Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2025, Stage 16: Poio/Poyo – Castro de Herville/Erville (167.9k)

[Armchair Cyclist]

If it is impossible to discuss even the purely sporting impacts of the protests, as seems to be the case based on what is getting deleted, then there is simply zero point in having this forum anymore because that's the most important thing there is to discuss these days from a sporting perspective.

It may be time to move the community elsewhere.

I can ask the Admins to come and give some sort of explanation, but until them, I am firefighting: please don't make it harder than it already is.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

To avoid controversy, just award this Vuelta to Pogi or Remco and everyone can go home.

When in doubt, award it to Chris Froome. That's what they usually do.

 

[Brullnux]

When in doubt, award it to Chris Froome. That's what they usually do.

This would be really, really funny given the protests

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Could you help clarify--I thought the previous stance was that we couldn't discuss any of the political aspect of the protests but we could discuss direct impacts on the racing, which would include discussions of how the organizers should deal with this in the coming stages? Although I can understand that would probably leave a lot of gray area for you folks. Sorry for you all that you have to deal with it.

I am trying to be consistent with the pattern of deletion employed by the admin in the stage 11 thread.

 

[Boehmand]

At present, I am acting at a higher level of caution than I did the other day. Look back in an hour or so, and if I don't have to keep firefighting I may well restore some.

Sure, but I mean - surely posts that directly relate to the impact to the race - and that are not political in nature - should be allowed?

We can't just pretend there were no protests and the stage was normal.

 

[Filippo_3467]

Don't understand why in a mountain stage they just ban all spectators from the final climb. Of course that doesn't mean no interruption but you can at least race the finale properly on a mountain top finish.

I think there's an easy and rigth decision on how to move forward with the Vuelta but as it#s not allowed to discuss here and voice optinions I will just quietly watch as the organisers figure it out.

 

[Unchained]

Obviously with an asterisk but congrats to Bernal on the stage win!

Did you text Narioman and ask permission to change avatar to Bernal for the day?

 

[Savant12]

Yep, just cancel it already. The riders are in too much danger.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Don't understand why in a mountain stage they just ban all spectators from the final climb. Of course that doesn't mean no interruption but you can at least race the finale properly on a mountain top finish.

I think there's an easy and rigth decision on how to move forward with the Vuelta but as it#s not allowed to discuss here and voice optinions I will just quietly watch as the organisers figure it out.

It‘s hard to ban spectators from a climb that goes through multiple towns.

 

[Sciatic]

Lol they should just cancel the Vuelta all together, this will just continue to happen and its impossible to take this edition serious.

No thanks

 

[Invicituz]

Great to see Egan Bernal winning today's stage. What a superb performance from the Colombian. Chapeau, sir!

 

[Boehmand]

It‘s hard to ban spectators from a climb that goes through multiple towns.

The police can just allow residents to go through, but nobody else.

It's much easier than policing the entire climb.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

MOD MODE

Look, I don't ike this any more than any of you do.

Discussion of moderation is not allowed. I'm going to use that rule to insist on a clampdown on anything discussing what I am trying to do on the admins' behalf until they arrive.

There will be a time to discuss this, it is not while the matter is live and we are all put out about our afternoon's entertainment.

I will lock all relevant threads if necessary. My best suggestion to all is to walk away from the forum for an hour or so.

 

[Unchained]

Don't understand why in a mountain stage they just ban all spectators from the final climb. Of course that doesn't mean no interruption but you can at least race the finale properly on a mountain top finish.

I think there's an easy and rigth decision on how to move forward with the Vuelta but as it#s not allowed to discuss here and voice optinions I will just quietly watch as the organisers figure it out.

