Valverde 2012?

[craig1985]

Personally the TDU will be a great way for him to come back or even the Tour de San Luís, but I don't think he will though. He could do the TDU and still back in time for the early races in Spain and Portugal.

 

[El Pistolero]

Scared already

You are right, Piti wont challenge Cauberg or Huy but the rest of your comment acts as if GTs were totally worthless.

Id say its quite impressive to perform as he did in the classics in 09 and 10 while winning stages left right and centre, and podiuming or winning all stage races he entered + winning La Vuelta.

The guy won 2 stages and came 2nd on another 3 in Pais Vasco for example.

Theres no duel between Gilbert and Valverde. Piti is the strongest to challenge Phil but Valverde also has other things beside 1 dayers on his mind.

My post is only about a duel between Phil and Valverde. Hence I don't talk about GTs. Yes, it's impressive someone can win classics and GTs. Although Valverde has always been an inconsistent climber. Phil is also not a worthless guy in stage races however, he only races the ones that are more suited to him.

He won the queen stage in the Tirreno-Adriatico and got ninth in the overall classification, he won the queen stage of the Tour of Belgium and the overall classification, he won the queen stage at the Ster ZLM Toer and the overall classification, he won the queen stage of the Eneco Tour and got second in the overall classification. That's not to be snubbed at.

Regardless of what Phil has on his minds, he always performs whether it's a one day race, a one week race or a Grand Tour. Whether it's spring, summer or autumn: he's always ready to take some more victories. He's the true cannibal of today's cycling. There's no one else that can remain motivated to still keep his season going. Cancellara last year spoke about a black hole after his impressive spring season because he could not motivate him self enough anymore. Matt Goss was a party boy after Milan-San Remo and his results reflect that. Things like that don't happen to Phil.

As for the classics, Valverde wasn't really good in the classics in 2009.

 

[Sasquatch]

Valverde will win the Tour Down Under.

He'll win that stage into Stirling and then he'll win up Willunga hill.

 

[hughmoore]

Did UCI end up bringing some rule about returning dopers not accruing points for first year, or was that just a possiblity?

That would obviously affect things, no point winning if doest earn points for the team
Hugh

I was talking about this article which says: As a former suspended rider, Valverde won't be allowed to score UCI points for his team until 2014, according to new UCI rules. However several team managers believe it is worth signing him.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/valverde-still-looking-for-a-team-for-2012

Is this still the case?


Hugh

 

[auscyclefan94]

Valverde will win the Tour Down Under.

He'll win that stage into Stirling and then he'll win up Willunga hill.

I'll cry myself to sleep if that happens. Hopefully he has a puncture on Wilunga Hill while on the lead and the australian neutral servce screw him ovre with a bike change.

 

[Kvinto]

Oh, take it easy, why should he (Valverde) care about TDU? There's a lot of races more suitable for him and what is important - there's a lot of such races outside of Italy (or in your case - outside of Australia), seriously, no need to worry that much

 

[dlwssonic]

Sorry Aussies but TDU isn't a real important race.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sorry Aussies but TDU isn't a real important race.

In reference to the rest of the season, of course it isn't but that's not to say it isn't a big race. It is a World tour race, the first race with all the top pros competing in their teams and it always is important to get off to a good start with new teams.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't think a lot of non-Australian pros take TDU seriously. I think only Contador does. And even he doesn't go there anymore.

It was Phil's first pro win though

 

[auscyclefan94]

I don't think a lot of non-Australian pros take TDU seriously. I think only Contador does. And even he doesn't go there anymore.

The Aussies do because it is their home race. Greipel does. A few of the top riders in the world take it seriously because they are competitors. Other than that you are right.

 

[Spaniard]

I don't think a lot of non-Australian pros take TDU seriously. I think only Contador does. And even he doesn't go there anymore.

