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

[ManicJack]

Libertine S blows their top when JV do nothing other than sit on wheels making sure they secure Sepp's red jersey and the podium sweep and Remco wins by 7 minutes pointing at his helmet for the last kilometer.

 

[Rob5091]

To really set this up, we need wind, rain and some dodgy descents. The most interesting thing is what will Groves do? Take it easy and hope Remco is not worried about the green jersey?
Surprise move will be Van Baarle sent up the road to win the stage or mark GC hopefuls.

 

[ice&fire]

I hear there's potential rain forecast tomorrow in the region. It could make things a little bit more interesting.

Rain and darkness may facilitate that some random Jumbo rider gets suddently isolated ahead of his teammates. Oops! I couldn't see anything, I just wanted to finish the stage as soon as possible.

 

[topcat]

The vuelta has really captured the audience. It’s been as annoying as the giro but in a totally different way.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Discarding everything that's happened in this Vuelta so far (all the drama, the performances, the whole lot), if someone asked before the race "which two stages on paper look the worst for Sepp Kuss?", I'd have said the ITT &... this one. Stage 20. Aka the classics stage.

It's punchy. It's up & down constantly. It's long. Now I'm 99% sure he'll be fine, but... I think Kuss & Jumbo would have preferred a 200km mountain stage with two or 3 cat 1 cols over what we have here.

Jumbo will just pace this to dead and nothing to worry about

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Libertine S blows their top when JV do nothing other than sit on wheels making sure they secure Sepp's red jersey and the podium sweep and Remco wins by 7 minutes pointing at his helmet for the last kilometer.

I expect yet another neutralisation. The race ended in the Jumbo-Visma team meeting yesterday morning. Coming in without expectations.

 

[tobydawq]

Rui Costa to win the stage while holding the hands of Purito and Valverde, which he will have removed from their bodies shortly before the start.

That was a violent prognostication.

 

[Escarabajo]

On a more serious note, Remco to win the stage by 27 minutes!

 

[Sciatic]

That was a violent prognostication.

Things are going downhill fast around here

 

[houtdffan]

No intermediate? But not that Remco cares he doesn’t want that jersey

Only 30 points at the finish tomorrow

 

[houtdffan]

40 actually, this is the most difficult category of stages. 20 at the intermediate, 20 at the finish.

wait, only 20? I thought 30 as ASO lists it as a hilly stage and not a mountain stage

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That was a violent prognostication.

Yes, indeed, but saying Remco would win by 5 minutes was not enough of a procrastination prognostication for my liking.

 

[peterfin]

Remco takes the 10 KOM's ... just to be sure.

 

[CyclistAbi]

You two guys please save cycling and do attack. First Landa then Ayuso.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Landa sets up a whats app group up for the Spanish riders in the race after watching highlights of 85 Veulta and they go gun ho ,let the fireworks begin.

Don't bother including Mas, there's ten descents.

 

[CyclistAbi]

This would be best timeline. Rogla goes haywire on the hills in a two man break with Remco, wins the stage and takes the red jersey as a final massive FU to Niermann and co, Jumbo hold a crisis meeting after the stage where Niermann is forced to consult his PR guru (the comments section under Benji Naesen's tweets) and the course of action is to fire Primož on the spot, so he is unable to start stage 21. Kuss gets to win his GT, Rogla gets to show he's the strongest, Jumbo get an easier job managing their leaders going forward, Rogla goes and signs with somebody random like Movistar or Intermarché or something where he gets to lead anything he likes (he's an older rider who can win GCs in short stage races but mostly likes to sit on until the final kilometre on uphill finishes, Unzué would love him like a son), and the 2023 Vuelta finally has something worth remembering. Unipublic recall the absolute chaos of the 2021 and 2023 penultimate stages and start to deliver lots of difficult hilly and medium mountain stages that are difficult to control, improving the variety and quality of the race no end.

The internet explodes because all of the elements of chaos are in place: Jumbo failing to control their riders (and then overreacting afterward), Remco playing kingmaker in the José Recio role creating 8000 pages of discussion all of itself, and all the accompanying chaos à la Rasmussen or Supermán.

Maybe, just maybe, Kuss will be too upset to let Rogla get the front seat of the car and prove he's not too good for this world once and for all.

Roglic to team up with Ineos or Remco and go on a long raid to capture red and cause an apocalypse.

Tonight the whole cycling world is dreaming the same dream. Is it wrong to desire such things? Please, Santa Kuss, i will be good.

 

[Lequack]

If Kuss wins, he should dedicate it to Roglic, Vinge and his team, for always believing in him.

 

[CyclistAbi]

If Kuss wins, he should dedicate it to Roglic, Vinge and his team, for always believing in him.

And to Bimba.

 

[Lequack]

And to Bimba.

That is a given

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That is a given

I think all JV riders will be in need of emotional support animals once this race is over.

 

[hfer07]

Remco and Rogla ride clear and are a minute ahead by the finish. Rogla wins the sprint (no gifts, remember) and with the 10 second bonus, wins the Vuelta by a couple of seconds. He shrugs, and says…

”That’s what I do, eh?”

 

[Tim Cahill]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1702379369291796631

Someone needs to wind Roglic up before the stage, he's itching to go in a big move. In a situation like this you have to ask yourself, 'what would Roy Keane do?'.

 

[veganrob]

This would be best timeline. Rogla goes haywire on the hills in a two man break with Remco, wins the stage and takes the red jersey as a final massive FU to Niermann and co, Jumbo hold a crisis meeting after the stage where Niermann is forced to consult his PR guru (the comments section under Benji Naesen's tweets) and the course of action is to fire Primož on the spot, so he is unable to start stage 21. Kuss gets to win his GT, Rogla gets to show he's the strongest, Jumbo get an easier job managing their leaders going forward, Rogla goes and signs with somebody random like Movistar or Intermarché or something where he gets to lead anything he likes (he's an older rider who can win GCs in short stage races but mostly likes to sit on until the final kilometre on uphill finishes, Unzué would love him like a son), and the 2023 Vuelta finally has something worth remembering. Unipublic recall the absolute chaos of the 2021 and 2023 penultimate stages and start to deliver lots of difficult hilly and medium mountain stages that are difficult to control, improving the variety and quality of the race no end.

The internet explodes because all of the elements of chaos are in place: Jumbo failing to control their riders (and then overreacting afterward), Remco playing kingmaker in the José Recio role creating 8000 pages of discussion all of itself, and all the accompanying chaos à la Rasmussen or Supermán.

Maybe, just maybe, Kuss will be too upset to let Rogla get the front seat of the car and prove he's not too good for this world once and for all.

I can see that happening.

 

[johnymax]

I just hope they won't gift the stage win to some irrelevant rider like Remco.

 

[HelloDolly]

Evenepol will be in the break breaking the legs of Caruso and Bardet

While back at the ranch Landa, Ayuso and Mas will be racing each other while the 3 Musketeers do cycling loops around each other out in front of the Spanish trip

But who knows what happens...The stage does not suit Kuss but it suits Roglic ...will JV bring back the break for Roglic ?