Vuelta 2011

[theyoungest]

It would be such a shame if Colombia es Passion didnt get a gt, but at the same time, Caja Rural and Andalucia should be allowed to race one too, and Cofidis need to be at the Vuelta with 3 time KOm there.

What a stupid policy it is to have teams like AGR, Quickstemp, Sky, Vacansaleil, BMC, Saxo, Rabobank, Radioshack, Karusha, Astana guaranteed for all 3 gts.

If they offer up good teams they can be in, but at least some of those teams will have second rate squads for the Vuelta while someone like Passion miss out.

What a totally random list of teams. Even Katusha is on it... Rodriguez, hellooo?

 

[The Hitch]

What a totally random list of teams. Even Katusha is on it... Rodriguez, hellooo?

Yes Rodriguez and Di Luca. I would still rather have them race 2 gts and Colombia es Passion 1. But as i said half those teams will probably be able to muster good teams for 3 gts. But half will not. I say let more teams be able to do at least 1 gt than have so many teams safe in the knowledge they can do all 3, leaving many top teams without a grand tour.

 

[Descender]

What I also have problems with is teams like Andalucia getting a spot. I mean for the past two years the team has been absolutely useless apart from sending the proverbial rider into the day's pointless breakaway. This year though in the Vuelta, with Caja Rural a Pro Con (they're hands down more capable than Andalucia) and Geox with a Spanish licence Andalucia's spot is no longer a given.

Of course, it's a huge shame that a brilliant team like Xacobeo has disappeared.

 

[flicker]

good for cycling? boring mountains, too much domination of one guy and probably one team. The Vuelta is the 3rd GT, but very exciting with smaller differences in the GC. People who like the Vuelta, like it because of the racing, not of one name dominating for one year and then go back to the tour for the next xxx number of years.

I am from the USA and cycling does not get much attention here. Contador returning from disgrace at his national tour would make good story, I think.

I hear what you are saying about having a more competitve race though. It is a more important race when it is not dominated.

Like I said I am from the USA and we do not have very much coverage of the race here. I have watched cycling since the 70s and still do not know how big the race is.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What I also have problems with is teams like Andalucia getting a spot. I mean for the past two years the team has been absolutely useless apart from sending the proverbial rider into the day's pointless breakaway. This year though in the Vuelta, with Caja Rural a Pro Con (they're hands down more capable than Andalucia) and Geox with a Spanish licence Andalucia's spot is no longer a given.

Of course, it's a huge shame that a brilliant team like Xacobeo has disappeared.

Andalucía always hosts at least a couple of stages, so there's a political motivation to select them. The Andalucía guys are often willing to animate the race on days when nobody else will - long solo breakaways in pan-flat stages because nobody else is prepared to go up the road in sweltering August heat. They had Tondó as a leader in 2009, and he was in form after being 2nd in the Vuelta a Burgos (the Vuelta's main warmup race) but he got hurt in the Liège crash, lost time, and eventually climbed off at the end of week 2. They've continued to look for people who will give them a bit more than just a break-of-the-day position, but the problem is anybody who is on the way up will soon leave for a bigger team (Tondó), so they're often left with their only GC threats being riders whose best days are behind them (Gómez Marchante). Looking at their roster this year, David Bernabéu is the nearest thing they have to a GC threat. He's been 2nd in the Volta a Portugal the last two years, but he's 35 and has been in Puerto-induced exile for four years (and he also tested positive at the 2003 Paris-Nice for those keeping score at home).

However, not every team has to be involved in the sprints or the GC battle. There are places for the teams that enliven the race, and if hometown support and suicidal breakaways are one way to do that, then fair enough. You never know when one of them will work anyway - Oleg Chuzhda taking advantage of the péloton's unwillingness to help Palmeiras Resort chase down the break in Portugal last year, to win solo by more than a minute, for example, or Julián Sánchez Pimienta's mountain escapades in the '09 Volta a Catalunya.

Speaking of Chuzhda, he'll be one of Caja Rural's hopes for an invite - they don't have any stronger GC bids than Andalucía really - they've been continually linked to Constantino Zaballa, but even if they do sign him, is he really much of a GC threat? They'll contribute to every breakaway though, which will sell organisers on them.

Ultimately, the Tour feels far less French than the Giro feels Italian or the Vuelta feels Spanish. And is that a good thing? Should we aspire to the races losing some of the unique flavour that their home gives them? For teams like Andalucía, the Vuelta is their year. They are part of what makes the Vuelta what it is, for better or for worse.

