Teams & Riders Vuelta 2018 podium three years later

[gregrowlerson]

Didn't get dropped once all race, and Froome was only on 2'24 because he was at Sky and got Bernal to drag him all the way through the Pyrenees.

Bernal is a non ITTer who got spanked for 2 weeks in the mountains.

Evans is just not a top climber, way too prone to getting dropped in the mountains and basically won the Tour cause Contador and Schleck were trying to murder each other all 3 weeks. Climbing performances in the 2011 Tour were basically an all-time low.

I would take 2018 Thomas over 2019 Bernal too, but "got spanked in the mountains"? Weren't most of his early time losses to the Frenchmen in the ITT?

I do recall fans carrying on as if Pinot had gained 2 minutes on Tourmalet when it was probably more like 20 seconds.

 

[Red Rick]

I would take 2018 Thomas over 2019 Bernal too, but "got spanked in the mountains"? Weren't most of his early time losses to the Frenchmen in the ITT?

I do recall fans carrying on as if Pinot had gained 2 minutes on Tourmalet when it was probably more like 20 seconds.

Got dropped on Planche de Belles Filles, got dropped on Tourmalet, got dropped on Prat d'Albis, rode bad ITT, got dropped in hilly/classic type stage by Pinot/Alaphilippe too.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Got dropped on Planche de Belles Filles, got dropped on Tourmalet, got dropped on Prat d'Albis, rode bad ITT, got dropped in hilly/classic type stage by Pinot/Alaphilippe too.

Spanked everyone on Galibier and on Iseran

 

[Red Rick]

Spanked everyone on Galibier and on Iseran

Pinot was already injured, and what was left was literally the weakest GT in a long time.

 

[BigCoward]

Simon Yates should only try and win one day races, one week races and the vuelta. The other 2? Meh.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Pinot was already injured, and what was left was literally the weakest GT in a long time.

Bernal destroyed Thomas though.

But yes it was weak. Who from 2019 would stay with Bernal on Iseran? Carapaz?

 

[Red Rick]

Bernal destroyed Thomas though.

But yes it was weak. Who from 2019 would stay with Bernal on Iseran? Carapaz?

Thomas just wasn't 2018 level

 

[topcat]

Thomas was in monster shape in 2018. Bernal was not in 2019. He was good in a couple of stages against depleted opposition. The Thomas win is an aberration though. It's good Bernal got his tour win, it'll probably be his last.
Back to 2021:
Worlds, PR, Lombardia
Buy Astana kit and faff around on my ten speed. Cheer for Vino, Nibs and Mal. Make expert comments on a forum.

 

[staubsauger]

After stage 19 the 2018 Vuelta podium was Yates, Valverde, Kruijsvijk.

On stage 20 Valverde and Kruijsvijk both fell off the podium. Valverde collapsed, Kruijsvijk lost just over 1 minute.

It was the attack of Mas and Lopez on that stage 20 that got them their respective podium positions.

Nobody would have predicted after that that it would be the last GT podium of Lopez, whereas Kruiswij and Valverde would both get 1 more each.

That 4th place at the 2018 Vuelta a Espana looked like a confirmation Kruijswijk could still win a Giro d'Italia or Vuelta a Espana if he just fully focuses on it. His 3rd place at the 2019 Tour de France after having already finished 5th in 2018 seemed to underline that point.

Of course he had Covid-19 last fall and abandoned the 2020 Giro d'Italia. But Kruijswijk has been nowhere near the top 10 in both the Tour de France & Vuelta a Espana this year. Despite co-leadership status being up to grab there, as both Vingegaard & Kuss showed.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Hmm, I don't actually find it that odd. It's the Vuelta after all - not the Tour - and at the moment I'd rate Mas the 5th or 6th best GT rider around. Simon Yates is probably just outside top 10. Lopez is the biggest mystery since when he has one of his good days he's one of the very best climbers but he's so inconsistent that as a GT rider I probably wouldn't rank him in the top 20 right now. And that's quite ironic since he consistently finished between 3rd and 8th five GT's in a row between 2017 and 2019.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Hmm, I don't actually find it that odd. It's the Vuelta after all - not the Tour - and at the moment I'd rate Mas the 5th or 6th best GT rider around. Simon Yates is probably just outside top 10. Lopez is the biggest mystery since when he has one of his good days he's one of the very best climbers but he's so inconsistent that as a GT rider I probably wouldn't rank him in the top 20 right now. And that's quite ironic since he consistently finished between 3rd and 8th five GT's in a row between 2017 and 2019.

