Vuelta requests 2011 schedule change from UCI

[theswordsman]

The Vuelta a Espana has asked the UCI to change the 2011 start date by one week. Unfortunately, from the Google Translation I'm not 100% sure which direction they want to move it. If someone fluent in Spanish could please help? Making it a week later would help Contador but encourage drop outs by guys training for Worlds. Having more of the race in August might bring more European tourists. Someone please clarify? Thanks

Abraham Olano, director técnico de la Vuelta a España, ha confirmado que han solicitado a la Unión Ciclista Internacional (UCI) adelantar una semana el inicio de la ronda española en 2011.

"Hemos pedido a la UCI poder adelantar la carrera una semana, para intentar aprovechar los momentos de forma que tengan los corredores que vengan del Tour. También conseguiríamos más público puesto que la gente estaría de vacaciones", explica Olano en una entrevista en Diario Vasco.

Olano avanza también que la próxima edición será de nuevo "dura". "Etapas cortas, finales nerviosos, pero sin poner en peligro en ningún momento al corredor. Tenemos una buena relación con la asociación de ciclistas y si hay algún problema lo hablamos con ellos, como sucedió este año con el puerto del Murciélago en Cataluña", destaca.
The Tour has asked the UCI forward by one week starting in 2011

Abraham Olano, technical director of the Tour of Spain, has confirmed they have asked the International Cycling Union (UCI) forward by one week the beginning of the Spanish race in 2011.

"We have asked the UCI to overtake the race a week to try to exploit the moments so that runners have come from the Tour. It also is far more public because people would be on vacation," Olano said in an interview in the Basque Journal .

Olano also advances that the next edition will again be "hard." "Stages short nerve end, but without endangering the rider in no time. We have a good relationship with the association of cyclists and if there are any problems we discussed with them, as happened this year with the bat port in Catalonia" stresses.

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=30783

 

[Barrus]

What I heard during the broadcasting of the vuelta is that they want to start the race a week early

 

[theswordsman]

What I heard during the broadcasting of the vuelta is that they want to start the race a week early

Thanks. That's bad news for Contador and anyone else who would have done both races. I wouldn't be too surprised if after he sees all three routes presented, he decides to opt for the Giro instead, if the stages are favorable.

If they'd done that this year, it would have given Frank Schleck a week less of training after his injury, and made things even tougher for Sastre riding in a third grand tour.

 

[khardung la]

Yes, they want the Vuelta to start one week before because the cyclists coming from the Tour would come in shape, and since it is hollidays time in Spain more people would be able to see the race.

 

[theswordsman]

Yes, they want the Vuelta to start one week before because the cyclists coming from the Tour would come in shape, and since it is hollidays time in Spain more people would be able to see the race.

Thanks. That's what I thought it said, but the logic eludes me. This year Frank Schleck, Tyler Farrar and probably others (Vande Velde?) would have had one less week to heal and then train to prepare. It would give other guys like Cancellara and Sastre a week less to recover and train again.

If this happens, I guess Contador will have the choice between a Giro - Tour double with 33 days in between, or a Tour - Vuelta one with only 26 days. He could go to the Giro at 85 or 90% and be in with a shot, then take his usual five months off after the Tour de France. Otherwise he reaches 100% at some point during the Tour (didn't seem to happen this year).

If it helps the towns along the race bring in more tourist money, so be it, but I'd expect to see fewer Tour de France riders participate. Plus, it might be hotter the third week?

 

[khardung la]

If it helps the towns along the race bring in more tourist money, so be it, but I'd expect to see fewer Tour de France riders participate. Plus, it might be hotter the third week?

I have no clear opinion about that, but I guess if I am a cyclist who did not ride the Giro it is perfect to use the shape of the TdF to ride the Vuelta. This year in Clasica San Sebastian the riders who did well in the TdF where the best in the race. I think 26 days is enough time to recover, plus the calendar between TdF and Vuelta is no that packed with good races.

Regarding the hot conditions: if the Vuelta would first ride the North of Spain there would be no problem, there is actually perfect weather conditions for cycling there in the summer. There are indications that the Vuelta could go to Galicia, the Vasque Country, and definitely settle the hardest mountain stages of the vuelta in Asturias every year. In the third week (September) they could very well have a gazillion of interesting climbs in the South or East, when the temperature is supposedly better for competitive cycling.

I bet they will also use Bola del Mundo next year in the penultimate day, but in a TT of about 20 km of lenght.

 

[icefire]

Moving the race one week earlier won't do anything to improve the field quality, increase the general public following or taking some sport daily covers away from football. If anything, it will make easier finding open pubs late at night.

Mr Olano should focus on designing a decent GT course with some real mountains, not the 3 week long Tirreno-Adriatico he tries to sell as a 'hard' race.

 

[ingsve]

Just another example of fail from the Vuelta organizers. The only thing they do an OK job at is setting a decent route but that's not really too hard given the available mountains in Spain. They still screw that up a bit as well though with things like late night TTTs etc.

If it wasn't for the fact that the riders themselves do a good job of making the vuelta interesting the competition would die if this were to continue.

 

[El Imbatido]

Moving it forward a week might encourage some of the riders who drop out (for Worlds prep) to actually finish the race? Maybe they are thinking about that...

 

[The Hitch]

Moving it forward a week might encourage some of the riders who drop out (for Worlds prep) to actually finish the race? Maybe they are thinking about that...

Then again. Odds on worlds favourite Phillipe Gilbert completed the race this year. As did Cav. So did Farrar. And Cancellara only quit 2 days before the end

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That's because they moved the worlds one week back.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Meh this will only make more riders from the tour avoid the vuelta. How can they possibly recover or hold form without doping to their eyeballs.

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Damn, Alberto will probably not be very good at La Vuelta then next year...wondering what he will do. Suggestions?

 

[liamclarke4]

in general does anyone know when the road calander is published for 2010-11 cos i want to plan race i want to go to mainly flanders cycling week

 

[The Hitch]

That's because they moved the worlds one week back.

Are they going to move it back next year?

 

[theswordsman]

Damn, Alberto will probably not be very good at La Vuelta then next year...wondering what he will do. Suggestions?

I thought all along that he'd wait until he sees the routes for the Giro and the Vuelta before he makes his decision. It could come down to which race has a shorter Team Time Trial, or individual Time Trials that suit him more.

Until Saxo Bank announces some signings, I'm not sure how strong they'll be to try to win two grand tours with him plus compete in a third. Contador said in the press he's annoyed that Cancellara left.

Do we expect Noval, Navarro and Hernandez to do two grand tours with him?

 

[Highlander]

Are they going to move it back next year?

I haven't heard anything official, but I doubt it. I believe that the only reason it was moved back a week this year was because it was in Australia and they wanted to give the riders more time to adjust especially if they finished the Vuelta. Next year will be in Denmark, so they'll probably go back to the usual schedule.

 

[the vagabond]

Then again. Odds on worlds favourite Phillipe Gilbert completed the race this year. As did Cav. So did Farrar. And Cancellara only quit 2 days before the end

You use terms you don't understand, perhaps because your friends do or because you think they make you sound intelligent or clever (like people who say "beg the question"). Odds-on favorite means you win less than you bet - the one rider has a better chance of winning than the entire field. There are no odds-on favorites in world championship road races.

 

[theswordsman]

Worlds are September 19 to 25, 2011. The new schedule would have the race end September 11.

http://www.copenhagen2011.dk/