Vuelta Prediction: How will GC battle Shake up?

[Jagartrott]

A much more heterogeneous field than the Tour: some teams with mostly B-list names, but across the field a lot of top-contenders for the overall.

 

[Escarabajo]

Can anyone tell me why Movistar keep avoiding taking IZAGIRRE Ion to GT's?

 

[jsem94]

Probably because he's going to Sky.

 

[Escarabajo]

Ok. That makes sense.

 

[hrotha]

Re:

Can anyone tell me why Movistar keep avoiding taking IZAGIRRE Ion to GT's?

They took him to the Giro this year (as the team leader, no less) and to the Tour in 2014.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Can anyone tell me why Movistar keep avoiding taking IZAGIRRE Ion to GT's?

They took him to the Giro this year (as the team leader, no less) and to the Tour in 2014.

Obviously since he didn't ride the Tour and isn't going to ride the Vuelta this year they keep avoiding him at GTs.

AG2R: Domenico Pozzovivo, Gediminas Bagdonas, Mikaël Chérel, Alexis Gougeard, Blel Kadri, Sébastien Minard, Matteo Montaguti, Rinaldo Nocentini, Johan Vansummeren

I want to see the Pozzo train xD

Pozzo on the wheel of Summie.
He's not gonna get any problems with the win.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

Can anyone tell me why Movistar keep avoiding taking IZAGIRRE Ion to GT's?

He rode the Giro, as a protected rider with Inxausti, but Amador and Visconti were better and that's why they are rewarded as the only riders from the Giro to ride Vuelta. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion

 

[May0maniac]

I hope that Elissonde will be able to get a stage win, what happened to him?
He won the Angliru stage in his first GT. I now that he never was the most consisten rider, but he was 2nd on the last 2 stages of the 2011 Giro della Valle d'Aosta, climbing with Aru and Dombrowski, at least he should be able to become a good stagehunter, but he seems to have regressed durning the last 2 years.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

I hope that Elissonde will be able to get a stage win, what happened to him?
He won the Angliru stage in his first GT. I now that he never was the most consisten rider, but he was 2nd on the last 2 stages of the 2011 Giro della Valle d'Aosta, climbing with Aru and Dombrowski, at least he should be able to become a good stagehunter, but he seems to have regressed durning the last 2 years.

Yep, I had a little search after his resutls etc and he just never reached his initial level again.Its a pity, with his weight couple of vuelta steep climbs would have suited him.

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

Golden boy Aru made the statement Landa is not included in the "real team" vision

Nowhere near what Aru said, or even implied.

 

[Taxus4a]

I could be the time of CARLOS VERONA to show how good he is.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Anyone following Dumoulin's recovery? Giant brings a sweet team.

A sweet team to lead out Ewan

Ok. maybe not lol

 

[Carols]

Will Astana have two on the podium of a 2015 GT again? Maybe sweep it?

"He thought about it himself, and decided that the best thing to do was to ride the Vuelta. As a manager I hope that Vincenzo rides this Vuelta with three things in mind – to be a protagonist, to help Fabio to win the race, and to treat this as a new start, the start of the 2016 season," Martinelli said.

Sounds like Astana has a Vuelta leader to me. Aru for the win unless Nibali shows some much better form than Aru. Nibs has always played the good teammate.

Valverde gave his all to podium the Tour so may not have his normal Vuelta zip. I still think he can podium if he doesn't have to work to much for Nairito, but he will.

Froome was a spent force in the final week of the Tour. Has he recovered enough to be a contender? I think not.

So for me it is:
Aru
Quintana
Nibali
Bala
Froome

I'd much prefer:
Nibali
Bala
Quintana
But that just isn't likely to happen.

 

[Carols]

Is that TTT course a joke? It is downright dangerous, jeez the finish is just absurd!

 

[TMP402]

More details here

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-espaa-riders-question-conditions-of-dirt-bike-path-team-time-trial-course/

Very wacky decision by the organisers. Won't the course get much harder the later you set off? And what if it rains?!!?

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

More details here

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-espaa-riders-question-conditions-of-dirt-bike-path-team-time-trial-course/

Very wacky decision by the organisers. Won't the course get much harder the later you set off? And what if it rains?!!?

Then we could watch the most crazy TTT ever. Seriously that would be incredibly dangerous and especially unfair for the riders who start late. Although I would kind of like to see something like that (of course without crashes) we should probably hope that the weather will be good.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Going over sand with racing tires....brilliant!!!

 

[Gigs_98]

Okay so I went through the biggest parts of the route with google street view and I found some pictures that made me laugh and especially wonder:
the slightly dangerous curve:

which way will you take:

not narrow at all:

rofl

 

[Red Rick]

Course for Sagan

 

[Singer01]

Okay so I went through the biggest parts of the route with google street view and I found some pictures that made me laugh and especially wonder:
the slightly dangerous curve:

which way will you take:

not narrow at all:

rofl

more dangerous than my daily commute through London, absolutely hilarious.

 

[Jspear]

Okay so I went through the biggest parts of the route with google street view and I found some pictures that made me laugh and especially wonder:
the slightly dangerous curve:

which way will you take:

not narrow at all:

rofl

This is insane!! Did they even try to think about how fast these guys will be going!?!

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Honestly, if I were a rider, I'd be thinking very seriously of taking a stand on this one.

 

[dusty red roads]

Yoiks! Maybe they're trying to slow them down! But seriously, that looks like it could be dangerous!

 

[TomLPC]

Cant wait to see sky rock up on their marginal BMXs

 

[SafeBet]

And as always I'm baffled at riders complaining two days before the race starts, given the parcours was announced months ago.