2012 Vuelta a España: Stage 5:Logroño-logroño 168.0 Km

[Forunculo]

2012 Vuelta a España: Stage 5:Logroño-logroño 168.0 Km

Nothing special, 8 laps around the town of Logroño and settled for a massive sprint, so Degenkolb, Davis, Viviani, Swift, Bouhanni are the guys to see.

Not much wind is expected but stages 5, 6 and 7 have potential to provoke echelons

 

[Lexman]

well what do you want a street race on a closed circuit in a GT, is that the new direction of professional cycling after the Tour of Flanders ...

Steegmans for the Winner (yes he better start to win something before Cav arrives at OPQS)

 

[Afrank]

Swift to go head to head against Rojas in Sky vs. Movistar round #2

 

[Michele]

Viviani vs Degelkob.

 

[iZnoGouD]

Viaviani if you win i get rich

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Should be a 1-lap ITT, this. Would improve the route no end.

 

[hfer07]

I smell trouble after today's incident - so don't be surprised if a "Sky rider" hits the floor & sh!t goes crazy at the end of the stage....



just saying.....

 

[Justin Pain]

What happens if someone gets lapped? Will they be kicked out of the tour, just like the Worlds?

 

[gerundium]

I smell trouble after today's incident - so don't be surprised if a "Sky rider" hits the floor & sh!t goes crazy at the end of the stage....



just saying.....

i don't think that would happen. it would be *** to attack over bad fortune after complaining about it the day before.

 

[Miburo]

Should be a 1-lap ITT, this. Would improve the route no end.

Yeah indeed

 

[SafeBet]

Movistar to put up a massive team attack. Valverde back in roja.

 

[hrotha]

Wow, 168 km. Does the Vuelta beat the Tour de l'Avenir in average km per stage?

 

[SetonHallPirate]

Even throwing out the opening prologue, the average for the Tour de l'Avenir is only 138.2 for this year. It's safe to assume that the Vuelta is longer than that per stage.

 

[l.Harm]

Laps in a grand tour. Should be forbidden. It's not the Tour of Poland.

 

[roundabout]

3360km this year.

I think the shortest recent Vuelta was under 3000. So that one was indeed Avenir length average.

 

[taiwan]

Degenkolb win = good for my CQ game. As if you care.

 

[trevim]

I don't mind the short stages. What's the point of having 230km flat stages? That's a good way to load the weight in the legs, instead of cutting mountain stages.

 

[hrotha]

I don't mind the short stages. What's the point of having 230km flat stages? That's a good way to load the weight in the legs, instead of cutting mountain stages.

Well it undermines the whole endurance aspect a GT is supposed to have.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't mind the short stages. What's the point of having 230km flat stages? That's a good way to load the weight in the legs, instead of cutting mountain stages.

Poggio after 160km is nothing, and we have a bunch sprint 10 times out of 10.

Poggio after 290km is an obstacle which can cause the race to break apart. Sometimes it doesn't, but it is a challenge.

Óscar Freire after 150km doesn't have the speed and hasn't for years. Óscar Freire after 250km is a threat, even today.

 

[Epicycle]

Well it undermines the whole endurance aspect a GT is supposed to have.

With 3 tough uphill stages and a massive transfer in the first 10 days I don't think this Vuelta is going easy on the riders.

 

[The Hitch]

The final stage is also going to be laps but i suppose thats different.

I used to be against laps but all 3 cycling races ive been too have been laps and i actually think its a good idea. For the spectators its better to see the riders come by a number of times and get to move around and find the best spots etc, rather than just see them go by the once.

 

[manafana]

I like davis and vivani can fight for the win in this one, but yes degenkolb will be the man to watch and beat again.

maybe rojas gil to take a podium

 

[masking_agent]

is it my NBC camera feed or do a few riders appear to be sitting lower in saddle height ? It seemed most noticeable yesterday with Contador and Linus Gerdemann. Anyone else ?

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Laps in a grand tour. Should be forbidden. It's not the Tour of Poland.

Happens every year in the Tour too. So why not, it makes a lot more attractive for sponsors and people wanting to watch. And going 168km in a flat line or 168k in a flat lap doesn't make much difference for the riders.

 

[mariposa]

Logrono is a great place to watch - nip into one of the hundreds of bars for a quick drink and pinchos between laps and stagger back to watch the finish. If you are a spectator on course circuits are great to watch but not ideal TV viewing.