Vuelta speculation

[Singer01]

it is a bit of a shame that Froome is riding from a spectator point of view, there would be about 10 people who could realistically win if things went their way.

 

[Eclipse]

Re:

it is a bit of a shame that Froome is riding from a spectator point of view, there would be about 10 people who could realistically win if things went their way.

I've never been disappointed in a Vuelta because Froome is riding. He's always been money there for fun and interesting GC competitions (yoyo froome <3) and unless he's really done a glorious bit of preperation I don't think he's going to steamroll this one either (even though he might be the favourite)

 

[ice&fire]

Movistar long-list for the Vuelta a España: Winner Anacona, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Betancur, Richard Carapaz, Ruben Fernandes, Gorka Izagirre, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas and Marc Soler.

 

[Valv.Piti]

No Sutherland, Dowsett or Barbero. That probably means Alex will leave and Sutherland will not get the call since Valverde and Quintana isn't riding and they probably don't rate Barbero that highly, if he won't get the call for this GT, he never will unless he imrpoves dramatically.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

No Sutherland, Dowsett or Barbero. That probably means Alex will leave and Sutherland will not get the call since Valverde and Quintana isn't riding and they probably don't rate Barbero that highly, if he won't get the call for this GT, he never will unless he imrpoves dramatically.

Barbero said he prefer to ride clasicc than Vuelta. Other way this year he would be on the list.

 

[hfer07]

Re:

Movistar long-list for the Vuelta a España: Winner Anacona, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Betancur, Richard Carapaz, Ruben Fernandes, Gorka Izagirre, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas and Marc Soler.

either Dani Moreno or Izaguirre to lead the team..? what a shame! this is a bare B team riding in home soil without a single leader with a possibility to podium.....
I guess stage hunting ought to be aim then.....

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Movistar long-list for the Vuelta a España: Winner Anacona, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Betancur, Richard Carapaz, Ruben Fernandes, Gorka Izagirre, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas and Marc Soler.

either Dani Moreno or Izaguirre to lead the team..? what a shame! this is a bare B team riding in home soil without a single leader with a possibility to podium.....
I guess stage hunting ought to be aim then.....

Has happened many times before, they have just been lucky Valverde has ridden it every time since 2012 with great performances. Makes room for some other riders on the biggest scene and they have many young ones, especially Soler.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Movistar long-list for the Vuelta a España: Winner Anacona, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Betancur, Richard Carapaz, Ruben Fernandes, Gorka Izagirre, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas and Marc Soler.

either Dani Moreno or Izaguirre to lead the team..? what a shame! this is a bare B team riding in home soil without a single leader with a possibility to podium.....
I guess stage hunting ought to be aim then.....

The road will decide who's the leader. If no one is strong enough, then stage hunting all the way

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

Movistar long-list for the Vuelta a España: Winner Anacona, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Betancur, Richard Carapaz, Ruben Fernandes, Gorka Izagirre, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas and Marc Soler.

either Dani Moreno or Izaguirre to lead the team..? what a shame! this is a bare B team riding in home soil without a single leader with a possibility to podium.....
I guess stage hunting ought to be aim then.....

The road will decide who's the leader. If no one is strong enough, then stage hunting all the way

There are definitely some good stage hunters in there, who could really animate a race if they weren't always locked into serving Q or VV's GC aspirations. I say it'd be a good thing for the race if that Movistar selection were set loose on this Vuelta route and given the freedom to go all Euskatel all over it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Movistar long-list for the Vuelta a España: Winner Anacona, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Betancur, Richard Carapaz, Ruben Fernandes, Gorka Izagirre, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas and Marc Soler.

either Dani Moreno or Izaguirre to lead the team..? what a shame! this is a bare B team riding in home soil without a single leader with a possibility to podium.....
I guess stage hunting ought to be aim then.....

The road will decide who's the leader. If no one is strong enough, then stage hunting all the way

There are definitely some good stage hunters in there, who could really animate a race if they weren't always locked into serving Q or VV's GC aspirations. I say it'd be a good thing for the race if that Movistar selection were set loose on this Vuelta route and given the freedom to go all Euskatel all over it.

Completely agree, it will be fun. They haven't done that since 2011-2012 apart from a few Giri, altho I must admit that Valverde not riding his home race is a bitter pillow to swallow for me. I can't imagine how he feels, there even is a finish in Murcia. But there are just so many stages to stagehunt for a team such as Movistar.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

Apparently Spilak is ending his GT exile in the Vuelta.

