2020 Vuelta rumors

[Breezy1985]

Anyone have info on stage 7 particularly the finish ?

 

[sir fly]

Anyone have info on stage 7 particularly the finish ?

View: https://youtu.be/bTzbcj571-0

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at3kjtTAwVU&list=PLtSNmW90TEwECk_USw9iTCQnnuin_xomT&index=1

 

[Gigs_98]

Starts horrible, becomes better and better just to get absoluely horrendous again when it matters. What on earth is that last week? It's not even like La Covatilla is that incredible of a climb to make up for the rest of it.

I usually accept the lackluster mountain stages of the vuelta because at least there aren't many flat stages either. This time however I count 9 flat stages which I think is bad even for tdf standards. In a gt where literally not a single stage profile truly gets me excited it is totally unacceptable. So all in all I have to say this is a really disappointing route

 

[Red Rick]

Starts horrible, becomes better and better just to get absoluely horrendous again when it matters. What on earth is that last week? It's not even like La Covatilla is that incredible of a climb to make up for the rest of it.

I usually accept the lackluster mountain stages of the vuelta because at least there aren't many flat stages either. This time however I count 9 flat stages which I think is bad even for tdf standards. In a gt where literally not a single stage profile truly gets me excited it is totally unacceptable. So all in all I have to say this is a really disappointing route

LADS IT LOOKS LIKE GIGS WILL SIT THIS ONE OUT, BEST GT EVER

 

[Red Rick]

Apparently Valverde likes the Vuelta route. He seems to think it suits him well.

Vuelta a España: Alejandro Valverde: "Es muy exigente, pero me viene muy bien"

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), ganador de la Vuelta 2009 y campeón del Mundo en 2018, considera que el recorrido de la edición 75 presentada en Madrid es "muy exigente" y espera como objetivo del año "llegar lo mejor posible a los JJOO de Tokio". "La Vuelta

www.esciclismo.com

Route suits him to a tee but I think hes more dependent on who shows up

 

[Koronin]

Route suits him to a tee but I think hes more dependent on who shows up

I agree he's likely more dependent on who else shows up and what kind of shape they are in. However between this year's Vuelta route and next year's route it appears la Vuelta organizers are going to make routes to fit him until he does eventually retire. Although last year's route looked better than this one.

 

[42x16ss]

A handful of decent individual stages, but the ordering is terrible. And yeah, far too many flat stages, especially when nice hilly stages has been a forte of the Vuelta lately.

Looks to me like La Vuelta is taking advantage of a climber's Olympics RR coming hot on the heels of a TDF with almost no sprint stages. The climbers who skip TDF for ORR will be turning up in droves, while the sprinters will finally see a GT they will want to ride past the second rest day.

I actually have a feeling the racing may over deliver on the palmares because of this.

 

[OlavEH]

Btw, regarding the Vuelta. Anyone who can enlighten me why it takes place so early next year? I thought it would rather later than usual due to the Olympics, but intead they move it one week forward. Is there any particular reason why they do that?

 

[Red Rick]

I agree he's likely more dependent on who else shows up and what kind of shape they are in. However between this year's Vuelta route and next year's route it appears la Vuelta organizers are going to make routes to fit him until he does eventually retire. Although last year's route looked better than this one.

I think this one is marginally better for him too. However in this Olympic year I don't see the field being as good as the past 2 years.

 

[OlavEH]

The proposed Asturian stages are a dumpster fire.

Stage 4 doesn't look too bad - plus a couple of features I like: 1) Arrate given the correct appropriate categorization, and 2) Karabieta leading directly into it, which bizarrely is never even used in País Vasco as they always seem to like climbing Karabieta north. Would have liked to see Etxauri in stage 5, but that's generally a pretty well designed stage with a descent finish coming off the back of the opening MTF, so thumbs up for this. Unfortunately it's followed by a terrible mountain stage which overcategorises the MTF and doesn't use any of the not-spectacular-but-at-least-ok lead-in opportunities. As PRC shows, much more can be done with Urbión. Quite a lot more.

Stage 9 can die in a house fire. Aubisque AND Tourmalet - as an MTF - in a sub-140km stage, and emerging from their July homes to infect other races too? You may as well spit in my face. I could not possibly be less enthusiastic about a "queen stage". PS, if any race organiser tries to claim a stage less than 150km long to be a "queen stage", they should instantly be allowed to be pelted with fruit by cycling fans and personally slapped in the face for one final moment of humiliation by Angelo Zomegnan.

