Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2025, Stage 17: O/El Barco de Valdeorras – Alto de El Morredero (143.2k)

[Lefebre]

The only guy I saw crying was your avatar 2 months ago climbing Tourmalet.

We can't compare ma boy to Almeida, there are levels and the difference is huge, one has already won something, the other will forever be a "if"...

Respect a real champ please

 

[Savant12]

Can we Rate the Vuelta already? Absolutely awful!

 

[Tim Cahill]

This race has been an absolute shambles. Honestly this race rivals the 2012 Giro as the worst GT in recent history.

On the road it’s hard to remember worse, in recent times definitely, at least the 2024 Giro had Alaphilippes legendary breakaway, and 2023 Derek Gee. Only Ayuso and Solers comedy antics have redeemed this.

 

[theyoungest]

I'm not a rocket scientist, nor a brain surgeon, but telling everyone you've changed the route & what the new route, doesn't seem like a smart move...

What do rocket scientists or brain surgeons know about public safety? Anyway, you can't keep the route a secret forever, since there will have to be an actual race on it with actual people who have to know where to do their actual jobs.

 

[Lequack]

Welcome to my potentially last-ever stage or race thread.

I have spent countless hours working on these detailed stage breakdowns in the past few years, be it as a stage-by-stage analysis or as separate posts like with this Vuelta. And don't get me wrong - I have always enjoyed doing so, and in a different version of events I would have happily carried on.

But we aren't in a different version of events, and the reality is that, under the current moderation policy pushed by the admins, it is no longer possible to freely discuss cycling, because posts related exclusively to the Vuelta are getting deleted on a large scale. If I can't properly discuss the Vuelta in the threads I have spent hours writing the opening post of, then I don't know what the point of putting all that time into said opening posts is anymore. In addition, much of the content I go through in these preambles would technically not be allowed under the current rules.

For these reasons, I am not going to devote that time anymore so long as things are the way they are. I had this post fully finished, so I figured I might as well post it, but that will be that for now. If I don't have to worry about 100% cycling-related posts getting deleted anymore - whether that is on a Cyclingnews Forum where the admins have changed course, or on a different forum entirely - I might return to making these posts. But as things stand, it's over, and writing that does not make me feel defiant, but deflated.

Sad to hear, but totally understandable @Devil's Elbow
Thanks for everything.

 

[Cookster15]

The stage was a success if only because we are only talking about cycling today

Congrats to Giulio Pellizzari. But bitter sweet for Red Bull with Hindley unable to make any time on Pidcock on Alto de El Morredero and in fact losing seconds in the sprint plus time bonuses.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Can we Rate the Vuelta already? Absolutely awful!

How about giving it a rating the same as the number of UAE stage wins? Plus GC?

 

[Danskebjerge]

Can we Rate the Vuelta already? Absolutely awful!

Memorable!

 

[Rou]

Madrid plans biggest security operation since NATO summit for Vuelta finale

An additional 1,500 law enforcement officers will be on duty in the Madrid and its surrounds for the final two stages of the Vuelta a España amid ongoing…

www.domestiquecycling.com

One thing is for sure.
This Vuelta has caused a much bigger global stir than the Tour de France.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Yeah, that doesn't look good, riders shouldn't be put in such position. IMHO time has come to de-escalate, using whatever means necessary. Riders safety takes priority.

 

[YavorD]

How about giving it a rating the same as the number of UAE stage wins? Plus GC?

That's the perfect rating.
UAE stage wins divided by 2, minus their GC ranking.
7/2-2 =1,5.

Just about the rating this race deserves.

 

[Oldman]

Remember that before the final climb there was already strong pace by Bora (uphill section with a nasty kick at the end). They were far from fresh at the bottom of the actual 9 km climb.

The finish banner looked like the bottom edge flapping from a 30mph wind. That had to hurt, too.

 

[CyclistAbi]

That's the perfect rating.
UAE stage wins divided by 2, minus their GC ranking.
7/2-2 =1,5.

Just about the rating this race deserves.

I am missing Rogla too and there is the element of protests, still the field is strong and it's taking it seriously, that is something to respect.

 

[CyclistAbi]

All in all guys, before anybody gets seriously hurt or pro peloton gets a bad image, thousands of police officers and similar, an army? For what? Bloodthirsty audience?

Lets call it quits and let other parties first figure it out for the future events. This really isn't working any more as is.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

All in all guys, before anybody gets seriously hurt or pro peloton gets a bad image, thousands of police officers and similar, an army? For what? Bloodthirsty audience?

Lets call it quits and let other parties first figure it out for the future events. This really isn't working any more as is.

Problem is race organisers and teams have sponsorship deals to fulfill.

Everybody goes home, sponsors pull out, or make claims, teams fold, cycling dies out.

 

[Danskebjerge]

de-escalate, using whatever means necessary

Hmm ... an interesting combination of actions.

 

[AlpRaid]

And now the TT is 12kms. lol. How is this even a GT anymore?

Wonder if the organizers are now regretting not having at least two TTs.

Just rewatched stage 5 of the 89 TDF. 73 kms. 1 hour 38 mins against the clock. Small one-dimensional climbers like Herrera losing…nine minutes. Now THAT is a GT.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Where is your love for the fisherman?

I wouldn't call it love...I just kinda like him, but also recognize that if I'm having a hard time going to sleep, all I need to do is put on a retrospective of his cycling history, and I'll be asleep in no time.

 

[Psycat]

What a shitty GT.

 

[Gratemans]

Can’t they do 3 laps or something. What is this.

Am I missing something? Why isn't anybody picking up on this? This would be the perfect solution imo.
Of course they would have to stretch it out time-wise as to not have all riders on the course at the same time, but it would be a lot easier to secure.
Oh and on the off chance someone from Unipuerta actually reads this: I MEAN START THE RACE EARLIER, NOT LATER. Because as you might have learned from 2023, the sun goes down at a certain hour of the day.

My god these organisers are about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Problem is race organisers and teams have sponsorship deals to fulfill.

Everybody goes home, sponsors pull out, or make claims, teams fold, cycling dies out.

Not to mention all the training/sacrifice by the riders.

They should keep riding until they can't. Same as it ever was.

 

[Rob5091]

Chumil is still hanging in there - chapeau! Came in with the big boys at 27 minutes down but still in the race.

 

[yaco]

And now the TT is 12kms. lol. How is this even a GT anymore?

Wonder if the organizers are now regretting not having at least two TTs.

Just rewatched stage 5 of the 89 TDF. 73 kms. 1 hour 38 mins against the clock. Small one-dimensional climbers like Herrera losing…nine minutes. Now THAT is a GT.

It makes no difference. Positions were unlikely to change in the GC whether it is 27kms or 12kms. The biggest mistake was that the ITT should have been on stage 10.

 

[Eagle_Alps]

Wonder if the organizers are now regretting not having at least two TTs.

Sadly, I think the organizers are actually glad they didn't plan more and longer TTs.
For the protesters, it's much easier to disrupt a TT and easier to target the riders of team You Know Who.
The only way I see Riccitello&co finish the stage is to have them escorted by a swat convoy. Drafting behind armored van allowed...

 

[Faserr]

Changing the course so often during the race is even worse then cancelling the race. Of course its nice to still have a race but in my opinion this race is a course lottery and some riders win and some riders loose.