Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2026, February 4-8

[YavorD]

Why can the riders themselves just not organizse an informal ITT in a car park or something

They could probably start the ITT in some local Carrefour car park and then continue riding between the shelves. Certainly wouldn't be strange for a Spanish stage race.


Here's another idea: Why can't the riders just decide on how many seconds/minutes they lose to Evenepoel and skip it altogether?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It would be a nice tribute to the 2024 Vuelta a Andalucia if they ride all stages apart from the ITT. It's just a shame that BORA are led by the "wrong" Belgian in this race.

 

[Netserk]

uwn not to have it count for gc

 

[Berniece]

Do they have to ride it, do riders have a choice? Or since it doesn't count for GC and only stage they can skip it?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Do they have to ride it, do riders have a choice? Or since it doesn't count for GC and only stage they can skip it?

If they change the road so it's headwind only Remco will have a positive speed so it will be very safe for everyone and they should measure time then.

 

[Salvarani]

They could have just cancelled the stage then

I want to call them a word I would get in trouble for saying

 

[tobydawq]

Ridiculous...

 

[Devil's Elbow]

They did this on road bikes and doesn't count for GC nonsense at Gran Camino two years ago too, that precedent should never have been set. My view hasn't changed since then - if it's too dangerous for GC it's too dangerous to race, and if it's safe enough to race it's safe enough for GC. Not like a flat TT on road bikes never happens either, we just had one Down Under and it used to be a staple of San Juan.

 

[Salvarani]

Ridiculous...

Dusseldorf would have never happened in todays day and age

 

[Berniece]

They did this on road bikes and doesn't count for GC nonsense at Gran Camino two years ago too, that precedent should never have been set. My view hasn't changed since then - if it's too dangerous for GC it's too dangerous to race, and if it's safe enough to race it's safe enough for GC. Not like a flat TT on road bikes never happens either, we just had one Down Under and it used to be a staple of San Juan.

I don't see the difference between fighting for a GC and fighting for the day win. The amount of risk you have to take is the same.

 

[Salvarani]

They will award the stage though I guess

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I don't see the difference between fighting for a GC and fighting for the day win. The amount of risk you have to take is the same.

That's basically what I said.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Vindication to riders who went to Besseges because they weren't scared of some hokey 'wind' and 'traffic on the course' rubbish which is just part of being a well-rounded peddalist.

 

[Berniece]

First proper time has been set by Großschartner at T1, 13.01,263

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Honestly, if I was a rider, I would either protest the decision to let the race go ahead by riding as slowly as possible, or protest the decision to neutralise GC by doing the exact same, depending on what my assessment of the weather-related risks was.

 

[Red Rick]

This is why the NK Tegenwindfietsen reigns supreme

 

[Netserk]

Honestly, if I was a rider, I would either protest the decision to let the race go ahead by riding as slowly as possible, or protest the decision to neutralise GC by doing the exact same, depending on what my assessment of the weather-related risks was.

walk the last km with your bike over your shoulder

 

[Tim Cahill]

The tactic if you're in great form is to look like you're going out full gas with a pain face but finish with a poor time as to lure others into a false sense of security.

 

[Berflamand]

That one boni second Remco took yesterday might become quite important for the rest of the race after all.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

That one boni second Remco took yesterday might become quite important for the rest of the race after all.

Only if the break makes it on Saturday.

 

[Squire]

If it's too dangerous for GC it's too dangerous to race, and if it's safe enough to race it's safe enough for GC.

Yeah, this decision makes zero sense. It's a kind of worst of both worlds decision. Just some weird symbolic bs.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Safe enough for all riders to ride and riders to choose to push? - don't neutralise the gc. Have the stage and get rid of the time limit.


Not safe enough for all riders to ride and not safe for riders to choose to push? - cancel the stage.

Should be simple. Now we have no less risk of crashes but no race. Everyone loses.

 

[Netserk]

i think therere rare cases where such a line can be defended, like for napoli last year

 

[Squire]

i think therere rare cases where such a line can be defended, like for napoli last year

Very different circumstances though. That was as a result of an actual incident, and not just an attempt by the organizers to portray themselves as taking rider safety seriously. And it was also not the single most decisive stage for the race. If it really is deemed unsafe, then cancel it.

 

[Berflamand]

Almeida not going for the stage victory.

Might be interesting to see which of the favorites actually will.