La Vuelta a Espana

[Deleted]

Stage three today.

Stage two was officially designated as a flat stage but was pretty hilly. Valverde just won ahead if Michal Kwiatkowski who moved into the leader's red jersey. Some main GC contenders suffered big time losses, Martin, Nibali, Adam Yates, Richie Porte, so it looks like Valverde or Quintana (spits) are the main contenders to Team Sky.
The other teams are already moaning about Sky's early dominance even without Froome or Thomas. Question is how long can Kwiato keep the jersey for.

Good stuff !

[RichieBarkerOut!]

Aug 27, 2018 6:18:56 GMT @deesidestokie said:

Stage three today.

Stage two was officially designated as a flat stage but was pretty hilly. Valverde just won ahead if Michal Kwiatkowski who moved into the leader's red jersey. Some main GC contenders suffered big time losses, Martin, Nibali, Adam Yates, Richie Porte, so it looks like Valverde or Quintana (spits) are the main contenders to Team Sky.
The other teams are already moaning about Sky's early dominance even without Froome or Thomas. Question is how long can Kwiato keep the jersey for.

Good stuff !

I've only watched stage one so far so I'm not going to read the rest of your post until later... BTW, the original Vuelta thread is now "The Cycling Thread" so best post in there.

[Deleted]

2021 race starts tomorrow with a short time trial, and runs from 14th August through to the 5th September !

The GC should come down to a battle between Roglic, the very strong Ineos trio of Bernal, Carapaz, Adam Yates (?). Landa and Mas always flatter to deceive, Vlasov could be there or thereabouts, and Kuss could possibly be in for a podium.

The top riders :
Roglic
Bernal
Vlasov
Carapaz
Landa
Carthy
Bardet
Mas
Kuss
Valverde
Adam Yates

It'll also be interesting to see Tom Pidcock back on the roads.

[salopstick]

Simon Carr: English-born, French-raised cyclist ties Welsh colours to mast for Vuelta a Espana www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/58175040

[Deleted]

Another boring 3 week race in prospect ? Roglic wins the time trial on stage 1, Bernal already lost 27 seconds, and most other GC riders in similar position. Race over already ?

[Bod]

Aug 15, 2021 13:34:38 GMT @deesidestokie said:

Another boring 3 week race in prospect ? Roglic wins the time trial on stage 1, Bernal already lost 27 seconds, and most other GC riders in similar position. Race over already ?

Potentially, yes, but I think that if Ineos don’t make a bollocks of this and actually work cohesively (that team is obscene in terms of strength) then it has more appeal then the TdF did. Add in Movistar, although the idea of them working as a team is always laughable, and there could be a few surprises possibly. The consensus seems to be that Roglic cracks a little in the final week but if other teams bank on that that could make for dull racing. For some bizarre reason I’m pinning some hope on MA Lopez doing something and trying to animate the race from quite early on.

[Deleted]

The problem is the final stage is a 33.8 kms time trial - seeing how much Roglic put into the other GC riders on a 7.7 kms time trial on stage 1, they will need to have a big lead before the final time trial to have any chance of still being ahead of Roglic at the finish.

[Bod]

That’s exactly what I’m banking on to be honest. The knowledge that the time trial is looming should mean that the emphasis is on putting Roglic intro difficulty as often as possible, with the knock-on that it could leave him slightly weaker in the final TT too. Chances of it happening are slim, but Bernal can actually put in half-decent time trial at times. Also, and perhaps unfairly, Roglic doesn’t have that aura that Pogacar has and so I can see much more of a willingness to attack him. Movistar will probably fuck it all up somehow regardless and be happy with a stage win and a solid 4th on the GC.

[Deleted]

Movistar really are a "nearly" team aren't they - definitely less than the sum of all the parts. They've had some top riders yet nearly always manage to miss out - Valverde being a notable exception. If Ineos get their act together, with the 8 man team that they've got, and particularly with Bernal, Carapaz, and Yates, they could put Roglic (and the rest) into serious difficulties - can they do it though ?

[salopstick]

Not been able to watch yet. Normally like this race

[Deleted]

Golden chance missed today for some of the main GC riders. Small group finished - Yates, Bernal and a few others with Roglic just sitting in and marking the moves. Taaramae into red tonight but Roglic in 3rd just off the lead.

