Vuelta a España 2011

[Michielveedeebee]

it's on their site.di luca won't ride it....

Strange :s I thought this was his season's goal ...

 

[just some guy]

Skil

Rudi Kemna and Christian Guiberteau as its leaders, with Johannes Fröhlinger, Simon Geschke, Tom Veelers, Albert Timmer, Koen de Kort, Roy Curvers,Marcel Kittel , Yukihiro Doi and Alexandre Geniez

 

[Descender]

Stage 4 to Sierra Nevada has a cat 1 climb at the start and nothing else till the MTF. The autobus can chase before the final climb.

Stage 9 to La Covatilla has a cat 3 at the start and nothing else before the MTF. The autobus should form at the beginning of the last climb.

Stage 11 rolls through a cat 2 and two cat 3 climbs before the MTF. The autobus may also probably form just at the beginning of the last climb.

Tour stages with large groups missing the time cut had several hard climbs. The Sierra Nevada stage in 2009 also had a large group missing the time cut, but they had an HC climb from the start, they climbed Sierra Nevada through El Purche (hardest side), the finish was 400 m above the finish this year and they rode like mad dogs because Caisse d'Epargne had the brilliant idea to send Purito in the break to make Valverde's rivals chase. Once in the last climb, Evans' puncture made the leaders ride like mad dogs again.

I can't see riders having problems with the time cut before getting to Asturias at the end of the second week.

It was back then. Now the hardest way to get to Sierra Nevada is the Hazas Llanas road (my avatar is the profile).

 

[hrotha]

well at least i won't have to suffer the images of il killer working for purito.in another universe,this would never have happened.giro 2012, that's all i got now...

Di Luca isn't good for anything else anymore.

 

[Swede1]

Not sure 17th in that field is a sign of good form... We will have to at least wait until the actual mountain stages to see what his for is. I'm sure that after an injury like that he'd have to be on the upward trajectory at this point

Well after today it seems he is doing surprisingly well. I know its the Tour of Utah, but still he climbed pretty well. By the time of the Vuelta he should be very competitive.

 

[Fetisoff]

Well after today it seems he is doing surprisingly well. I know its the Tour of Utah, but still he climbed pretty well. By the time of the Vuelta he should be very competitive.

No, you're right. He did do surprisingly well today. If he does a top 3 on the final stage, then i'll be a believer that his form is very good and improving, possible touting him as a top-5 for vuelta.... Certainly top 10

 

[Swede1]

No, you're right. He did do surprisingly well today. If he does a top 3 on the final stage, then i'll be a believer that his form is very good and improving, possible touting him as a top-5 for vuelta.... Certainly top 10

Yeah i'd say a top 5 is in his range if he does a top 3 on the final stage. I don't think Menchov or Anton look better than him from what they did in Burgos. Although Menchov never looks good in pre-GT races.

 

[Fetisoff]

Yeah i'd say a top 5 is in his range if he does a top 3 on the final stage. I don't think Menchov or Anton look better than him from what they did in Burgos. Although Menchov never looks good in pre-GT races.

With Menchov you can never tell, until few stages into the race. Anton was 9th in Burgos last year, a minute behind Sammy Sanchez. 8th this year, a minute behind Sammy Sanchez....

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

I feel like a kid in a bike shop with a wad of money to spend... this will be my first crack at daily TV coverage of the Vuelta. Apparently it was offered last year, here in Canada... but I had no idea.

I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait!

(sorry, sometimes I get a bit excited)

 

[Ferminal]

My look at the non-mountain finishes.

Stage 2 Playas de Orihuela - Starting with ~600m to go, there is a ~300m section at 10% (hi Sagan).

Stage 3 Totana - Flat finish, but the sprinters will have to survive 4600m @ 6.2% with only 13km remaining.

Stage 5 Valdepeñas de Jaén - The scene of Anton's victory last year, a couple of hundred metres of super steep gradients, maxing out towards 25-30%. The final 400m metres are much gentler.

Stage 6 Córdoba - Flat finish, but 7.5km @ 5.5% peaking with 20km remaining

Stage 7 Talavera de la Reina - Flat all the way, the first true bunchy.

Stage 8 San Lorenzo de El Escorial - Final kilo at 20%, is this accurate (seems hard to believe!)

Stage 12 Pontevedra - Around 650m at 4% before a flat final 600-700m. Sounds a bit like the Tour finish at Cap Frehel?

Stage 13 Ponferrada - Flat finish, this is the Ancares stage.