If you have been following some of these races with mountain finishes you get some common stuff, some are at or near snow ski resorts, often the terrain has been modified and engineered to accommodate ski lift, traffic, trams, restaurants, massive foot traffic.. But in some mountain finishes that don't have a bunch of commercial activity, people get concerned with destroying the environment or severely damaging it. And lots of time the patronage is only a few thousand people at best, so a bunch of vehicles, trash, ground, vegetation getting trampled, extra security and services..
Race probably saves many thousands of euros by reducing portable toilets when you reduce the crowd, instead of 5,6 ambulances and 20 EMTs you need a third. Easier and cheaper. Environmental groups asking for crowd control at many race locations.

 

[ice&fire]

Don't understand why in a mountain stage they just ban all spectators from the final climb. Of course that doesn't mean no interruption but you can at least race the finale properly on a mountain top finish.

I think there's an easy and rigth decision on how to move forward with the Vuelta but as it#s not allowed to discuss here and voice optinions I will just quietly watch as the organisers figure it out.

If you refer to today's stage, it's a hill top finish and the hill is a populated area with a significant number of roads. Tomorrow and next Saturday are a different thing.

 

[Shakes]

Sucks to be a moderator. Another victim in this hypocritical world where eyes are closed but then the moderator can't close his. Luckily Vuelta game is a distraction.

Anyway, Vuelta is handling it poorly. At least they are doing better then the previous time as now at least there was a stage winner (Go Bernal!). Luckily the gap between them was large as finish line was very obscure but luckily he was already in front.

Let's see what will happen in the TT (if it happens at all). This Vuelta turns into a write off for all involved. Still happy for Bernal though but crying for Afonso. Luck is very important in life, not tangible and he seems to lack some. Although his Sprint at end wasn't very strong so maybe a win wasn't in the cards to begin with.

 

[Unchained]

The police can just allow residents to go through, but nobody else.

It's much easier than policing the entire climb.

This is very very common.. And spiffs..race organization and or local government will give locals who are impacted shuttle rides to a school or church so they can park there and have access to a vehicle during road closure on the stage.
Locals get a coupon for a coffee, beer or restaurant discount for being inconvenienced for a day or two.. And they have clean up parties after the race, when locals clean everything up and drink beer or cake and coffee at a meeting area.. If you live somewhere with more animals or rocks, trees than people and suddenly some cycling fanatics show up looking for a party, probably annoying on some level..
And some of the fat old guys running and screaming in an undersized bikini swim bottoms has to be horrifying in person.. It scares me and I am seeing it on TV..and I can't unsee some of that stuff.
Something about uphill cycling finishes makes people with a bowling ball shape get close to naked and run next to racers with no body fat.. Troubling

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Did you text Narioman and ask permission to change avatar to Bernal for the day?

I have not but I'll have to get to work on that! (I mean change my av for the day, not texting Nairoman.)

Edit: there, all fixed now. Maybe I'll keep it for the rest of this abridged Vuelta, I'm sure Nairoman wouldn't mind.

 

[postmanhat]

If it is impossible to discuss even the purely sporting impacts of the protests, as seems to be the case based on what is getting deleted, then there is simply zero point in having this forum anymore because that's the most important thing there is to discuss these days from a sporting perspective.

It may be time to move the community elsewhere.

I imagine Armchaircyclist is singlehandedly having to deal with a lot at the minute, whilst staying within the remit of the hosts. If a few speculative posts go missing as a result, that's a shame, but completely understandable?

 

[Netserk]

The hoping things would quieten down approach doesn't seem to be working. At least the organisers had a contingency today.

The TT is a huge worry for the IPT guys, it's scary to think about what might happen there.

For the integrity of the GC battle, I hope the ITT will take place as planned.

 

[Sciatic]

This is very very common.. And spiffs..race organization and or local government will give locals who are impacted shuttle rides to a school or church so they can park there and have access to a vehicle during road closure on the stage.
Locals get a coupon for a coffee, beer or restaurant discount for being inconvenienced for a day or two.. And they have clean up parties after the race, when locals clean everything up and drink beer or cake and coffee at a meeting area.. If you live somewhere with more animals or rocks, trees than people and suddenly some cycling fanatics show up looking for a party, probably annoying on some level..
And some of the fat old guys running and screaming in an undersized bikini swim bottoms has to be horrifying in person.. It scares me and I am seeing it on TV..and I can't unsee some of that stuff.
Something about uphill cycling finishes makes people with a bowling ball shape get close to naked and run next to racers with no body fat.. Troubling

Most isolated mountain summits have trails going to the top or intersecting the road along the way. But I suppose they would just have to have police stationed to block those as well.