It was Phil's first pro win though

Probably Contador's stage victory in TDU was and will be his best in his sport life.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

di luca if he wants to suffer again like in his best days,but i've heard he might not

i have a feeling that in fact duarte might become a rider like vino.

duarte is totally different rider from vino in every possible way

 

[craig1985]

I think Lulu liked going to the TDU before he went to Rabobank.

 

[nobilis]

I'll cry myself to sleep if that happens. Hopefully he has a puncture on Wilunga Hill while on the lead and the australian neutral servce screw him ovre with a bike change.

yeah, this is the only way you hope he gets beaten.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I think Lulu liked going to the TDU before he went to Rabobank.

LuLu was a lot of things before he went to Rabobank. Now he is just the mediocre rider he was meant to be

 

[nobilis]

LuLu was a lot of things before he went to Rabobank. Now he is just the mediocre rider he was meant to be

winning the spanish TT and a stage in the tour for the 3rd time is far from being mediocre.

 

[dlwssonic]

winning the spanish TT and a stage in the tour for the 3rd time is far from being mediocre.

If not for that stage win it would have been an utter disaster of a season. He has looked pretty terrible the whole season at rabo, luckily he got his breakthrough with the stage win. Can understand how a rabo fan feels, when they spent so much money on him.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

yeah, this is the only way you hope he gets beaten.

ACF's just scared because he remembers many years of poor Evans scrambling for a new excuse for being beaten by Valverde yet again.

I remember somebody posting something about great photos, and ACF posted a picture of the Valverde-Sánchez-Sagan-Evans break, with Valverde placed first and Evans 2nd. I noted that it was nice to see Evans in his traditional place - behind Valverde. ACF went schiz.

Oh, good times, good times.

 

[c&cfan]

ACF's just scared because he remembers many years of poor Evans scrambling for a new excuse for being beaten by Valverde yet again.

I remember somebody posting something about great photos, and ACF posted a picture of the Valverde-Sánchez-Sagan-Evans break, with Valverde placed first and Evans 2nd. I noted that it was nice to see Evans in his traditional place - behind Valverde. ACF went schiz.

Oh, good times, good times.

valverde is really an unique cyclist... if he was born in other era without the super specialized machines he would easily be considered the best ever for the same "kind" that considers merckx the best ever.

the truth is, valverde is unique.

 

[El Pistolero]

valverde is really an unique cyclist... if he was born in other era without the super specialized machines he would easily be considered the best ever for the same "kind" that considers merckx the best ever.

the truth is, valverde is unique.

Why doesn't he prove it then? Let him do the world hour record and let's see if he can beat Merckx his time. I tell you this: he won't be able to do it

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Why doesn't he prove it then? Let him do the world hour record and let's see if he can beat Merckx his time. I tell you this: he won't be able to do it

Because even Valverde himself doesn't believe that propaganda?

 

[c&cfan]

Why doesn't he prove it then? Let him do the world hour record and let's see if he can beat Merckx his time. I tell you this: he won't be able to do it

he already proved it.

 

[El Pistolero]

he already proved it.

Miguel Indurain broke the world hour record back when modern bikes were still allowed. ChrIs Boardman broke Big Mig's record with a modern bike as well. The UCI decided to make these records unofficial and everyone now has to use the same bike Merckx used. Chris Boardman broke Merckx his record finally with only a few meters better. So someone who beat Big Mig in the time trial could only barely beat the record of a guy who already won the Giro/Tour that season and before his big injury(Merckx had a very nasty crash in '69 and was never his former self again). Chris Boardman prepared his entire season for the Hour record. Merckx of course did not and already had a long season behind him.

Yeah, amateur huh

 

[luckyboy]

lol Valverde is a good climber with a kick and a good TT.

He was the best all-rounder, but he's not the Merckx of our time. He's only a GT winner because of a neutral service car.

 

[roundabout]

altitude

retiring rider with osteoporosis

what Merckx did was very impressive but how about the other side of the coin