The guy strikes me as a slimeball. I can't think of another rider I want to win the Tour LESS than Valverde. The Spanish authorities seem intent on protecting him, which I find rather annoying and disingenuous.

The guy strikes me as a slimeball. I can't think of another rider I want to win the Tour LESS than Valverde. The Spanish authorities seem intent on protecting him, which I find rather annoying and disingenuous.

Um......it's bike racing. Time to take a step back and get a grasp of reality.

Thanks for the stupid commentary.

Not liking a rider = no grasp on reality?

Whatever.

Umm, could you explain why he seems sleazy? I'm not really following. He's portrayed as cycling's new golden boy.

So was Basso at one point... Not saying Valverde is like Basso but when you are asked if you have been doping and all you can answer is "I am tranquil, I know that I don't have any problem, because if I did, I wouldn't have been able to race in 2006." you could as well say "Yes I dope, but I haven't been caught and I'm well protected".

But I take OnTheRivet's comment as "In the real world, all top racers dope, it's the way it is".

...

But I take OnTheRivet's comment as "In the real world, all top racers dope, it's the way it is".

I'm not a particularly big fan of Valverde. No real reason though.

And the quote above is probably closer to the truth than any of us would like to admit.

I follow cycling as a TV reality show. You have to be naive to really beleive they achieve what they do just from hard work and motivation. Just like it's naive to think that most reality shows are not acted, scripted and arranged.

Sadly, I tend to agree. I used to think that I could turn to the olden days for true cycling greats that are untainted by these issues. That is, of course, a pipe dream.

Sadly, I tend to agree. I used to think that I could turn to the olden days for true cycling greats that are untainted by these issues. That is, of course, a pipe dream.

doping and cycling go together like peanut butter and jelly

doping and cycling go together like peanut butter and jelly

yummm.... peanut butter.....

The guy strikes me as a slimeball. I can't think of another rider I want to win the Tour LESS than Valverde. The Spanish authorities seem intent on protecting him, which I find rather annoying and disingenuous.

I don't think he is a slimeball but for some reason I just don't love him though. That pathetic excuse..."I am innocent because I got to race in 2006" is plain crapola.

I was trying to kick my peanut butter and jelly addiction and now I've gotta go make me a sandwich. Thanks alot!!! :p

I was trying to kick my peanut butter and jelly addiction and now I've gotta go make me a sandwich. Thanks alot!!! :p
I got the paperwork to allow me to use peanut butter and jelly whenever I want so I'm clear!

meh, I think he's a bit of a douchebag based on interveiws I've read. I don't think you have to worry about seeing Valverde winning the tour. It ain't gonna happen.

I got the paperwork to allow me to use peanut butter and jelly whenever I want so I'm clear!
If PB&J is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

But I don't think Valverde's a legit Tour threat until he rides a whole one.

Hmm, I don't know if it is more of a bias against him or a bias against his hoopla. I just can't figure out why he is so protected from all the Puerto investigations when his name has been thrown around just as much as everyone else's. He has always fit into my "suspect" category though. You know, riders who are seemingly dominant at "everything" (a la Jeanson) in a day of specialists. He is either killing it or "injured" too and that always has me second guessing one's purity.

I bet he doesn't like peanut butter either...

If PB&J is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

But I don't think Valverde's a legit Tour threat until he rides a whole one.

I found a loophole

Almond Butter and Jam

Stupid commentary is asking if anyone is a fan, then slamming the guy.

I'm no fan.
What finally did it for me was his win on Stage 7 at last years Vuelta ( León - Alto de El Morredero ). He somehow managed to summon up a devastating attack at the top of the climb in a manner that simply looked "unnatural". He showed absolutely no signs of effort at all. Obviously,I have no proof but imo, something just doesn't seem right with Msr."Piti/Valv"

Sure he's a doper.

My attitude, it's like going to the horse races - you assume they're all doped, some of them even have an asterisk * by their name in the program that means "this one's REALLY juiced" But you just factor all that into your wagers and you admire the horseflesh.

As I've always said about Pantani - I don't care what he was on, I just loved seeing him ride Alpe d Huez in the big ring.

Creak.

Sure he's a doper.
....But you just factor all that into your wagers and you admire the horseflesh.

