Vuelta 2014 route rumours

[icefire]

AS post a route map of 2014 vuelta:

http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2014/01/09/vuelta_espana/1389230100_488220.html

The guy who made that map is a true genius. He has not only misplaced a few start and finish towns but also connected a few start-finish pairs along places where there is no road at all.

The only useful piece of information is that it confirms the first MTF at La Zubia, most likely with nothing relevant before. For the second year in a row they skip the finish in Granada and go to a nearby murito in the middle of nowhere.

 

[barmaher]

2014 is the 800th anniversary of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela by St. Francis of Assisi. As a man very much interested in marginal gains and a big believer in the benefits of aerodynamics, it is fitting that a time trial is held in his honour.

This picture shows him experimenting with his time-trial position in 2008.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

2014 is the 800th anniversary of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela by St. Francis of Assisi. As a man very much interested in marginal gains and a big believer in the benefits of aerodynamics, it is fitting that a time trial is held in his honour.

This picture shows him experimenting with his time-trial position in 2008.

Chapeau, Sir.

 

[straitjacker]

More tt kilometers is a nice addition, but it's not sufficient to change the nature of the race.
If the finishing tt was as long as the preceding one, it could attract more diverse field.
At the first glance, a route for Contador.

 

[Leonardus]

Doesn't really look like a Vuelta, they spend the first seven days in andalucia and the last week in galicia/asturias. I know they can't cross every region in three weeks but this looks a bit odd to me, are these the only regions in the country interested in hosting the Vuelta? Especially Galicia is very popular the last couple of years, beautiful region with plenty of options of course but something else for a change perhaps? Same with Lagos the Covadonga, once every 4 or 5 years is enough.
First impression: better balanced but not a great route and I'm afraid the least of the three for the coming year.

 

[jens_attacks]

2014 is the 800th anniversary of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela by St. Francis of Assisi. As a man very much interested in marginal gains and a big believer in the benefits of aerodynamics, it is fitting that a time trial is held in his honour.

This picture shows him experimenting with his time-trial position in 2008.

yep praying mantis ftw!

 

[Parrulo]

Stage 20 effectively departures from my hometown ( Monção is across the river from Salvaterra de Miño)

Lovin' this Galician Vuelta as it will be the third year in a row i get to watch stages without putting much effort. Although this year i may watch more than one.

Is there any descent finish like it had been hinted? Are the itt's really 30something and 10k only?

If so. . . meh yet another typical vuelta route.

 

[Netserk]

edit: no need to delete, just link or shrink it

 

[Parrulo]

edit: no need to delete, just link or shrink it

Too much effort

 

[Netserk]

Too much effort

I know. Sometimes it takes a whole lot more to just post the address, than to do the same inside

 

[icefire]

Stage 20 effectively departures from my hometown ( Monção is across the river from Salvaterra de Miño)

Lovin' this Galician Vuelta as it will be the third year in a row i get to watch stages without putting much effort. Although this year i may watch more than one.

Is there any descent finish like it had been hinted? Are the itt's really 30something and 10k only?

If so. . . meh yet another typical vuelta route.

I guess the only thing resembling a descent finish will be stage 4 to Córdoba if it is a replay of the 2011 stage that finished with Lastras embedded in the Liquigas TTT... and the ITTs

 

[icefire]

According to the link below Ancares will be climbed to the summit, that's 3kms further up than 2012.

http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2014/01/10/vuelta_espana/1389324311_733474.html

 

[Descender]

Looks like I made the right decision in staying out of the Vuelta route rumours this year.

Dreadful route as usual.

 

[icefire]

Queen stage:
Colladona, Cordal N, Cobertoria E, San Lorenzo, Farrapona... 158kms

 

[jens_attacks]

i predict there won't be any major move until the last 2-3 kms of farrapona anyway

 

[jens_attacks]

typical vuelta route. seems very bad but the riders make the race

 

[icefire]

I must say that the two stages before Ancares are not that bad.

Twice Monte Castrove on its hard side (the one they descended in the 2012 ITT)

And a descent finish...

...after the first 6kms (approx) of this:

 

[jens_attacks]

yes very good those two stages. i also love valdelinares

in my opinion lagos de covadonga is great even with no climb before. fito i guess could have been the only connection anyway. papy would love this route, just find a team!

 

[roundabout]

less **** than I thought

 

[icefire]

yes very good those two stages. i also love valdelinares

in my opinion lagos de covadonga is great even with no climb before. fito i guess could have been the only connection anyway. papy would love this route, just find a team!

El Torno looks closer to the beginning of Covadonga than Fito

The main problem with Covadonga is the difficulty to open and maintain gaps with the three downhill sections after la Huesera.

 

[Flamin]

Wow, even a stage (19) which gives stagehunters a decent chance? That's at least an improvement compared to last year.

Apart from that, bad route of course.

 

[Eshnar]

Still have to look at it closer, but there are a couple of good stages Very bad overall, but better than expected

 

[The Hitch]

Still have to look at it closer, but there are a couple of good stages Very bad overall, but better than expected

I'm surprised to hear y'all say that. Last year was better. Those 2 stages icefire linked, come on, one Is a Valverde vs murito sprint, the other is a cat 4 posing as a cat 1 20k from the finish and before ancares so no one will do anything.


This is the worst one yet, mountain wise at least, I'll see if the tts are better.

Edit, just saw the last tt is a prologue. Too short. And now the sprinters don't have any reason to stay to the finish either.

 

[Eshnar]

I'm surprised to hear y'all say that. Last year was better. Those 2 stages icefire linked, come on, one Is a Valverde vs murito sprint, the other is a cat 4 posing as a cat 1 20k from the finish and before ancares so no one will do anything.


This is the worst one yet, mountain wise at least, I'll see if the tts are better.

Edit, just saw the last tt is a prologue. Too short. And now the sprinters don't have any reason to stay to the finish either.

I expected a 2/10 route, instead it's a 3/10...
The queen stage is also better than expected, although not great.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Epilogue TT, lol. Not seen one of those in a while.

La Zubia stage needs Granada - El Dornajo (preferably Hazallanas) - descent via El Purche - La Zubia. A flat stage on the weekend, and Valdelinares, that's a very disappointing second weekend. Lizarraga is as close as they can manage to San Miguel de Áralar, so I'm fine with that, but for the love of god why is there no Etxauri before that?! I would genuinely love stage 13 if it finished in Liérganes. Even if nothing can be placed immediately before it, couldn't they put a bunch of climbs earlier in the stage to make people more tired before Covadonga starts? Now it's a break fodder climb! Queen stage is better than anticipated... but on a Monday. The weekend stages are both one-climb Unipublic specials. The not-quite-all-the-way-up-the-steep-side-of-Monte-Aloia pre-empts a further fantasy Vuelta I had had planned before tracks4bikers went down, so no complaints there. It will be like a harder version of the Bilbao stage from 2011, although that was the last chance back then rather than the likely-to-be-softpedalled stagehunters' day preceding Ancares.

But really, 10km TT to finish!?