2014 Vuelta a España, Stage 14: Santander → La Camperona. (201 Km)

[Roude Leiw]

Cuz cycling is a drug and I'm big time addicted.
I even watch Fleche Wallone sometimes.

I even watch the Grand Prix de l'Escaut

 

[sultanofhyd]

This categorization of climbs into short, steep, long, steady and whatever else is ridiculous, especially when talking about Contador. He has won/succeeded on all kinds of climbs that exist, from Angliru to Arcalis, Verbier to Ventoux, PdB to Tourmalet, Etna to Zoncolan, Mende to La Zubia.

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

 

[LaFlorecita]

This categorization of climbs into short, steep, long, steady and whatever else is ridiculous, especially when talking about Contador. He has won/succeeded on all kinds of climbs that exist, from Angliru to Arcalis, Verbier to Ventoux, PdB to Tourmalet, Etna to Zoncolan, Mende to La Zubia.

Muro di Guardiagrele _O_

 

[Red Rick]

It's the climb that decided this race two years ago
It's the climb that provided the oppurtunitie for the biggest raid in GC cycling since l'Aquila
It's the climb nobody seems to care about now
It's Collada de la Hoz

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's the climb that decided this race two years ago
It's the climb that provided the oppurtunitie for the biggest raid in GC cycling since l'Aquila
It's the climb nobody seems to care about now
It's Collada de la Hoz

On a stage like Fuente Dé it could have meant something, however unlikely it seemed before the carnage that unfolded. On a stage like this, however, it won't. I really think there should be a Hoz-Ozalba-Soplao stage one year, 3x cat.2 climbs in a row to finish the day, none so hard as to prevent possible racing earlier. And I love the Cueva el Soplao finish. They like cycling there - they hosted the 2009 Spanish national RR, and previously sponsored an amateur team who had cool jerseys as a result.

Etapa propuesta:
Cangas de Onis - Cueva el Soplao

Puerto de Panderrueda (cat.1) 29,8km @ 4,0%
Puerto de Pandetrave (cat.1) 10,0km @ 6,4%
Puerto de San Glorio (cat.2) 9,0km @ 4,3%
Collado de Hoz (cat.2) 10,4km @ 5,2%
Collado Ozalba (cat.2/3) 6,6km @ 5,3%
Cueva el Soplao (cat.2) 7,0km @ 6,3% max 16%

 

[icefire]

It's the climb that decided this race two years ago
It's the climb that provided the oppurtunitie for the biggest raid in GC cycling since l'Aquila
It's the climb nobody seems to care about now
It's Collada de la Hoz

Don't be mislead by the stage profile in the OP. They'll even smoke San Glorio and the expected racing will be more like this:

_________________/

 

[roundabout]

Muro di Guardiagrele _O_

Barely dropped Geschke, lost time to Peraud

 

[LaFlorecita]

Barely dropped Geschke, lost time to Peraud

I know, but after a 30km solo and he did win there

 

[DominicDecoco]

Cycling fans all over the world seriously need to gather about and tell the Vuelta organisers to quit making these embarrassing routes. This is another day of 198km of absolutely nothing - just like the 13 previous stages..

 

[Red Rick]

Cycling fans all over the world seriously need to gather about and tell the Vuelta organisers to quit making these embarrassing routes. This is another day of 198km of absolutely nothing - just like the 13 previous stages..

The problem that even though the routes were so awfull the past few years, the Vuelta was often the best GT of the year, because the winner wasn't decided after 10 days of racing

 

[Red Rick]

I also think that the Vuelta is trying to find its own identity. The Tour is the big, important GT with the long, regular climbs everyone has heard of, cause they use them way too often. The Giro is the GT with the hardes mountains, the longest and most brutal mountain stages. Meanwhile, the Vuelta is trying to be the GT that's always close, lots of stages where small gaps are possible, lots of stages with 2km of spectacle.

Ofcourse it would be best if all the GT's got one of the forum members for a parcours designer, in the race design thread, every GT is better than the real life version

 

[Liquigas]

The problem that even though the routes were so awfull the past few years, the Vuelta was often the best GT of the year, because the winner wasn't decided after 10 days of racing

A race is not great because of that.

 

[ILovecycling]

A race is not great because of that.

