• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Vuelta 2018 stage 16:Santillana del Mar - Torrelavega 32km

After the second rest day on Monday, the action starts again with Tuesday's ITT -

Vuelta 2018 stage 16: Santillana del Mar - Torrelavega ITT 32km start 14.06

2 intermediate times at 10.5 km & 20 km from start
Departure place Santillana del Mar is famous for its three lies. The town is neither holy (Santa), not flat (llana) and its not located on the sea (mar) either.

The fact that it is not holy and not on the sea either will not bother most riders, yet the fact that the route is rolling and not flat at all will be a disappointment to most of them. The route is rather demanding – we are in Spain, who would expect otherwise?

The first kilometre sets the tone with its 5% slope and following the descent the route continues on rolling roads to the next uphill section. At kilometre 9.4 the riders climb for 1 kilometre at 4% before the longest climb of the day appears almost 3 kilometres later. The 3.4 kilometres long sector slopes at an average of 4%. Following a 3 kilometres drop the last uphill sector climbs for 2 kilometres at 3.5% before the last 10 kilometres to the line in Torrelavega are either flat or downhill.

The profile of the route reminds of the individual time trial in last year’s Vuelta, although that route was 8 kilometres longer. Chris Froome took the stage win, 29 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman with Vincenzo Nibali almost 1 minute back.

Former World Champion Oscar Freire and Juan José Cobo were born in arrival place Torrelavega. The time trial finishes at the Complejo Deportivo Oscar Freire – or, the Oscar Freire Sports Centre.
profile -
stage-16-profile.jpg


map of stage
stage-16-route.jpg


what the heck is going on in the last 2km?!
stage-16-finish.jpg
 
Re:

WheelofGear said:
Dennis obviously. But I hope Kwiatkowski isn't too badly injured. He can top 3 it.

Worst stage for Mas who has been flying in this Vuelta. Out of the top 10 riders in GC, he is the worst time trialist.

What? He was 24th at Tour de Suisse this year (Quintana was 34th btw), he was 40th in Itzulia where Uran finished 49th, last year at Izulia he was even 17th - once again in front of Uran, Buchmann and Yates of the current Vuelta top 10 ... I agree that Mas is not a world class time trialist, but he is pretty much in the middle of the pack of the other GC riders. Only Ion Izagirre, Valverde and probably Kruiswijk should be head and shoulders above him Everyone else will take little time to none at all from him.
 
Re: Vuelta 2018 stage 16:Santillana del Mar - Torrelavega 32

Hats off Robert and thank you for the work you put in :) . Great OP, no fluff, informative.

Cancellaru for the win is a no-brainer: going 60X10 at 100rpm the entire way :eek: . With regards to the top-10 or so riders, I don't know just how fresh Ion and Wilco are: they struggled big time over the week-end. on the paper, they should take time over the rest. Valverde looks to be able to gain 30 or so seconds on Simon and Quintana, 40 to a minute over the rest. That would not make this stage a world changer, no Dumoulin to crush it...BUT.

Valverde in red makes the last week a thriller, Simon trying to get time on a guy who can, better than anybody, stick to your back wheel and out-kick you. It could make stage 20 a classic, a stage for the ages.

For me, it's The Don vs. The Simon. Quintana is the dark horse (or is he The Black Album?), Lopez iooks like a lock for a top-5, Pinot looks better than the rest but has a time deficit to overcome. ITT after a rest day, yikes.

Fun Vuelta for sure. And the best may be yet to come.

Aru will win this bike race ;) .
 
Re: Vuelta 2018 stage 16:Santillana del Mar - Torrelavega 32

Tonton said:
Hats off Robert and thank you for the work you put in :) . Great OP, no fluff, informative.

Cancellaru for the win is a no-brainer: going 60X10 at 100rpm the entire way :eek: . With regards to the top-10 or so riders, I don't know just how fresh Ion and Wilco are: they struggled big time over the week-end. on the paper, they should take time over the rest. Valverde looks to be able to gain 30 or so seconds on Simon and Quintana, 40 to a minute over the rest. That would not make this stage a world changer, no Dumoulin to crush it...BUT.

Valverde in red makes the last week a thriller, Simon trying to get time on a guy who can, better than anybody, stick to your back wheel and out-kick you. It could make stage 20 a classic, a stage for the ages.

For me, it's The Don vs. The Simon. Quintana is the dark horse (or is he The Black Album?), Lopez iooks like a lock for a top-5, Pinot looks better than the rest but has a time deficit to overcome. ITT after a rest day, yikes.

Fun Vuelta for sure. And the best may be yet to come.

Aru will win this bike race ;) .
Who is the fourth one in front of him? :D
 
Re:

WheelofGear said:
Dennis obviously. But I hope Kwiatkowski isn't too badly injured. He can top 3 it.

Worst stage for Mas who has been flying in this Vuelta. Out of the top 10 riders in GC, he is the worst time trialist.
Where did that come from? Mas is a solid, if not spectacular TTer, including a junior national champion.
 
Re:

Escarabajo said:
Lopez to have a good TT and everyone will ask where is that coming from.

I really want to believe that but there is precious little evidence for it since his bizarrely good time trial in the 2016 Tour de Suisse.

I suppose he wasn't terrible in last year's Vuelta time trial, although he was in superior form at the time, and in this year's Giro he finished 50th, losing 1:10 to Yates.

I hope surprises and rides a good TT but more likely he loses 30-45 seconds to Yates.
 

TRENDING THREADS