Seems an odd one for a guy who doesn't really like the heat to commit to.

Love me a bit of Spilak though so would be excited to see how he can go

His victory in Tour de Suisse this year came in hot weather, and he seemed surprised at having been able to perform so well under those conditions. I wonder if that is the reason (if he indeed does ride the Vuelta). But it makes sense for him to try it (disregarding the weather), since there isn't much else for him to do in the final third of the season.

 

[Robert5091]

A TTT, a long flat stage with a good chance of strong wind and a short 3 climbs stage. That's the first 3 stages - just love the Vuelta!

 

[TromleTromle]

Lasterketa Burua - @LasterketaBurua just updated Twitter with 4 important changes for this years vuelta:
Thanks to him!

3 finishing climbs got slightly easier (one design move actually good!) and 2 km TT less.
perhaps they want to get more A-riders on board

1) Collado Bermejo turned around, slightly easier but final 6km with 7,8% - but a much tougher descent, with only 3-4km flat to finish. VERY GOOD MOVE as nobody of course attack before the last 5 km of any climb in the GC.

2) Easier Pandera climb - los villares out. BAD MOVE

3) No Sabinas on Sierra Nevada - again easier climb

4) Adjustment of TT, 1,8 km less

 

[Gigs_98]

I really like the first two changes. The Collado Bermejo might be a bit easier this way but at least this has now become a potential point for attacks. Same counts for La Pandera. I don't know if that new climb is much easier but at least this climb gives riders the chance to attack a bit earlier on the climb. With a flat section between the last two climbs nothing would have happened before the last 5 km.

The 3rd change is however something very bad. The last 20 kilometers are only a bit over 5% steep. I kinda fear an Etna scenario although ofc in this case the climb has already started way earlier but nobody will attack before the last 20 k and now it will become hard to attack on the last 20 k as well.
I don't really care about the shortening of the TT. Those 1.8 km most likely wouldn't have changed anything anyway.

Something else I realized by looking at the new profiles is that the mtf of stage 17 is actually pretty brutal and has extremely steep ramps in it. (It's now btw also an ESP climb) Not sure if that was just a mistake of the old profile or if they now really use a different last climb. If the latter is the case I don't really like that change since I though two not extremely difficult 1st category climbs directly after each other at the end of the stage might provide room for some nice tactical moves and attacks on the penultimate climb. Now I'm not so sure about that anymore.

Anyway I still like the route. Few flat stages, but while last year they also achieved that by simply putting a steep mtf at the end of every 2nd stage, this year they did that by making lots of hilly stages and provide a lot of variation with some descent finishes. Only problem I have with this route is that the mountain stages aren't really well designed and there are hardly any places where you can make long range attacks. Then again the Vuelta mountain stages often end up being much better than they should be looking at the profile. Well, the Vuelta is simply completely different than the other gt's.

 

[Escarabajo]

The only change that I dislike is the Sierra Nevada one.

 

[Robert5091]

Stage 17 - finish has up to 28% sections!
(according to http://www.cyclingstage.com/vuelta-2017-route/spain-route-2017/ )
yep. from http://www.eltiodelmazo.com/2016/10...s-del-28-para-la-vuelta-de-2017-los-machucos/

Edit- added profile - see someone else found it too!

 

[Beech Mtn]

La Vuelta thinks Alberto is getting old

 

[TromleTromle]

I really like the first two changes. The Collado Bermejo might be a bit easier this way but at least this has now become a potential point for attacks. Same counts for La Pandera. I don't know if that new climb is much easier but at least this climb gives riders the chance to attack a bit earlier on the climb. With a flat section between the last two climbs nothing would have happened before the last 5 km.

The 3rd change is however something very bad. The last 20 kilometers are only a bit over 5% steep. I kinda fear an Etna scenario although ofc in this case the climb has already started way earlier but nobody will attack before the last 20 k and now it will become hard to attack on the last 20 k as well.
I don't really care about the shortening of the TT. Those 1.8 km most likely wouldn't have changed anything anyway.

