Pre La Vuelta-thread

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

So Peter Sagan is going as well will he ride till the end and go for the sprinters jersey or abandon early on ?

I can't see why he would go with the intention of abandoning. He has no obvious late-season goals to save himself for, as he has no chance in Innsbruck.

The points jersey might be tough, as it normally goes to a GC man.

He will surely abandon. Question is when. Probably after stage 9 or 12. He takes Vuelta as preparation for Innsbruck and will try to pick some stages if possible. At least that was initial plan. After his crash and withdrawal in Glasgow there is huge question mark above his form and condition.

If he seriously abandons this race because of the worlds that would be absolutely ridiculous

 

[Tim Booth]

Re: Re:

Question is when. Probably after stage 9 or 12.

I can imagine a few riders flying out of Coruña Airport after stage 12

 

[Lequack]

So Geraint Thomas going to the Deutchland Tour, so definitely no Vuelta. That leaves Froome as a possibility.

 

[Tim Booth]

Re:

So Geraint Thomas going to the Deutchland Tour, so definitely no Vuelta. That leaves Froome as a possibility.

not if he is riding here
http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/2018/08/16/geraint-thomas-and-chris-froome-to-ride-2018-ovo-energy-tour-of-britain/

 

[Lequack]

Re: Re:

So Geraint Thomas going to the Deutchland Tour, so definitely no Vuelta. That leaves Froome as a possibility.

not if he is riding here
http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/2018/08/16/geraint-thomas-and-chris-froome-to-ride-2018-ovo-energy-tour-of-britain/

So I guess they'll not be going for the GC, unless they pull another G out of the hat in the form of Kwiatkowski or Geoghegan Hart. Or if Bernal will recover in time.

 

[WKA311]

Re: Re:

So Geraint Thomas going to the Deutchland Tour, so definitely no Vuelta. That leaves Froome as a possibility.

not if he is riding here
http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/2018/08/16/geraint-thomas-and-chris-froome-to-ride-2018-ovo-energy-tour-of-britain/

So I guess they'll not be going for the GC, unless they pull another G out of the hat in the form of Kwiatkowski or Geoghegan Hart. Or if Bernal will recover in time.

De la Cruz is leading Sky for GC at the Vuelta. I'd imagine Tao is in a free role too. Chasing stages or trying GC.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

So Peter Sagan is going as well will he ride till the end and go for the sprinters jersey or abandon early on ?

I can't see why he would go with the intention of abandoning. He has no obvious late-season goals to save himself for, as he has no chance in Innsbruck.

The points jersey might be tough, as it normally goes to a GC man.

He will surely abandon. Question is when. Probably after stage 9 or 12. He takes Vuelta as preparation for Innsbruck and will try to pick some stages if possible. At least that was initial plan. After his crash and withdrawal in Glasgow there is huge question mark above his form and condition.

If he seriously abandons this race because of the worlds that would be absolutely ridiculous

It’d be a real kick in the teeth for Ackerman and Bennett, who would both fancy their chances of picking up a couple of GT stage wins if they rode.

 

[Beobachter]

Re: Re:

So Peter Sagan is going as well will he ride till the end and go for the sprinters jersey or abandon early on ?

I can't see why he would go with the intention of abandoning. He has no obvious late-season goals to save himself for, as he has no chance in Innsbruck.

The points jersey might be tough, as it normally goes to a GC man.

He will surely abandon. Question is when. Probably after stage 9 or 12. He takes Vuelta as preparation for Innsbruck and will try to pick some stages if possible. At least that was initial plan. After his crash and withdrawal in Glasgow there is huge question mark above his form and condition.

If he seriously abandons this race because of the worlds that would be absolutely ridiculous

It’d be a real kick in the teeth for Ackerman and Bennett, who would both fancy their chances of picking up a couple of GT stage wins if they rode.

The initial plan for Sagan was indeed that he'll abandon (after stage 12). At least it is what was planned, maybe he might change because of his shape but I doubt it.

