2013 Vuelta a España, Stage 15: Andorra → Peyragudes (224.9 Km)

[valentius borealis]

btw, am i the only person who feels that this stage is taken from the books of TdF?

I believe that there was once a similar stage in the TdF years ago (1970s?) from La Seu d'Urgell to Pla d'Adet.

 

[Netserk]

btw, am i the only person who feels that this stage is taken from the books of TdF?

From the road book:

 

[Descender]

From the road book:

That logo is there because the Vuelta is using this stage to pay homage to the TdF in the year of its centenary.

Let's not forget ASO owns 49% of the Vuelta.

 

[Descender]

Where does he say that?

Interview with Spanish TV after the stage.

 

[Flamin]

Interview with Spanish TV after the stage.

Yeah, I saw his interview, but either I missed something or that's not what he said.

 

[The Hitch]

Valverde *****ing about the inhumane stages and the weather, asks for tomorrow's stage to be cancelled.

Nevermind he's the only rider to have won where the stage ends tomorrow.

He is such a despicable rider.

What exactly did he say?

 

[Rollthedice]

Valverde *****ing about the inhumane stages and the weather, asks for tomorrow's stage to be cancelled.

Nevermind he's the only rider to have won where the stage ends tomorrow.

He is such a despicable rider.

From the Movistar team site:

“It was a really hard day for me, horrible, cruel; for me, it was the hardest day ever on a bike. Not only due to the hard parcours, but also because of the conditions, which made things much, much harder. I was feeling so cold into the descents, trembling, unable to pedal, I almost crashed. People was overtaking me all the time... I was feeling cold even when climbing - when that happens, everything becomes so difficult.

"I have to thank my team, because they gave everything for me and their work was phenomenal. Thanks to them, I could get over the day - due to them and the fans, which deserve the best, I could get over it. At the last climb I recovered well, warmed up, got on a nice pace and started overtaking riders. That's why I'm happy with the result.

"It was a hellish day for everything. Seeing how many riders withdrew, and thinking about tomorrow's stage, with 250k including the neutral zone - should the weather develop like today, I don't really know what will happen. Surrendering? I never surrender. We're still in 3rd place. Winning the Vuelta will be difficult, but getting a podium finish is always beautiful."

So, what was exactly "despicable" ?

 

[Descender]

Yeah, I saw his interview, but either I missed something or that's not what he said.

What exactly did he say?

From the Movistar team site:

“It was a really hard day for me, horrible, cruel; for me, it was the hardest day ever on a bike. Not only due to the hard parcours, but also because of the conditions, which made things much, much harder. I was feeling so cold into the descents, trembling, unable to pedal, I almost crashed. People was overtaking me all the time... I was feeling cold even when climbing - when that happens, everything becomes so difficult.

"I have to thank my team, because they gave everything for me and their work was phenomenal. Thanks to them, I could get over the day - due to them and the fans, which deserve the best, I could get over it. At the last climb I recovered well, warmed up, got on a nice pace and started overtaking riders. That's why I'm happy with the result.

"It was a hellish day for everything. Seeing how many riders withdrew, and thinking about tomorrow's stage, with 250k including the neutral zone - should the weather develop like today, I don't really know what will happen. Surrendering? I never surrender. We're still in 3rd place. Winning the Vuelta will be difficult, but getting a podium finish is always beautiful."

So, what was exactly "despicable" ?

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=65576

Valverde sobrevive: “Inhumano, mi día más duro encima de la bici”

Alejandro Valverde ha sufrido muchísimo en el frío y la lluvia de la 14ª etapa de la Vuelta a España. El murciano se descolgó en el descenso del Coll de Ordino y necesitó de sus compañeros para no desconectar de la carrera.

“He sufrido mucho por la climatología”, explicaba Valverde tras la etapa, aún congelado. “Lo he pasado muy mal, ha sido un día terrible. Me mareaba bajando, ni siquiera podía pedalear. Después en las subidas me calentaba y podía ir un poco mejor”.

Aun así, Valverde ha salvado la jornada. El murciano ha entrado 6º a 50” de Vincenzo Nibali y a medio minuto de Joaquim “Purito” Rodríguez. “Me he recuperado por mis compañeros”, añadía más tarde. “Lo estaban dando todo por mí y al final me he podido calentar en el último puerto y he subido bien. Aún estamos ahí y ni mucho menos estoy cabreado, lo he dado todo. Ha sido inhumano, mi día más duro encima de la bici. No me rindo, ganar la Vuelta es difícil, pero estar en el cajón también es bonito”.

