Vuelta a España 2019 Rumours

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

Yes, but I doubt we'll get 5 climbs in a stage that early unless Guillén is kidnapped and kept underground from now till the race start.

I would love to see the queen stage in the first 9 stages of a GT for a change.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Yes, but I doubt we'll get 5 climbs in a stage that early unless Guillén is kidnapped and kept underground from now till the race start.

I would love to see the queen stage in the first 9 stages of a GT for a change.

Tour 2017

Everyone has already forgotten about it

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Yes, but I doubt we'll get 5 climbs in a stage that early unless Guillén is kidnapped and kept underground from now till the race start.

I would love to see the queen stage in the first 9 stages of a GT for a change.

Tour 2017

Everyone has already forgotten about it

As an Australian, and as a Contador fan, I have tried really hard to forget that stage

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Yes, but I doubt we'll get 5 climbs in a stage that early unless Guillén is kidnapped and kept underground from now till the race start.

I would love to see the queen stage in the first 9 stages of a GT for a change.

Tour 2017

Everyone has already forgotten about it

As an Australian, and as a Contador fan, I have tried really hard to forget that stage

There's been Tours since 2014?

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Yes, but I doubt we'll get 5 climbs in a stage that early unless Guillén is kidnapped and kept underground from now till the race start.

I would love to see the queen stage in the first 9 stages of a GT for a change.

Tour 2017

Everyone has already forgotten about it

As an Australian, and as a Contador fan, I have tried really hard to forget that stage

There's been Tours since 2014?

:lol:

Never change your profile picture.

 

[ice&fire]

Escartín and Delgado are up to something:
https://twitter.com/kiko/status/1063688898944139264

Rumour is they're probably up to something that was already rumoured last year:
https://www.eltiodelmazo.com/2017/11/06/la-subida-al-observatorio-javalambre-firme-candidata-final-etapa-la-vuelta-2018/

 

[ice&fire]

Unipublic's official leaker has started going on with something we already knew: there will be stages in Andorra and France, with no additional details.
https://as.com/ciclismo/2018/11/18/vuelta_espana/1542536692_738096.html

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Escartín and Delgado are up to something:
https://twitter.com/kiko/status/1063688898944139264

Rumour is they're probably up to something that was already rumoured last year:
https://www.eltiodelmazo.com/2017/11/06/la-subida-al-observatorio-javalambre-firme-candidata-final-etapa-la-vuelta-2018/

That profile is surprisingly vanilla if anything. Peasant gradients.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re: Re:

Escartín and Delgado are up to something:
https://twitter.com/kiko/status/1063688898944139264

Rumour is they're probably up to something that was already rumoured last year:
https://www.eltiodelmazo.com/2017/11/06/la-subida-al-observatorio-javalambre-firme-candidata-final-etapa-la-vuelta-2018/

That profile is surprisingly vanilla if anything. Peasant gradients.

Is goat track with observatory on top the new goat track with antennas on top?

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

They just need to get enough visitors so that it makes sense to open a bar as well like on Mt Ventoux

Being somewhere between Alicante and Andorra if the rumour is true the stage would be in the mid of the first week.

 

[railxmig]

Re: Re:

Escartín and Delgado are up to something:
https://twitter.com/kiko/status/1063688898944139264

Rumour is they're probably up to something that was already rumoured last year:
https://www.eltiodelmazo.com/2017/11/06/la-subida-al-observatorio-javalambre-firme-candidata-final-etapa-la-vuelta-2018/

That profile is surprisingly vanilla if anything. Peasant gradients.

Let's say the mountains around Teruel are not renown for their steepness. Judging by the profile posted by that article may be the hardest climb in the general area. I think i wrote this in the last Vuelta's rumours thread - the area around Javalambre has a lot of dirt paths, which aren't necessarilly too awful so with some additional works you may have a number of options available. If this observatorio finish won't work then you can finish in the main station (Javalambre-Sabina) at around 1850m (i think it would be either a low cat. 1 or high cat. 2 MTF). You may try to link it with the Valdelinares climbs via La Puebla de Valverde and the start the next stage in Teruel. My nowledge of the area is not the best in the world and nowhere near LS' so i am sure he has a much better information on the region.

 

[ice&fire]

Local media reports that the Diputación de Ávila has approved a 100K€ budget to fund a Vuelta stage with departure and finish within the province boundaries.
LS posted here a couple of examples with all climbs fulfilling that boundary constraint.
Being so close to Madrid I guess this will be a last week stage.

 

[OlavEH]

Re:

Local media reports that the Diputación de Ávila has approved a 100K€ budget to fund a Vuelta stage with departure and finish within the province boundaries.
LS posted here a couple of examples with all climbs fulfilling that boundary constraint.
Being so close to Madrid I guess this will be a last week stage.

