Vuelta 2012: Stage Profiles and Analysis

[the asian]

Not one true mountain stage.

Lol. Doesn't matter. There aren't any Flat ITTs either.

 

[Bavarianrider]

There is not even one stage where there are to meaningful climbs in the finale. It's always a one climb uphill sprint finsih more or less. If this was the Tour you would have trashed it for the lack of true mountain stages.

 

[Ruvu75]

There is not even one stage where there are to meaningful climbs in the finale. It's always a one climb uphill sprint finsih more or less. If this was the Tour you would have trashed it for the lack of true mountain stages.

Well, in the Tour nothing really happens until 3km from the finishline on the last climb. I rather see a stage like the ones in this Vuelta than the 'true mountain stages' in the Tour, where they ride epic cols without doing anything.

 

[DominicDecoco]

It does seem like you could watch the last 10 km of each stage without missing anything.

 

[DominicDecoco]

There is not even one stage where there are to meaningful climbs in the finale. It's always a one climb uphill sprint finsih more or less. If this was the Tour you would have trashed it for the lack of true mountain stages.

This route has had its critism in here though if I remember correctly.

 

[Arnout]

Thanks for all the compliments guys. Now stop with it please or I might begin to boast

 

[Pricey_sky]

Pretty decent route this year. Some good climbs especially in the last week but the parcours not flooded with them. Only 1 ITT to balance this out.

AC should win by 3/4 minutes.

 

[SafeBet]

Amazing presentation.
If Purito is in Giro form I see him doing well on this parcours.

 

[Koba80]

Thanks for doing this.

Unbalanced route and predictable result.
Will we see the same amount of trashing as the tour for the same faults?

I'm looking forward to it, regardless.

 

[Eshnar]

This is the prototype of the new generation "youtube races"
A good chance to see a cracking 10 minutes every day. But zero chance to see more. And... If you pile up all the mountains of this race you'll realize this Vuelta isn't mountainous at all.
Everyone has his own tastes ofc. Personally, this route sucks more than this year's tdf and Giro.

 

[togo95]

At least the ITT looks like a good one, although they should put there another one (maybe shorter and flatter) instead TTT.

 

[will10]

This is the prototype of the new generation "youtube races"
A good chance to see a cracking 10 minutes every day. But zero chance to see more. And... If you pile up all the mountains of this race you'll realize this Vuelta isn't mountainous at all.
Everyone has his own tastes ofc. Personally, this route sucks more than this year's tdf and Giro.

It suits me cos I don't normally have time to watch much of the Vuelta, on a parcours like this it only takes a quick glance at the highlights and I've seen as much as anyone who sat and watch the last two hours >)

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Personally, this route sucks more than this year's tdf and Giro.

I agree

A little bit of action on the final climb is as boring as a flat sprint. That is; very exciting for the last few kilometers of the race, but the rest of the racing just becomes pointless.

I'd rather have more sprint stages, and a few real climbing stages that at least offer the oppertunity for action if the riders are willing.

 

[Froome19]

I agree

A little bit of action on the final climb is as boring as a flat sprint. That is; very exciting for the last few kilometers of the race, but the rest of the racing just becomes pointless.

I'd rather have more sprint stages, and a few real climbing stages that at least offer the oppertunity for action if the riders are willing.

Considering the Vuelta is limited to one major climb per stage for the majority of mountain stages they have done pretty well for themselves

 

[Dutchsmurf]

This is the prototype of the new generation "youtube races"
A good chance to see a cracking 10 minutes every day. But zero chance to see more. And... If you pile up all the mountains of this race you'll realize this Vuelta isn't mountainous at all.
Everyone has his own tastes ofc. Personally, this route sucks more than this year's tdf and Giro.

Lets save that criticism until after the race shall we? I mean the Giro stages seemed to offer far more opportunities than we got to see used in the end. In the end it is the riders that make the race. And even if we only get a cracking 10 minutes each day, it still will be more than the Tour or Giro provided.

 

[Eshnar]

Lets save that criticism until after the race shall we? I mean the Giro stages seemed to offer far more opportunities than we got to see used in the end. In the end it is the riders that make the race. And even if we only get a cracking 10 minutes each day, it still will be more than the Tour or Giro provided.