 

[Unchained]

Sucks to be a moderator. Another victim in this hypocritical world where eyes are closed but then the moderator can't close his. Luckily Vuelta game is a distraction.

Anyway, Vuelta is handling it poorly. At least they are doing better then the previous time as now at least there was a stage winner (Go Bernal!). Luckily the gap between them was large as finish line was very obscure but luckily he was already in front.

Let's see what will happen in the TT (if it happens at all). This Vuelta turns into a write off for all involved. Still happy for Bernal though but crying for Afonso. Luck is very important in life, not tangible and he seems to lack some. Although his Sprint at end wasn't very strong so maybe a win wasn't in the cards to begin with.

For posters it's fun, stimulating all the back and forth but for site publishers they are asking for some pause during times that nobody has ever lived through.. The Vuelta and the forum are experiencing a political pandemic of sorts.
Moderator being human, reasonable.. and asking something basic.. Don't pile on. When someone says I can't breathe, don't hit me while I am down, maybe they really do need room to regroup and take a breath.
Usually we are arguing about who is good or bad on the bike, but this situation is entirely different, bike racing is suddenly mixed with things that are hard to associate, but it's happening.
I am afraid to bring my dog to the beach because someone might attack me about the demise of a watermelon farm near my house.. Don't see the relationship but someone might..
Same here..how is bike racing associated with any of this? Doesn't matter if I can't see the cross connection, people do.

 

[Sciatic]

If you have been following some of these races with mountain finishes you get some common stuff, some are at or near snow ski resorts, often the terrain has been modified and engineered to accommodate ski lift, traffic, trams, restaurants, massive foot traffic.. But in some mountain finishes that don't have a bunch of commercial activity, people get concerned with destroying the environment or severely damaging it. And lots of time the patronage is only a few thousand people at best, so a bunch of vehicles, trash, ground, vegetation getting trampled, extra security and services..
Race probably saves many thousands of euros by reducing portable toilets when you reduce the crowd, instead of 5,6 ambulances and 20 EMTs you need a third. Easier and cheaper. Environmental groups asking for crowd control at many race locations.

I think you’re underestimating the economic value to the towns at the foot of those finishes (for hotels, restaurants, and retailers) as well as the hoped-for boost to tourism from exposure (I’m not sure how true the latter is, but the other economic boosts are undisputed).

 

[Shakes]

Moderator being human, reasonable.. and asking something basic.. Don't pile on.

I wasn't piling on. Actually feel bad for the moderator.

 

[Unchained]

I think you’re underestimating the economic value to the towns at the foot of those finishes (for hotels, restaurants, and retailers) as well as the hoped-for boost to tourism from exposure (I’m not sure how true the latter is, but the other economic boosts are undisputed).

This is the age old lie sold by cycling.. Give us money for sponsorship and you will see results..99.9% of the time sponsor a team or event see nothing from your investment. Bike racing selling the folklore that if you host a start or finish line, local cash registers, bars and restaurants will see immediate positive impact, it definitely happens but is usually nowhere near anything close to the sales hype. US we have ours, Leadville, Unbound, Lifetime, Belgian Waffle few dozen gran fondos but overall not much return on putting up with BS.
In Grand Tours you get unusually high patronage but it's lots, lots of work. Lots of people who don't like bikes, bike racing, don't like sports don't own a business see spending time and money as a waste of time.. Which is the majority. Go to Flemish part of Belgium, not everyone is happy about another bike race.. It's all just public relations sales..majority of people find all of it a complete pain in as-