And no, it's not a problem for both Ackermann and Bennett since neither of them was supposed to ride the Vuelta initially. (and anyways, Bennett hasn't raced since June, which means he wouldn't have been at the Vuelta anyways)
Ackermann had discussed with the team when he will debute a GT. Both agree to wait for next year and to progress step by step. Which seems pretty clever to me. And Ackermann has lot of races to win he values more than a few Vuelta stages (Hambourg, Deutschland Tour, Münsterland).
Same with Bennett, with Plouay and the Canadian classics, he has (at least was supposed to have) a very good calendar.

Absolutely nothing to complain for both of them

 

[tobydawq]

Kruijswijk, Bennett and Kuss will form a potentially pretty bad-ass trio in the Vuelta.

Also selected are van Poppel, De Tier, Lindeman, Leezer and Boom.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Is Sagan really going to Innsbruck? I guess it makes sense to at least be there.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Look at how Chaves is doing And Adam is going backwards since his first great GT result (4th in TDF) as well. This has a root cause.

Chaves has Mono.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Is Sagan really going to Innsbruck? I guess it makes sense to at least be there.

He’s the reigning champion. He’s got so much mileage out of the jersey the past 3 years, the least he can do is honour it by showing up.

Also, as unlikely a winner as he will be, he is comfortably Slovakia’s best chance of winning, so I think his federation would want him to give it a go.

And finally, as tough a course as it is, he’s Peter Sagan. You can’t rule him out.

 

[rlntlssly]

It's one thing to show up, take part, and do the best you can. It's not implausible that he wins it, but it's highly unlikely, and shaping the latter part of the season about it is silly. It's not implausible that Chris Froome could win MSR, but you wouldn't argue he should shape his season around it.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

It's one thing to show up, take part, and do the best you can. It's not implausible that he wins it, but it's highly unlikely, and shaping the latter part of the season about it is silly. It's not implausible that Chris Froome could win MSR, but you wouldn't argue he should shape his season around it.

I think you're onto something but I also like that he doesn't make a mistake like Rio where GVA of course ended up winning.

But as a three time defending world champion, he has to go, and if he is to go and not just be making up the numbers, he needs to prepare specifically and the Vuelta is the best way to do that. I'm not sure he needs to abandon, though, but that is usually how non-GC contenders choose to do it.

Also, a hardcore focus on the WC on this course might give him a rare opportunity at Lombardy which is probably not as hard as the WC.

 

[Leinster]

Also, a hardcore focus on the WC on this course might give him a rare opportunity at Lombardy which is probably not as hard as the WC.

Worlds, Paris-Tours, Lombardia on 3 consecutive weekends.


I’m not saying it’ll be easy. But if anyone can do it...

 

[Lequack]

This was last year's startlist:

 

[wirral]

Why has Mikel Landa reappeared on the Vuelta startlist on ProCyclingStats?

The Three Amigos, The Sequel?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Why has Mikel Landa reappeared on the Vuelta startlist on ProCyclingStats?

The Three Amigos, The Sequel?

Because Movistar has never taken him off of their Vuelta list and have said as long as there are no set backs he'll be at la Vuelta.

 

[wirral]

Re: Re:

Why has Mikel Landa reappeared on the Vuelta startlist on ProCyclingStats?

The Three Amigos, The Sequel?

Because Movistar has never taken him off of their Vuelta list and have said as long as there are no set backs he'll be at la Vuelta.

Thanks. I must have assumed incorrectly he wouldn't start.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

It's one thing to show up, take part, and do the best you can. It's not implausible that he wins it, but it's highly unlikely, and shaping the latter part of the season about it is silly. It's not implausible that Chris Froome could win MSR, but you wouldn't argue he should shape his season around it.

I think you're onto something but I also like that he doesn't make a mistake like Rio where GVA of course ended up winning.

But as a three time defending world champion, he has to go, and if he is to go and not just be making up the numbers, he needs to prepare specifically and the Vuelta is the best way to do that. I'm not sure he needs to abandon, though, but that is usually how non-GC contenders choose to do it.

Also, a hardcore focus on the WC on this course might give him a rare opportunity at Lombardy which is probably not as hard as the WC.