 

[Arnout]

Andalucía always hosts at least a couple of stages, so there's a political motivation to select them. The Andalucía guys are often willing to animate the race on days when nobody else will - long solo breakaways in pan-flat stages because nobody else is prepared to go up the road in sweltering August heat. They had Tondó as a leader in 2009, and he was in form after being 2nd in the Vuelta a Burgos (the Vuelta's main warmup race) but he got hurt in the Liège crash, lost time, and eventually climbed off at the end of week 2. They've continued to look for people who will give them a bit more than just a break-of-the-day position, but the problem is anybody who is on the way up will soon leave for a bigger team (Tondó), so they're often left with their only GC threats being riders whose best days are behind them (Gómez Marchante). Looking at their roster this year, David Bernabéu is the nearest thing they have to a GC threat. He's been 2nd in the Volta a Portugal the last two years, but he's 35 and has been in Puerto-induced exile for four years (and he also tested positive at the 2003 Paris-Nice for those keeping score at home).

However, not every team has to be involved in the sprints or the GC battle. There are places for the teams that enliven the race, and if hometown support and suicidal breakaways are one way to do that, then fair enough. You never know when one of them will work anyway - Oleg Chuzhda taking advantage of the péloton's unwillingness to help Palmeiras Resort chase down the break in Portugal last year, to win solo by more than a minute, for example, or Julián Sánchez Pimienta's mountain escapades in the '09 Volta a Catalunya.

Speaking of Chuzhda, he'll be one of Caja Rural's hopes for an invite - they don't have any stronger GC bids than Andalucía really - they've been continually linked to Constantino Zaballa, but even if they do sign him, is he really much of a GC threat? They'll contribute to every breakaway though, which will sell organisers on them.

Ultimately, the Tour feels far less French than the Giro feels Italian or the Vuelta feels Spanish. And is that a good thing? Should we aspire to the races losing some of the unique flavour that their home gives them? For teams like Andalucía, the Vuelta is their year. They are part of what makes the Vuelta what it is, for better or for worse.

Couldn't agree more. I hear that so often: "Oh but they don't have a GC guy for the top-10, so they shouldn't be selected". Who cares about GC? Only podium really matters. I rather have a team that animates the race than a team that has a top-10 guy. Remember Valjavec? Used to be top-10 guy for Giro or Tour. Unnoticed. Remember Riblon? Same team, different excitement.

 

[hfer07]

Vuelta a Espana 2011 Presentation (Spanish)
http://www.megavideo.com/?d=WULKFL1J
*I hope the video helps to get a better understanding of each stage. After watching the video, I must confess I'm very exited, and I foresee a fantastic race!!!

PS: Prudhomme, Zomegnan & Cabrera all together at the presentation looked very promising....

 

[Descender]

Andalucía always hosts at least a couple of stages, so there's a political motivation to select them. The Andalucía guys are often willing to animate the race on days when nobody else will - long solo breakaways in pan-flat stages because nobody else is prepared to go up the road in sweltering August heat. They had Tondó as a leader in 2009, and he was in form after being 2nd in the Vuelta a Burgos (the Vuelta's main warmup race) but he got hurt in the Liège crash, lost time, and eventually climbed off at the end of week 2. They've continued to look for people who will give them a bit more than just a break-of-the-day position, but the problem is anybody who is on the way up will soon leave for a bigger team (Tondó), so they're often left with their only GC threats being riders whose best days are behind them (Gómez Marchante). Looking at their roster this year, David Bernabéu is the nearest thing they have to a GC threat. He's been 2nd in the Volta a Portugal the last two years, but he's 35 and has been in Puerto-induced exile for four years (and he also tested positive at the 2003 Paris-Nice for those keeping score at home).

However, not every team has to be involved in the sprints or the GC battle. There are places for the teams that enliven the race, and if hometown support and suicidal breakaways are one way to do that, then fair enough. You never know when one of them will work anyway - Oleg Chuzhda taking advantage of the péloton's unwillingness to help Palmeiras Resort chase down the break in Portugal last year, to win solo by more than a minute, for example, or Julián Sánchez Pimienta's mountain escapades in the '09 Volta a Catalunya.

Speaking of Chuzhda, he'll be one of Caja Rural's hopes for an invite - they don't have any stronger GC bids than Andalucía really - they've been continually linked to Constantino Zaballa, but even if they do sign him, is he really much of a GC threat? They'll contribute to every breakaway though, which will sell organisers on them.

Ultimately, the Tour feels far less French than the Giro feels Italian or the Vuelta feels Spanish. And is that a good thing? Should we aspire to the races losing some of the unique flavour that their home gives them? For teams like Andalucía, the Vuelta is their year. They are part of what makes the Vuelta what it is, for better or for worse.

Amen.

David Bernabéu is from the town next to mine. He's past it though.

Fair enough, but one thing is trying to do something and another thing is actually doing it. Sending people into breakaways is nice and commendable, but when it's always ultimately pointless I don't see it as much of a contribution.

