Vuelta 2014 super hype!!

[Rollthedice]

Evans as an option but no Uran Uran is incredibly wrong. He is a good bet for a podium, even a win is not out of reach. He can win the TT and should be able to defend himself in the short steep hills.
IMO he is best of the rest in the mountains after Contador, Froome, Quintana and Nibali in top form. Better than Valverde and better than Purito, who will try to use the route to his advantage.
Two times 2nd in the Giro, a race which suits him less than a Tour on paper. He should try the Tour next year.

2nd point: Why does the organisation not use the pyrenees properly? There are so many good climbs, both in France and in Spain. Long and tough climbs. They should do at least 2 stages up there. Still 18 stages left for little Muritos, the trademark of the Vuelta.

Uran just finished 22nd, six minutes down in Tour de L'Ain, not very promising. Otherwise even if somehow he'll get into form I don't see him finishing in the top five given the competition.

 

[cineteq]

#DejaVu most detractors will be commenting on every stage saying how much they hate the route until the end of the race. I wouldn't be surprise if La Vuelta ends up being the best GT of the year.

 

[Netserk]

#DejaVu most detractors will be commenting on every stage saying how much they hate the route until the end of the race. I wouldn't be surprise if La Vuelta ends up being the best GT of the year.

Which would then happen despite the route.

How much better do you think it would be with a good route?

 

[Arredondo]

Evans as an option but no Uran Uran is incredibly wrong. He is a good bet for a podium, even a win is not out of reach. He can win the TT and should be able to defend himself in the short steep hills.
IMO he is best of the rest in the mountains after Contador, Froome, Quintana and Nibali in top form. Better than Valverde and better than Purito, who will try to use the route to his advantage.
Two times 2nd in the Giro, a race which suits him less than a Tour on paper. He should try the Tour next year.

2nd point: Why does the organisation not use the pyrenees properly? There are so many good climbs, both in France and in Spain. Long and tough climbs. They should do at least 2 stages up there. Still 18 stages left for little Muritos, the trademark of the Vuelta.

Based on nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Quintana, Froome and Contador are the 3 best riders in the high mountains. Then followed by Nibali, then by Purito. And no Uran. Come on.

 

[yespatterns]

Based on nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Quintana, Froome and Contador are the 3 best riders in the high mountains. Then followed by Nibali, then by Purito. And no Uran. Come on.

Don;t forget Aru and his magic wings...

 

[Dr. Juice]

Based on nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Quintana, Froome and Contador are the 3 best riders in the high mountains. Then followed by Nibali, then by Purito. And no Uran. Come on.

Better than Rodriguez was exaggerated - in terms of climbing strenght. But this year he had a lot of bad luck and I hope he returns to 2012/2013 level, but I doubt it. He isn't the youngest anymore. Rodriguez in his usual form should beat Uran with less than 50 km TT and a lot of short steep hills. Not so sure this year.
I consider Uran a complete rider. Not at the absolute highest level, but able to be always there and if luck or circumstances else plays into the cards, one of the first to profit.
I wondered why Sky isn't that super strong anymore. Uran was a big loss.

 

[seabridge]

Nairo is the one to beat. Really looking forward to agressive riders like Conta, Froome, Aru, Purito and Bentacur

 

[ILovecycling]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014...rah-valverde-quintanas-inevitable-rise_341454

Good article about Quintana and Valverde.

 

[SergeDeM]

Based on nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Quintana, Froome and Contador are the 3 best riders in the high mountains. Then followed by Nibali, then by Purito. And no Uran. Come on.

And what can you base your opposing claim on other than nothing? Uran has only reached his prime last year and they haven't properly raced each other since. Last year's vuelta doesn't count since Uran's goal was the WC which he may well have won if not for his crash in the last kms.

I rate Uran high and if he's into it he can podium any GT but TBH I think he's doing the same as last year which is use the vuelta as prep for the WC. He was very vocal about going to the giro FTW but hasn't said anything of the sort for the vuelta.

 

[Oliver]

Voted for Quintana but actually i really hope Rodriguez will win.

 

[willbick]

Strange.. Good opportunity to ride in the leaders jersey and win a few stage in the first week at least.

Think Cav might be finished as a top sprinter tbh. I wouldnt be confident in him having the beating of the likes of Bouhanni

 

[classicomano]

John Degenkolb
Nikias Arndt
Johannes Fröhlinger
Warren Barguil
Tobias Ludvigsson
Koen de Kort
Ramon Sinkeldam
Chad Haga
Lawson Craddock

Quite a nice team, wont come in last in the TTT for sure. Though with Barguill they actually have an incentive to really race it this time.

 

[barmaher]

The TTT looks like a very good race this year. Cases could be made for OPQS, Orica and Giant. Tinfoff and Sky won't be too far away either.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The TTT looks like a very good race this year. Cases could be made for OPQS, Orica and Giant. Tinfoff and Sky won't be too far away either.

Movistar always do very well in the TTT in the Vuelta:

VALVERDE Alejandro
MORENO Javier
MALORI Adriano
HERRADA José
IZAGIRRE Gorka
CASTROVIEJO Jonathan
ERVITI Imanol
QUINTANA Nairo
AMADOR Andrey

Won't be too far behind imo.

 

[Netserk]

http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/races/vuelta-a-espana/

The eight riders in the preliminary line-up for the Spanish Grand Tour are:

Alberto Contador, Chris Anker Sørensen, Daniele Bennati, Matteo Tosatto, Sergio Paulinho, Oliver Zaugg, Ivan Rovny and the Danish national champion, Michael Valgren.

The final rider in our Vuelta line-up will be determined tomorrow, Wednesday – along with our goals and ambitions in the race.

Last rider will be Kreuziger if he is allowed to race.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

At least they have dumped Hernandez. Talk about deadwood.

 

[barmaher]

Trek might have a chance in Stage 1

Trek Factory Racing for the 2014 Vuelta a España: Fabian Cancellara, Julián Arredondo, Haimar Zubeldia, Kristof Vandewalle, Bob Jungels, Jasper Stuyven, Yaroslav Popovych, Jesse Sergent and Fabio Felline.

BMC should also show up well. Come to think of it, I have no clue who will win.

 

[LaFlorecita]

At least they have dumped Hernandez. Talk about deadwood.

Hernandez is injured.

 

[LaFlorecita]

http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/races/vuelta-a-espana/

Last rider will be Kreuziger if he is allowed to race.

No Rory and no Matti

 

[Netserk]

No Rory and no Matti

Hopefully it's either Petrov or Boaro as back-up for Kreuziger

 

[SKSemtex]

Sagan,
De Marchi,
Caruso,
Gatto,
Bennett,
Bodnar,
Longo Borghini,
Krizek,
Boivin

I hoped they would give the chance to Formolo

I am quite anxious to see whether Sagan takes this easy as training or he goes for point classification. Route should suite him if he is in top form (I doubt he is)

One thing is sure. They should do much better TTT like they did last year.

 

[cineteq]

Belkin
Robert Gesink
Wilco Kelderman
Laurens ten Dam
Stef Clement
Moreno Hofland
Martijn Keizer
Paul Martens
Maarten Tjallingii
Robert Wagner

 

[PedalCastro]

Predictions for:
Kelderman?
Chaves?
Barguil?
All of them somewhere in top 20?

 

[Arredondo]

Predictions for:
Kelderman?
Chaves?
Barguil?
All of them somewhere in top 20?

Kelderman 11th
Chaves 9th plus stage win
Barguil top-20

Next

 

[PedalCastro]

Kelderman 11th
Chaves 9th plus stage win
Barguil top-20

Next

haha pretty comprehensive there!