What will be the general layout and direction of the Vuelta? Start in Alicante, then along the coast north to Andorra, west to Asturias, south/southeast through Castilla/Leon before last stages around Madrid?

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

What will be the general layout and direction of the Vuelta? Start in Alicante, then along the coast north to Andorra, west to Asturias, south/southeast through Castilla/Leon before last stages around Madrid?

That's the most likely. With so much noise and so little signal I can't recall if the idea of the ITT in Pau being in the second week instead of the last one came from an interview with Guillén or from an unnamed source in rumourland.

 

[OlavEH]

Re: Re:

What will be the general layout and direction of the Vuelta? Start in Alicante, then along the coast north to Andorra, west to Asturias, south/southeast through Castilla/Leon before last stages around Madrid?

That's the most likely. With so much noise and so little signal I can't recall if the idea of the ITT in Pau being in the second week instead of the last one came from an interview with Guillén or from an unnamed source in rumourland.

And the mountains/hilly stages right now seems to be?

- Cumbre del Sol
- Javalambre
- Andorra
- Los Machucos
- Puerto Ancares.
- Avila (Sierra de Gredos)
- Madrid mountains?

More? One more mountain stage in Asturias?

This could be a decent route if they use the observatory at Javalambre, do something more in Andorra than for example Envalira-Ordino-Arcalis and use Ancares as a MTF.

 

[ice&fire]

They plan to do 3 stages in Alicante. From there they can get to Andorra in 4 or 5 stages without long transfers and including the rumoured finish the Javalambre Observatory. So there's room for an additional stage in the Pyrenees before the first rest day after stage 9.
Asturias usually has two stages, and there are rumours about La Cubilla and Acebo. That would make 4 MTFs in a row with Machucos and Ancares. In recent years I only recall something like that in 2012, but then there was a rest day between Cuitu Negru and legendary Fuente Dé. Ancares after the second rest day means long transfers in the last week if they need to visit Ávila, Toledo and the mountains of Madrid.

 

[ice&fire]

Trying to chatch up with leaks after two days off the grid

Asturias will have three stage finishes and two stage departures:
https://www.lne.es/asturias/2018/11/21/asturias-tendra-tres-etapas-vuelta/2384081.html

Oviedo, La Cubilla and Acebo
https://as.com/ciclismo/2018/11/21/vuelta_espana/1542820005_730064.html

Aranda de Duero will host a stage departure. Unipublic is looking for a strong mountain stage on the last Saturday.
http://cadenaser.com/emisora/2018/11/21/radio_aranda/1542796717_736275.html

Cataluña will host a stage finish
https://www.elperiodico.com/es/ciclismo/20181122/catalunya-etapa-vuelta-espana-2019-7161945

With that additional stage in Asturias all rumours point to no Ancares.

 

[OlavEH]

With that additional stage in Asturias all rumours point to no Ancares.

Not good news. Without Ancares and probably an easy-ish finish in Andorra, the rumoured route is really, really mediocre.

 

[ice&fire]

León will watch the Vuelta from a close distance:
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/deportes/leon-mirara-cerca-vuelta_1294427.html

This confirms that León won't have either a stage departure or finish, and they mention La Cubilla as the closest they'll get to the race. The summits of both La Cubilla and Ancares are at the boundary of the province of León and this more or less suggests no Ancares in 2019.

Like Ancares the summit of La Cubilla has also been subject of provincial boundary disputes. The pastures on the southwest side of the climb are part of the province of León but are owned by the Council of the Asturian town of Mieres. They built a house and a pen used as a shelter for shepherds and cattle. More recently it was reconverted as a gathering point for mountain hikers and they paved the road from the summit down to it. Then the house became a bar, the neighbours of the nearby village of San Emiliano sued that the bar was operating without license and got it closed. On top of this the province of León is still adamant that they won't pave the 5 km missing of the southwest side of the climb.

With this background there are a few asking whether the finish line will be at the summit or somewhere below. The thought of having the stage finish at the last village at the road, 9 km before the summit is a real fear.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

León will watch the Vuelta from a close distance:
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/deportes/leon-mirara-cerca-vuelta_1294427.html

This confirms that León won't have either a stage departure or finish, and they mention La Cubilla as the closest they'll get to the race. The summits of both La Cubilla and Ancares are at the boundary of the province of León and this more or less suggests no Ancares in 2019.

Like Ancares the summit of La Cubilla has also been subject of provincial boundary disputes. The pastures on the southwest side of the climb are part of the province of León but are owned by the Council of the Asturian town of Mieres. They built a house and a pen used as a shelter for shepherds and cattle. More recently it was reconverted as a gathering point for mountain hikers and they paved the road from the summit down to it. Then the house became a bar, the neighbours of the nearby village of San Emiliano sued that the bar was operating without license and got it closed. On top of this the province of León is still adamant that they won't pave the 5 km missing of the southwest side of the climb.

