Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2022, stage 9: Villaviciosa - Les Praeres, 171.4k

[Lequack]

Remco is only going to get better, if anything Roglic and Mas will fade further.

 

[tobydawq]

Remco is only going to get better, if anything Roglic and Mas will fade further.

Okay.

 

[Filippo_3467]

barring a crash or ilness the race is over. A little bit sad tonot have a better GT ending to the season but the course was also not to promising in week 3 so there won't be that much action anyway. now it probably will become a borefest.

 

[Pinot's goat]

This. Denigrating the field is bitterness. This field is stronger than the Giro field. Hindley prepped for the Vuelta, as did Almeida.

It doesn't matter that they prepped for the race, they are clearly not on the same level as at the Giro, they are not even close to it so they do not contribute to making the field strong. Of all the riders in the Giro top 10 that are here are significantly weaker than in May with the exception of Carthy.

 

[shalgo]

Must feel bad for Remco, being the best climber 3 days in a row, and not a stage to show for it. I mean, he will win the ITT, but still...

He is going for the complete set of top-10 finishes. 2nd, 3rd (the TTT), 4th, 5th, and 8th so far. He will get 1st in the TT on Tuesday and just needs to get 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th after that.

 

[ice&fire]

Remco is only going to get better, if anything Roglic and Mas will fade further.

Simon Yates likes this post

 

[shalgo]

Naah, I think his eyebrows are natural.

Maybe he lost a bet. Maybe he just woke up one morning and decided to bleach his hair.

It's part of the ongoing tribute to Vandenbroucke's 1999 Vuelta at this year's race. First Vine's two stage wins, and now Battistella's bleached hair.

 

[staubsauger]

It doesn't matter that they prepped for the race, they are clearly not on the same level as at the Giro, they are not even close to it so they do not contribute to making the field strong. Of all the riders in the Giro top 10 that are here are significantly weaker than in May with the exception of Carthy.

I truly believe this year's Giro had a lower level than 2020 even!

 

[tobydawq]

I truly believe this year's Giro had a lower level than 2020 even!

Entertainment-wise it had the lowest level ever.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Entertainment-wise it had the lowest level ever.

It was 2012 all over again, the eternal waiting game.

 

[Riek s]

Arensman cam in at 4 minutes.. would have been better if he was in the break.

 

[Big Doopie]

It was 2012 all over again, the eternal waiting game.

I know I am alone in this but I loved Hesjdahl’s win.

 

[tobydawq]

Arensman cam in at 4 minutes.. would have been better if he was in the break.

It's not good for the process, though.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

What a performance by Remco! I wasn't expecting him to deal such a blow to his rivals on this super-steep murito of all climbs (I thought 7-8% climbs would be better for that). Primoz not at his best there and lost more time. After the TT Remco's advantage will grow even more. It seems the only hope for his rivals is that he will fade at some point of the race.

 

[perico]

It doesn't matter that they prepped for the race, they are clearly not on the same level as at the Giro, they are not even close to it so they do not contribute to making the field strong. Of all the riders in the Giro top 10 that are here are significantly weaker than in May with the exception of Carthy.

Clearly according to whom? It may be that Hindley isn't as well suited to the Vuelta's steep goat tracks as he is to the long Giro climbs. On paper, the Giro is easily a tougher race, but just because you're seeing the Spanish guys riding high doesn't mean the field quality is worse. Landa is clearly the one outlier of a guy who is going worse, but at this point in his career I don't think even in top form he'd be any higher than Simon Yates currently, whereas he finished on the podium in May. Remco is just riding that well at the moment.

 

[staubsauger]

It was 2012 all over again, the eternal waiting game.

I mean if really nobody that was considered a hot favorite for the 2022 Giro d'Italia apart from Bardet at Glandon has been anywhere in other races or at least Grand Tours, maybe the level there simply has been awful.

It's not completely impossible to ride 2 strong Gt's in one season. For the win, yes. But for a good top 5 performance?

Countless examples. Contador, Basso, Kruijswijk, Rodriguez, Menchov, Sastre, Evans, Dumoulin, Froome, Mas, Chaves, Aru, Nibali, Valverde, etc.

 

[Extinction]

The Giro used to be the trampoline towards le Tour, but then they upset the calander in 1995 by moving the Vuelta to its current slot. Italian cycling has never recovered since, as the Giro has become the testing grounds for all those great GT riders who can't win the Tour, whereas before it was the great test for the campionissimi to win the Giro-Tour double. By contrast, the Vuelta has gained exceedingly in prestige, as it is either the testing grounds for prospective Tour contenders, or a no risk hunt for a GT double (in so far as if you've already won the Giro or Tour, then it's icing on the cake), or else prep for the Worlds (moved to late Sept as a result). This is why the Vuelta slot is ideal, whilst the Giro not at all.

 

[KZD]

The Giro used to be the trampoline towards le Tour, but then they upset the calander in 1995 by moving the Vuelta to its current slot. Italian cycling has never recovered since, as the Giro has become the testing grounds for all those great GT riders who can't win the Tour, whereas before it was the great test for the campionissimi to win the Giro-Tour double. By contrast, the Vuelta has gained excedingly in prestige, as it is either the testing grounds for prospective Tour contenders, or a no risk hunt for a GT double (in so far as if you've already won the Giro or Tour, then it's icing on the cake), or else prep for the Worlds (moved to late Sept as a result). This is why the Vuelta slot is ideal, whilst the Giro not at all.

Yup, nowadays roughly speaking the Tour is for the best GC riders in the world, the Vuelta is for the guys that missed their goals in the Giro or the Tour and young upcoming talents to test themselves and the Giro is for the GC riders that are not good enough to win in the Tour (apart from a few exceptions like Froome and Dumoulin in 2018).