I think that if GVA hadn't won the rio olympics which he skipped due to the hard course his approach here might indeed be different. He surely doesn't want to make the same mistake again. The thing is though, this race is waaaay harder than rio. Rio basically had three hard climbs after half of the race took place on terrain that favored the hard men like him and therefore took a lot out of the climbers. This race has 7 or 8 hard climbs and no cobbles and explosive climbs at the beginning.
It's generally understandable that after winning the worlds three times in a row he wants to at least ride the race again but throwing away vuelta stages for it is nonsensical. And if he wants to be in top shape for lombardia, fine, understandable, but as that race comes two weeks later so you don't have to abandon the vuelta to be strong there. Look at Nibali's shape after the vuelta last year

 

[Tim Booth]

Re: Re:

Why has Mikel Landa reappeared on the Vuelta startlist on ProCyclingStats?

The Three Amigos, The Sequel?

Because Movistar has never taken him off of their Vuelta list and have said as long as there are no set backs he'll be at la Vuelta.

They are not very hopeful
http://as.com/ciclismo/2018/08/16/mas_ciclismo/1534449503_746677.html

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

It's one thing to show up, take part, and do the best you can. It's not implausible that he wins it, but it's highly unlikely, and shaping the latter part of the season about it is silly. It's not implausible that Chris Froome could win MSR, but you wouldn't argue he should shape his season around it.

I think you're onto something but I also like that he doesn't make a mistake like Rio where GVA of course ended up winning.

But as a three time defending world champion, he has to go, and if he is to go and not just be making up the numbers, he needs to prepare specifically and the Vuelta is the best way to do that. I'm not sure he needs to abandon, though, but that is usually how non-GC contenders choose to do it.

Also, a hardcore focus on the WC on this course might give him a rare opportunity at Lombardy which is probably not as hard as the WC.

I think that if GVA hadn't won the rio olympics which he skipped due to the hard course his approach here might indeed be different. He surely doesn't want to make the same mistake again. The thing is though, this race is waaaay harder than rio. Rio basically had three hard climbs after half of the race took place on terrain that favored the hard men like him and therefore took a lot out of the climbers. This race has 7 or 8 hard climbs and no cobbles and explosive climbs at the beginning.
It's generally understandable that after winning the worlds three times in a row he wants to at least ride the race again but throwing away vuelta stages for it is nonsensical. And if he wants to be in top shape for lombardia, fine, understandable, but as that race comes two weeks later so you don't have to abandon the vuelta to be strong there. Look at Nibali's shape after the vuelta last year

There are only 2 potential sprint stages after stage 12 and with someone like Viviani around (and possibly others that I don't know about that are riding), it surely doesn't mean he'll be just throwing them away. The first one and a half week offers plenty for him, and besides, it's Sagan. Another 1 or 2 stages would add next to nothing to his palmares.

If he feels like abandoning early is the better option to be in the best possible shape (maybe even more mentally than physically) for the upcoming races, then why not.

 

[Breh]

Marczynski out, Campenaerts in.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Why has Mikel Landa reappeared on the Vuelta startlist on ProCyclingStats?

The Three Amigos, The Sequel?

Because Movistar has never taken him off of their Vuelta list and have said as long as there are no set backs he'll be at la Vuelta.

Thanks. I must have assumed incorrectly he wouldn't start.

Well, that would be the logical assumption to make; that a guy with a fractured vertebra isn't gonna start a GT.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Why has Mikel Landa reappeared on the Vuelta startlist on ProCyclingStats?

The Three Amigos, The Sequel?

Because Movistar has never taken him off of their Vuelta list and have said as long as there are no set backs he'll be at la Vuelta.

Thanks. I must have assumed incorrectly he wouldn't start.

Well, that would be the logical assumption to make; that a guy with a fractured vertebra isn't gonna start a GT.

Not saying it isn't logical as it actually is. Thing is Movistar has never removed him from their long list for la Vuelta and has not released their list of who is going. They won't make a decision until the last minute.