[Bod]

Really pleased for Taramae. I remember him suffering one of the biggest implosions ever in the Vuelta and coming to a standstill after being away all day. He lost a ridiculous amount of time in a matter of a few kms so was rooting to him take it today. As for the rest, it was a bit of dud. An attack in the final 300m or so lead to me havingTdF flashbacks there. Carthy and Vlasov lost a little more time, Carapaz has been in post-Olympics party mood and looks like he has been on the party bus with Pidcock 😉

[Bod]

Standard sprint day really. Little gradient to finish but with the wind assistance they approached it as such pace on the run in that no-one was getting away. Great execution by Jakobsen at the end. Nice and cool, bided his time and a straightforward win.

[Deleted]

Well that's something I never thought I'd see - Kenny Elissonde leading a Grand Tour ! Granted he's only 5 seconds ahead of Roglic, but he's got a leader's jersey on his palmares. Movistar are actually doing quite well aren't they, with Mas, Lopez, and Valverde in 4th to 6th. Bernal is the only Ineos rider in the top 10 and still 27 seconds behind Roglic. I reckon Roglic will take the red jersey again in a few days and keep it to the finish.

[stokeuk474]

I've only just caught up with some of the highlights from the Vuelta over the last few days. Had to watch via Eursport(what's happened to the ITV4 highlights?)

I have to admit, it's been pretty uneventful so far with just the one mountain stage. Normally the Vuelta include mountains almost from the off which creates time gaps straight away. I'm just waiting for it to burst into life, and hoping we can see a good battle between Roglic and Bernal.

[Deleted]

Stage 6 and Roglic is back in red and has slightly extended his lead. The Movistar trio are still surprising - Mas 2nd (at 25 secs), Lopez 3rd (36 secs), and Valverde 4th (41 secs) ! Bernal is 5th at 41 seconds.

[teenagefanclub]

Something had better happen in the next 3 stages, its been pretty boring so far.

However Orla is 🔥🔥

[Bod]

I actually really like Movistar but just find it impossible not to take the piss out of them giving how inept they generally are at riding cohesively. However, at the minute, they are doing a stellar job. Let’s see how it pans out if Lopez has his climbing legs on, as Mas isn’t exactly known for his willingness to let anyone steal his thunder. Aside from Valverde, as Valverde does what the fuck as wants as he’s a boss. Looking forward to the proper mountains starting and seeing what that brings.

[thepremierbanksy]

Thought stage 6 was pretty good. Love the absolute peril of the GC guy spat out the back of the echelon, even if it is a rider I like in Hugh Carthy. Seems to have lost his form a bit since winning in Vuelta a Burgos a few weeks ago - maybe ill or something.

Finding it pretty hard to see past Roglic. Loves the steep and short stuff of the Vuelta, however the difficult third week looks like it could undo him. Ineos seem to be edging closer and closer to a one-pronged attack of Bernal.

[Bod]

Stage 7 was decent. Teams going early and actually doing what we (as fans) always call for but the crash killed all that impetus. Absolutely gutted for Valverde. He can only have so much time left and he’s pretty much hard as nails but that was a proper spill which could have been so much worse. Awful luck to hit a small pothole but fortunate to do it where there was a gap in the barriers. That said, he could have gone a long way down that valley!
Little bit of shuffling around in the GC and even though there was nothing mind-blowing, it was a hard fought day and the battle for the stage was a good one.

[Deleted]

Really bad luck for Valverde - this must surely be his last season as a pro. Sprint finish today, but overall Roglic is pretty comfortable isn't he.

[Deleted]

I can't believe that Ineos have been overtaken so quickly by other teams. From "top dog" in Grand Tours they're now effectively just trying to get a podium spot. They don't look like getting any/many stage wins, Bernal is a top rider but he's struggling against Roglic and Pogacar, and at the moment they just seem to be making up the numbers. Nico Portal has been a huge loss, Dave Brailsford's illness and impending retirement will no doubt be having an effect, but at the moment the team is anonymous, vanilla, call it what you like. It's been clear for a couple of years that Jumbo Visma were building a top GC team, but UAE Emirates seem to have come from out of the blue since Pogacar signed for them The end of Chris Froome, and G must be nearly finished now, has left a void at the top. Bernal is superb (when fit), Carapaz is a winner (when in the mood), Yates is a good rider but seems to be too inconsistent.
All the "marginal gains" have been copied and surpassed by most other teams and at the moment I think Ineos needs a big shake-up and regroup, and a few key signings. If things don't improve I can't see Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe continuing to sponsor them.

