Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2023, stage 20: Manzanares El Real - Guadarrama, 207.8k

[Rackham]

This stage is pretty bland so far.

Bland was an understatement. What a sh*tshow. I enjoyed seeing Rogla perform the super super domestique act though. The way he shepherded Kuss on that final murito was funny stuff.

Debt repaid mother effers. I don't want to hear anymore cr*p about how much Kuss is owed, ever.

This is the huggiest GT I've ever seen.

I'm now convinced there's a whole load of viewers out there (& Eurosport subscribers?) who're really just into this sport for the feels & hugs.

It's not about anything like racing hard, fighting spirit, toughness, never-say-die or anything toxic like that, no, it's about the emotions procured by seeing men in the same color lycra shorts hugging each other.

Vinge & Rog almost spoiled that swinger party during the week.

 

[Vino's Mum]

RIP CYCLING 1890 -2023.

Drops out of the Giro, has July off, and now this.

It’s all Remco’s fault, isn’t it?

 

[ManicJack]

Sounds like the majority of posters here should just quit watching cycling.

 

[theyoungest]

Drops out of the Giro, has July off, and now this.

It’s all Remco’s fault, isn’t it?

Maybe it's time to stop overrating Remco. Nothing he could have done about this. He has managed to keep his brand alive though, because his jour sans can be explained away by all sorts of things. So come the Tour next year he'll still be considered a favourite.

 

[Red Rick]

Sounds like the majority of posters here should just quit watching cycling.

The salt is very entertaining though, I don't wanna miss it.

 

[Rackham]

Sounds like the majority of posters here should just quit watching cycling.

Well, I did? I mean I only watched final 10km or so after I saw nothing was happening.

But not all races are equal. The thing about cycling is we can have an absolutely terrible, unwatchable disappointment one week, then the next, it's the best race of the season.

Let's hope that's Lombardia in a few weeks time.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Apparently Wout Poels was offered to Quickstep last year

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The salt is very entertaining though, I don't wanna miss it.

On this blessed day, we are all Terutsuyoshi.

 

[Panda Claws]

Has any team in any sport ever, ever been this dominant?

 

[Izzyeviel]

Has any team in any sport ever, ever been this dominant?

Team Sky used to gift Tours to the likes of G & Wiggo... this is hardly anything new in cycling let alone sport.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Team Sky used to gift Tours to the likes of G & Wiggo... this is hardly anything new in cycling let alone sport.

G didnot get gifted the 2018 TDF. In fact at everypoint he was told that Froome was top dog and they would not be waiting for him if he had a mechanical in the TTT and Froome was also allowed to attack him.

 

[Unchained]

Kongratulations Kuss, congratulations to Jumbo management that didn't break the Internet when it looked like Sepp would succumb to numerous teammate attacks. Thanks Spanish speaking broadcasters who announced each woman that Sepp Kuss hugged and kissed after the stage as his girlfriend. ( hand over face) congratulations to race planners, many stages w terrain that made selections but was not too boring, and after all the first TT didn't set the stage for disaster. Congratulations to ESPN and Star+ for scheduling race lengths that made it so we could see all the awards and jersey presentations after the race, those few extra minutes were nice, saw a few interviews that are normally not seen..

 

[Red Rick]

I'm rewatching the finish with Carlton Kirby commentary and just when he's getting off on Kuss winning the camera cuts to Evenepoel and Kirby doesn't miss a beat going "and here's mr Grumpy"

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Congrats to Poels, well deserved! He was strongest uphill and also had a long finish. I thought Remco would pass him but he did it.

Congrats to Sepp! Stamina King from Colorado wins Vuelta after hard domestique work at the Giro and the Tour. What a f**king legend! when was such a feat achieved last time?

And congrats to JV. Historical domination in the race and in GT season. The whole podium taken in the Vuelta and the GT slam achieved with 3 different guys. Wow.

 

[Rob5091]

Chapeau Poels - had a good last week, Remco got another 2nd., and the, non-French, Lenny VE a well done 4th. As predicted, a very damp squib that did not cause over excitement and medical emergencies at the local hospital. All quiet in the A&E rooms.
As for the "Three Amigos" ... oh my ... I felt nausea and had a problem keeping my lunch down. Lord, please let Netflix not film this.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Congrats to Poels, well deserved! He was strongest uphill and also had a long finish. I thought Remco would pass him but he did it.

