Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2025, Stage 5: Figueres – Figueres, 24.1k (TTT)

[YavorD]

I missed the extra 'T' - and also caught me that it is already Today.
I would by far rather have preferred an early rest day and a real TTT distance - this is Mickey Mouse distance for a TTT.

TTT is art discipline and should be treated as so; with dignity.

Well. Now it's going to be a rest day here anyway.
No need to watch that kind of indifference. 24.1k for a TTT - what are they on?
Yes, the Vuelta has had some strange TTTs as stage 1 and at much shorter distances.
But later in the race, you step up to a real TTT challenge.

I'll be waiting for a GT with a proper TTT distance that respects the discipline.

As long as it doesn't count for GC or the gaps are divided by the number of participants in the teams, I'm okay.
But I literally can't think of any sport where team event is treated as individual, EQUAL with the other individual events.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I missed the extra 'T' - and also caught me that it is already Today.
I would by far rather have preferred an early rest day and a real TTT distance - this is Mickey Mouse distance for a TTT.

TTT is art discipline and should be treated as so; with dignity.

Well. Now it's going to be a rest day here anyway.
No need to watch that kind of indifference. 24.1k for a TTT - what are they on?
Yes, the Vuelta has had some strange TTTs as stage 1 and at much shorter distances.
But later in the race, you step up to a real TTT challenge.

I'll be waiting for a GT with a proper TTT distance that respects the discipline.

I see TTT as a noble discipline that no-one has created a current market for, so no-one prioritises it in training, so it does not (at present) deserve a place in stage racing, but stages short enough to be a showplace without having an undue effect on GC is tolerable.
There is a previous discussion on the matter.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

OK, so I see...!!

It's the pervasive fear that the one-sided focus on GT riders will be decided prematurely.

Right?

A pervasive fear that passivizes a proper discipline like a TTT. Which otherwise should be the pleasure in watching the
details under close loop, where it really starts to hurt the weak links in the chain.
Where preparation, especially on beautifully technical sections, makes a difference from otherwise strong teams, where you coordinate in micro details in order to make the best use of the weak and strong links in the chain. And then look, in the minutes before it breaks down for the weakest, that is simply one of the most beautiful things about cycling, in my personal opinion.

Hence, me a TTT is a discipline that will forever have its full justification in a GT - as the world's best teams have to be very well prepared.

A 24.1k distance and almost no time for preparation, then the discipline remains just an indifferent parenthesis, like a circus horse in the wrong circus.

But a heartbreaking farewell to a proper TTT distance, where as a cycling enthusiast you closely study every link in the chain over a really long distance, that's obviously the consequence of accountants' thinking and "oh no, the GC will be ruined", pushed on by teams with financial backing, and so on . But I'd rather trade that for more decent TTTs.
For a 24.1k TTT there's no real consequences without meticulous preparation -it's decimted to a training discipline.

So I'll just skip it.

Just annoying that the consensus on the calendar originates from a completely different corner than my perspective.

 

[Brullnux]

Well you may call me ignorant for not getting the reference. Still Dali's work look less like, ehm, whatever this resembles.

Figueres is Dali's hometown!

 

[yaco]

This is the most stressful day for the riders as they have multiple fears about ar getting everything right on the day.

 

[Tim Cahill]

This absurd start time for a Grand Tour stage is really going to mess with my circadian rhythm, disastrous scenes.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

This absurd start time for a Grand Tour stage is really going to mess with my circadian rhythm, disastrous scenes.

Don't pretend that you're actually going to sit down and watch a TTT mate

 

[Tim Cahill]

Don't pretend that you're actually going to sit down and watch a TTT mate

I only watch 2023-style TTTs, if they're in the dead of night under the twinkle of the street lights like something from Need for Speed.

Having one on stage 5(!!) is exceptionally dishonourable, some teams could be several riders down at this point, makes it advantageous to start performing bowling ball like manoeuvres into other trains in the stages prior, big mistake for Red Bull to not bring Van Poppel and Roglic.

 

[AlpRaid]

I missed the extra 'T' - and also caught me that it is already Today.
I would by far rather have preferred an early rest day and a real TTT distance - this is Mickey Mouse distance for a TTT.

TTT is art discipline and should be treated as so; with dignity.

Well. Now it's going to be a rest day here anyway.
No need to watch that kind of indifference. 24.1k for a TTT - what are they on?
Yes, the Vuelta has had some strange TTTs as stage 1 and at much shorter distances.
But later in the race, you step up to a real TTT challenge.

I'll be waiting for a GT with a proper TTT distance that respects the discipline.

First, I reckon need to get the individual time trials back to some respectable distance. At least they do not unfairly hurt weaker teams. More race of truth and GC time differences that makes it super exciting. Also beautiful to watch.

 

[Danskebjerge]

TTT's are cool. Especially if some of the teams mess it up. I don't have all those other reservations.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... do we expect everyone to be done before the sun has gone down?

 

[Heston]

I got Ineos winning this. Maybe Egan in red, but not likely.

 

[Heston]

So... do we expect everyone to be done before the sun has gone down?

They should all be at the finish line before 19.00, so probably no Remcogate repeat.

 

[Rob5091]

Sunset is 20.30 CET so I hope everyone is done by then!

 

[YavorD]

Sunset is 20.30 CET so I hope everyone is done by then!

Well, if they're not done by then, they are done with the race.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Those huge eggs are sitting pretty precariously on top of that column by the start line. If I were a rider, I'd be like "ok, let's hurry up and GTF outta here before these things fall down."

 

[Rou]

UAE chokefest again today?
By choke I mean outside of top 3.

 

[Unchained]

Well you may call me ignorant for not getting the reference. Still Dali's work look less like, ehm, whatever this resembles.

Salvador Dali Famous Paintings: Iconic Surrealism Artworks

Discover Salvador Dali famous paintings. Explore his surreal style that revolutionized art with iconic works blending time and dreams.

blog.artsper.com

Dali's "Clock" and "Time" paintings, half a dozen + others have objects, clocks, watches in some state of melting, bending, wilting, Salvador did love himself some clocks!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Those huge eggs are sitting pretty precariously on top of that column by the start line. If I were a rider, I'd be like "ok, let's hurry up and GTF outta here before these things fall down."

I just tuned in, did they explain why those huge eggs are up there? If it's the headquarters of an egg factory I'd understand, but just as random decoration...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

That sounds like the DJ from the team presentation event in the background.

 

[Cycling111]

Sunset is 20.30 CET so I hope everyone is done by then!

 

[Brullnux]

Don't pretend that you're actually going to sit down and watch a TTT mate

TTTs are fun as isolated events, full of technique and different pacing strategies. Sort of like a how a team pursuit is really fun to watch.

Whether they have a place in a GT is another matter.

 

[Cycling111]

I just tuned in, did they explain why those huge eggs are up there? If it's the headquarters of an egg factory I'd understand, but just as random decoration...

Salvador Dali

 

[Rob5091]

I just tuned in, did they explain why those huge eggs are up there? If it's the headquarters of an egg factory I'd understand, but just as random decoration...

It's the Dali museum so it's all a bit surreal ...
https://wonderfulwanderings.com/dali-museum-figueres-spain/

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I wanna see Soler break the ranks and attack, preferable early on.