10 minutes of entertainment were pretty much in every stage of both Giro and Tour, even if we felt disappointed because the opportunities were much bigger. It's true that this Giro promised more than it actually provided, but its route did have defects (backloading, lack of ITT), which we did discuss straight after the route was unveiled. Saying that in the end routes don't matter because riders make the race, you can never know, etc,etc, is a bit like saying "Do not go all in with 4 aces, because in the end you can never know whether your opponent has a royal flush or not" [ofc I exaggerated a little bit but I hope you got it]

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Where I think opportunity for excitement can come in this Vuelta:

- last 3km, stage 2 (slightly unusual sprint finish)
- last 7km, stage 3 (will possibly be a sprint of the elites, but might be a bit of GC action early on, you never know. Sky will likely win or be 2nd in the TTT, so Froome may be in red from here - and will even Sky want to try to defend for 18 days?
- last 20km, stage 6, as a few people will give it a go before the final climb, but that will be decisive
- last 7km, stage 8 (more or less the same as stage 6 but beefed up)
- last 10km, stage 9 (the placing of that small climb close to the finish and the slight uphill to the line should mean attacks from puncheurs and the like making it hard for sprinters' teams to control)
- last 40km, stage 10, but only if the wind is really strong
- last 60km, stage 12, but only if the wind is really strong. Otherwise, last 2km
- last 35-40km, stage 13 - this is the last 37km:

So while the penultimate climb isn't going to see too many GC attacks, there could be a very interesting selection forced there and many domestiques burned up leading to some better racing on the final climb
- last 15km, stage 15; it's Covadonga, they can't really place anything any closer to it than they have
- last 5km, stage 16; there's too much false flat and gradual tempo climbing before that punishing last few km for any early attacks to really be justified
- last 5-6km, stage 20: similarly, the end of Bola is so tough people will likely not dare to go from the bottom in case they blow up later.

 

[icefire]

Detailed profile and pictures of Cuitu Negru (stage 16 finish) by the guy who measured the climb and sent the data to Unipublic.

http://39x28.blogia.com/2011/070801-cuitu-negru-la-bola-del-mundo-asturiana-altimetrias-y-fotos-.php

My two comments:
Too many rest sections too close to the last 2.8 kms.
They will resurface those last 2.8 kms.

 

[plooton]

last kms really stunning. Can't wait for it.

 

[Kwibus]

Provisional start list: http://www.lavuelta.com/12pr/es/noticias/index.html#0

Sprinters so far(not many so I'm gonna name the small sprinters as well):
BOUHANNI Nacer (FRA)
FERNANDEZ Koldo (ESP)
FISCHER Murilo Antonio (BRA)
VIVIANI Elia (ITA)
MEERSMAN Gianni (BEL) (yeh I know, but he can finish quite well)
ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin (ESP)
VENTOSO ALBERDI Francisco José (ESP)
DAVIS Allan (AUS)
BENNATI Daniele (ITA)
SWIFT Ben (GBR)
DEGENKOLB John (GER)

2nd and 3rd rate sprinters mostly.
I suggest Goss goes to the Vuelta to actually win a stage or get beaten by Swift

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Lloyd Mondory too, Manuel Cardoso, Leonardo Duque, Gert Steegmans.

 

[xmoonx]

classic vids!

Stage 15 - Lagos de Covadonga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEJc7mnSKAw

lucho in 86
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IXFBXow79k

thanks for posting those

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Lets save that criticism until after the race shall we? I mean the Giro stages seemed to offer far more opportunities than we got to see used in the end. In the end it is the riders that make the race. And even if we only get a cracking 10 minutes each day, it still will be more than the Tour or Giro provided.

+1, seriously. Criticism is coming in a bit early. How bout they race a little and then come back? If you find it boring then, then fair enough.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Fantastic thread. That's for doing that Arnout. Much appreciated. Can't wait for the Vuelta!

Thanks to Zam Olyas for those links too.

 

[42x16ss]

+1, seriously. Criticism is coming in a bit early. How bout they race a little and then come back? If you find it boring then, then fair enough.

Agreed, this parcours looks far better than the Tour's this year, at least there are some half decent mountain top finishes. The stages are more varied in order than the Giro's were this year too, with some mountains appearing early in the second week.