As for me,its one of the most important thing how I evaluate 'greatness' of a GT.


edit: netserk

 

[Netserk]

The problem that even though the routes were so awfull the past few years, the Vuelta was often the best GT of the year, because the winner wasn't decided after 10 days of racing

Giro d'Italia 2012 must have been fantastic then...

 

[wirral]

I personally would like the Vuelta to continue in its vein of the 'eccentric' GT with more finishes and routes in unusual and memorable places. Yesterday we had the zoo, we had the racetrack and the monastery. How about a golf course, a bullring (have they had that?) or a multi-storey car park. They are clearly moving in the right direction but they need to get their marketing team brainstorming a bit more. It would be a shame if ASO management involvement resulted in a bland and tepid version of Le Tour (so as not to challenge the real thing).

 

[icefire]

I personally would like the Vuelta to continue in its vein of the 'eccentric' GT with more finishes and routes in unusual and memorable places. Yesterday we had the zoo, we had the racetrack and the monastery. How about a golf course, a bullring (have they had that?) or a multi-storey car park. They are clearly moving in the right direction but they need to get their marketing team brainstorming a bit more. It would be a shame if ASO management involvement resulted in a bland and tepid version of Le Tour (so as not to challenge the real thing).

The last kms of the opening TTT in 2012 were following the course of the running of the bulls in Pamplona and the finish was inside de bullring.

 

[icefire]

They got past the intermediate sprint in km 36
1º John DEGENKOLB (115)
2º Michael MATTHEWS (186)
3º Ramon SINKELDAM (119)

Now it's time for the making of the BOTD

 

[trevim]

Intermediate Sprint
1º John DEGENKOLB (Giant-Shimano)
2º Michael MATTHEWS (Orica-GreenEdge)
3º Ramon SINKELDAM (Giant-Shimano)

 

[Piz Buin]

I personally would like the Vuelta to continue in its vein of the 'eccentric' GT with more finishes and routes in unusual and memorable places. Yesterday we had the zoo, we had the racetrack and the monastery. How about a golf course, a bullring (have they had that?) or a multi-storey car park. They are clearly moving in the right direction but they need to get their marketing team brainstorming a bit more. It would be a shame if ASO management involvement resulted in a bland and tepid version of Le Tour (so as not to challenge the real thing).

The multi-storey car park would actually be a very funny and good idea as a finish Nice short ramp
But you would need a high mountain before to ensure they dont arrive in big packs.

I also think that the Vuelta is trying to find its own identity. The Tour is the big, important GT with the long, regular climbs everyone has heard of, cause they use them way too often. The Giro is the GT with the hardes mountains, the longest and most brutal mountain stages. Meanwhile, the Vuelta is trying to be the GT that's always close, lots of stages where small gaps are possible, lots of stages with 2km of spectacle.

Ofcourse it would be best if all the GT's got one of the forum members for a parcours designer, in the race design thread, every GT is better than the real life version

Of course it is. Because for the organisers in real life there are also other factors to consider. Otherwise we wouldnt have had this stupid course in logrono

 

[icefire]

23 riders on a break with 1m45s on the peloton:

Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ (9), Carlos VERONA (179), Tom BOONEN (171), Romain SICARD (81), Ryder HESJEDAL (101), Imanol ERVITI (154), Bart DE CLERCQ (144), Przemyslaw NIEMIEC (6), Jaco VENTER (169), Oliver ZAUGG (209), Adam HANSEN (146), Robert WAGNER (39), Luke ROWE (198), David ARROYO (53), Fabio FELLINE (213), Louis MEINTJES (164), Yannick MARTINEZ (87), Jacques VAN RENSBURG (168), Johannes FRÖHLINGER (116), Guillaume LEVARLET (76), Sergio Miguel PAULINHO (205), Luis León SÁNCHEZ (51) y Alexandr KOLOBNEV (134)

 

[l.Harm]

23 leaders with 2 Tinkoff-Saxo riders in it.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Arroyo ftw

 

[sultanofhyd]

How often do you see the team with the leader's jersey sending two men into the break?

 

[sultanofhyd]

Saxo, Movistar, Sky, Katusha all represented, no team has the incentive to chase this break unless they find Zaugg and Paulinho too threatening.