Vuelta 2024 discussion

[tobydawq]

I'm surprised so many posters think this Vuelta is open. I expect Kuss to win easily with Mas and a few others vying for the podium spots.

Why??

I really don't think that's going to happen.

 

[Ulle97]

Surely Roglic will be the favourite here?

 

[Monsi]

Surely Roglic will be the favourite here?

Normally, he would but I can't help but think this might be like the 2022 Vuelta where he might struggle initially because of his injuries. If that will be the case, UAE will definitely pounce.

 

[claude cat]

2024 Team Jayco AlUla – La Vuelta line-up:

Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) – 6th appearance
Waley Hagos Berhe (ETH) – Debut appearance
Eddie Dunbar (IRL) – 2nd appearance
Felix Engelhardt (GER) – 2nd appearance
Chris Harper (AUS) – 2nd appearance
Mauro Schmid (SUI) – Debut appearance
Callum Scotson (AUS) – 4th appearance
Filippo Zana (ITA) – 2nd appearance

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822923490866925886

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1822923490866925886

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Never sure whether these one offs belong in the race thread or the kits thread.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822877864192102576

View: https://twitter.com/Movistar_Team/status/1822877864192102576

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

2024 Team Jayco AlUla – La Vuelta line-up:

Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) – 6th appearance
Waley Hagos Berhe (ETH) – Debut appearance
Eddie Dunbar (IRL) – 2nd appearance
Felix Engelhardt (GER) – 2nd appearance
Chris Harper (AUS) – 2nd appearance
Mauro Schmid (SUI) – Debut appearance
Callum Scotson (AUS) – 4th appearance
Filippo Zana (ITA) – 2nd appearance

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822923490866925886

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1822923490866925886

Climber heavy: not two words we often see together

 

[yaco]

2024 Team Jayco AlUla – La Vuelta line-up:

Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) – 6th appearance
Waley Hagos Berhe (ETH) – Debut appearance
Eddie Dunbar (IRL) – 2nd appearance
Felix Engelhardt (GER) – 2nd appearance
Chris Harper (AUS) – 2nd appearance
Mauro Schmid (SUI) – Debut appearance
Callum Scotson (AUS) – 4th appearance
Filippo Zana (ITA) – 2nd appearance

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822923490866925886

View: https://x.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1822923490866925886

It is quite a decent squad, however, I question the form of some of the team. Then you add the last minute to switch Ewan to Poland which is the correct decision. I would have made one change to the squad. Would have included Foldager in place of either Berhe or Scotson. I expect Harper to ride a soft GC and the key rider is Schmid who is in goof form and is suited by the route.

 

[yaco]

In other news, Jay Vine is a late addition to the UAE's Vuelta team which suggested that Bree gave birth in the last week.

 

[Mayomaniac]

AG2R are bringing all the climbers (and decent rouleur support). Incoming gc Lafay hype?

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[Samamba]

Who is even going to control stages? Sprint stages Alpecin for Groves, maybe Visma helps for Van Aert in some space, but what about all the other stages. UAE goes with 7 leaders basically, not a single team that's gonna be super confident in riding all day in mountain stages probably. I expect a lot of breakaways.

 

[staubsauger]

AG2R brings a strong lineup to hunt stage wins with Gall, Paret-Peintre, Bouchard, Lafay & Amirail.

So of course they are spending their guys to control the race for O'Connor's glorious 6th at the general classification instead.

 

[YavorD]

I honestly don't see any more capable sprinters other than Groves and Van Aert.

 

[Mayomaniac]

AG2R brings a strong lineup to hunt stage wins with Gall, Paret-Peintre, Bouchard, Lafay & Amirail.

So of course they are spending their guys to control the race for O'Connor's glorious 6th at the general classification instead.

Nah, they are not gonna force them to ride for a guy that is leaving...

 

[Netserk]

https://storage-aso.lequipe.fr/ASO/cycling_vue/la-vuelta-24-libro-de-ruta.pdf

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Only 7 leaders this time for UAE hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822944365448176052

View: https://x.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1822944365448176052?t=DupSwYRjbJ199s9oOtJFRA&s=19

 

[Tim Cahill]

Now that's a team, get your own bottles lads! UAE managing to look chaotic without even needing to unleash their finest mercenaries; Ulissi, Hirschi, Ayuso, Fisher-Black.

 

[Netserk]

A *** Adam Richard and the Seven Bitches Minions.

 

[Valv.Piti]

They have 2,5-3 leaders I suspect. Its Almeida, Yates and Del Toro to some extent, and then you have Vine who will be allowed to see how far his shape takes him in the beginning. Rest is obviously on dom duty on this squad, and that includes Sivakov, Soler and Mcnulty, and possibly Vine relatively early on.

I like Jayco's squad. No sprinter and no GC-guy, just full-on stage hunting. When bigger teams select squads like this, it makes for a more open and better race usually. Dno what to make of Ag2r, I suspect Valentin, O'Connor and Gall will try to hang on initially, but I don't know how far they can come. One of them should be able to top-10 realistically while the rest should stage hunt again.

I will update the OP ASAP! Looks like its going down today.

 

[memyselfandI]

I honestly don't see any more capable sprinters other than Groves and Van Aert.

Campenaerts dude likes them long sprints, well prolly fine for Woutsie too.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Movistar going with their strongest riders from the Giro and the Tour: Mas, Quintana, Pelayo Sanchez, Lazkano, Rubio, Oliveira, Canal and Arcas. 3 latter riders classic domestiques, while Quintana, Sanchez, Lazkano and Rubio can do well on their own. I suspect that they will support Mas a lot initially until proven otherwise with Rubio the shadow leader and Lazkano and Pelayo hunting stages here and there.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Only 7 leaders this time for UAE hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822944365448176052

View: https://x.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1822944365448176052?t=DupSwYRjbJ199s9oOtJFRA&s=19

They expect me to know what Filippo Baroncini looks like when he barely ever gets to race anything relevant. How much does it cost to write the names of the riders?

 

[Valv.Piti]

They expect me to know what Filippo Baroncini looks like when he barely ever gets to race anything relevant. How much does it cost to write the names of the riders?

Names at the bottom, didn't see it at first either.

 

[Alien Performance]

I got both Yates and Almeida at 8-1 each, I figure that UAE will be gunning for the whole 3 GTs in the one-year thing

 

[Valv.Piti]

Urko Berrade Pablo Castrillo Jorge Gutiérrez Unai Iribar Pau Miquel José Félix Parra Ibon Ruiz Antonio Soto

Urko Berrada did well recently and Pablo Castrillo sems like a really good rider to me. How much else they got going? I don't know, lets see.

Also a lot new faces added: Fortunato, Gaudu, Poole, Riccitello, Lenny, Zana, the guys from Ag2r and Movistar... and a young sprinter, Pavel Bittner, who are in for a sufferfest! Enjoy, Pavel, and maybe you can get a nice GT stage win for your trouble!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Also, it is expected given the route, but teams are just frontloading their squads with climbers and in general riders who can get over hills well. Just very, very strong field so far when looking at riders capable of going fast uphill, but I suspect half the field of contenders already will get absolutely hammered at stage 4 already. It is the Vuelta, it will he hot as *** and the form is always a bit more of questionmark.