at stage 16. Which 9 riders would you take?

Fernandez was extremely impressive in the Vuelta last year. I'm sure Dowsett will be there as well. Betancur will have 1 GT in his legs and if his form is good, could be a ceremonial leader, though Soler and Fernandez would be better GC options.