1. Pogacar
2. Roglix
3. Bernal
4. Carapaz
5. Vingegaard
6. Mas
7. Landa
8. Almeida
9. Simon yates
10. Fausto Masnada

 

[Hugo Koblet]

1. Pogacar
2. Roglix
3. Bernal
4. Carapaz
5. Vingegaard
6. Mas
7. Landa
8. Almeida
9. Simon yates
10. Fausto Masnada

Poor Masnada. Still so obscure that you have to add his firstname

 

[johnymax]

1. Pogacar
2. Roglix
3. Bernal
4. Carapaz
5. Vingegaard
6. Mas
7. Landa
8. Almeida
9. Simon yates
10. Fausto Masnada

Switch Landa and Masnada and I'd agree

 

[yaco]

Simon Yates should only try and win one day races, one week races and the vuelta. The other 2? Meh.

The best way for Bike Exchange to get full value from S.Yates is to have him ride all three GT's as a stage hunter.

 

[Rollthedice]

1. Pogacar
2. Roglix
3. Bernal
4. Carapaz
5. Vingegaard
6. Mas
7. Landa
8. Almeida
9. Simon yates
10. Fausto Masnada

1. Pog
2. Rog
3. Some Ineos riders
4. Other Jumbo riders and one Movistar
5. The other brother
6. Somebody from Bora
7. Lefevere's long term contract rider
8. Landani helping a Bahrain rider
9. No idea
10. There's always the Vin(cenz)o option

 

[Escarabajo]

1. Pog
2. Rog
3. Some Ineos riders
4. Other Jumbo riders and one Movistar
5. The other brother
6. Somebody from Bora
7. Lefevere's long term contract rider
8. Landani helping a Bahrain rider
9. No idea
10. There's always the Vin(cenz)o option

I would change on #8 - Bahrain rider helping Landani
and agree 100% with the rest!

 

[Krzysztof_O]

1. Pog
2. Rog
3. Some Ineos riders
4. Other Jumbo riders and one Movistar
5. The other brother
6. Somebody from Bora
7. Lefevere's long term contract rider
8. Landani helping a Bahrain rider
9. No idea
10. There's always the Vin(cenz)o option

1. Padun during a long separation from mommy
2. Lopez (when his car thieves are at the finish line)
3. Remco after learning how to ride a bike
4. Froomey (when he finally gets enough racing under his belt)
5. Yates duo (bibs exchange)
6. Pog in cold weather
7. Roglic after a winter break and a few crashes
8. Bernal (when TV doesn't show him or natural disaster occurs)
9. Thomas after 5 beers
10. Padun after a year of mommy's diet

 

[Pinot's goat]

Bernal destroyed Thomas though.

But yes it was weak. Who from 2019 would stay with Bernal on Iseran? Carapaz?

Thomas crashed on the hilly stage where Ala/Pinot attacked, he was impacted by the crash for much of the race iirc.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Hmm, I don't actually find it that odd. It's the Vuelta after all - not the Tour - and at the moment I'd rate Mas the 5th or 6th best GT rider around. Simon Yates is probably just outside top 10. Lopez is the biggest mystery since when he has one of his good days he's one of the very best climbers but he's so inconsistent that as a GT rider I probably wouldn't rank him in the top 20 right now. And that's quite ironic since he consistently finished between 3rd and 8th five GT's in a row between 2017 and 2019.

Lopez was 3rd going into stage 20 of Vuelta 2021 and TdF 2020, I don't think you can be in that position unless you are comfortable top 20 GC man (unless you do an O'Connor). TdF 2020 was highest quality grand tour field in recent times (maybe ever), only Yates and Thomas of the top 20 were not there.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Lopez was 3rd going into stage 20 of Vuelta 2021 and TdF 2020, I don't think you can be in that position unless you are comfortable top 20 GC man (unless you do an O'Connor). TdF 2020 was highest quality grand tour field in recent times (maybe ever), only Yates and Thomas of the top 20 were not there.

I don't think two DNF should count towards his or anyones GT-credentials. I think it's much more accurate to only look at the final results. Otherwise it becomes way too much "what if". That said, I was probably a bit too harsh not ranking him in the top 20. I did my own little ranking based on the last three years (2019 as the base year, 2020 counts 1,5 as much as 2019, and 2021 counts 1,5 as much as 2020) and taking startlist quality into consideration. Here he ranks 14th - but of course you can make these kinds of rankings in various ways.

 

[Pinot's goat]

I don't think two DNF should count towards his or anyones GT-credentials. I think it's much more accurate to only look at the final results. Otherwise it becomes way too much "what if". That said, I was probably a bit too harsh not ranking him in the top 20. I did my own little ranking based on the last three years (2019 as the base year, 2020 counts 1,5 as much as 2019, and 2021 counts 1,5 as much as 2020) and taking startlist quality into consideration. Here he ranks 14th - but of course you can make these kinds of rankings in various ways.

"What if" would be like Landa at the Giro where he DNFs early on, I think as late as stage 20 is a bit different.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

"What if" would be like Landa at the Giro where he DNFs early on, I think as late as stage 20 is a bit different.

Hmm, I don't really agree. Especially since it wasn't some freak incident that made him lose his third place. He just blew up in both cases. A Grand Tour is 21 stages and whether you collapse on stage 2, 7 or 20 doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.