Además el líder del Movistar mandaba un mensaje a la organización de la Vuelta por si las condiciones de la 15ª etapa son igual de complicadas, “se tendrán que plantear hacer algo. No por mí, sino porque se quedan con 50 corredores en carrera”.

Sus declaraciones ampliadas eran las siguientes: “Lo he pasado muy mal, ha sido un día terrible, inhumano; para mí, el más duro que he pasado en la bici. No sólo por el recorrido, sino sobre todo por las condiciones, que lo han hecho muchísimo más duro. Iba con demasiado frío en los descensos, temblaba y no podía ni pedalear, casi me caía. Me pasaba gente y gente... Tenía frío hasta subiendo, y cuando eso te pasa, todo se vuelve muy difícil.

Tengo que dar las gracias al equipo, porque se han dejado todo por mí y han hecho un trabajo fenomenal. Gracias a los compañeros he podido salvar el día lo mejor posible, y por ellos y por la afición, que se merece lo máximo, he sabido reponerme. En la última subida me he recuperado bastante. Me he calentado y he podido coger un buen ritmo e ir pillando gente. Por eso termino contento.

Ha sido una jornada durísima para todos. Viendo toda la gente que ha abandonado hoy y pensando en mañana, con 250 kilómetros contando la neutralizada, si el día sale como el de hoy, no sé lo que podrá pasar. ¿Rendirme? No, para nada. No hay más que ver que estamos terceros. Ganar la Vuelta será difícil, pero estar en el podio es siempre bonito".


Translation of the bolded part: Furthermore, Movistar's leader sent a message to the organisers should the weather in tomorrow's stage be as bad as today: "They should then consider doing something about it. Not for my sake, but because they'll end up with only 50 riders left otherwise".

 

[Flamin]

So it's that's not what he said

 

[Descender]

So it's that's not what he said

How do you interpret his words, then? He wants the organisers to put a ribbon on the stage profile or something?

It seems clear to me he was suggesting they neutralise the stage, or at least that they cut it short.

He's always been a half-assed weakling.

 

[Flamin]

How do you interpret his words, then? He wants the organisers to put a ribbon on the stage profile or something?

It seems clear to me he was suggesting they neutralise the stage, or at least that they cut it short.

Definetely not that he wants the stage to be cancelled beforehand. "Se tendrán que plantear hacer algo" is pretty vague. I think he just means he wants the organisation to neutralise or cancel part of the stage IF the weather conditions are similar to today's, which is anything but an odd thing to say from a rider's point of view considering what happened today.

He's always been a half-assed weakling.

Lol

 

[ILovecycling]

I hope Valverde goes nuts on Bales ( i know...)

 

[Bushman]

How do you interpret his words, then? He wants the organisers to put a ribbon on the stage profile or something?

It seems clear to me he was suggesting they neutralise the stage, or at least that they cut it short.

He's always been a half-assed weakling.

The only pro cyclist who would, maybe, qualify for such a description would be Andy Schleck.

 

[Descender]

Definetely not that he wants the stage to be cancelled beforehand. "Se tendrán que plantear hacer algo" is pretty vague. I think he just means he wants the organisation to neutralise or cancel part of the stage IF the weather conditions are similar to today's, which is anything but an odd thing to say from a rider's point of view considering what happened today.



Lol

It is an absolutely despicable thing for a professional rider to say.

Jesus Christ, at no point today were temperatures even close to the freezing point. This season alone we've seen much longer races being raced in much more appalling conditions, and nobody died. Valverde, and others, should focus on being prepared for these eventualities, making sure they have proper clothing, gloves, etc., which many didn't have today.

The day stages start being cancelled due to weather conditions like today's is the day I'll stop watching cycling.

 

[happychappy]

He's always been a half-assed weakling.

This kind of **** can only be said by people who have never been serious bicycle racers.

And no, your local crash 5 fatty masters criterium doesn't count.

 

[Descender]

This kind of **** can only be said by people who have never been serious bicycle racers.

And no, your local crash 5 fatty masters criterium doesn't count.

I guess I should learn from reasonable, classy posters like you.

 

[Flamin]

It is an absolutely despicable thing for a professional rider to say.

Jesus Christ, at no point today were temperatures even close to the freezing point. This season alone we've seen much longer races being raced in much more appalling conditions, and nobody died. Valverde, and others, should focus on being prepared for these eventualities, making sure they have proper clothing, gloves, etc., which many didn't have today.

The day stages start being cancelled due to weather conditions like today's is the day I'll stop watching cycling.

Multiple riders abandoned due to hypothermia, but yeah, they were obviously being pussies

Anyway, only thing what's despicable here is that you don't give a f**k about the rider's safety. I don't think stages should be cancelled due to weather conditions either, but it's ridiculous to talk smack about riders when they have a different view.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Obvious epic Kiryienka solo breakaway win is obvious.