Something else I realized by looking at the new profiles is that the mtf of stage 17 is actually pretty brutal and has extremely steep ramps in it. (It's now btw also an ESP climb) Not sure if that was just a mistake of the old profile or if they now really use a different last climb. If the latter is the case I don't really like that change since I though two not extremely difficult 1st category climbs directly after each other at the end of the stage might provide room for some nice tactical moves and attacks on the penultimate climb. Now I'm not so sure about that anymore.

Anyway I still like the route. Few flat stages, but while last year they also achieved that by simply putting a steep mtf at the end of every 2nd stage, this year they did that by making lots of hilly stages and provide a lot of variation with some descent finishes. Only problem I have with this route is that the mountain stages aren't really well designed and there are hardly any places where you can make long range attacks. Then again the Vuelta mountain stages often end up being much better than they should be looking at the profile. Well, the Vuelta is simply completely different than the other gt's.

agreeing in most of it, except for that pandera will be snoozed until the 18% slope.

stage 17 did not change, except for an upgrade in CAT- well 9km of 9 km is debatable ESP, but it's just this little hombre from 1,5 to 11.5 km mark. 28% :surprised: :surprised: This will be carnage.

 

[TromleTromle]

Re:

Stage 17 - finish has up to 28% sections!
(according to http://www.cyclingstage.com/vuelta-2017-route/spain-route-2017/ )
yep. from http://www.eltiodelmazo.com/2016/10...s-del-28-para-la-vuelta-de-2017-los-machucos/

Edit- added profile - see someone else found it too!

You are too fast for me, Robert

 

[FilipeFD]

Re:

Stage 17 - finish has up to 28% sections!

 

[Gigs_98]

I really like the first two changes. The Collado Bermejo might be a bit easier this way but at least this has now become a potential point for attacks. Same counts for La Pandera. I don't know if that new climb is much easier but at least this climb gives riders the chance to attack a bit earlier on the climb. With a flat section between the last two climbs nothing would have happened before the last 5 km.

The 3rd change is however something very bad. The last 20 kilometers are only a bit over 5% steep. I kinda fear an Etna scenario although ofc in this case the climb has already started way earlier but nobody will attack before the last 20 k and now it will become hard to attack on the last 20 k as well.
I don't really care about the shortening of the TT. Those 1.8 km most likely wouldn't have changed anything anyway.

Something else I realized by looking at the new profiles is that the mtf of stage 17 is actually pretty brutal and has extremely steep ramps in it. (It's now btw also an ESP climb) Not sure if that was just a mistake of the old profile or if they now really use a different last climb. If the latter is the case I don't really like that change since I though two not extremely difficult 1st category climbs directly after each other at the end of the stage might provide room for some nice tactical moves and attacks on the penultimate climb. Now I'm not so sure about that anymore.

Anyway I still like the route. Few flat stages, but while last year they also achieved that by simply putting a steep mtf at the end of every 2nd stage, this year they did that by making lots of hilly stages and provide a lot of variation with some descent finishes. Only problem I have with this route is that the mountain stages aren't really well designed and there are hardly any places where you can make long range attacks. Then again the Vuelta mountain stages often end up being much better than they should be looking at the profile. Well, the Vuelta is simply completely different than the other gt's.

agreeing in most of it, except for that pandera will be snoozed until the 18% slope.

stage 17 did not change, except for an upgrade in CAT- well 9km of 9 km is debatable ESP, but it's just this little hombre from 1,5 to 11.5 km mark. 28% :surprised: :surprised: This will be carnage.

Mother of god, just found pictures of that climb

Why the hell didn't I look that up when the route was announced. I usually always do that kind of stuff.

 

[ice&fire]

One of the main features of this year Vuelta parcourse was that considering the stage departure and finish places, Unipublic had chosen the best possible route (or at least one that was not clearly inferior to the best) in those stages most relevant for the GC . This is no longer the case in the Sierra Nevada stage.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

La Vuelta thinks Alberto is getting old

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

One of the main features of this year Vuelta parcourse was that considering the stage departure and finish places, Unipublic had chosen the best possible route (or at least one that was not clearly inferior to the best) in those stages most relevant for the GC . This is no longer the case in the Sierra Nevada stage.

No Las Sabinas so that was never the case.

I do like the Pandera change

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'm actually not convinced the Hoya de la Mora finish has changed that much? Seems the profile has just been stretched out a lot. Stats "old" final climb 18.4km 5.76%, "new" climb 19.3km 5.65%.
does anyone have profiles?