Vuelta a España 2014 Overview

[roundabout]

2012 Tour route was crap. More varied than the Vuelta (duh), but crap.

 

[Stromeon]

With so many ITT kms the 2012 Tour needed several big mountain stages and summit finishes to balance that out. There were only 2.5 summit finishes; (none of them on HC climbs) you have to go back to 1998 to get a lower number than that.

 

[Descender]

2012 Tour route was crap. More varied than the Vuelta (duh), but crap.

I'll subscribe this and go to bed.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Apart from a little lack of time trialling (though that's typical Vuelta) and descent finishers, this seems a good, well balanced route. It's certainly not back ended. Stages 9, 10 and 11 are all interesting, and we have stage 6 to sort out the men from the boys. 14, 15 and 16; how can one complain? I also like stage 19, though the original design seemed to contain a tougher final climb. Can this category 2 make for interesting racing 15kms from the finish?

 

[ILovecycling]

One way to shut me up: challenge my points with arguments and make me change my mind.

not worth my time,as I dont remember all stages in detail and I would have to study it a bit.I know '12 was tt TdF,and I hate when best climber doesnt win.
of course its tough to change your mind,cuz this route is not really good.But its not as crap as you say.
god I remember how you whinned about last (or '12) vuelta,let me ask you a question,are you going to do this every day during the race again?
If so,I will have to put you on ignore (in order to not screw my mood everytime) and after vuelta will unignore,cuz you'r good poster.

Apart from a little lack of time trialling (though that's typical Vuelta) and descent finishers, this seems a good, well balanced route. It's certainly not back ended. Stages 9, 10 and 11 are all interesting, and we have stage 6 to sort out the men from the boys. 14, 15 and 16; how can one complain? I also like stage 19, though the original design seemed to contain a tougher final climb. Can this category 2 make for interesting racing 15kms from the finish?

nice recap.

 

[GThere2]

Interesting to see Movistar hedging their bets with joint leadership Quintana and Valverde (How is this possible I see skyfans cry!)

Perhaps reflects the feeling that its not enough of a climbers route to suit Quintana (although he still gets my vote in the poll thread).

 

[Carols]

Mods can we get this on the Sticky list please? The time approaches

Thanks Arnout.

 

[manafana]

the route is the route, a strong ambitious field can make it interesting, not much for sprinters either mind you, interesting cannondale look to get a last bit of blood out of Sagan but do we seem him lasting 3 weeks?

 

[Escarabajo]

IMHO, this year's route is really crap. Awful. Only one real mountain stage with some descends. That is stage 16. Stage 20 maybe.

Having said that, the riders make the racing, not the route.

I have some of the Colombian challenging for the final podium and I am excited for it. But that does not change my mind on how crap this route is. The Vuelta for some reason is the only GT that I have not been able to watch because of the routes. I just hate to see so many uphill sprints. I never liked that. I always love to see a decimated group on the foot of the last climb. That was something that I loved and learned to watch from the tours in the 80's.

This route on paper favors Purito and Uran. If Purito is out of form, maybe this is Uran's chance to win a GT.

 

[Miburo]

Uran has zero chance of winning it against this field. He'll get destroyed.

 

[Descender]

not worth my time,as I dont remember all stages in detail and I would have to study it a bit.I know '12 was tt TdF,and I hate when best climber doesnt win.
of course its tough to change your mind,cuz this route is not really good.But its not as crap as you say.
god I remember how you whinned about last (or '12) vuelta,let me ask you a question,are you going to do this every day during the race again?
If so,I will have to put you on ignore (in order to not screw my mood everytime) and after vuelta will unignore,cuz you'r good poster.

nice recap.

Most probably.

 

[Arredondo]

Most probably.

We have Quintana, Froome and Contador.

This will be 100x better then Le Tour

 

[cineteq]

We have Quintana, Froome and Contador.

This will be 100x better then Le Tour

You mean Quintana, right? Everybody and the dog know Alberto and Chris won't be fit enough to compete for GC.

 

[VeloHuman]

IMHO, this year's route is really crap. Awful. Only one real mountain stage with some descends. That is stage 16. Stage 20 maybe.

Having said that, the riders make the racing, not the route.

I have some of the Colombian challenging for the final podium and I am excited for it. But that does not change my mind on how crap this route is. The Vuelta for some reason is the only GT that I have not been able to watch because of the routes. I just hate to see so many uphill sprints. I never liked that. I always love to see a decimated group on the foot of the last climb. That was something that I loved and learned to watch from the tours in the 80's.

This route on paper favors Purito and Uran. If Purito is out of form, maybe this is Uran's chance to win a GT.

Fewer massive climbs means this is more likely to be a close race. That should at least be entertaining.

 

[Taxus4a]

La Vuelta has a stage on my small village, so I am doing an special about that on my blog. My opinion about race is well explained on my signature, but what I think is: although the parcours is not really epic, and there is not big mountain stages except one, it has positives things and with this star riders is going to be a very good race

 

[jens_attacks]

taxus, again from helicopter on farrapona? :d

 

[Asturiano]

Taking a look at Vuelta's route. The best stage is the one that finishes in Farrapona.

According to Vuelta, Colladona is a 1st Category climb but I don't think so, it's more a 2nd Category climb.

Cordal is a 2nd Category climb too, but with more than 10 kms long, the climb starts 4 or 5 kms before la Vega and most of the altimetries don't reflect that.

But one thing, the last three climbs could be considerered Especial Category or HC. Not 1st Category climb.

Maybe the weakest one of this three is Farrapona but Luz Ardiden is usually considered by the Tour a HC and it has very similar degree of hardness to Farrapona.

San Lorenzo and Cobertoria are much harder than them. In my opinion both are real HC. Maybe these ones are not too long, Cobertoria (10 kms), San Lorenzo (11,1 kms but both are very serious climbs, look at the percentages).

It's one of the hardest stages of the year, maybe the hardest one.

 

[Taxus4a]

taxus, again from helicopter on farrapona? :d

No, I would like to be acredited for my town stage start, but this year that is really difficult.

Anyway, today I have received the possibility for a VIP pass to go to Ponferrada, so who knows, maybe helicopter on the Worlds.

Helicopter in Farrapona it was a prize for Skoda, it is was an unforgettable day: good hotels, race car, VIP advantages, and with a good friend, ex amateur rider and friend of Mikel Landa.

 

[jens_attacks]

thanks for sharing, amazing prize indeed

 

[laurel1969]

We have Quintana, Froome and Contador.

This will be 100x better then Le Tour

The Vuelta is often a tale of desperation and unpredictability.

 

[Descender]

Fewer massive climbs means this is more likely to be a close race. That should at least be entertaining.

I guess we have different definitions of entertaining.

 

[Netserk]

I guess we have different definitions of entertaining.

Giro '12 must have been super entertaining

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Found a link for this year's roadbook here

 

[cineteq]

Found a link for this year's roadbook here

Direct from Google docs => https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0BzDEK1vYnwstOU5IQm1sQWlyY1k&export=download

 

[vavafroome]

Direct from Google docs => https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0BzDEK1vYnwstOU5IQm1sQWlyY1k&export=download

Thanks!!

Is there an english translation floating about?