Rate the 2019 Vuelta

[Blanco]

And how exactly Carapaz won the Giro? He attacked 30km to go on stage 14; and that succeeded and payed off.
Where is Carapaz there is fun.

Don't think Valverde (or Unzue) would have wanted to shoot himself after two podium spots for the team including 3rd Valverde position.

You're overestimating Carapaz, it seems. Did you ever saw this guy racing before this year's Giro?

 

[movingtarget]

I give it a 6 but still the best GT of the season. Roglic basically had to crash out to lose it after the TT after it was apparent early on that he was climbing as well as anyone. The quality of the field was undercut by the fact that Carapaz didn't start or Dumoulin, and Froome as he normally would. Aru made the mistake of doing the Tour before the Vuelta which was ambitious after being out for so long. Would have preferred to see Nibali and Yates miss the Tour and do the Vuelta but Michelton had a great Tour so it still worked for them. The race lost further interest when a few GC riders crashed out like Uran. Some nice breakaway wins but the podium speaks for itself. A 39 year old and a 20 year old beat Quintana and Lopez which makes it even more obvious that Roglic was never going to get a better opportunity to win a grand tour. Only a brain explosion on the crosswind stage almost caught out Jumbo and Roglic and after their problems in the Giro they really need to get their act together. Great rides by Valverde and Pogacar at different stages of their career but Roglic looked pretty comfortable for the duration of the race. The Ineos no show didn't help the race, and Michelton and EF had a disastrous race. Hard to know where Lopez and Quintana go from here. Their TTs were bad and their climbing was hit and miss. Lopez had some bad luck in the Giro but was never going to win it while Quintana did what he usually does of late in the Tour. Entertaining race but the final week was nothing special. Not one of the best Vuelta's of the last decade.

 

[Oldermanish]

I'd give it an 8 on individual effort: Roglic, MAL, Valverde, Pogacar, Nairo, all of Quickstep, local 'Murican guys riding for Jumbo....they all laid it down.

 

[HelloDolly]

Where is Carapaz there is fun.

Better tell that to Dave Brailsford before he puts Carapaz into the Tour train ..cos that is where he will be riding from now on

 

[Valv.Piti]

Next year, it will prob be like Carapaz +Sosa + Tao/Siv Giro and Thomas + Froome + Bernal + Tao/Siv in the Tour.

 

[Gigs_98]

Next year, it will prob be like Carapaz +Sosa + Tao/Siv Giro and Thomas + Froome + Bernal + Tao/Siv in the Tour.

This just made me wonder. Will Nibali retire before someone not riding for ineos wins the tour. Would be quite shocking if one day all active riders to have won the tour came from one team. I mean, I guess it was pretty much the same at the end of the Armstrong era, but that era had one guy who dominated, skineos already has four different winners. And looking at that list, that number could grow even larger

 

[IndianCyclist]

6 - last week was not so exciting for GC as Roglic was not put into problems other than his own errors. Same old crashes and tactical errors as in the Giro. His strong team saved him the Vuelta.

 

[hayneplane]

Gave it an 8.
Positives

1. Very early unexpected GC action in first two days with race set up nicely by pre race favourite having to make up ground from day one TTT.
2. A worthy winner who has proved himself through dominance of weeklong stage races and top 5 GC in previous Grand Tours.
3. The spectacular emergence of Tadej Pogacar as one of the brightest prospects to emerge this century.
4. Very few gimme stages for the sprinters. To win they usually had to survive at least one potential launching pad for attacks out from the peloton,
5. Astana kept on trying to split the race to pieces.
6. A masterclass from the evergreen Philippe Gilbert.
7. Lots of new climbs and finishes freshened up the race and generally the stage sequencing worked well.
8. The fabulous full gas 220Km echelon epic.

Negatives

1. The Andorran epic lost power output due to the awful weather.
2. No iconic climb such as Angliru or Lagos De Covadonga.
3. The overall GC level was quite weak.
4. Movistar riding for a long time seeking to take advantage of the mass crash carnage.