[Deleted]

Mountain top finish today and Roglic (2nd today) just confirmed his dominance. Apart from Mas (3rd today 1 second behind Roglic) all the other main GC contenders lost even more time.
Roglic now 28 seconds ahead of Mas in GC, and then Lopez is at 1 min 21 sec in third ! Bernal now 5th already at 1 min 52 after only stage 9 ! Race over.

[Bod]

Aug 22, 2021 16:28:27 GMT @deesidestokie said:

Mountain top finish today and Roglic (2nd today) just confirmed his dominance. Apart from Mas (3rd today 1 second behind Roglic) all the other main GC contenders lost even more time.
Roglic now 28 seconds ahead of Mas in GC, and then Lopez is at 1 min 21 sec in third ! Bernal now 5th already at 1 min 52 after only stage 9 ! Race over.

Bad day for Bernal, but a stage which had enough intrigue to make it interesting. Watching Roglic riding with Mas was like watching a cat toy with a mouse. At any moment, if he had needed to, he could have just blown him to pieces.
Your post about Ineos is a really good one. It’s quite fascinating to see what they will do though. I’ve said it before but I’d like to see them have a crack at the Classics with Pidcock, then accept that they perhaps aren’t quite strong enough to focus on 3 GT’s and so go all out for two of them and then send a team of rouleurs or stage hunters to the other. That will never happen, but they have some real firepower outside of GT riders. Ganna going for Paris-Roubaix with proper support, for example?

[Bod]

Another decent stage. Change in leadership which even a time traveller could not have foreseen. More problems for Bernal and Landa, a powerful display by Roglic until he binned it. It was very risky for him to push that hard on the descent, but damn, I enjoyed it. Felt more ‘old school.’ Movistar still doing well but as always Mas and Lopez moaning their bag off about Haig not doing a pull. Just ride, FFS. You were distancing Bernal and bellyaching about Haig was a waste of time.
For tomorrow, the road book says there is a 30% section in the final kilometre!

[Deleted]

I didn't watch the stage live today (losing interest in the ace tbh). Great result today though for Storer and DSM. I should imagine there are wild scenes at Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert celebrating Eiking being the leader of a Grand Tour ! I don't think they (or the cycling world) would EVER have expected that to happen ! Roglic has maintained his lead over the "real" GC rivals though despite his crash today.

[Bod]

Roglic just toying with Mas again on the final climb before dropping him with ease. That said, both Mas and Lopez are riding well but at the minute there is nothing to indicate anything other than a Roglic win. In fantasy terms, it would take multiple attacks in the high mountains by both and Mas and Lopez to wear Roglic down before riding away from him, but I don’t see it happening unless Roglic cracks as he appears stronger than both of them. Maybe a series of high mountains over a few days will make a difference? I doubt it. The cushion that they would need over Roglic going into the final TT would need to be pretty sizeable.

[Bod]

Bike Exchange and UAE do the vast majority of the pulling, then get mugged by smarter riding by EF Education. In fact, it was a really great bit of tactical riding by them. Wait until the catch is made in the final km, then jump on the front at a ridiculous pace. Matthews’ lead out man was caught out completely, lost the wheel and so that did for Matthews who had to close a gap and had nothing left in terms of pushing for the win.

[Deleted]

I'm bored with it to be honest and haven't watched it live for a few days now. I watch the highlights on Eurosport the morning afterwards and even then I usually just watch the last 10-15 minutes of the programme. I haven't been so bored and disinterested with cycling, particularly the Grand Tours, for quite a few years but at the moment I even forget it's on sometimes. Maybe it's because Sky/Ineos are just also rans at the moment, but I honestly think it's generally become quite boring.

[Bod]

Aug 26, 2021 19:11:38 GMT @deesidestokie said:

I'm bored with it to be honest and haven't watched it live for a few days now. I watch the highlights on Eurosport the morning afterwards and even then I usually just watch the last 10-15 minutes of the programme. I haven't been so bored and disinterested with cycling, particularly the Grand Tours, for quite a few years but at the moment I even forget it's on sometimes. Maybe it's because Sky/Ineos are just also rans at the moment, but I honestly think it's generally become quite boring.

I do see what you mean, but I am not really invested in Ineos at all so their lack of success (relatively) doesn’t bother me. However, it’s hard to disagree that the racing in both this and the TdF has been lacking and isn’t exactly keeping me glued to it. It’s probably even more manifest in the GT’s because of how attacking the current crop of Classics specialists are. Van der Poel, Van Aert and Alaphilppe in particular are just thoroughbred racers rather than calculating machines and are genuinely exciting.