Stage 16 Haro - Flat

Stage 18 Noja - A little rise at 5% for 350m heading into the 2km banner. Then a similar descent at the 1km mark. The earlier climbs should eliminate the fastest sprinters.

Stage 19 Bilbao - Flat finish, but again some sprinters will be pressed to make it to finale in the main group.

Stage 20 Vitoria - Flat for the final 50km

Stage 21 Madrid - Flat

A nice mix between pack sprints, uphill finishes and reduced sprints.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Lots of good stages for GVA especially during those final few stages.

 

[hrotha]

Stage 8 San Lorenzo de El Escorial - Final kilo at 20%, is this accurate (seems hard to believe!)

Isn't the finish on the streets that lead to the Alto de Abantos? Nasty gradients.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoJfOFBLLl0&feature=player_detailpage#t=210s

 

[The Hitch]

My look at the non-mountain finishes.

Stage 2 Playas de Orihuela - Starting with ~600m to go, there is a ~300m section at 10%.

Stage 5 Valdepeñas de Jaén - The scene of Anton's victory last year, a couple of hundred metres of super steep gradients, maxing out towards 25-30%.

Stage 8 San Lorenzo de El Escorial - Final kilo at 20%, is this accurate (seems hard to believe!)

Wow. Joaquim Rodriguez might win this afterall. If he can handle Sierra Nevada and let rip on these Purito specially made finishes, he might only be 3 minutes down after the tt.

 

[Fetisoff]

Wow. Joaquim Rodriguez might win this afterall. If he can handle Sierra Nevada and let rip on these Purito specially made finishes, he might only be 3 minutes down after the tt.

Vuelta does have the time bonuses, correct?

 

[Anonymous]

Provisional start list now issued by the aso
http://www.lavuelta.com/11pr/en/noticias/index.html#0

 

[hrotha]

Provisional start list now issued by the aso
http://www.lavuelta.com/11pr/en/noticias/index.html#0

Pfffft, Madrazo only as a reserve? Screw that.

I'm also disappointed by the absence of Galimzyanov and Bole, but it's good to see Talansky will start.

 

[maltiv]

Provisional start list now issued by the aso
http://www.lavuelta.com/11pr/en/noticias/index.html#0

Wow, Henderson not included for the vuelta either, no GTs for him this year then. Really happy to see that Arvesen might get a last GT!

 

[roundabout]

Looks like Lang is doing the triple.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wow, Henderson not included for the vuelta either, no GTs for him this year then. Really happy to see that Arvesen might get a last GT!

not surprising, sky have treated him quite badly and he has *****ed about them. Seems a shame that it didn't work out but something had to give.

 

[Anonymous]

not surprising, sky have treated him quite badly and he has *****ed about them. Seems a shame that it didn't work out but something had to give.

Yeh, Hendo was very outspoken last year after missing out on the Tour and was very critical in an email he sent to the Australian press when he wasnt included in the Tour squad in 2010. Equally critical several times this year, and then the twitter faux pas. Think they have lost patience with him, and he with them.

 

[The Hitch]

Vuelta does have the time bonuses, correct?

Correct.

Pfffft, Madrazo only as a reserve? Screw that.

I'm also disappointed by the absence of Galimzyanov and Bole, but it's good to see Talansky will start.

Let it go man. You're not going to win cq

 

[Fetisoff]

Pfffft, Madrazo only as a reserve? Screw that.

I'm also disappointed by the absence of Galimzyanov and Bole, but it's good to see Talansky will start.

That's because Denis would probably HD on the Sierra Nevada stage

 

[l.Harm]

Mosquera in the VS selection.

Nice line up. Many good sprinters and climbers so must be fun to watch.

 

[hrotha]

Let it go man. You're not going to win cq

Talansky isn't even in my CQ team
Bole and Madrazo are, but they also happen to be among my favourite riders.
I'm becoming fond of Galimzyanov, but yeah that's mostly because of the CQ thing.

That's because Denis would probably HD on the Sierra Nevada stage

He survived long enough last year, and the Vuelta isn't the Tour.

 

[The Hitch]

Wow, Henderson not included for the vuelta either, no GTs for him this year then.

Shouldnt hit him too hard. He said after his Paris Nice stage win that it was the biggest win of his career and the biggest race hes ever taken part in.

Not someone who rates his Vuelta stage win too highly then.

Like Greipel he doesnt want to waste his time on **** poor races like the Tour of Turkey, TDU or Vuelta a Espana. It would be a much better use of his time to begin preparations for the Tour of the Mediterranean.

Thats only 6 months or so away now, and its in France, so it must be bigger than the Vuelta.