Big stars entering the vuelta

[Vonn Brinkman]

Andy Schleck said he's going to support Frank who is aiming to win and he says is showing good form. Watch out for spanish collaboration at all cost guys !!

True true! Euskatel, Caisse, Xacobeo(?), Footon, andAndalucia(?) will all try to make it very difficult! A numerous Spanish Armada...does not mean they will be victorious though!

 

[tgsgirl]

I have no idea why they said this to be honest and then a few weeks later sad Wiggins would ride the Giro and the tour. Straight away that meant they wouldn't manage it. Strange.

It's a nice idea, but completely unmanageable in practice. As you know, I just like proving Sky wrong

 

[El Pistolero]

Samu crashed last year in the Vuelta in the last descent before the climb to Aitana. He was able to get back to the leading group and stay with them that day, mainly because there were no significant attacks other than Cunego to take the stage over Moncutie who was the last man of the break to stay ahead of the field. The day after he lost more than 1 minute to the leaders in the stage to Xorret de Catí due to the pain of the day after the crash.

This is more or less what happened to him in the Tour this year. He crashed in the stage to the Tourmalet, was able to complete the stage in good position, but suffered the consequences the next days.

Now go to check your books to see if he was close to win the Vuelta last year.

I only bolded the Tour part. And he was never close to winning the Tour this year. And all I hear from you are Cadel like excuses to be honest.

 

[icefire]

I only bolded the Tour part. And he was never close to winning the Tour this year. And all I hear from you are Cadel like excuses to be honest.

You're right about the Tour. But in last year's Vuelta, the eventual winner wasn't able to drop his main rivals on the road based on strength alone. Mechanicals and crashes did most of the job for him to distance Samu, Cadel and Gesink. This is just what happened. And I only remember one of those three making excuses

 

[Angliru]

You're right about the Tour. But in last year's Vuelta, the eventual winner wasn't able to drop his main rivals on the road based on strength alone. Mechanicals and crashes did most of the job for him to distance Samu, Cadel and Gesink. This is just what happened. And I only remember one of those three making excuses

I do recall on La Pandera Valverde eventually dropping Evans, Basso and ultimately Gesink after getting dropped himself and battling back. The onus was on the rest of the contenders to drop Valverde not vice versa after Valverde gained the leaders jersey.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

last years win by valverde was the weakest and most coward win I've seen in a gt since possibly savoldelli.

 

[jens_attacks]

last year's vuelta a espana was a joke,the most boring race i've ever seen in my life.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Worse than the Tour? Ryo - I don't think it's fair to say Valverde's win was cowardly. It was up to the others to attack him, and they didn't. The stage to La Pandera was a great stage, where Valverde broke but came back by managing his losses. You can blah blah blah about the puncture all you like, Evans lost more time in the race than he did to that puncture, and Valverde was ahead of him anyway.

I actually thought the first 2 weeks of the Vuelta last year were pretty good, but it was ruined by a very tame MTF at Aitana, and a last week where everybody seemed too tired or too afraid to challenge Caisse's dominance. Robert Gesink and Ezequiel Mosquera, between the two of them, put in more attacks by GC contenders than we saw in the entire TdF that year, but the TdF was backloaded, which helped people forget about an absolutely appalling first 2 weeks where the only selective stage was Arcalis, The Most Boring Mountaintop Finish In The World®. The Vuelta had a few interesting stages, but ended with a week of solid nothing, so people were just fed up of it by the end.

 

[tgsgirl]

I'd have loved to see Downing ride the Vuelta but he is goign to the TOB as team leader.

Downing agrees. All is not well in the world's most amazingly revolutionary team.

Gutted !!What does @russdowning have to do to ride in a Grand Tour? 1st Tour of Ireland and Tour de Wallonie winner. Come on @teamsky!

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Downing agrees. All is not well in the world's most amazingly revolutionary team.

Most of that quote (except the gutted bit) is a re-tweet of a post on facebook so it sounds worse than it is. But, yeah, he is gutted and it's a crap decision. Just hope he has a contract for next season because he deserves one after this season.

 

[sublimit]

Most of that quote (except the gutted bit) is a re-tweet of a post on facebook so it sounds worse than it is. But, yeah, he is gutted and it's a crap decision. Just hope he has a contract for next season because he deserves one after this season.

Its disappointing but hopefully he can get a chance to ride the Giro next year.

If he does well at the TOB maybe he has an outside chance of making the Worlds alongside Cav, Thomas who knows.

 

[Aguirre]

this year Igor Anton and Beñat Intxausto are going to be up, very up.

I count the Euskaltel couple as the biggest surprise, maybe top 5 the two of them.

I also count Nibali for the podium, and mosquera. So there is just one rider for complete the top 5: maybe F. Schleck

 

[theyoungest]

this year Igor Anton and Beñat Intxausto are going to be up, very up.

I count the Euskaltel couple as the biggest surprise, maybe top 5 the two of them.

I also count Nibali for the podium, and mosquera. So there is just one rider for complete the top 5: maybe F. Schleck

Menchov? (if he wants to)

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Menchov? (if he wants to)

He does.