 

[groogster]

Well, what history tell us with few exceptions (contador for instance) is that it’s very difficult to peak for Giro and Vuelta. Let’s see, every single rider that went for GC at this year Giro is on worst form (Carapaz, Landa, Hindley, Kelderman, Almeida, Yates) with the late 2 capable untill now of barely hold the wheel of young prospects like Ayuso and Rodriguez. Having said that, Evenepoel had a optimal and focused preparation for the only GT this year, he’s a watts monster, a confident guy and with a friendly profile for him. I expected nothing less of him until the itt and the only thing that was a question mark was Roglic’s form who was on paper the only rider that could contest Evenepoel in this parcour of the first week.
The only question for the next 12 stages will be if Evenepoel fades or not, if he doesn’t fade it’s a sure win and the evidence that we’ll have in the near future a rider that can beat with the favourable stages profile Vinge and Pog.
If you ask me I was betting in Roglic, Almeida and Hindley/Carapaz/Evenepoel for the top 3 and obviously it won’t happen so I don’t know sh*t of cycling nowadays

 

[Extinction]

Yup, nowadays roughly speaking the Tour is for the best GC riders in the world, the Vuelta is for the guys that missed their goals in the Giro or the Tour and young upcoming talents to test themselves and the Giro is for the GC riders that are not good enough to win in the Tour (apart from a few exceptions like Froome and Dumoulin in 2018).

Exactly, but only after they won the Tour. It's a pity really, because it's such a beautiful race in May.

 

[groogster]

Exactly, but only after they won the Tour. It's a pity really, because it's such a beautiful race in May.

Despite the disappointments of the last giros it’s still my favourite GT! The one that makes more hyped every single year since I was a child. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know the right answer, the landscapes maybe, the imperial mountains who knows!

 

[Extinction]

Well, what history tell us with few exceptions (contador for instance) is that it’s very difficult to peak for Giro and Vuelta. Let’s see, every single rider that went for GC at this year Giro is on worst form (Carapaz, Landa, Hindley, Kelderman, Almeida, Yates) with the late 2 capable untill now of barely hold the wheel of young prospects like Ayuso and Rodriguez. Having said that, Evenepoel had a optimal and focused preparation for the only GT this year, he’s a watts monster, a confident guy and with a friendly profile for him. I expected nothing less of him until the itt and the only thing that was a question mark was Roglic’s form who was on paper the only rider that could contest Evenepoel in this parcour of the first week.
The only question for the next 12 stages will be if Evenepoel fades or not, if he doesn’t fade it’s a sure win and the evidence that we’ll have in the near future a rider that can beat with the favourable stages profile Vinge and Pog.
If you ask me I was betting in Roglic, Almeida and Hindley/Carapaz/Evenepoel for the top 3 and obviously it won’t happen so I don’t know sh*t of cycling nowadays

Yea, but today's Giro contenders are not as good as the Tour's, because that's the biggest race and nobody can focus on anything else before. By contrast, when the Vuelta was in April the Giro was a reasonable platform for those hunting form for the Tour or, among rare specimens, even a go at the vaunted double. Different times, but how I Ioved them!

 

[groogster]

Yea, but today's Giro contenders are not as good as the Tour's, because that's the biggest race and nobody can focus on anything else before. By contrast, when the Vuelta was in April the Giro was a reasonable platform for those hunting form for the Tour or, among rare specimens, even a go at the vaunted double. Different times, but how Ioved them!

Yes true, I agree with you 100% . I’m in the late 40’s now, heard all the stories of a Portuguese cycling legend from the words of my deceased father (Joaquim Agostinho) went with him to countless Volta a Portugal stages to see Marco Chagas, went to countless stages in La Vuelta and TDF when I was a teenager and those memories are well built in me. Sadly I couldn’t see personally any stage of the Giro, my Dad passed away in the year that we booked a 1 week trip to Italy to see it but it’s still my unicorn of cycling! Il Giro “passione infinita”
Going to see it next year with my oldest son, and if everything goes well will follow them from stage 1 until the last!

 

[Extinction]

Yes true, I agree with you 100% . I’m in the late 40’s now, heard all the stories of a Portuguese cycling legend from the words of my deceased father (Joaquim Agostinho) went with him to countless Volta a Portugal stages to see Marco Chagas, went to countless stages in La Vuelta and TDF when I was a teenager and those memories are well built in me. Sadly I couldn’t see personally any stage of the Giro, my Dad passed away in the year that we booked a 1 week trip to Italy to see it but it’s still my unicorn of cycling! Il Giro “passione infinita”
Going to see it next year with my oldest son, and if everything goes well will follow them from stage 1 until the last!

I'm sorry for your dad, but thanks for sharing! As one in his early (it can still be said) 50s, I can relate. In fact, I remember being roadside on the Col d'Eze in 92 when Indurain won Paris-Nice, that is in terms of passione infinita.

 

[roundabout]

Clearly according to whom? It may be that Hindley isn't as well suited to the Vuelta's steep goat tracks as he is to the long Giro climbs. On paper, the Giro is easily a tougher race, but just because you're seeing the Spanish guys riding high doesn't mean the field quality is worse. Landa is clearly the one outlier of a guy who is going worse, but at this point in his career I don't think even in top form he'd be any higher than Simon Yates currently, whereas he finished on the podium in May. Remco is just riding that well at the moment.

The Great Louis Meintjes was probably 7th fastest of all on the last climb today despite being in the break for most of the stage

I mean, sure it's a 15 minute climb and only so much time can be gained or lost and Meintjes and Intermarche are on a different level this year, but it's still a pointer that the overall quality is rather iffy.

Vine riding away into the fog for the first stage win by a crushing margin over everyone not named Evenepoel,Mas and Ayuso should have probably been enough of a clue already.