Vuelta a España 2022: Pre-race discussion/hype tread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Who cheated in 2017?

Apart from Stefan Denifl.

Please stop trying to ruin my jokes.

 

[KZD]

Sending Ayuso to Vuelta without proper GT prep sounds a bit risky.

That's exactly the kind of thing one can expect from UAE Lampre

 

[zlev11]

Who cheated in 2017?

Apart from Stefan Denifl.

the GC winner

 

[noob]

That's exactly the kind of thing one can expect from UAE Lampre

I am not convinced they are doing it yet. Seems to be more of a PCS speculation than truth. We'll see.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Sending Ayuso to Vuelta without proper GT prep sounds a bit risky.

He's done Valencia, Catalunya, Romandie and Dauphiné this year. That seams like a very reasonable road towards the Vuelta. Has he been doing specific training that would be detrimental regarding to a GT debut? I think mostly it should depend on how they bring him. I assume they will not try to win GC with him.

 

[ice&fire]

I am not convinced they are doing it yet. Seems to be more of a PCS speculation than truth. We'll see.

PCS still has him on the Canadian races.
His chedule after Dauphiné has been all 1-day races. I guess they would have taken him to a stage race like Burgos or L'Ain if he was planned to ride the Vuelta.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

PCS still has him on the Canadian races.
His chedule after Dauphiné has been all 1-day races. I guess they would have taken him to a stage race like Burgos or L'Ain if he was planned to ride the Vuelta.

I am not convinced they are doing it yet. Seems to be more of a PCS speculation than truth. We'll see.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558132037327921153

View: https://twitter.com/cirogazzetta/status/1558132037327921153?t=MQtGuYsT2ZGeyU1gNnt51A&s=19

 

[Rackham]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558159144787615744

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Yes, there is no such thing as four leaders, not even at Ineos. They know who can actually win this and the others will work for him. My money is on Hindley but we will see. Although clearly around here someone who has never finished a Grand tour and come 11th at Swiss is clearly more likely to win than someone who has beaten carapaz at the giro and come second at the Giro previously. I don't see it but I'll enjoy the entertainment in any case.

Hoping Roglic starts, and starts healthy.

Last First GT entry and win at La Vuelta was Hinault in 1978.

I understand the skepticism. I think we should look at Remco's debut GT ride in the Giro with some nuance. He was doing fairly well, but I think it was fairly clear he was still suffering psychologically from his crash at Lombardia. He's been quite good at descending recently. or at least it's not readily apparent that he's losing time from decents or can't keep up. His fitness at the Giro was clearly lacking.

I will readily admit that he is weak on gravel/dirt/cobbles. Climbging is a bit of mystery with him. He was quite strong in Norway and dominant on the Murgil at La Classica.

I really wish he didn't have the heat exhaustion episode at TDS. I do think that affected him for the remainder of the race in spite of winning the ITT.

Hindley does have CV in GTs. I do feel that if Remco can put it together for a GT he has a higher ceiling than anyone in the race. I think that's why there is strong sentiment in terms of him winning.

The main variables are going to be the temperature and of course the main bad luck actors, crashes, mechanicals, and echelons.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

This man knows how to win a Vuelta

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558076714605060096

View: https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/1558076714605060096

Is the white things community a nickname for Israel-Premier Tech?

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558159144787615744

Hopefully he makes it! Won't be the best preparation for sure though.

 

[CyclistAbi]

If Roglič won't be ready then best to postpone this race for a week or two.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Should have brought Fabbro who was spending his season to peak for this. Leave Sam Bennett at home, let Van Poppel sprint, have an extra climber

That sounds reasonable to me. That said, Fabbro has never reached his 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico level again until now and he wasn't exactly great in Burgos, so let's wait and see. Maybe they don't want to send Aleotti to 2 gts in one season at this stage, but he would also be a capable helper on all kinds of terrain.

 

[Rackham]

Is the white things community a nickname for Israel-Premier Tech?

Not 'white things', i.e. I think it's his watch brand, Withings. A product placement Tweet, basically.

Froome always takes care of business.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So Ayuso will have his Pogacar 2019 Vuelta (with the same winner as then) and next year he will kick Vinges ass at the Tour.

 

[Escarabajo]

Sending Ayuso to Vuelta without proper GT prep sounds a bit risky.

Like Pogacar in 2019!

 

[Valv.Piti]

I'm not sure Ayuso is the bigger phenomenon compared to Rodriguez at this point. Ineos have kept him under wraps for his first seasons, but what i've seen of him this year has impressed me more than Ayuso. Obviously, Ayuso is over a year younger, but i think we'll have to see how this pans out. It's also possible one will turn into more of a Valverde type of rider and the other will turn into a full-fledged GT/C rider.

I'm also curious to see Tiberi here. I can't imagine he is going for a nice GC result at this point, but he's a talented rider and i think he could do well in a number of stages.

Rodriguez is without a doubt a fantastic rider, but what Ayuso is doing on the WT at 19 (!!!) is remarkable. Rodriguez really didn't sniff that at that point of his career. Time will tell who will be better, but objectively there can be no doubt who have had the best palmarés at 19 y/o.

 

[Bolder]

Not 'white things', i.e. I think it's his watch brand, Withings. A product placement Tweet, basically.

Froome always takes care of business.

I have one. Great piece of health tech, but not something you'd wear on a training ride. It's a French company, fwiw.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Rodriguez is without a doubt a fantastic rider, but what Ayuso is doing on the WT at 19 (!!!) is remarkable. Rodriguez really didn't sniff that at that point of his career. Time will tell who will be better, but objectively there can be no doubt who have had the best palmarés at 19 y/o.

Yeah, Rodriguez had a nice results but his good GC placings have all been in smaller, short stage races. I'd be very surprised if he ends up in the Top 10 in GC in this Vuelta. I'm not sure about Ayuso in this Vuelta, but he's been more impressive in WT races.

 

[Top Climber]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558357265933033472

View: https://twitter.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1558357265933033472

 

[Lequack]

Roglic posted this philosophical pic on Instagram. What is he thinking about?

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic posted this philosophical pic on Instagram. What is he thinking about?

"If I gonna keep crashing out of a GT before winning the next I should just take RCS' starting money next year."

 

[Armchair cyclist]

If his insta is in keeping with Froome's Twitter a/c, he is probably planning how to spend the money from the prominent watch placement in the photo.

 

[Lequack]

Everything is an ad nowadays.

 

[Valv.Piti]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558357265933033472

View: https://twitter.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1558357265933033472

Damn, they do be bringing their A-team apart from Pogi. Some interesting riders here, apart from Almeida, I wonder if McNulty and Ayuso will try to stay close as well