But he isn't quite sure himself on how he will fare (he even said just that before the entire team).
________
SHEMALE VIDEO

 

[theyoungest]

Sky line up confirmed:
Thomas Löfkvist
Juan Antonio Flecha
Simon Gerrans
John-Lee Augustyn
Kjell Carlström
Lars-Petter Nordhaug
Peter Kennaugh
Ian Stannard
Ben Swift

Can only assume they'll search for stage wins because they don't really have any contenders for GC. Maybe Lofkvist can surprise a few. Can't believe Possoni hasn't been picked.

+1

Ridiculous. They even said themselves last week that "they've been a little short of climbers" or words to that effect, and that Possoni's riding in Burgos was a welcome change for them.

 

[Anonymous]

Sky line up confirmed:
Thomas Löfkvist
Juan Antonio Flecha
Simon Gerrans
John-Lee Augustyn
Kjell Carlström
Lars-Petter Nordhaug
Peter Kennaugh
Ian Stannard
Ben Swift

Can only assume they'll search for stage wins because they don't really have any contenders for GC. Maybe Lofkvist can surprise a few. Can't believe Possoni hasn't been picked.

+1

Ridiculous. They even said themselves last week that "they've been a little short of climbers" or words to that effect, and that Possoni's riding in Burgos was a welcome change for them.

Thinks its a matter of keeping sweet the riders they want to stick around. I think possoni is only on a one year contract. you are never going to make everyone happy. No huge surprises in the sky squad, maybe gerrans is the one i wouldnt have included. Or possibly left one of the carlstrom, nordhaug combo behind who have been very dissapointing this year.

Most of that quote (except the gutted bit) is a re-tweet of a post on facebook so it sounds worse than it is. But, yeah, he is gutted and it's a crap decision. Just hope he has a contract for next season because he deserves one after this season.

If russ doesnt have a contract with sky next year there are plenty of teams that will pick him up after how he has ridden this year. Brilliant hard working domestique and chipped in with a few wins.

 

[hrotha]

If Possoni doesn't have a contract for next year, shouldn't Sky be trying to extend it? And to do that, shouldn't they try to keep him happy and bring him to the Vuelta? Or maybe he's not important because he's Italian?

Maybe they're trying to revolutionize cycling by leaving their most in-form riders at home?

 

[taiwan]

Samu crashed last year in the Vuelta in the last descent before the climb to Aitana. He was able to get back to the leading group and stay with them that day, mainly because there were no significant attacks other than Cunego to take the stage over Moncutie who was the last man of the break to stay ahead of the field. The day after he lost more than 1 minute to the leaders in the stage to Xorret de Catí due to the pain of the day after the crash.

This is more or less what happened to him in the Tour this year. He crashed in the stage to the Tourmalet, was able to complete the stage in good position, but suffered the consequences the next days.

Now go to check your books to see if he was close to win the Vuelta last year.

FWIW there weren't any significant road stages after the Tourmalet, and the TT vs Denis Menchov he wouldn't have been expected to win.

[edit]

Thinks its a matter of keeping sweet the riders they want to stick around. I think possoni is only on a one year contract. you are never going to make everyone happy. No huge surprises in the sky squad, maybe gerrans is the one i wouldnt have included. Or possibly left one of the carlstrom, nordhaug combo behind who have been very dissapointing this year.

Wouldn't it make sense to keep one of the couple of riders who's climbing well sweet, and not worry too much about others on longer contracts who underperformed? Also isn't Lars Peter Nordhaug a first year pro? Can't expect all that much.

 

[maltiv]

Or possibly left one of the carlstrom, nordhaug combo behind who have been very dissapointing this year.

You must have expected some really, really weird things from Nordhaug if you think he has been disappointing? Top 10 finishes in TdS and Tour of Poland, and he has climbed very well the whole season. Also in the big mountain stage in TdS he was in the lead group for a long time, assisting Löfkvist. Oh and he was the best Sky rider in the ardennes classics...all this from a neo pro who they only signed because of EBH.

Geraint Thomas has also been dissapointing this year, I expected him to win the TDF!

 

[Jamsque]

I don't see how you can call Carlstrom and Nordhaug's seasons disappointing compared to, say, Froome's and Augustyn's.

 

[theyoungest]

Thinks its a matter of keeping sweet the riders they want to stick around. I think possoni is only on a one year contract. you are never going to make everyone happy.

What BS, Rabo are sending Menchov to the Vuelta, they know he's leaving anyway but it's always nice to have someone there who can, you know, actually do well.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

I think possoni is only on a one year contract. you are never going to make everyone happy.

If Possoni is on a 1 year deal and he doesn't get a new one then Sky have f**ked up royally. Same with Downing.

Calstrom, Augustyn and Froome have been shocking all season although Augustyn does seem to be finding some form.

Why Calstrom has been picked over Fonzy or Arveson I have no idea.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

this year Igor Anton and Beñat Intxausto are going to be up, very up.

I count the Euskaltel couple as the biggest surprise, maybe top 5 the two of them.

I also count Nibali for the podium, and mosquera. So there is just one rider for complete the top 5: maybe F. Schleck

anton yes, intxausti no

 

[jaylew]

I don't see how you can call Carlstrom and Nordhaug's seasons disappointing compared to, say, Froome's and Augustyn's.

What I was thinking, especially re: Nordhaug. I would have thought his year would have been considered a pleasant surprise. Froome and Augustyn seem to be regressing a bit.

 

[roundabout]

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=29379

team selections