Vuelta a España 2016 Rumours

[May0maniac]

Dombrowski will already go berserk in his favourite race, the Giro, he'll go full 2005 Rujano (I know, it's probably just wishful thinking).
Chaves should have a great shot at the Vuelta if he impoves his TT-skills.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Purito is like Zomegnan on steroids.
https://twitter.com/lavueIta/status/681410063601373184

EDIT : my bad, it's el Día de los Santos Inocentes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

However, I do think there is a future for Purito in course design once he hangs up the cleats. That was one of the best-designed Vuelta mountain stages in years. And Unipublic obviously love him, otherwise they wouldn't keep designing courses with a dozen Muritos in the vain hope he can win them.

 

[ice&fire]

Biciclismo reports that Bilbao will host a stage finish:
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?loc=&id=138606

Sat 20/8, Stage 1: Laias - Castrelo do Miño TTT
Sun 21/8, Stage 2: Ourense? - Pontevedra? (Flat - Downhill finish)
Mon 22/8, Stage 3: Marín - Ézaro (Murito finish)
Tue 23/8, Stage 4: Betanzos - San Andres de Teixido (Cat 2 MTF)
Wed 24/8, Stage 5: ? - Lugo (Flat finish)
Thu 25/8, Stage 6: Monforte de Lemos - Luintra (Cat 3 HTF?)
Fri 26/8, Stage 7: Maceda - Puebla de Sanabria
Sat 27/8, Stage 8: Villalpando? - La Camperona (Cat 1 MTF)
Sun 28/8, Stage 9: Cistierna - Alto del Naranco (Cat 2 MTF)
Mon 29/8, Stage 10: Lugones - Lagos de Covadonga (Cat ESP MTF)
Tue 30/8, Rest day
Wed 31/8, Stage 11: Lastres - Peña Cabarga (Cat 1 MTF)
Thu 1/9, Stage 12: Corrales de Buelna - Bilbao (downhill finish after Vivero??)
Fri 2/9, Stage 13: ??? - Urdax
Sat 3/9, Stage 14: Urdax - Aubisque (Cat ESP MTF)
Sun 4/9, Stage 15: Sabiñánigo - Formigal (Cat 2 MTF)
Mon 5/9, Stage 16: Alcañiz? - ???
Tue 6/9, Rest day
Wed 7/9, Stage 17: ??? - Castellón??? (downhill after Desierto de las Palmas)
Thu 8/9, Stage 18: Xabia - Calp (ITT)
Fri 9/9, Stage 19: ???
Sat 10/9, Stage 20: ??? - Aitana??? (Cat 1 MTF)
Sun 11/9, Stage 21: Final parade in Madrid

 

[ice&fire]

Stage 18 will link the towns of Requena and Gandía. So the ITT will be stage 19.
http://requena.revistalocal.es/la-vuelta-2016-saldra-desde-requena-y-llegara-a-gandia/

Sat 20/8, Stage 1: Balneario de Laias - Castrelo do Miño TTT
Sun 21/8, Stage 2: Ourense? - Pontevedra? (Flat - Downhill finish)
Mon 22/8, Stage 3: Marín - Ézaro (Murito finish)
Tue 23/8, Stage 4: Betanzos - San Andres de Teixido (Cat 2 MTF)
Wed 24/8, Stage 5: ? - Lugo (Flat finish)
Thu 25/8, Stage 6: Monforte de Lemos - Luintra (Cat 3 HTF?)
Fri 26/8, Stage 7: Maceda - Puebla de Sanabria
Sat 27/8, Stage 8: Villalpando? - La Camperona (Cat 1 MTF)
Sun 28/8, Stage 9: Cistierna - Alto del Naranco (Cat 2 MTF)
Mon 29/8, Stage 10: Lugones - Lagos de Covadonga (Cat ESP MTF)
Tue 30/8, Rest day
Wed 31/8, Stage 11: Lastres - Peña Cabarga (Cat 1 MTF)
Thu 1/9, Stage 12: Corrales de Buelna - Bilbao (downhill finish after Vivero??)
Fri 2/9, Stage 13: ??? - Urdax
Sat 3/9, Stage 14: Urdax - Aubisque (Cat ESP MTF)
Sun 4/9, Stage 15: Sabiñánigo - Formigal (Cat 2 MTF)
Mon 5/9, Stage 16: Alcañiz? - ???
Tue 6/9, Rest day
Wed 7/9, Stage 17: ??? - Castellón??? (downhill after Desierto de las Palmas)
Thu 8/9, Stage 18: Requena - Gandía (rolling terrain, flat finish)
Fri 9/9, Stage 19: Xabia - Calp (ITT)
Sat 10/9, Stage 20: ??? - Aitana??? (Cat 1 MTF)
Sun 11/9, Stage 21: Final parade in Madrid

