Rate the Vuelta 2018 route

[Red Rick]

Stage 1 (prologue)

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

REST DAY

Stage 10

Stage 11

 

[Red Rick]

Stage 12

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

REST DAY

Stage 16 (ITT)

Stage 17

Stage 18

Stage 19

Stage 20

Stage 21

 

[Singer01]

i like it, it could do with another tt or a longer tt to balance out the MTF's. I can't imagine too many sprinters will be attending though.

 

[jsem94]

Meh. Something like a 3.

Some decent stages and a few mouth watering but too backloaded as usual.

 

[portugal11]

this route is perfect to dumoulin. many stages with one climb in the end

 

[Valv.Piti]

Hmm, I dno. Its fine I guess, I didn't expect much more than this. I like the stage to Gallina, Monte Oiz and Les Praeres and there are a few interesting hilly/puncheur friendly finishes as well that looks nice. Overall pretty average, like the other GTs this year, but as long as its just average and not plain bad, Im not really too concerned.

Lets say 5

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

i like it, it could do with another tt or a longer tt to balance out the MTF's. I can't imagine too many sprinters will be attending though.

I actually think balancing is the only thing that's done somewhat decently. Most of these climbs are gonna cause small differences if at all.

And this is the most sprinter friendly Vuelta in a very long time. I count 8 opportunities for the durable sprinters.

I do think the route is perfect for Dumoulin

 

[Serpentin]

Stage 20 has Contador written all over it.

The route looks fine, the interesting part is to see who will attend the vuelta this year.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

i like it, it could do with another tt or a longer tt to balance out the MTF's. I can't imagine too many sprinters will be attending though.

I actually think balancing is the only thing that's done somewhat decently. Most of these climbs are gonna cause small differences if at all.

And this is the most sprinter friendly Vuelta in a very long time. I count 8 opportunities for the durable sprinters.

I do think the route is perfect for Dumoulin

It surely is, but its still very good for climbers

5 sprinter stages, that one or two too many for the Vuelta.

 

[Salvarani]

I hope Dumoulin goes to Vuelta after Giro.

 

[Netserk]

Seriously, name me a worse route. Looking back, I guess '14 was crap as well, but this one is still completely bull*.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Seriously, name me a worse route. Looking back, I guess '14 was crap as well, but this one is still completely bull*.

2007?

The legendary 2009 Tour?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Not as much _____________/ as usual.

Very short multi-climb stages in the last week seem to have become de rigueur all of a sudden.

No Red jersey for sprinters.

Only a brief incursion into Catalonia: political?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Seriously, name me a worse route. Looking back, I guess '14 was crap as well, but this one is still completely bull*.

2016 was worse. So was 2011, I think. 2010. 2008. 2007. And so on..

I guess you can add 2014 and 2012 if you want as well, it depends. I think its overall a pretty average Vuelta-route

 

[Gerrard Slipped haha]

The andorra stage pushes this to 6+ from me overall. The lack of real mountain stages (aside of the 20th one ofc) is kinda disturbing, but hey, it's Vuelta, don't tell me you were expecting to get some Giau/Fedaia/Val di Fassa level combinations here. Wish there were more ITT kms, otherwise a typical LV route, especially that 1st week. Both Big Tom and Valverde should be happy about this.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Too little TT and the majority of the mountain stages is effectively ____/

A few decent stages though, so let's say a 4.

 

[hrotha]

This is pretty abysmal. It has Unipuerto all over it. Having a super short mountain stage as the last chance for the climbers to do everything has worked very well in the past, but even that is half-arsed, in my opinion, because they won't be coming from one or two harder mountain stages before and because, well, they're still using the hardest climb as the MTF. The time trial appears to be flat enough, but 33 km is not nearly enough.

Dunno, a 3?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Wow, just when you thought we had hit rock bottom, the Vuelta Comes arround produces even bigger ***.

 

[HelloDolly]

Same thing every year
Route (of any GT) comes out ...same old moaners on here go on and on about how its dreadful, etc

I like it...Its different from Tour and Giro- whic i wnat and it can provide some great racing and not be stifled by SKY
This is a Valverde, Dumoulin , Chaves route ... I think it could be a great showdown

So stop the pathetic and pointless moaning

I for one dont want several MTN stages with a SKY train dominating it
We usually have that at the Tour

 

[Alexandre B.]

This route severely lacks diversity.

 

[Tonton]

I can't give an 8 to this design. I don't mind back-loading, as long as the first two weeks set the stage, and I don't see it here. The lack of ITT in GTs is starting to bother me: it should be the exception, but it's becoming the rule. Stage 20 looks great though. Good for Dumoulin? Yep.

I give it a 6.

 

[hrotha]

Re:

Same thing every year
Route (of any GT) comes out ...same old moaners on here go on and on about how its dreadful, etc

Perhaps because the routes are roughly the same year after year, so naturally they're roughly equally dreadful?

Many Giro routes of this decade have been praised by those "old moaners". Maybe you simply have no standards?

 

[Netserk]

Re:

Same thing every year
Route (of any GT) comes out ...same old moaners on here go on and on about how its dreadful, etc

I like it...Its different from Tour and Giro- whic i wnat and it can provide some great racing and not be stifled by SKY
This is a Valverde, Dumoulin , Chaves route ... I think it could be a great showdown

So stop the pathetic and pointless moaning

I for one dont want several MTN stages with a SKY train dominating it
We usually have that at the Tour

Quit your pathetic moaning, unless you can quote the same people moaning over last year's route.

 

[rick james]

The dawg will be licking his lips :twisted:

 

[yaco]

It's a standard Vuelta course - They've found their niche and have no reason to change.