Stage 10 is a very stupid design but a good finale. Then we have another not-as-good-as-it-could-have-been stage to Moncalvillo, before two flat stages, then the dumpster fire of a weekend in Asturias, with a 109km Angliru stage. At least swap them round and create the pretence that something will happen on La Farrapona, you know? Every time they use it, they neuter it by putting Angliru the next day. The rest of week 3 is pretty meh, but at least they've gone back to trying to do something with La Covatilla.

Who actually pays for stages in the Basque country? The region? Some of the towns. I really like the area, but think they should do something else than Arrate (and Oiz MTF). A downhill finish in Eibar via several climbs or a Oiz-Urkiola combo would be great.

And the rest is also pretty meh....Tourmalet via Aubisque is just lazyness and greed. Those climbs are so frequently used in the Tour that we really don't need to see it in the Vuelta. Angliru will probably we good as always, but it's still lazy. And the rest of the mountain stages are just boring. Laguna Negra and Moncalvillo is just two of those generic MTFs they to have at least two or three of each year. And Covatilla is ok, but could still be better if they approached from east using Pena Negra and Tremedal.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Valverde having a decent chance on such an easy route is literally the only positive I can find..

 

[Red Rick]

Valverde having a decent chance on such an easy route is literally the only positive I can find..

I found another one.

They managed to skip Lagos de Covadonga a 2nd year in a row.

 

[Breezy1985]

I think this one is marginally better for him too. However in this Olympic year I don't see the field being as good as the past 2 years.

I assume this is why its the first route in years to suit sprinters as they know most of the GC guys will be wiped ot early this year

 

[Nirvana]

Btw, regarding the Vuelta. Anyone who can enlighten me why it takes place so early next year? I thought it would rather later than usual due to the Olympics, but intead they move it one week forward. Is there any particular reason why they do that?

To keep the four weeks gap with the Tour.

 

[OlavEH]

To keep the four weeks gap with the Tour.

And why does it have to be a four week gap?

 

[Nirvana]

And why does it have to be a four week gap?

Since they have a four weeks gap the number of Tour contender that went to the Vuelta has increased so I don't think they want to change even if initially the move was probably more oriented to add a week before the World and stop the planned retires parade.

 

[OlavEH]

Since they have a four weeks gap the number of Tour contender that went to the Vuelta has increased so I don't think they want to change even if initially the move was probably more oriented to add a week before the World and stop the planned retires parade.

Okay, I can understand that. But still I think a Vuelta start in the middle of August is far too early. It can be freakin hot that time of year in Spain, and since it ends about 5th of September, the only races of real interesert after that time is the Worlds RR and Il Lombardia. That's pretty thin......

 

[OlavEH]

I found another one.

They managed to skip Lagos de Covadonga a 2nd year in a row.

Actually hope for a Covadonga finish in one of the following years. Then I can combine some days of hiking in Picos de Europa with a Vuelta stage!

 

[ice&fire]

I found another one.

They managed to skip Lagos de Covadonga a 2nd year in a row.

And I'm glad the Camperona rumour was fake

 

[houtdffan]

Lol 6 sprints in the last 10 stages.

A drunk monkey would have done better.

seems like ASO sent the sprint stages that usually start the tour to the end of la Vuelta

 

[BlueRoads]

What do we know about the Vuelta and what do you think about it? Will it take place? Does not look good, but has anyone from Spain an opinion how big the political will to push this through is? And if it does happen, it just dawned on me that the Tour has just finished and the Vuelta is at the door, who will still do it and who could do well?
Well, I appreciate any thoughts, opinions and news bits.

 

[Lequack]

It's between Froome and Valverde.

 

[Koronin]

What do we know about the Vuelta and what do you think about it? Will it take place? Does not look good, but has anyone from Spain an opinion how big the political will to push this through is? And if it does happen, it just dawned on me that the Tour has just finished and the Vuelta is at the door, who will still do it and who could do well?
Well, I appreciate any thoughts, opinions and news bits.

My friends in Spain are still convinced some of the mountain stages are going to get snowed out. It's weird that many still think there will be another full lock down although the Govt has seemed to decide on just easing or tightening restrictions in areas depending on infection rate and not the country as a whole. Even with that, they do think the Vuelta will take place. There is also the thought that the Govt will allow it to go on because it's needed for the survival of Spanish cycling. As for who is going, Movistar is sending Valverde, Mas, Soler, Erviti and 4 other riders. Ineos is still planning on sending Froome, but who knows if he can even be competitive. The two Spanish Pro Conti teams will send their best riders. It does appear a large number of riders are ending their seasons, have ended their seasons or are at the Giro.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I hope it takes place. The first week's stages are really well-designed.

 

[Forever The Best]

Meh, I'm not interested in this much, since the route is awful.