Congrats to Sepp! Stamina King from Colorado wins Vuelta after hard domestique work at the Giro and the Tour. What a f**king legend! when was such a feat achieved last time?

I believe never, but it's worth noting that until 1995 the Tour was the third GT of the year and the Vuelta and Giro backed almost directly into one another (making Battaglin's winning both back to back in 1981 even more impressive, although Vuelta routes in those days aren't really comparable) so winning in the third GT would be a harder accomplishment.

Carlos Sastre's 4th in 2006 and 7th in 2010 in his third GTs of the season are the best records we have so far I think. Zülle managed 8th in 1998 and Valverde 12th in 2016. But of course there isn't really anything directly comparable to Kuss here as apart from maybe Sastre at the Giro in 2006, those riders entered every GT in those years as at least a co-leader and often as sole leader. And Zülle went to the Vuelta after DNFing the Tour.

 

[Cookster15]

Congrats to Poels, a perfectly executed long range sprint to catch Remco by surprise. He had a low probability of winning but pulled it off. He won't forget that in a hurry.

Edit: And congrats to Sepp Kuss. I enjoyed seeing him win. This was the most I've followed the Vuelta because of the pre race anticipation. An unexpected but pleasing outcome.

 

[dennisdy]

, "Congratulations to Sepp Kuss! He has been the first mate in all of JV's grand tour wins. In the end they fulfilled their team motto "samenwinnen", "winning together".

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The LBL- like (not really but you know what I mean) stage did indeed have 2 LBL winners come out on top. The other active LBL winners were babysitting a red guy, losing a sprint in Belgium, preparing for their home tour or for Lombardia and thus couldn‘t fight for the win.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations to Wouter Lambertus Martinus Henricus Poels for winning the stage and to Sepp Kuss for winning the overall.

Was a nice Vuelta edition to watch and i enjoyed it. Am happy for the winner.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

I followed liveticker a bit, and watched the final kms live on ESP…

I wonder why UAE and Bahrain and Movistar did not try to gain first place on GC, today… Their captains Ayuso, Landa and Mas still could have won the Vuelta. But they rode all 207kms as if the GC battle would be over already.

I mean, they soon have a break, winter break, until February. So I cannot understand why professional teams and riders like the mentioned did not fight today. They ride to finish first, not for 4th, 5th and 6th…

Mostly surprised about UAE, who could have done nice things with Ayuso, Almeida and Soler. UAE normally fight until the end, but not this time.

Landa did a super Vuelta, very impressive. For a long time, I did not even think that Landa was a particularly good cyclist. I always underestimate him because his face always looks as if he was off-shape and overweight. But he is still really good.

When I watch I always hope that Enric Mas would attack. But he never seriously attacks. He looks good, when climbing, and always wears the nicest jersey, but he always climbs slightly weaker than the best. He now today rode race-km 7500 of the season, lacks the Tour. Sadly he‘s at altitude training camps all year long, from time to time races, to see it‘s just not enough. Mas and Movistar are super professional, and certainly couldn’t do anything any better. It‘s just that Mas always finishes in ranks 2-6. So sad, because this was a winning team with Indurain and Valverde.

Higuita perhaps saved Uijtdebroeks today. But Higuita was nowhere to be seen in all these finishes that suited him perfectly during 2023 Vuelta. I expected some more.

Also Carthy a bit off the pace. I always thought Carthy would win the Vuelta someday. But this year he was far away. Carthy is actually a climber as strong as Sepp Kuss, so I‘m sad for him.

All in all a great Vuelta, but Vuelta is always great. I just missed Miguel Angel Lopez and Nairo Quintana, but most other things were great…

 

[Escarabajo]

Has any team in any sport ever, ever been this dominant?

1986. La Vie Claire was 1, 2 and 4. That is the closest I can remember in the modern era. They won yellow, combined, mountains, young rider and best team.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Has any team in any sport ever, ever been this dominant?

Allow me to introduce you to the world of Formula 1, and why I don't watch it anymore.

 

[Salvarani]

Higuita perhaps saved Uijtdebroeks today. But Higuita was nowhere to be seen in all these finishes that suited him perfectly during 2023 Vuelta. I expected some more.

All in all a great Vuelta, but Vuelta is always great. I just missed Miguel Angel Lopez and Nairo Quintana, but most other things were great…

I think other Colombians may have missed them too around the peloton this year. Anywho.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Allow me to introduce you to the world of Formula 1, and why I don't watch it anymore.

Hey, Red Bull might lose tomorrow for the first time!!