 

[ice&fire]

Stage 2 will depart from Ourense and will finish at Baiona.
http://www.farodevigo.es/comarcas/2015/12/30/vuelta-espana-hara-escala-baiona/1378151.html

Baiona hosted the finish of stage 2 in the 2013 Vuelta at the nearby summit of Monte da Groba, with victory of Nicholas Roche. The web page mentions that the race will go throught the main maritime boulevard, but it is unclear where the finish line will be. Stages 3 and 4 will feature a hill top finish, but this is Unipublic, so I wouldn't be surprised if stage 2 features another one.

The official presentation will be next Saturday 9th of Jan.

 

[ice&fire]

Stage 13 will depart from Bilbao, go through San Sebastian and finish in a circuit around Urdax after more than 200kms.
http://www.diariovasco.com/deportes/ciclismo/vuelta-espana/201601/06/vuelta-espana-volvera-sebastian-20160106001307-v.html

 

[ice&fire]

Aparently Unipublic has decided to add two new murito finishes in stages 16 and 17:
http://cadenaser.com/emisora/2016/01/07/radio_castellon/1452168647_295746.html

And Formigal is confirmed:
http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2016/01/07/vuelta_espana/1452183418_639086.html

Sat 20/8, Stage 1: Balneario de Laias - Castrelo do Miño TTT
Sun 21/8, Stage 2: Ourense - Baiona (Flat - Downhill finish?)
Mon 22/8, Stage 3: Marín - Ézaro (Murito finish)
Tue 23/8, Stage 4: Betanzos - San Andres de Teixido (Cat 2 MTF)
Wed 24/8, Stage 5: ? - Lugo (Flat finish)
Thu 25/8, Stage 6: Monforte de Lemos - Luintra (Cat 3 HTF?)
Fri 26/8, Stage 7: Maceda - Puebla de Sanabria
Sat 27/8, Stage 8: Villalpando? - La Camperona (Cat 1 MTF)
Sun 28/8, Stage 9: Cistierna - Alto del Naranco (Cat 2 MTF)
Mon 29/8, Stage 10: Lugones - Lagos de Covadonga (Cat ESP MTF)
Tue 30/8, Rest day
Wed 31/8, Stage 11: Lastres - Peña Cabarga (Cat 1 MTF)
Thu 1/9, Stage 12: Corrales de Buelna - Bilbao (downhill finish after Vivero??)
Fri 2/9, Stage 13: Bilbao - Urdax
Sat 3/9, Stage 14: Urdax - Aubisque (Cat ESP MTF)
Sun 4/9, Stage 15: Sabiñánigo - Formigal (Cat 2 MTF)
Mon 5/9, Stage 16: Alcañiz - Peñíscola Urbanizaciones (Murito finish ~2km @ 9%)
Tue 6/9, Rest day
Wed 7/9, Stage 17: Castellón - Mas de la Costa, Llucena (Cat 1 MTF, 4kms @ 12.4%)
Thu 8/9, Stage 18: Requena - Gandía (rolling terrain, flat finish)
Fri 9/9, Stage 19: Xabia - Calp (ITT)
Sat 10/9, Stage 20: ??? - Aitana (Cat 1 MTF)
Sun 11/9, Stage 21: Las Rozas - Madrid

AS lists 10 uphill finishes. Fans who know the course also count Luintra and Peñíscola as uphill finishes. Welcome back to 2012

Official presentation wil be next Saturday 9th of January at 13:00 CET.

 

[Valv.Piti]

If we have a show like 2012, I wouldnt complain!

 

[Gigs_98]

Although too many mtf's aren't really good I still kind of like the route. The mtf's are placed quite well, although Covadonga at the end of the first week directly after two more mtf's is maybe not the best idea (but at least la camperona is extremely steep so there will probably be action anyway)

Like Covadonga Pena Cabarga is also a bit overused in the last years but with stage 11 its quite early which is good IMO

The stage to Urdax confuses me. The only Urdax I find in the Internet is an extremely small town near the Puerto de Otxondo. If you really mean this Urdax wouldnt that probably mean a very interesting mountain stage? I mean, if the route comes from the south west the final 40 km's would look like this:

Are you really talking about that town, because wouldnt that lead to more excitement?

Aubisque and Formigal could be a good combination of two mtf's on a weekend. Especially the Aubisque stage might be very very hard.

