Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2020: Stage 9 (B.M. Cid Campeador. Castrillo del Val > Aguilar de Campoo, 157,7 km)

[yaco]

What exactly would they be upset about to protest at la Vuelta? The organizers appear to have put together a fairly solid bubble. They did a huge marketing campaign to keep people home instead of on the side of the road. They banned fans from the mountains. I haven't heard any complaints about excessive transfer times combined with insanely long stages. The weather has been better than the riders expected. La Vuelta typically does shorter stages anyway.

The teams are on record stating that the Vuelta bubble is the strongest of the three grand tours.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The teams are on record stating that the Vuelta bubble is the strongest of the three grand tours.

That has probably to do with the really strict measures that the goverment imposed on Unipublic.

 

[RedheadDane]

Whose helmet was that?

 

[BlueRoads]

Whose helmet was that?

Saez.

 

[lenric]

It would be cool to have wind speeds above 50 km/h to have echelons all along the peloton. Or, perhaps, they wouldn't create none at all.

 

[repre]

That has probably to do with the really strict measures that the goverment imposed on Unipublic.

And lesser media attention

 

[Keram]

Are you making fun of me?

https://i.imgflip.com/3na2xf.jpg

 

[BlueRoads]

https://i.imgflip.com/3na2xf.jpg

Depressing. Thank god they are showing cloisters to make me happy.

 

[gunara]

Vuelta and its plateau sprint stages always seem sad, forced, and non consequential compared to the coast scaling of the Giro, let alone Tour flats. I mean why are they even there.

 

[woodburn]

Sean Kelly trying to say cookie.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Vuelta and its plateau sprint stages always seem sad, forced, and non consequential compared to the coast scaling of the Giro, let alone Tour flats. I mean why are they even there.

The majority of inland Spain is flattish, if the Vuelta was more evenly geographically distributed in its routes like the Tour, it would have a lot more sprints.

 

[ice&fire]

Vuelta and its plateau sprint stages always seem sad, forced, and non consequential compared to the coast scaling of the Giro, let alone Tour flats. I mean why are they even there.

It all depends on wind conditions and if so, team willingness.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Roglic lucky that the pace is low.

 

[JosefK]

No pee break for Jumbo car during Roglic puncture?

 

[woodburn]

Surprised Movistar is not drilling it.

 

[richwallone]

Roglic lucky that the pace is low.

The biggest drama of the whole stage today...

 

[hayneplane]

This is slower than they often go on processional rides after a fatality the day before. Almost zero fatigue will be added from riding today.

 

[ppanther92]

This is slower than they often go on processional rides after a fatality the day before. Almost zero fatigue will be added from riding today.

May actually be active recovery

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Lots of poor positioning going on by the looks.

 

[ruamruam]

We’ll see the Quickstep train come to the front at any moment

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Messy sprint. Ackermann doesn't have it at all, think Thijssen even beat him.

 

[Inquitus]

Well done Sam!

 

[JosefK]

Sam Bennett doing an Alaphilippe at the finish (but Roglic wasn't there).

 

[Wvv]

Glad to see Gerben Thijssen at this level after such a horrible crash during the Ghent Six Days.

 

[Keram]

This must be really sweet times for Bennet. At first he beat Sagan head to head for green and now he is schooling Ackermann.