Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

[Valv.Piti]

Lets play a little game:

Giro d' Italia: Valverde/Landa[, Bennati, Rojas, Amador, Valls, Anacona, Fernandez and Parte
Tour de France: Valverde, Quintana, Landa, Soler, Oliveira, Bennati, Sutterlin/Erviti and Bananito

If Valverde goes to the Giro he's skipping the Tour. He wants that record number of podiums at la Vuelta.

Yeah you are right. Theres also this little race called the Worlds which should suit him okay according to some

Most definitely. That little race called the Worlds which he is still very much obsessed with. It looks very much like a course for the Ardennes and Lombardia guys. Here's Movistar's problem. How do they keep him to at or at least close to 80 race days before the Worlds. That would be very helpful for his chances.

Yeah, thats a problem, always has been and always will be. Probably especially will be this year with more early race days since he will race Down Under. But thats also one of the reasons I love him!

For all the Danes, heres a preview of Movistar for 2018: http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/optaktsjulekalender_hvad_kan_vi_forvente_af_movistar_i_2018/

 

[Netserk]

The recent news should make it easier to convince Landa to ride the Giro.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

If that happened, there is no way they all support and help each other. That would most likely turn out like 2005 for Telekom having Ullrich, Vino, and Kloden at best or 2011 Radioshack with Kloden, Levi, Horner, and Jani.

So that will be their demise. And that means Unzue is weak. I will argue that if you apply my plan and get Valverde do classics (focus on RRWC, he can win it), return the favor at the Vuelta for Nairo/Landa who sacrified, it's possible to line up a three headed monster at Le Tour, and after a Giro, I can't see Froome and Sky responding to every attack, particularly if Dumoulin is hiding in the shadows until the ITT. Movistar (who?) can win Le Tour. And you're probably right: they won't.

I'm writing in telegraphic style...sorry .

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re: Re:

If that happened, there is no way they all support and help each other. That would most likely turn out like 2005 for Telekom having Ullrich, Vino, and Kloden at best or 2011 Radioshack with Kloden, Levi, Horner, and Jani.

So that will be their demise. And that means Unzue is weak. I will argue that if you apply my plan and get Valverde do classics (focus on RRWC, he can win it), return the favor at the Vuelta for Nairo/Landa who sacrified, it's possible to line up a three headed monster at Le Tour, and after a Giro, I can't see Froome and Sky responding to every attack, particularly if Dumoulin is hiding in the shadows until the ITT. Movistar (who?) can win Le Tour. And you're probably right: they won't.

I'm writing in telegraphic style...sorry .

I just think they can get more success on branching off their leaders over the whole year to maximise their wins and each get to lead a GT and Valverde getting to lead the classics. What stinks is they lost Benat who could have lead the Giro leaving Quintana and Landa to double up the Tour.

 

[Moviestar]

Unzue just confirmed on the official presentation that the will send the three musketeers to the TOUR!

 

[yaco]

This is a recipe for disaster - There is a small chance that all three muskateers will be out of contention by the first rest day.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

This is a recipe for disaster - There is a small chance that all three muskateers will be out of contention by the first rest day.

And there is a huge chance they won't!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

This is a recipe for disaster - There is a small chance that all three muskateers will be out of contention by the first rest day.

And there would be a greater chance that two of them would be out of contention had they only sent 2...

I don't follow the logic here

 

[fauniera]

So who will be protected at the cobbles stage? All three? I don't think that's going to work. They already lost the Tour once because they couldn't protect Nairo on the flat, and now they come with three leaders? What nonsense.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Unzue just confirmed on the official presentation that the will send the three musketeers to the TOUR!

I hope they'll avoid the level of embarrassment T-Mobile set in 2005.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Cant wait for El Tridente in the Tour!

Valverde first races will be in Mallorca where he will participate in 2 out of the 4 races and then Valenciana (thats how I understand it anyways). I'd imagine him doing Murcia and Andalucia as always as well.
Quintana starts in Colombia.
Landa, I don't know, but he will be in the Tour. Something inside of me hopes no one is doing the Giro, that would open up for a lot of the younger and talented climbers to show their worth. There are lots of opportunities and I dont really know what I prefer.