With this background there are a few asking whether the finish line will be at the summit or somewhere below. The thought of having the stage finish at the last village at the road, 9 km before the summit is a real fear.

It's always the bars

No last 9km means nothingburger finish.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

León will watch the Vuelta from a close distance:
http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/deportes/leon-mirara-cerca-vuelta_1294427.html

This confirms that León won't have either a stage departure or finish, and they mention La Cubilla as the closest they'll get to the race. The summits of both La Cubilla and Ancares are at the boundary of the province of León and this more or less suggests no Ancares in 2019.

Like Ancares the summit of La Cubilla has also been subject of provincial boundary disputes. The pastures on the southwest side of the climb are part of the province of León but are owned by the Council of the Asturian town of Mieres. They built a house and a pen used as a shelter for shepherds and cattle. More recently it was reconverted as a gathering point for mountain hikers and they paved the road from the summit down to it. Then the house became a bar, the neighbours of the nearby village of San Emiliano sued that the bar was operating without license and got it closed. On top of this the province of León is still adamant that they won't pave the 5 km missing of the southwest side of the climb.

With this background there are a few asking whether the finish line will be at the summit or somewhere below. The thought of having the stage finish at the last village at the road, 9 km before the summit is a real fear.

It's always the bars

No last 9km means nothingburger finish.

Not good news. Without Ancares and probably an easy-ish finish in Andorra, the rumoured route is really, really mediocre.

Actually, I could see a way that this could potentiall be really good. I mean, I doubt Unipublic will go for it, in fact I'm certain they won't, but this could well work.

After the Collao Espina MTF at Los Machucos, they then have a transitional stage from Cantabria somewhere to Oviedo. This is fine, hopefully going something like all along the coast then coming inland via Pandenes from Villaviciosa (long and fairly gradual) or San Martín de Huerces or Fumarea after Cruz del Peón, with a rolling run-in; or through the valley roads past Cangas de Onis, Infiesto and Pola de Siero to include some smaller climbs like Falla de los Lobos and El Carbayu before entering Oviedo via the traditional, easy Manzaneda climb. A stage for the break but with a potential banana skin, and a good Worlds tune-up.

Then, a stage to Santuário del Acebo. This should hopefully see a tough climb or two before climbing one of the as-yet-unused super-steep sides of the climb. You know Guillén will love this, and it would be well positioned to make up for not having Ancares. Ideally going along the coast and introducing La Marta mid-stage, but if not I'll settle for Bustellán, then climbing from Tebongo to Villanueva San Cristobál (first 10,5km of this side of Acebo), descending the traditional Vuelta a Asturias side into Cangas del Narcea and then climbing one of the crazy steep sides, such as Castro de Limes (8km @ 9,5%) or Villarino de Limes (6,8km @ 11%), which will almost certainly create gaps. I'd like to see this be a tough one but am not expecting too much before the final climbs.

Then, here comes your short stage, from Cangas del Narcea to Tuiza de Arriba, the nothing finish on the way to the Puerto de La Cubilla (actually you turn off in Tuiza de Abajo and continue for another kilometre or so, but there's a decent-sized car park in Tuiza de Arriba that could host the race). Personal choice: go over Las Estacas (Collado Muro), San Lorenzo, Cobertoria west, but then instead of descending Cobertoria east, go over the Cuchu Puercu crest road, descend Cordal (plenty safe enough, they did it in the Vuelta a couple of years ago in the Ermita de Alba stage) and then loop around climbing Cuchu Puercu from Pola de Lena, repeating the descent and then the finish on a shallowish but not too shallow ascent. The last kilometre would average 10,2% so could create gaps but the rest of the final climb wouldn't be steep enough to truly be decisive, thus bringing forward the need for action on the 7,8km @ 9,6% Cuchu Puercu (aka Espines de Foz).

 

[ice&fire]

The Virgen del Acebo festivity is on the 8th of September.
According to the AS article I linked above the Asturian stages are confirmed for Sat 7, Sun 8 and Mon 9 of September.
Will they schedule the Acebo stage on the same day when lots of pilgrims will crowd the sanctuary? I may be wrong but I have my doubts about it.

 

[ice&fire]

The guy who posted the other day on twitter about Escartín and Delgado has posted today this:
https://twitter.com/kiko/status/1066019786495328256?s=19

It is the summit of Portalet as seen when climbing from the north.
https://www.google.es/maps/@42.8140507,-0.4182711,3a,75y,237.37h,96.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRzI74DR5z2TpRD2jaHnXJA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Red Rick]

More underwhelming stuff....

 

[ice&fire]

They might be just coming back from Pau to Escartín's home at Biescas and trolling us with pictures of a climb that will not be in the race.