Rate the Vuelta 2018 route

[portugal11]

Re: 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?

100% right. vuelta can produce climbs in all his terrain, so why not something like 2015 giro? it is so difficult to make a route with 6 sprint stages, 2 TT, 6 high mountains stages and 7 hilly stages?

 

[Tonton]

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

I'm usually willing to give high marks (8 ) and I believe that most here share that attitude. I agree with the other comment: put at least 70km of ITT, avoid the borefest stretches (week 2 here, most TdF week 1), mix muritos, MTF, flat after climb, downhill finishes to offer variety, and you get praise...agree that we see the same blueprint over and over. If you don't like one, you won't like the others, or in my case, you get tired of it.

Not many like the Sky train domination, and this design is tailor made for it with _____/ stages instead of what I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

IIRC, Netserk gave my last TdF design an 8. He can be reasonable .

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

[100% right. vuelta can produce climbs in all his terrain, so why not something like 2015 giro? it is so difficult to make a route with 6 sprint stages, 2 TT, 6 high mountains stages and 7 hilly stages?

We agree . Happy New Year portugal11!

 

[Brullnux]

I swear I have seen this route before. Or at least a near identical variation of every single stage in the past, what, three years?

Painfully uninspired.

 

[Red Rick]

I think what we're seeing here is a bit of overcompensation of all GTs being mainly decided in ITTs last year.

I really disagree with the notion that every GT should have something like 70km of ITTs minimum. I think it's more important that the race is competitive. If a GT is likely decided between riders who differ little in climbing and much in TT'ing, I'd rather not see too much ITT mileage. Especially in a route like this, where there are no huge mountains, and only one stage to really try something, you can ruin the race beforehand by putting in too much ITTs.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

I think what we're seeing here is a bit of overcompensation of all GTs being mainly decided in ITTs last year.

I really disagree with the notion that every GT should have something like 70km of ITTs minimum. I think it's more important that the race is competitive. If a GT is likely decided between riders who differ little in climbing and much in TT'ing, I'd rather not see too much ITT mileage. Especially in a route like this, where there are no huge mountains, and only one stage to really try something, you can ruin the race beforehand by putting in too much ITTs.

If you're as good a climber and better in ITT, you should win. Designing races so people who don't belong stay in the mix is a mistake IMO. Compensating has always been done, i.e. the anti-Merckx designs then, anti-Froome now, but it's going too far.

 

[Gigs_98]

Meh
I don't agree that it's one of the worst gt routes I've ever seen but it's still anything but good.
The biggest problem I have is the return of boring flat stages. I have never been a fan of how the vuelta designs its gc relevant stages but at least they always had a lot of stages finishing with muritos or hills close to the finish which made the stage watchable. This year they backpedal and return to a normal number of chances for sprinters, probably to make this the last season goal for top sprinters since the 2018 WC RR suits climbers. Therefore I kinda understand the decision but now there is nothing which distracts from the problem that the vuelta mountain stages are abysmal. There are no mountain stages with downhill finishes, but 8 relatively hard mtf's (plus the 3rd category uphill finish on stage 2). Of those 8 stages there is imo only one stage where you can really try something from a long way out, plus maybe stage 14 which looks interesting but the flat parts between the climbs are probably too long. At least the only really good mountain stage is stage 20 which means the race might be open relatively long.

About the little TT kilometers, I am actually not sure if that's even a bad thing. I like a lot of TT'ing but only in combination with super hard mountain stages where you can gain minutes. Looking at the route I expect that there will be no stage except the 2nd ITT and maybe stage 20 where the eventual podium riders will be separated by more than a minute.

 

[Robert5091]

I do think the route is perfect for Dumoulin/Froome - gain time on TT and wheel suck to Madrid.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

After a quick look, this parcours seems like a 2.

 

[Alexandre B.]

It's a good route for Kelderman.

 

[May0maniac]

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

This, those guys and maybe an in form Aru should be the big favourites.

 

[repre]

This route is "Valverdered". Put 6 on this

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Time to finally cut this race down to 2 weeks. Horrible course.

 

[Blanco]

Time to finally cut this race down to 2 weeks. Horrible course.

Yet Vuelta regularly produces best GT racing of the year...

 

[Koronin]

Looks like a typical Vuelta route to me although a few too many possible sprint stages for a typical Vuelta. I also agree with repre that it does appear the Vuelta did do a very "Valverde" friendly route. However, that is also typical of the Vuelta. in 2016 Contador made a comment that he's never seen a race and rider so perfectly suited to each other as la Vuelta and Valverde are (although Fleche Wallone and Andalucia might argue about that). I'm sure la Vuelta would love to have Valverde make history by tying the most podiums ever in la Vuelta with 7 come this addition.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: 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?

The same moaners moaned with every GT profile last year and year before
And stop with the personal insults...I have standards ..I just dont feel the need to moan and be negative all the time like some of you guys...pathetic

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: 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.

Same people ..and for Gods sake if you are going to insult me ...try to find some thing origianl to say not just repeat what I said

 

[Netserk]

So saying the same thing as you is insulting? I take that as an admission of your own insult

You say we "moaned with every GT profile last year". I'd like to see you back up that statement and see the moaning over last year's Vuelta route. It's time to put up or shut up.

 

[Tonton]

Let's all chill out, OK? Thanks .

 

[Ferminal]

lol @ these climbs. We have Covatilla and Covadonga but the combination of absolutely nothing stages ending on 20 minute ramps is atrocious. At least gimmicks like Bola and Cuitu Negru are ramps above actual climbs. It's a real shame that they have to pretend to actually cover most of the country over the three weeks and they can't just go up Pena Cabarga each day.

That said Rabassa is in theory interesting if there's a good train.

If Dan Martin is ever going to podium a GT it's this. Alaphilippe should have a serious crack too.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

lol @ these climbs. We have Covatilla and Covadonga but the combination of absolutely nothing stages ending on 20 minute ramps is atrocious. At least gimmicks like Bola and Cuitu Negru are ramps above actual climbs. It's a real shame that they have to pretend to actually cover most of the country over the three weeks and they can't just go up Pena Cabarga each day.

That said Rabassa is in theory interesting if there's a good train.

If Dan Martin is ever going to podium a GT it's this. Alaphilippe should have a serious crack too.

Valverde gets his 2nd Vuelta title with Martin and Alaphilippe rounding out the podium. I like that idea.

 

[hfer07]

I like it seems very entertaining, very bumpy intermediate stages good for breakaways & the classical mtf with some new. The sprinters got screwed though so La vuelta has become territory for the puncheurs

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

lol @ these climbs. We have Covatilla and Covadonga but the combination of absolutely nothing stages ending on 20 minute ramps is atrocious. At least gimmicks like Bola and Cuitu Negru are ramps above actual climbs. It's a real shame that they have to pretend to actually cover most of the country over the three weeks and they can't just go up Pena Cabarga each day.

That said Rabassa is in theory interesting if there's a good train.

If Dan Martin is ever going to podium a GT it's this. Alaphilippe should have a serious crack too.

Valverde gets his 2nd Vuelta title with Martin and Alaphilippe rounding out the podium. I like that idea.

Stick to the subject! We're not discussing the Ardennes here

 

[Valv.Piti]

Purito says its a well balanced route in an interview by the Vuelta. :lol:

Damn, I miss him. Contador, Landa and Valverde also featured in that interview, Valverde said its a race he will really be looking forward to..

 

[DFA123]

Looks decent to me. Easily enough there for the riders to make an exciting race, yet not so hard that the main GC men will skip it before the World Championships. Slightly disappointed there's not a few more really short stages, but a 7 overall.