As I've always said about Pantani - I don't care what he was on, I just loved seeing him ride Alpe d Huez in the big ring.



But these guys are supposed to be pro's. Even taking the most cynical position and assuming the whole show is a complete fraud, the least he could do is pretend that he was beathing hard. It wasn't even entertaining to watch.

Cyling can be best compared to WWE wrestling. I mean we know who is what and that perhaps its all a fraud as far as doping is concerned. But it makes it more dramatic, fun to what someone attack like Vino etc.. it's just fun.

I don't like Valverde as of the Amstel this past week. He didn't want to work and would rather not be involved in a group sprint and chase down Shumacher. I thought this was shiite. , and class less. you could see the othr yelling at eachother like let work get to the front and fight it out. Valverde has no heart.

He didn't want to work and would rather not be involved in a group sprint and chase down Shumacher. I thought this was shiite. , and class less. you could see the othr yelling at eachother like let work get to the front and fight it out. Valverde has no heart.

I don't exactly disagree with you here.. but do you feel the same way about Bettini, Boogerd, and DiLuca as well? That is a classic situation in a mid-sized break where only one team has two guys. Gerolsteiner had an advantage, they could launch an attack with Schumacher and one of two things would happen: Someone would kill his chance at a win by doing the work to bring the Schumacher back while Rebellin sat second wheel the whole time... or the other riders would hesitate and bicker and in all likelihood lose the race. There was a tactical error by the other teams in the break and it was not attacking before Schumacher. DiLuca, Rebellin, Valverde and Bettini are uphill sprint specialists and dragging 3 sprinters to the line while killing your chances is hardly an improvement on the bickering.

Regarding Valverde - I don't know if he's a slimeball, but I liked him more when he was 21 or 22. The image of him flying by Cardenas and Heras on La Pandera in the Vuelta in '03 certainly struck me. You can't say he didn't have heart there. It looked like Heras had the day won and at about 250 meters to go, Valverde comes flying by and you'd never seen him up until then. Of course, Fuentes was "officially" Valv's doctor at that point :)

If you look at some of the other recent Ardennes classic winners... DiLuca and Rebellin have had equally damning doping evidence placed against them and it seems like all is forgotten.

Sure he's a doper.

My attitude, it's like going to the horse races - you assume they're all doped, some of them even have an asterisk * by their name in the program that means "this one's REALLY juiced" But you just factor all that into your wagers and you admire the horseflesh.

As I've always said about Pantani - I don't care what he was on, I just loved seeing him ride Alpe d Huez in the big ring.

Creak.That's my attitude about it as well. It's their job and they do what they have to. People need to realize that anyone they watched from the early 90's forward was blood doped and just enjoy it. Except that the path cycling has taken means there won't be anything left to watch. Nobody will pour money into a sport that features Moncoutie and Bassons fighting it out in a peloton of 12 for the TdF win.

I always get a laugh out of the "not even breathing hard" comments. All EPO or other blood boosting does is allow you to suffer the same amount at a higher speed, and if one guy isn't breathing as hard as the rest [of the dopers] he's just plain better.

That's some feat, identifying dopers by watching TV.

Almost as impressive as Sen. Frist's diagnosis of Terri Schiavo.

>>>That's some feat, identifying dopers by watching TV.<<<


I thought this thread was about being a so- called "fan" of Valverde?.
Being a "fan" isn't necessarily about "proof" or skill, or even accomplishments . It's about having some "connection" with the athlete/team,etc., real or imagined for any number of reasons, even purely emotional ones.
I never said anything about doping in my original reply tho that's what I suspect.I said that his ride seemed "unnatural"(whatever that means).
For me, to be a "fan" of some sports personality, I've noticed that I prefer to have some degree of respect for that individual . My own impressions of that particular performance led me to suspect cheating. .I don't respect cheaters.
Are my suspicions correct? I'd rather they weren't.
Naive ? Perhaps.Probably,yes. That's me tho and as a cheater is the way I perceive him now, right or wrong.
You got a problem with that?
btw-Do you recall watching stage7? What were your own impressions at the time?

Am not a fan but nor do I dislike him. He just hasn't inspired me or done something that awes me in the same way someone like Jens Voigt does. Doesn't mean Jens is a better rider just that I don't get any kind of inspiration from AV.