Valverde- Back but wheel sucking

[IndianCyclist]

Its good to see Valverde back in action and his previous form. But i am appalled at his racing. He wouldn't take any responsibility for chasing. His team also did little work. In short he's become a wheel sucker who is satisfied with only sprinting and minor placings. If he was in this form which would be evident from training data, he should have tried harder. In AGR and LBL he was merely content with shadowing Gilbert. He was impressive in the way he chased down Gilbert in both races but after that wouldn't chase the winner at all. Would have won the AGR and LBL if he had tried harder.

 

[Carols]

In Your opinion......and since Valverde seems to be detested here by many I'm sure some will agree.

I don't

 

[kingjr]

Neither do I. He lost to two guys that were stronger today but came in ahead of other riders who were probably stronger as well.

Can't stand all that whining about "wheelsucking" anyway, Sport is about winning for gods sake, not about who is riding in the wind the most.

 

[barn yard]

at a club level wheel sucking can be a big no no as it is a quick way to get your friends off side

but at pro level yeah i also dont really see the big deal, these guys make a living with wins, for most racers being on the front means you are not going to win. the history books dont show who was the greatest at getting on the front all the time and missing the podium.

my issue with valverde was that he was running leg warmers with no arm warmers... the shame!

 

[movingtarget]

Riders ride to their strengths. It's a bit odd that other riders regularly get bashed for doing what Valverde does. Rodriguez obviously was not going to wait for the sprint at Liege for a certain Movistar rider was waiting to pounce.

 

[SKSemtex]

Neither do I. He lost to two guys that were stronger today but came in ahead of other riders who were probably stronger as well.

Can't stand all that whining about "wheelsucking" anyway, Sport is about winning for gods sake, not about who is riding in the wind the most.

True. It is completely legitimate way of winning, and part of tactic against the stronger guys and whining of losers isn´t really correct and I hate it as well. But on the other hand fans have the right not to like it and express it on the forum.

 

[maxmartin]

Its good to see Valverde back in action and his previous form. But i am appalled at his racing. He wouldn't take any responsibility for chasing. His team also did little work. In short he's become a wheel sucker who is satisfied with only sprinting and minor placings. If he was in this form which would be evident from training data, he should have tried harder. In AGR and LBL he was merely content with shadowing Gilbert. He was impressive in the way he chased down Gilbert in both races but after that wouldn't chase the winner at all. Would have won the AGR and LBL if he had tried harder.

you call wheel sucking, some other people call it smart. Chris Horner once said in an interview, he thought Valverde is smartest in the bunch to position himself never wasting any extra energy.

 

[TeoSheva]

I don't like to generalize, but yesterday yes, he did too much whell sucking...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

yea, Valverde wheelsucks quite a bit, but then he can often afford to do that with his sprinting capabilities.

Is he getting the balance right? The next few years will tell.

 

[El Pistolero]

Woe to the vanquished.

Oh wait, he didn't win. He often rides for second or third place. I'm not talking about yesterday, but it's what he generally does. He's never very active and rides very conservatively for the sprint. Other riders are often disliked for that reason, but for some reason people like Valverde. When he wheelsucks he doesn't win.

He's one of the most talented allround riders(incl. clinic) yet has only won 2 LBLs and a FW as classics(not bad of course, but you'd expect more of a climber that can outsprint Freire). Of course you can say that Grand Tours are what he really likes, but he only won the little runt of GTs, the Vuelta.

 

[SafeBet]

Never liked him and never will.

 

[hrotha]

Back "but" wheelsucking? Wheelsucking has always been what he does.

Can't stand all that whining about "wheelsucking" anyway, Sport is about winning for gods sake, not about who is riding in the wind the most.

Valverde's wheelsucking actually makes him lose more often than not.

 

[cineteq]

He knows how, and when to do it. Remember what he did in Fuente Dé?

He's the smartest rider in the peloton!

 

[The Hitch]

Woe to the vanquished.

Oh wait, he didn't win. He often rides for second or third place. I'm not talking about yesterday, but it's what he generally does. He's never very active and rides very conservatively for the sprint. Other riders are often disliked for that reason, but for some reason people like Valverde. When he wheelsucks he doesn't win.

He's one of the most talented allround riders(incl. clinic) yet has only won 2 LBLs and a FW as classics(not bad of course, but you'd expect more of a climber that can outsprint Freire). Of course you can say that Grand Tours are what he really likes, but he only won the little runt of GTs, the Vuelta.

he's also finished on the podium of gts a few times. and he lost the peak years of his career.

 

[trevim]

Wheelsucker? Maybe. Try harder? I don't understand the meaning of this. If he could, he would've won.

 

[Afrank]

For all we know he was too cooked from bridging up to the group to do that much on the front. And Hesjedal on the front wasn't really asking for any help and was giving it all he had for Dan Martin. So Hesjedal's pace might have tired him out as well.

But nonetheless I agree, Valverde tends to wheelsuck a little too often. AGR being a prime example of that, Valverde could have done much more there to help out. I doubt if his help would have helped them catch Kreuziger though.

 

[cineteq]

For all we know he was too cooked from bridging up to the group to do that much on the front. And Hesjedal on the front wasn't really asking for any help and was giving it all he had for Dan Martin. So Hesjedal's pace might have tired him out as well.

Unzue disagrees with you. Electronic shifting was the cause.
http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=61335

 

[Afrank]

Unzue disagrees with you. Electronic shifting was the cause.
http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=61335

Sounds kinda like an excuse, but could be a possibility for not following Rodriguez's move. Shouldn't have caused him too much trouble with taking a pull on the front though.

 

[delbified]

i reckon he's lost his edge.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I compare this situation to football. Some people like Italian football some don't, they like the english game where the gaffer says "go out there and express yourself"

 

[DominicDecoco]

Its good to see Valverde back in action and his previous form. But i am appalled at his racing. He wouldn't take any responsibility for chasing. His team also did little work. In short he's become a wheel sucker who is satisfied with only sprinting and minor placings. If he was in this form which would be evident from training data, he should have tried harder. In AGR and LBL he was merely content with shadowing Gilbert. He was impressive in the way he chased down Gilbert in both races but after that wouldn't chase the winner at all. Would have won the AGR and LBL if he had tried harder.

...Said behind a monitor and a keyboard...

 

[Panda Claws]

...Said behind a monitor and a keyboard...

By the same logic we should all be very, very impressed by Schleck's performance yesterday. Finishing a minute down in Liège, I can't even finish an hour down.

 

[IndianCyclist]

...Said behind a monitor and a keyboard...

True but i donot know of any other method to post on a forum without a monitor or a keyboard

 

[Zam_Olyas]

True but i donot know of any other method to post on a forum without a monitor or a keyboard

A smart phone work may work or try a old dusty typewriter

 

[ElChingon]

Did he wheel suck? Yes. But! He is his teams outright leader and hence is one of the benefits and his teammates do this because he can go for the win or podium and get the sponsor mentioned and logo exposed more. Mission accomplished.

Now lets compare this with the team that was pulling for the longest time around 20k to go, they ended up not with not much to be proud of. No one scores time at the front of the peloton, even those accusing wheel suckers give no data on how much more time rider X vs rider Y spent in the wind, only I think.

That being said Evans is still the ultimate wheel sucker, this is based on the races he did prio to his worlds win where he never ever took the initiative to move past anyone to improve his placing nor go for a win.