Vuelta the New Tour?

[Roninho]

Too cluttered at the start of the season and not enough races after the tour. I personally don't think it will happen. You will basically have a 6 month gap between the 2010 Vuelta and 2011 vuelta. It would seem very weird.

In the last decade most Giro contenders didn't ride the Vuelta and vice versa. Gotti, Savoldelli, Simoni, Garzelli, Cunego, Gontchar, di Luca, Ricco not in the Vuelta, Heras, Sevilla, Valverde, Beloki, Nozal, Mancebo and Mozquera not in the Giro. So i don't think it would be to cluttered to harm the competition level that much. Although some of the Vuelta contenders also tried to ride a strong TDF which could be harmed by a GT prior to the TDF. So they might not run the vuelta anymore.
Biggest victim would be the tour of romandia and other smaller events in this period i think.

It's a shame that the Tour of Germany has collapsed, it could have filled the september gap great with a 2 week tour. No competition from the Vuelta anymore and a 2 week tour would be an ideal preparation for the worlds contenders (many say that the 3 week vuelta is to much to be in top shape at the worlds). Reinstate the world cup, add 2 or 3 one day courses counting for this cup, and you'd end up with this calender after the end of the TDF:

August
W1 - San Sebastian
W2 -
W3 - Hamburg
W4 - Extra WC race (Zurich back?)
Septermber
W1 -
W2 - Tour of Germany
W3 - Tour of Germany
W4 - World Champs
October
W1 - Paris Tours
W2 - Extra WC race
W3 - Lombardia

 

[craig1985]

Fuji-Servetto are in after they took to the matter to CAS and CAS has said that Unipublic have to let them ride. Fair enough for mine.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

TVE wants the Vuelta in september for being able to broadcast the spring races on his sport channel, Teledeporte.

But they won't conflict with one another. The Vuelta would start the week after LBL.

The race the Vuelta would run over in Spring would be Tour de Romandie, also some lesser races: Four Days of Dunkirk.

you will get even less riders riding the vuelta if you have it in april instead of september. I bet on it.

Maybe, but if you consider now that half who enter the Vuelta do so mostly to prepare for the World's, or as an afterthought to salvage their season, but with little or no hope of winning, it doesn't mean the racing is superior.

As I noted before, they could definitely move the Vuelta to start the week after LBL, then move the Giro a week into the future (where it used to be), and run through the last three weeks in May. It is true that we would rarely see a Vuelta-Giro double attempt (not that we do now), and we would still see some riders enter the Vuelta as prep for the Giro or Tour, but it would make a Vuelta-Tour attempt more possible. Furthermore, as I said, Spain is more beautiful in April. The country is green, and the mountains covered in snow. Compared to the brown grasses, heat haze, and fog in Sept.

Adding to that, for many casual fans, or those just getting into the sport, the season ends with the Tour. Having the Vuelta in Sept hasn't changed that.

The Tour of America...ugh, I'm not sure what to say? I'd say the topic needs a new thread, but the race is just deader than dead right now. We might as well be talking about bringing back the Coors' Classic.

 

[craig1985]

Give the Tour of Portugal PT status and move it in to September.

 

[manolo]

But it doesn't have Lance!

Ha ha! True! *Snicker!* And we can all do without the drama of holding back your own troops to consolidate 2nd and 3rd places for your own team! I remember Basso in the Giro of 2006... Going for broke and leaving Simoni behind. It's too bad he doped! Maybe we'll see much more of that! It should be a great Vuelta, except all the mountain stages are clustered in the middle. I really haven't liked the way the stages have been arranged in this year's Tour and Vuelta!

 

[manolo]

Xorret de Catí. 24% inclines, anyone?

You're kidding! That's the highest gradient I've ever heard of!

...with no Cavendish, the sprint finishes might be interesting too...

I hadn't thought of that!

The route suits Valverde to a tee... Basso should be much improved from the Giro... Sánchez has trained specifically for this race...

Personally, I hope Sanchez smokes the field!

If Valverde doesn't win this years Vuelta, he might never win a GC.

I think he just might pull it off this year! Unless Andy Schleck arrives in even better shape than the Tour! Or Gesink is in the shape of his life!

I understand Contador was drawing that in his room when he missed his car to the TT.

Ha ha! Funny!

 

[issoisso]

You're kidding! That's the highest gradient I've ever heard of!

 

[180mmCrank]

...is that a road or a cliff!

 

[issoisso]

...is that a road or a cliff!

It's the Scanuppia my good man!

Search that name on youtube

 

[titan_90]

It's the Scanuppia my good man!

Search that name on youtube

This climb is insane
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Scanuppia---Malga-Palazzo&qryMountainID=3597
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulJsjynZEZc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TKm-T_ne_k

 

[manolo]

Woh! Impressive! Cool! Thanks! Not that it matters, but can a cyclist get over that? Heh heh! Do they? Wow! Where is that?... Pretty cool!

 

[auscyclefan94]

(Valverde)I think he just might pull it off this year! Unless Andy Schleck arrives in even better shape than the Tour! Or Gesink is in the shape of his life!

