Cav: "The Vuelta has become stupid"

[rghysens]

Re: Re:

None of the TT'ers groan and moan when GT's have little or no TT mileage.

But they should, because it's a disgrace and a total travesty.

And they did. At least, I read an interview were Tony Martin complained about the lack of TT's nowadays, not only in the tour, but in general.

 

[SergeDeM]

Yes, the Vuelta is a bit stupid now. No, that doesn't mean it should have more sprint finishes.
The trademark boring stage except for 3km at the end is not conductive to epic shows, but there's nothing epic about sprints either.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

Can't say that I've missed the likes of Greipel, Kittel or Cavendish and I'd certainly not want a Vuelta with early sprint stages that enable them to abandon midway to focus elsewhere. Besides how many Vuelta's has Cav done? if it has "become stupid" I presume he used to be a regular?

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

Can't say that I've missed the likes of Greipel, Kittel or Cavendish and I'd certainly not want a Vuelta with early sprint stages that enable them to abandon midway to focus elsewhere. Besides how many Vuelta's has Cav done? if it has "become stupid" I presume he used to be a regular?

won three stages and the points jersey in 2010.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

I agree (mostly) with what he's saying, but probably not with what he actually means.

What he means is "replace half of the uphill finishes with pan flat stages!!!111!!"

Exactly!!!!

Just because it isn't suited to 'him' it is stupid? I think not. I sure don't miss him, not even one tiny little bit .

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

None of the TT'ers groan and moan when GT's have little or no TT mileage.

But they should, because it's a disgrace and a total travesty.

Now I understand what your problem with the parcours is.

Remember that the organizers do not want to see GT's won the way Indurain used to do it. That is the last thing they want.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

Re: Re:

Can't say that I've missed the likes of Greipel, Kittel or Cavendish and I'd certainly not want a Vuelta with early sprint stages that enable them to abandon midway to focus elsewhere. Besides how many Vuelta's has Cav done? if it has "become stupid" I presume he used to be a regular?

won three stages and the points jersey in 2010.

So that's one, any others?

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

None of the TT'ers groan and moan when GT's have little or no TT mileage.

But they should, because it's a disgrace and a total travesty.

Now I understand what your problem with the parcours is.

Remember that the organizers do not want to see GT's won the way Indurain used to do it. That is the last thing they want.

Oh yes, God forbid we get to see again something like the Tour 1992. God forbid. Why would anybody want that.

 

[hrotha]

Re: Re:

Now I understand what your problem with the parcours is.

Remember that the organizers do not want to see GT's won the way Indurain used to do it. That is the last thing they want.

It's not just about the ITTs. I find virtually every single aspect of the Vuelta's design philosophy to be terrible.

 

[JRTK73]

Some people don't like that the Vuelta puts it all into the last climb but on stage 11, a great mountain stage, it came down to the last climb anyway. At the end of the day the Vuelta in the last few years has created a distinctive reputation for itself and has produced some fantastic racing. I can see why Cav would choose not to ride it and even I do get slightly bored of 11 hill finishes. However, I don't have to crunch the numbers and work out what is economically viable.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Re: Re:

Bring back the downhill ITT!

It's the Vuelta, we could get a long downhill TTT

A shame we can't add cobbles too.

A 30k cobbled downhill TTT on narrow roads. Add rain showers and you'll have the ultimative challenge.

But we still have hormigon! ITT down the Bola del Mundo.

 

[dottigirl]

Is it more about length?

Since 2012, I've heard a lot of people saying that the (shorter) women's races are actually better entertainment. More attacks, more breakaways, more chasing. If, for example, 20km was chopped off a race, what would the result be? Or is the length relied upon to exhaust the riders?

Just something to think about.

 

[Carols]

Re:

Is it more about length?

Since 2012, I've heard a lot of people saying that the (shorter) women's races are actually better entertainment. More attacks, more breakaways, more chasing. If, for example, 20km was chopped off a race, what would the result be? Or is the length relied upon to exhaust the riders?