 

[The Hitch]

Vuelta a Espana 2011 Presentation (Spanish)
http://www.megavideo.com/?d=WULKFL1J
*I hope the video helps to get a better understanding of each stage. After watching the video, I must confess I'm very exited, and I foresee a fantastic race!!!

PS: Prudhomme, Zomegnan & Cabrera all together at the presentation looked very promising....

muchisimas gracias for this.

I was looking for pictures from the presentation. And you, you brought me the actual VIDEO.

amazing. thanks again

And Zomegnan wasnt at the Giro presentation, but hes at the Vuelta one. Whats up with that?

 

[Descender]

And Zomegnan wasnt at the Giro presentation, but hes at the Vuelta one. Whats up with that?

 

[The Hitch]

What? .................

 

[Descender]

Zomegnan was at the Giro presentation commenting all the stages himself. Actually it looked more like Zome's talk show.

 

[The Hitch]

Zomegnan was at the Giro presentation commenting all the stages himself. Actually it looked more like Zome's talk show.

What i remembered was that he couldnt make it so they had one of those prerecorded clips where he said something or other, and then continued with the presentation.

I guess i got mixed up with something else.

Btw anyone have that video from the Giro presentation? weve been looking for that on here for 3 months.

 

[Descender]

I remember watching it live on gazzetta.it and Zomegnan was introducing every stage, hilarious jab at the Tour of California included.

 

[The Hitch]

I remember watching it live on gazzetta.it and Zomegnan was introducing every stage, hilarious jab at the Tour of California included.

Relax. I already admitted you were right. I got totaly mixed up. Ah yes i remember the California jibe. What was it, something about if the riders want a race without climbs rain or racing, they can go elsewhere in May. Beautiful

 

[Descender]

I am relaxed.

He was asked about the ToC and he said "I'm sorry the Tour of what?".

 

[khardung la]

I have watched cycling since the 70s and still do not know how big the race is.

Vuelta appears during 3 weeks in many daily TV news, and often as the second topic (after soccer) of the main sport newspapers. Between 2 and 3 million people watch in average the best 2-3 mountain stages live in the spanish television in the last years (about 15-25% of the rating), while the more boring ones gather between 700.000 and 1 million.

In 2010 de stage of the Tourmalet in the tour had 4 million viewers in Spain (33%), while Bola del Mundo had 2.3 million (18%) in the national channel. However it is a tradition to watch the tour in the summer hollidays, people have more time to watch the Tour than the Vuelta. The flat initial stages of the Vuelta had more viewers in Spain than the flat initial stages of the TdF. I think everybody hates those long boring french stages a la Cavendish http://www.velofutur.es/noticias/2010/09/01/la-vuelta-supera-en-audiencia-al-tour/

So Vuelta is pretty big in Spain, still far from receiving the attention of the best stages of the Tour

(audiences from velofutur i.e. http://www.velofutur.es/noticias/2010/09/20/el-ciclismo-lider-de-audiencia-el-sabado/)

 

[The Hitch]

Vuelta appears during 3 weeks in many daily TV news, and often as the second topic (after soccer) of the main sport newspapers. Between 2 and 3 million people watch in average the best 2-3 mountain stages live in the spanish television in the last years (about 15-25% of the rating), while the more boring ones gather between 700.000 and 1 million.

In 2010 de stage of the Tourmalet in the tour had 4 million viewers in Spain (33%), while Bola del Mundo had 2.3 million (18%) in the national channel. However it is a tradition to watch the tour in the summer hollidays, people have more time to watch the Tour than the Vuelta. The flat initial stages of the Vuelta had more viewers in Spain than the flat initial stages of the TdF. I think everybody hates those long boring french stages a la Cavendish http://www.velofutur.es/noticias/2010/09/01/la-vuelta-supera-en-audiencia-al-tour/

So Vuelta is pretty big in Spain, still far from receiving the attention of the best stages of the Tour

(audiences from velofutur i.e. http://www.velofutur.es/noticias/2010/09/20/el-ciclismo-lider-de-audiencia-el-sabado/)

Great info there.

I thought viewership for Vuelta would have been bigger. Here the Wimbledon final is watched by about 10 million. I know Wimbledon here is bigger than Vuela is in Spain but its getting 4 times the viewers.

I guess what should also be taken into account is that some mountain stages are getting a few hundred thousand spectators.

And maybe a larger number of people watch the highlights in the afternoon?

 

[icefire]

Great info there.

I thought viewership for Vuelta would have been bigger. Here the Wimbledon final is watched by about 10 million. I know Wimbledon here is bigger than Vuela is in Spain but its getting 4 times the viewers.

I guess what should also be taken into account is that some mountain stages are getting a few hundred thousand spectators.

And maybe a larger number of people watch the highlights in the afternoon?