The last week could be good as well, but why does stage 20 have to be a hard mtf? Last years stage 20 was so great and I really really hoped that would maybe cause more downhill finishes on stage 20 of gt's in the next few years.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It is that Urdax that they talk of, and what you propose there is the "best case scenario" run-in. But it was used in the 2014 Itzulia and they went via Iparralde, leading to a slightly uphill rolling finish:

Given the stage is coming through San Sebastián that unfortunately probably puts a damper on the possibility that they go over the route you suggest. Jaizkibel, Ibardin and then a rolling finale like that stage seems a bit more likely.

 

[ice&fire]

Biciclismo claims this is the definitive course:
http://biciciclismo.com/es/vuelta-2016-el-recorrido-definido-08-01-2016

It only adds the departure towns of stages 5 (Viveiro) and 20 (Benidorm) to what we knew so far.

Regarding the stage to Urdax, the only way to keep it at a reasonable length slightly over 200kms is if they come from San Sebastián via Oiartzun, Lesaka, Etxalar, enter shortly in France and back to Spain for the final loop around Zugarramurdi and Urdax. The link with info on the stage mentioned the possibility of having Igeldo before San Sebastián, but no Jaizkibel.

 

[gooner]

Yes, it's on AS today. Cav will love this even more.

http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2016/01/07/vuelta_espana/1452206458_018779.html

 

[jsem94]

Is that Purito stage gonna happen? That's the sickest profile I've ever seen.

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

Is that Purito stage gonna happen? That's the sickest profile I've ever seen.

did you even take a proper look at it?

 

[jsem94]

Re: Re:

Is that Purito stage gonna happen? That's the sickest profile I've ever seen.

did you even take a proper look at it?

Oh LOL

 

[Red Rick]

This is getting out of hand

 

[gooner]

Lol at the stage 8 profile.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Haha.

This one I like...

 

[Gigs_98]

Where can i See the Profiles. I dont find it

 

[togo95]

Where can i See the Profiles. I dont find it

https://twitter.com/lavuelta/media

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Where can i See the Profiles. I dont find it

____________/

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Absolutely fricking abysmal. Cycling is just so pathetic in 2016.

Stage 1: a TTT! Long enough to make serious gaps, not long enough to be a real test, and instantly makes the race unfair in favour of those who are in the best position anyway.

Stage 2: a Michael Matthews special that would be decent Worlds prep if it weren't pan flat this year.

Stage 3: a 2km race - not a bad design but the last climb is so steep.

Stage 4: completely unnecessary to finish uphill there. Completely unnecessary.

Stage 5: worthless stage that might work as Worlds prep I guess

Stage 6: the first possibly good stage, but the pan flat Worlds will affect the field. Might be one for the break.

Stage 7: more or less the same as the usual Vitoria stages in País Vasco - Padornelo is a very mild climb. Sagan special.

Stage 8: sigh.

Stage 9: the laziest, blandest lead-in to Monte Naranco you could imagine with the likes of Cruz de Linares, Cordal, Cuchu Puercu, Viapará, Degollada and El Violeo nearby.

Stage 10: about as much as we can usually expect from a Lagos stage, so no complaints here.

Stage 11: really? Really? I get the repetition of Peña Cabarga; it's very easily accessible from Santander and steep enough to get gaps, but they can't come up with a better run-in than that?

Stage 12: being in the middle of week 2 it probably won't give us the spectacle of 2011, plus the atmosphere then was a big part of it because of the return to Euskal Herria. This'll be either the break or a select group.

Stage 13: potentially good, lots of opportunities to make it hard to control but I fear it'll be soft-pedalled with the queen stage the following day.

Stage 14: Inharpu instead of Bagargui? Interesting! Sadly, we then sit around a while before an overused Tour de France climb to finish.

Stage 15: At least it's historic and it won't detract from the previous day's racing.

Stage 16: worthless flat stage.

Stage 17: 3km race.

Stage 18: Guess it's maybe Worlds prep?

Stage 19: At fricking last, a time trial! I'd complain about the lack of distance, but then it's pretty standard Vuelta distance (if not longer than usual) and the mountain stages are so anæmic...

Stage 20: A one-climb stage, though they did as best they could here.

Stage 21: the usual.

 

[Gigs_98]

Okay this Is actually Looking quite boring. I like the stages 12-15 but especially the Last week Is extremely lame and the exact opposite of Last years Great last week. Even the aso made a relatively good Last week for the Tdf 2016 with a downhillfinish on Stage 20 but the Vuelta organizers already forgot how good the Last week of their Race was, last year

Where can i See the Profiles. I dont find it

____________/

 

[Breh]

Cav will be thrilled