Just something to think about.

Grand Tours are about attrition. They wouldn't be Grand if they weren't Long and Difficult!

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Can't say that I've missed the likes of Greipel, Kittel or Cavendish and I'd certainly not want a Vuelta with early sprint stages that enable them to abandon midway to focus elsewhere. Besides how many Vuelta's has Cav done? if it has "become stupid" I presume he used to be a regular?

won three stages and the points jersey in 2010.

So that's one, any others?

2011...

 

[vedrafjord]

What the Vuelta really needs is a couple of stages more like this:

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

What the Vuelta really needs is a couple of stages more like this:

All 3 GTs need more stages like this lately. Remember stage 2 in the 2013 TdF? Just one of many examples.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Is it more about length?

Since 2012, I've heard a lot of people saying that the (shorter) women's races are actually better entertainment. More attacks, more breakaways, more chasing. If, for example, 20km was chopped off a race, what would the result be? Or is the length relied upon to exhaust the riders?

Just something to think about.

Women's races see a wilder style of racing because their half of the sport is less moneyed, specialised and professionalised.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Is it more about length?

Since 2012, I've heard a lot of people saying that the (shorter) women's races are actually better entertainment. More attacks, more breakaways, more chasing. If, for example, 20km was chopped off a race, what would the result be? Or is the length relied upon to exhaust the riders?

Just something to think about.

Women's races see a wilder style of racing because their half of the sport is less moneyed, specialised and professionalised.

Also smaller teams and because of what you mention, less depth meaning less ability to control races with super-domestiques.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Is it more about length?

Since 2012, I've heard a lot of people saying that the (shorter) women's races are actually better entertainment. More attacks, more breakaways, more chasing. If, for example, 20km was chopped off a race, what would the result be? Or is the length relied upon to exhaust the riders?

Just something to think about.

Women's races see a wilder style of racing because their half of the sport is less moneyed, specialised and professionalised.

Also smaller teams and because of what you mention, less depth meaning less ability to control races with super-domestiques.

Yes exactly. And as well as wilder racing it means the women's sport can still produce dominant all rounders of a sort the male peloton used to have but hasn't seen since Kelly.

 

[hfer07]

Cav's comments on La Vuelta are a truly reflection of his decline: He's openly acknowledging that he cannot win GT stages that "conflict" with his downturn - La Vuelta is too tough for him, so why bother showing up to Spain when he can well go to other races that are "friendlier" to his level.....

 

[yespatterns]

I'll go back and read all the posts, but coming from Cav, it sounds like sour grapes from a rider whose career isn't what it used to be. On a less emotional note I think the big three GTs tend to suffer from an identity crisis of sorts continually just in their efforts too differentiate themselves from the others. Each tries to find their own niche, to the disappointment of sprinters, tters, climbers respectively.

 

[42x16ss]

It's because he can't whine about how Greipel whipped his ar$e in July.

 

[lenric]

Stages should be shorter, because that way riders would have more energy to attack. I don't see the point in having stages with +170 kms every day. By the way, they should cut the number or riders per team. 6 at most.

Also, why do stages designed for sprinters have so much kms? It's so *** boring to watch almost 200 riders doing close to nothing for 180 kms and in the last 2 kms doing something.

 

[Up_The_Road]

With all the crashes in this Vuelta, one would think Cav would feel right at home in Spain.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Stages should be shorter, because that way riders would have more energy to attack. I don't see the point in having stages with +170 kms every day. By the way, they should cut the number or riders per team. 6 at most.

Also, why do stages designed for sprinters have so much kms? It's so **** boring to watch almost 200 riders doing close to nothing for 180 kms and in the last 2 kms doing something.

Long flat stages in GT's are a necessary evil to wear down riders. Especially climbers. It used to be the weak point for the Colombians back in the 80's. They could not keep up with the pace. And every now a then with strong winds it creates turmoil. Hec, some people might argue that the last Tour was decided in a flat stage in the Netherlands.