Don't think so. In Spain nobody cared about tennis before Nadal got to the top. Nobody cared about F1 before Alonso. The interest in cycling among the media and the general public dropped dramatically after Indurain. And so did sponsorship. The attitude of the best Spanish riders towards the Vuelta (in contrast to that of Italians towards the Giro) doesn't help to raise the public and media attention.

 

[El Pistolero]

Don't think so. In Spain nobody cared about tennis before Nadal got to the top. Nobody cared about F1 before Alonso. The interest in cycling among the media and the general public dropped dramatically after Indurain. And so did sponsorship. The attitude of the best Spanish riders towards the Vuelta (in contrast to that of Italians towards the Giro) doesn't help to raise the public and media attention.

If it dropped after Indurain it must have grown to unbelievable hights again in the last 5 years.

 

[The Hitch]

Don't think so. In Spain nobody cared about tennis before Nadal got to the top. Nobody cared about F1 before Alonso. The interest in cycling among the media and the general public dropped dramatically after Indurain. And so did sponsorship. The attitude of the best Spanish riders towards the Vuelta (in contrast to that of Italians towards the Giro) doesn't help to raise the public and media attention.

Dont know about tennis. Spain has for a while had the best training camps. They spend millions on youth development there. ANd before Nadal there was Ferrero, Moya, Costa.

If it dropped after Indurain it must have grown to unbelievable hights again in the last 5 years.

Not necessarily. When Indurain won Spain didn't have as much success. Since 2006 they had Nadal, Alonso, Barcelona and of course the Gods who will go down in Spanish history next to El cid, Pablo Piccasso and Miguel Cervantes, but whose achievment was a million times greater than all 3 combined (What you get when you read Marca or El Pais)

 

[El Pistolero]

Dont know about tennis. Spain has for a while had the best training camps. They spend millions on youth development there. ANd before Nadal there was Ferrero, Moya, Costa.


Not necessarily. When Indurain won Spain didn't have as much success. Since 2006 they had Nadal, Alonso, Barcelona and of course the Gods who will go down in Spanish history next to El cid, PabloPicca sso and Miguel Cervantes, but whose achievment was a million times greater than all 3 combined (What you get when you read Marca or El Pais)

You have a point. But who are the Gods you're referring to?

 

[Descender]

He's talking about the Spanish football NT. He claims they were doped and that Spanish media are overhyping their success. My guess is he fails to understand how badly Spain wanted to finally win a World Cup and how big that was.

Anyway about the tennis, before Nadal it was a major sport in Spain and had lots of viewership and people who played it.

Interest in cycling dropped after Indurain, but it's always been one of the top 5 sports.

 

[The Hitch]

He's talking about the Spanish football NT. He claims they were doped and that Spanish media are overhyping their success. My guess is he fails to understand how badly Spain wanted to finally win a World Cup and how big that was.

Anyway about the tennis, before Nadal it was a major sport in Spain and had lots of viewership and people who played it.

Where on earth in my post do i say anything about doping?

This is not the clinic. If you want to talk about doping i suggest you go there.

As for overhyping, well the Iniesta "Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros" picture is still up on "el Pais". We are now into the 7th month since it happened. Their excuse is that they are merely reviewing the old year, but the old year finished 16 days ago. Oh and the actual review of the old year is more a review of Spains victory in that match. The article underneath it says that 2010 was the year of July 11th (the day Spain won the world cup) and a video that accompanies it spends most of the time talking about it, before cramming everything else into the other half.

To me that sounds like overhyping 1 event, but maybe you agree that the entire 2010 can be summed up by showing Iniestas goal. Afterall what do things like 20% unemployment, half a million dead in Haiti or Chillean men being rescued from their graves, mean, when 11 men got a gold statue for kicking a ball

Interest in cycling dropped after Indurain, but it's always been one of the top 5 sports

Unfortunately ( and this really hurts me) Cycling is not one of the top 5 sports in Spain, or in any country other than Belgium and Colombia.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=6276

 

[khardung la]

Unfortunately ( and this really hurts me) Cycling is not one of the top 5 sports in Spain, or in any country other than Belgium and Colombia.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=6276

IMO you are wrong about that. It is huge during Tour and Vuelta. In the main online newspaper (El Mundo) the sports section has some subheadings: football,motor, basketball, tennis, cycling, other sports. You can check that here http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/index.html

In Marca (first sport newspaper)http://www.marca.com/ the order of subheadings is:

* Fútbol
* Motor
* Baloncesto
* Tenis
* Ciclismo
* Golf
* Atletismo
* Balonmano
* Más Deportes
* Toros

In As http://www.as.com/(second sport newspaper)

# Fútbol
# Baloncesto
# Motor
# Tenis
# Ciclismo
# Más deporte

All agree in cycling being the 5th sport in Spain, and they most logically rely in their own statistics (clicks).