 

[Escarabajo]

I think sending the three of them to the Tour is a mistake like others have said it here. Rarely you see that working. Either internal fights erupt or everyone one will go their way.

Maybe Unzue will prove everyone wrong and with the current news we could see both, like Astana in 2009, internal fights and 2 riders in the podium including the win.

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

Cant wait for El Tridente in the Tour!

Valverde first races will be in Mallorca where he will participate in 2 out of the 4 races and then Valenciana (thats how I understand it anyways). I'd imagine him doing Murcia and Andalucia as always as well.
Quintana starts in Colombia.
Landa, I don't know, but he will be in the Tour. Something inside of me hopes no one is doing the Giro, that would open up for a lot of the younger and talented climbers to show their worth. There are lots of opportunities and I dont really know what I prefer.

Landa will start in Andalucia. Valverde will have a more or less same build-up like last season, with more one-day races.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Valverde didn't ride Valenciana last year tho? Read somewhere that was the plan this year.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

This is going to be hilarious. Either glory or a complete disaster with them all at each other's throats. I can't wait until Landa and Nairo start attacking each other.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

This is a recipe for disaster - There is a small chance that all three muskateers will be out of contention by the first rest day.

And there would be a greater chance that two of them would be out of contention had they only sent 2...

I don't follow the logic here

The relevance is the first week of the TDF has a tricky parcours so these riders need to be protected - Unfortunately, MS is light on for rouleur type riders or similar to protect these riders - Having the three muskateers will unbalance the team.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Re:

This is going to be hilarious. Either glory or a complete disaster with them all at each other's throats. I can't wait until Landa and Nairo start attacking each other.

With no Froome they are each others' main rivals this will be great if they all show up in good form.

 

[Nirvana]

Re:

Valverde didn't ride Valenciana last year tho? Read somewhere that was the plan this year.

He wrote that in his website.
http://alejandrovalverde.es/noticias-presentado_el_movistar_team_2018-395.aspx

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Valverde didn't ride Valenciana last year tho? Read somewhere that was the plan this year.

He wrote that in his website.
http://alejandrovalverde.es/noticias-presentado_el_movistar_team_2018-395.aspx

Yeah exactly. Will be interesting to see him in all of the early season races in Spain, I cant Imagine him skipping Andalucia, that would be like skipping Fléche Wallone at this point!

 

[Koronin]

Valverde's early season schedule is Mollarca, Valencia, Murcia (all confirmed at this point). I can't see him skipping Andalucia and even Landa said he expects Valverde racing it with him. Landa said something about the King of Andalucia can't skip that race. He said something about wanting to go to both Catalunia and Basque again this year, then the Ardennes. I would have to guess Landa to Paris-Nice and then join Valverde at Basque. We still don't know if Landa is going to the Giro or if they are going to send all 3 to both the Tour and la Vuelta.
So it seems they are adding a week to Valverde's spring schedule. Maybe they'll give him both May and June off before the National Championships and le Tour. At this rate, I'm guessing Valverde hits 90 race days again even if the UCI has put a soft limit of 85 race days on the riders in the new rules. Something about as long as the team and rider can prove to the UCI they are being well taken care of and not suffering by the added race days they are granted an exemption to race over 85 days. I do remember Movistar's only comment about that limit being we're going to love to see a UCI official try to explain to Alejandro why he's not supposed to be racing more than 85 race days. Although I think that rule was more aimed at domestiques than at Valverde. When a rider finishes top 5 at Lombardia at 92 race days it's kind of hard for the UCI to claim he's been over raced.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Unzue just confirmed on the official presentation that the will send the three musketeers to the TOUR!

They will be unstoppable. At least one will make it to the first rest day unscathed. There's a chance of internal feuds, of course, but it's the way to go.

 

[Valv.Piti]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUJW6y5B3ag&feature=youtu.be
Team presentation, good to see the new faces, should help med recognise the Arcas, Castrillo and Carreteros of the world.

 

[Escarabajo]

Nice colors. Wish them the best!

 

[fauniera]

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

 

[GuyIncognito]

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

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