 

[Eshnar]

Multiple riders abandoned due to hypothermia, but yeah, they were obviously being pussies

Anyway, only thing what's despicable here is that you don't give a f**k about the rider's safety. I don't think stages should be cancelled due to weather conditions either, but it's ridiculous to talk smack about riders when they have a different view.

Riders safety is absolutely fine. We're talking about rain and temperature above 0°C so there's really nothing to be afraid of. I'm pretty sure all these riders use to train in such weather sometimes. Certainly going from 30° to 5° in such a short time is uncomfortable, to say the least. But that's it.
If the conditions are bad is not a fault of the organizers nor of the riders. It just happens. And the whole point of cycling outdoor is that the weather may, and is supposed to, play a role into it. I think many fans today (and many riders too) are too much used to these last years where the peloton welfare has been taken too much into account. The most of the success of cycling, in the last century, was due to the fact that the races were often raced in this conditions (bad weather, lack of supporting, no gearshifts, bad road surfaces, long stages etc.). And this is the reason the riders were viewed as heroes. Now they are seen, and they feel, as just "workers".
Now I don't blame Valverde for feeling cold and asking the organizers to do something they cannot do. But I will blame the organizers if they listen to him.

 

[webbie146]

How do you interpret his words, then? He wants the organisers to put a ribbon on the stage profile or something?

It seems clear to me he was suggesting they neutralise the stage, or at least that they cut it short.

He's always been a half-assed weakling.

Nice world we are living in then, half-assed weaklings can apparently win a GT awesome

 

[Descender]

Multiple riders abandoned due to hypothermia, but yeah, they were obviously being pussies

No, they were unprepared riders. Read my previous post.

Anyway, only thing what's despicable here is that you don't give a f**k about the rider's safety.

Of course I do. But the riders' safety is not compromised by rain and 6º.

I don't think stages should be cancelled due to weather conditions either, but it's ridiculous to talk smack about riders when they have a different view.

So it's ridiculous to challenge somebody else's views? Who are you, North Korea?

 

[Descender]

Nice world we are living in then, half-assed weaklings can apparently win a GT awesome

Sad, isn't it? That's what cycling has become these days.

 

[Flamin]

Riders safety is absolutely fine. We're talking about rain and temperature above 0°C so there's really nothing to be afraid of. I'm pretty sure all these riders use to train in such weather sometimes. Certainly going from 30° to 5° in such a short time is uncomfortable, to say the least. But that's it.
If the conditions are bad is not a fault of the organizers nor of the riders. It just happens. And the whole point of cycling outdoor is that the weather may, and is supposed to, play a role into it. I think many fans today (and many riders too) are too much used to these last years where the peloton welfare has been taken too much into account. The most of the success of cycling, in the last century, was due to the fact that the races were often raced in this conditions (bad weather, lack of supporting, no gearshifts, bad road surfaces, long stages etc.). And this is the reason the riders were viewed as heroes. Now they are seen, and they feel, as just "workers".
Now I don't blame Valverde for feeling cold and asking the organizers to do something they cannot do. But I will blame the organizers if they listen to him.

Yeah, "safety" is not the right word. I mean we should at least respect what riders have to say when they feel the race conditions are (too) dangerous. It's ridiculous when someone says Valverde is despicable after all the DNF's we had today. These guys are no sockpuppets who have to do everything the crowd wants them to do, whatever the circumstances (not saying talking about today but in general). They have the right to voice their opinion.

The bolded part I agree with.

 

[Flamin]

No, they were unprepared riders. Read my previous post.

How do you know?

So it's ridiculous to challenge somebody else's views? Who are you, North Korea?

Lol, well done Sir you sure have a special technique in 'challenging somebody else's views' then.

 

[Descender]

Yeah, "safety" is not the right word. I mean we should at least respect what riders have to say when they feel the race conditions are (too) dangerous. It's ridiculous when someone says Valverde is despicable after all the DNF's we had today. These guys are no sockpuppets who have to do everything the crowd wants them to do, whatever the circumstances (not saying talking about today but in general). They have the right to voice their opinion.

The bolded part I agree with.

And we have the right to criticise their opinion.

I guess whenever my boss asks me to do a night shift on a Saturday, I can refuse by saying I got no sleep all week and I'd like to go out.

These are professional cyclists we're talking about. They earn quite a bit of money. We're not asking them to freewheel down a cliff, we're asking them to race a 155km stage in the rain and 6º and not whine about it like a five-year-old kid afterwards.