DaveC
Blue Crack Addict
I don't think Valverde is better than Quintana for a grand tour. There's a reason Quintana has actually won a grand tour (two even) and Valverde hasn't.
this is not true at all.
he won the vuelta in 2009, and has finished in the top 10 in the last nine consecutive grand tours he's started - nobody's done that since miguel indurain (not even lance when he was doped to the eyeballs). on top of that he's won classics and minor tours every single year, including 3 tours already this year in spain.
on second thought i might retract my statement that valverde is *better* (i definitely stick by my assertion that he is a more versatile and well-rounded rider though), but if him and quintana had both been on different teams and valverde was on a team where he was the undisputed #1 going into grand tours i think it's pretty easy to say that there is a good chance they could be at least on equal terms as far as major victories go. after all, quintana only has one more GT win (giro 2014) under his belt and far fewer "minor" and classics wins. valverde's career has definitely suffered having to play the domestique to quintana instead of being given free rein to race for himself.