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Vuelta a España Rate the 2020 Vuelta

What's your rating for the 2020 Vuelta?

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Results are only viewable after voting.
To keep up with this tradition anyone can give a rating to the Vuelta that finished yesterday. More interestingly this is a thread to discuss the quality of this GT, its course, and the tactics and strengths of teams and individual riders. Who did better or worse than expected, what should have been done differently?
 
I quite liked this years Vuelta. The only stage that really disappointed me was La Farrapona but even the fight for the stage was pretty cool there. Plenty of other interesting stages.
Really liked Formigal, Valdegovia, Moncalvillo, the ITT, Renaat&José and the interesting GC battle. Guillaume Martin was a cool addition to the race.

I'd also like to point out the quality of the (stage) winners. Every single one of them is a great rider and a well known name. It's telling when the least established name among the stage winners is Jasper Philipsen.

Perhaps I was most let down by Zakarin doing the Giro and not this Vuelta.
 
The first half was very good, all things considered, then it kind of went downhill.
The mountain block at the end of week 2 was not raced save it for 4-5 km on the Angliru. And week 3 was poorly designed, almost impossible to make something happen with the strongest team being the one with the jersey.

Overall probably a 6 for me.
 
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Started nicely, had its highpoint in Formigal and went downhill from there. Moncavillo was still pretty good, Angliru was decent (though rather underwhelming for an Angliru stage) and the final two kilometres of stage 20 were really exciting, but two good kilometres in the entire third week is just very, very little. I guess the fact that this still ended up with an incredibly close battle for the win kinda saved the race for me but I'd still argue this was among the worst Vuelta's of the last decade. I still gave it a 6 but I think it's closer to a 5 than to a 7.
 
A mild 7.

Roglic was probably stronger in the Tour, but he didn't face a Pogacar. He was dropped on several MTFs, but still won thanks to his team, his ITT and the bonifications. He actually won it in those uphill sprints for boni seconds, although you can't know for sure that the race would have gone the same way without those. 2020 was clearly the year of Roglic, but his Vuelta win in itself wasn't that impressive. Sepp Kuss was stronger than his leader on the Angliru.

Carapaz was the strongest climber overall and had attacking spirit, but he didn't get enough support from Ineos. Movistar was strong as a team, but Mas lacked that bit of extra on the crucial moments, and had a disappointing time trial. Hugh Carthy is the revelation of the race, although he has an ugly climbing style. It was good to see Dan Martin back at his old level. Wout Poels could probably have podiumed in a GT if he hadn't wasted his best years as a helper. Disappointments were Pinot and Dumoulin. Chaves started well, but then it went wrong again. Tim Wellens deserves a mention with two tactically brilliant stage wins.

The course was fine, with the focus on the Angliru and the time trial, but some other stages turned out to be a bit tougher than expected too. Of course the sprinters didn't get that many chances, mostly because the Dutch stages were cancelled. All in all I think this was a fine Vuelta, but a bit too predictable and without a massive performance or anything to be labeled "legendary".
 
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I give it a 4. I think the Tour was the best grand tour this year, for a change. I think this Vuelta was the worst edition at least in the past 10 years even though the time gaps were close but then the time gaps were close in all three races this year. It was going to be a two horse race a long way from the finish. It was odd seeing riders in the Vuelta wearing jackets, arm and leg warmers quite often.............watching three consecutive grand tours wore me down as the last two even overlapped. I can honestly say that I am glad the season is over and I never usually say that. I was struggling in the third week of the Vuelta but like Roglic I hung on............barely.
 
10.

It's the only Vuelta I've ever seen which many promised wouldn't even start due to coronavirus, then others said it wouldn't go past week 1, or week 2. Many also were very concerned about riders testing positive for Covid, i.e. a fact which could have destroyed the race at any minute (imagine the red jersey holder gets coronavirus? Kaboom, what a disaster eh). Add the rain & cold as well due to the late start this year & it was a recipe for some serious sh*t to hit the fan.

So I give it a well earned 10 because none of the disaster scenarios played out & the race even had its exciting moments (Roglic versus Carapaz on the Moncalvillo & then again on Saturday being the highlights). Even the ITT was fun (i.e. tense & close).
 
One of the worst GT in 2011-2020: almost no action, ridiculous route, dumb 3rd week, 3rd class line-up (even worse in Giro'20).
It was literally 18 days race, not a Grand Tour.
If it is allowed to give so-called GT a 1-2 rate - this is the case.
 
8

It was not controlled like the Giro or the TDF which lead to breakaways not being given much time, so you would never be sure if the breakaway or the peleton would win the stage - Also with the profiles of some stages you were never sure if it would be for pure sprinters, punchier riders or GC riders - The perfect evidence was the unexpected victories by Roglic and Philipsen in week three.
 
From the beginning to the end: Roglic and Carapaz and nobody else.
Only two guys might be in TdF top ten. And much worse than in Tour Roglic has win it.
Was obvious Dumo and Froome would be nowhere.

Interesting. The rider who finished 5th in the TdF finished exactly 5th in the Vuelta. And 12th in the Tour finished 10th in the Vuelta. Outside of a Pogacar, I can't think of a single GC rider who would have made the field better.

Still, I gave it a 5. Good first 7 stages, better than most GTs. Mediocre after that, without any stages worth watching before the last few kms.
 
Interesting. The rider who finished 5th in the TdF finished exactly 5th in the Vuelta. And 12th in the Tour finished 10th in the Vuelta. Outside of a Pogacar, I can't think of a single GC rider who would have made the field better.

Still, I gave it a 5. Good first 7 stages, better than most GTs. Mediocre after that, without any stages worth watching before the last few kms.
You are right here, I forgot about Mas.
 
I give it a 4. I think the Tour was the best grand tour this year, for a change. I think this Vuelta was the worst edition at least in the past 10 years even though the time gaps were close but then the time gaps were close in all three races this year. It was going to be a two horse race a long way from the finish. It was odd seeing riders in the Vuelta wearing jackets, arm and leg warmers quite often.............watching three consecutive grand tours wore me down as the last two even overlapped. I can honestly say that I am glad the season is over and I never usually say that. I was struggling in the third week of the Vuelta but like Roglic I hung on............barely.
3xyes
 
Trying to rate this Vuelta, we should remember how amazing were penultimate stages of previous editions:
  • 2015 - 20 th stage, Dumo is losing 1st place (Aru!);
  • 2016 - Chaves is fighting with Contador for 3rd place;
  • 2017 - 20 th: Zakarin replacing Kelderman on podium;
  • 2018 - but of course fantastic 20th stage..! Mas 4-->2, Lopez 5-->3, Kru 3-->4, Valv 2-->5;
  • 2019 - also 20 th stage, what a solo of Pog 5-->3; Quint 3-->4

Yes, Vuelta usually can, but not this time.
 

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