Valverde will not win any grand tour as he is not consistent over 3 weeks. He may dominate the first week but loses it in the 2nd and 3rd weeks. Basso is my favourite as he will hold it together over 3 weeks.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Fargo Street in Echo Park (Los Angeles) is a long 35% gradient (as in, the entire thing, not just one 20 foot section). Watch here.

Canton Ave in Pittsburgh up to 38%, half over cobbles, but shorter.

(Baldwin Street in NZ about as steep. Maybe not as sustained, but a little longer.)

Some crazy riders in my home town came up with a ride that goes over some very steep streets over 22% gradient, inspired by the Ronde. This vid is worth a watch.

In the US mountains, there are two passes in the Sierra Nevada range that have long sections, at altitude over 20% gradient. Sonora Pass, and the Pacific Grade. Very difficult riding, but not the Magla Palazzo.

That's about as steep as it gets on this side of the pond.

 

[psychlist]

Fargo Street in Echo Park (Los Angeles) is a long 35% gradient (as in, the entire thing, not just one 20 foot section). Watch here.

Canton Ave in Pittsburgh up to 38%, half over cobbles, but shorter.

(Baldwin Street in NZ about as steep. Maybe not as sustained, but a little longer.)

Some crazy riders in my home town came up with a ride that goes over some very steep streets over 22% gradient, inspired by the Ronde. This vid is worth a watch.

In the US mountains, there are two passes in the Sierra Nevada range that have long sections, at altitude over 20% gradient. Sonora Pass, and the Pacific Grade. Very difficult riding, but not the Magla Palazzo.

That's about as steep as it gets on this side of the pond.

This is great. I am not sure, but I think there is even footage of a cinquecento (fiat 500) about 8 minutes in giving the video a euro flavor.

 

[manolo]

Fargo Street in Echo Park (Los Angeles) is a long 35% gradient (as in, the entire thing, not just one 20 foot section). Watch here.

Did I miss you saying where the 45% climb you have on the picture is?...

 

[tretow95]

You're kidding! That's the highest gradient I've ever heard of!





I hadn't thought of that!



Personally, I hope Sanchez smokes the field!



I think he just might pull it off this year! Unless Andy Schleck arrives in even better shape than the Tour! Or Gesink is in the shape of his life!



Ha ha! Funny!

The tour has had really disappointing route the last five years i think compared to giro and vuelta.

look up scanuppia malga palzzo on web that is steep

 

[ak-zaaf]

Woh! Impressive! Cool! Thanks! Not that it matters, but can a cyclist get over that? Heh heh! Do they? Wow! Where is that?... Pretty cool!

a dutch (or belgian) cycling magazine had an article about two hills/mountains in italy that had short parts with up to 45%.
they did it on mountainbike and said that the hardest part was tryin to keep your balance towards the front so your front wheel doesn't come up.

 

[wpsracing78]

Personally, I rekon Sanchez will be unbeatable.
A Spaniard who is possibly top 5 in the world, throwing away his whole year and the Tour for the Vuelta....
Watch out!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Personally, I rekon Sanchez will be unbeatable.
A Spaniard who is possibly top 5 in the world, throwing away his whole year and the Tour for the Vuelta....
Watch out!

he is still going to have some fierce competiton to beat but it's definetly possible that sanchez could win as he is a strong climber but can time trial better than guys like Basso, Valverde or Gesink.

 

[craig1985]

Rabo's prelim Vuelta squad:

Robert Gesink, Lars Boom (awesome name), in addition to Koos Moerenhout, Tom Leezer, Bram Tankink and Pieter Weening are definate starters. The folowing from: Oscar Freire and Juan Manuel Garate, Colombian domestique Mauricio Ardila and German stalwart Paul Martens will be named after the Tour of Limousin on August 21.

For me it will be:

Gesink
Boom
Morenhout
Leezer
Tankink
Weening
Freire (as training for the Worlds)
Garate
Ardila

Martens only comes in if Garate is not fit. What odds on Boom winning the prolouge BTW?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Hopefully boom wins the prolouge. he did target it a long time ago. (he is gonna be a great rider btw, and im certain will prove useful in any important TTT gesink may need to combat in the future years... not to mention his own potential results) Garate will be big help for gesink if he can make it.

can't wait to se egesink at the vuelta If he arrives in form, he will be right up there.

 

[craig1985]

Wesley Sulzberger will ride the Vuelta along with Sandy Casar, Rémy Di Gregorio, and Matthieu Ladagnous. Sulzberger was considered for the Tour, but had a knee injury anyway.

 

[Señor_Contador]

Um, no. It was a drawing of a hand that had the index finger and middle finger extended. You know, making the number two ... definitely not a pistol gesture.

You mean the below?

Yup, that looks like he's trying to tell people he's got two Tours under his belt...

 

[Señor_Contador]

 

[ViaPagliano]

Well, that the Vuelta organization has nothing to do with. That is the Basque government not inviting the Vuelta.

Come to think of it... if I were a Spanish cyclist I wouldn't participate in any friggin race that goes on in the Basque country.

I'm just curious (don't know much about Spanish history)..why wouldn't a Spanish rider go through the Basque Country?

Is that that much bad blood?