Vuelta a España Who Will Win the Vuelta 2019?

[JosephK]

Yeah, but he was flying through the spring before the Giro. I mean seriously flying. So the fade was always on the cards for this reason - many suspected it.

I think Roglic also got banged up more than he initially acknowledged during the stage where he had a mechanical, took a teammate's bike, and crashed while scurrying to rejoin the top GC group.

 

[movingtarget]

He was a couple of stages from winning last year and the race suits him better this year + in the Tour he showed he has still got it.

People have kept saying thrughout the last many years that Valverde is not a GC candidate, yet he rides GC much more successfully than most others.

Don't see it happening for Valverde. Even more convinced after his ride in the Tour. He's top 5-10 now.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Yeah, but he was flying through the spring before the Giro. I mean seriously flying. So the fade was always on the cards for this reason - many suspected it.

Obviously, but that's an entirely different reason that going too deep early in one race. Roglic was just in too good shape for an extended period of time before the Giro. That wasn't really the case with Yates last year (remember Catalunya?) who could have sustained his level throughout the Giro, had he raced with a different approach.

Maybe Roglic has learned the lesson not to try to extend his shape for an unrealistic period of time. I suppose that it is the main reason he did not go to the Tour? Anyway, this time it's certainly the opposite with Roglic.

 

[Blanco]

Except from the guys that actually win GC and most of the top 10 that can beat him

Valverde actually won GT
Valverde actually has 8 podiums
Valverde is actually an all-time record holder for Top 10 in GT's
Valverde is also a record holder for Vuelta podiums
And I could bet that this same 39 year-old Valverde will beat at least half of that list above in the poll.

 

[rick james]

Valverde actually won GT
Valverde actually has 8 podiums
Valverde is actually an all-time record holder for Top 10 in GT's
Valverde is also a record holder for Vuelta podiums
And I could bet that this same 39 year-old Valverde will beat at least half of that list above in the poll.

And he still won’t win this vuelta

 

[Singer01]

The fact that he has so many vuelta podiums proves nothing. Nobody else targets it like him. And he still only won 1, and that was 10 years ago. Hes a great rider, his longevity is immense, his palmares is phenomenal. But a top GC rider he is not, even at his best.

 

[Red Rick]

And he still won’t win this vuelta

Big if true.

In reality, all but one rider will not win this Vuelta, so 9 poll options are bound to be wrong.

 

[Blanco]

The fact that he has so many vuelta podiums proves nothing. Nobody else targets it like him. And he still only won 1, and that was 10 years ago. Hes a great rider, his longevity is immense, his palmares is phenomenal. But a top GC rider he is not, even at his best.

He's not Contador, or Indurain of course, but in the current peloton very few riders have superior GT record than him.

 

[del1962]

Poels will finish ahead of Valverde

 

[Salvarani]

The fact that he has so many vuelta podiums proves nothing. Nobody else targets it like him. And he still only won 1, and that was 10 years ago. Hes a great rider, his longevity is immense, his palmares is phenomenal. But a top GC rider he is not, even at his best.

For conversational purposes only... do you only call riders that has won multiple GTs "top GC riders"?

Because isnt winning one, multiple podiums and top 10s kind of the proof of a "top GC rider"? Multips wins in other stage races.

 

[Bolder]

Valverde had come up through the ranks today I think he would have been pushed toward being purely a GT hopeful. He's got incredible punch to win stages at the end, can handle really long races/stages, and has always been at fighting weight. The knock against him in GTs has been long climbs at altitude, or something like that, but training methods have advanced since the last century and I could see him winning all 3 tours in a career with a WC RR or two, but fewer one-day victories.

He's also been something of a lone wolf, but he might have been reined in under a structured team like Ineos. Fun to speculate either way. For this Vuelta his time may have passed but certainly a podium is possible if the chips fall his way.

 

[tobydawq]

He has as many podiums in the race as the entire rest of the peloton combined, so of course he is the biggest favourite!

Actually, I can't count. He has more Vuelta podiums than the rest of the peloton combined.

 

[rick james]

Poels will finish ahead of Valverde

Offt, the Valverde fan boys won’t like this

 

[Red Rick]

Valverde had come up through the ranks today I think he would have been pushed toward being purely a GT hopeful. He's got incredible punch to win stages at the end, can handle really long races/stages, and has always been at fighting weight. The knock against him in GTs has been long climbs at altitude, or something like that, but training methods have advanced since the last century and I could see him winning all 3 tours in a career with a WC RR or two, but fewer one-day victories.

He's also been something of a lone wolf, but he might have been reined in under a structured team like Ineos. Fun to speculate either way. For this Vuelta his time may have passed but certainly a podium is possible if the chips fall his way.

I don't think that Valverde had the pure GT talent to win a Tour de France. He might have picked off a weak Giro with some luck if he'd peaked at exactly the right moment. Consistent as he's been he's also consistently been not good enough to win them.

He's 39. I think hyping him up as a favorite is silly. But that doesn't detract from his legacy.

 

[tobydawq]

To be honest, I don't really believe he will win, either.

 

[Blanco]

Offt, the Valverde fan boys won’t like this

No, we don't mind it at all, we find it amusing cause we all know it won't gonna happen

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I don't think that Valverde will win the Vuelta, but the suggestion that he can't possibly win it are ridiculous. It is easy to say he won't win it, and those saying so will probably be proven correct. Indeed, given that nobody is odds on to win, anyone saying that anyone won't win it is probably going to be correct.

But how sure are you that he won't? Betting Exchange are offering people willing to back him at 32/1: are you going to snap that up? Would you lay 100/1? Just what do you mean when you say that he can't or won't win?

 

[rick james]

No, we don't mind it at all, we find it amusing cause we all know it won't gonna happen

I don't think it will happen either

 

[Salvarani]

What do yall think about Carapaz?

Is he there to support Valverde and Quintana? Or will they all ride to see who goes best and has a chance to win? Similar to Giro, Tour etc this year.

 

[Blanco]

What do yall think about Carapaz?

Is he there to support Valverde and Quintana? Or will they all ride to see who goes best and has a chance to win? Similar to Giro, Tour etc this year.

This.

 

[Laplaz]

One name. Pierre Latour.

 

[Noddy97]

Valverde would have a chance of winning la vuelta if he had the climbing legs of 2012-2015, but after his performance on lagos de covadonga last year, I saw that he isn't able to follow the true favourites in any long climb, even at low alttitude

 

[tobydawq]

Valverde would have a chance of winning la vuelta if he had the climbing legs of 2012-2015, but after his performance on lagos de covadonga last year, I saw that he isn't able to follow the true favourites in any long climb, even at low alttitude

How many minutes would he put into the rest if he had his 2017 climbing legs?

 

[Blanco]

Valverde would have a chance of winning la vuelta if he had the climbing legs of 2012-2015, but after his performance on lagos de covadonga last year, I saw that he isn't able to follow the true favourites in any long climb, even at low alttitude

You did notice he was working in service of Quintana at the time?

 

[EganArley]

You did notice he was working in service of Quintana at the time?

the f*ck? Valverde never worked for anybody