Vuelta a España Who Will Win the Vuelta 2019?

[Sciatic]

Awesome photos! Thank you, and keep them coming!

 

[Lequack]

 

[Lequack]

Even more:

 

[Leinster]

Has Docker ever had that pushbroom checked in the wind tunnel?

 

[Lequack]

Has Docker ever had that pushbroom checked in the wind tunnel?

He actually seems the most enthusiastic to start racing.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Christ Valverde has gotten too skinny, his helmet is huge on him

 

[Lequack]

Two more angles of our favorites

 

[Red Rick]

Chaves and MAL look about 40 years younger than Valverde there

 

[Blanco]

Chaves and MAL look about 40 years younger than Valverde there

But it's a big question will they be able to drop grandpa on that steep Spanish soil?

 

[Red Rick]

But it's a big question will they be able to drop grandpa on that steep Spanish soil?

Doubtful. The weight of all that youth weighs them down on the steep inclines the Don's homeland.

 

[Valv.Piti]

God damn he looks in great shape. Vuelta and Valverde, best relationship ever.

 

[Escarabajo]

Did MAL put on some leg inserts to drop everyone on the steep climbs???

 

[Escarabajo]

Valverde is starting to look like Julio Iglesias.

 

[42x16ss]

The smiling assassin is going to continue his resurrection and totally smoke the lot of them this Vuelta

 

[Anderis]

Chaves and MAL look about 40 years younger than Valverde there

And 50 years yougner than Quintana.

 

[JosephK]

Chaves and Lopez could pass for highschool kids.

 

[tobydawq]

'Carapaz reed in Etten-Leur zonder toestemming van zijn ploeg'

Gisteren werd bekend dat Richard Carapaz niet zal deelnemen aan de Vuelta a España. De Giro-winnaar heeft nog teveel last van de gevolgen van een valpartij in het wielercriterium van Etten-Leur. Volgens El Periodico was zijn werkgever Movistar verbaasd, aangezien de ploeg helemaal niet wist dat...

www.wielerflits.nl

Carapaz had no permission to start the crit from Movistar.

95% sure that's the reason they replaced him, not injury

Don't you think the spectators at the criterium would have seen him not crash if he didn't do it?

It's not as easy a lie as the assumed one of Bernal's collarbone break before the Giro.

 

[Escarabajo]

Don't you think the spectators at the criterium would have seen him not crash if he didn't do it?

It's not as easy a lie as the assumed one of Bernal's collarbone break before the Giro.

I don't think they are denying it. From the post from Red I understand like it wasn't bad enough to pull him out.

 

[movingtarget]

Chaves and Lopez could pass for highschool kids.

And 50 years yougner than Quintana.

The boys with uncle Nairo and their dad............

 

[Pantani_lives]

Too good to be true: the three Movistar riders in the poll are currently tied at the third place with eleven votes each.

 

[luckyboy]

Voted López. Should be him, Roglič, Quintana or Kruijswijk imo.

Vuelta can throw up weird surprises but if it's a normal GT then it's hard to imagine anyone outside of them winning.

 

[Red Rick]

Voted López. Should be him, Roglič, Quintana or Kruijswijk imo.

Vuelta can throw up weird surprises but if it's a normal GT then it's hard to imagine anyone outside of them winning.

Only "surprise" would be Poels imo.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Only "surprise" would be Poels imo.

Urán, Chaves, Aru, Pogacar...?

I can see lots of weird stuff happening. It just sucks so hard that Carapaz won't be participating, that really killed some of it for me. I fear Roglic will simply be too strong and he has a great team.

 

[roundabout]

First and foremost providing a link to dubious statistics doesn't prove anything
Some teams strength in points is based on classic wins etc ....not a valid measure for climbing strength at GTs and not really significant

Secondly the ludicrous idea that riders are weaker than 10 years ago is ridiculous and without evidence ...
It is obvious that one drugs are not in play like back then but also recent GTs have been very fast with some climbs in the last few GTs climbed faster than any time since the early 2000s and some faster than ever before with power outputs very high

Also it is obvious that PCS points mean little if alot of riders are at the same level which is the case ...as points are distributed more evenly than when there were fewer riders wining more races

This is not an indication of weakness just an indication of many riders are at or near the same level ...which seems to be the case

But I dont know why I bother writing this as so many moaners on here who think strength is only Pantani (who was doped to the gills) and refuse to see that cycling has changed and riders are as strong but clean and there are several similar level riders rather than a few way out in front

And anyway true racing is not about Ineos type 'strength' being present but about similar level competition, attacking racing without the control

The so-called 'dubious' statistics are better than your usual 'take my word for it' arguments.

And you never specified 'GT climbing strength' in your original post that I replied to,

But if you want GT strength - Vuelta is pretty far back in terms of previous top-5 GT finishes, or recent (since 2016) GT top-10 finishes.

 

[roundabout]

Two more angles of our favorites

One of the 'favorites' has a 6th place in a 2.1 race as the best GC result this year and another said that he is using the Vuelta to prepare for the Worlds.

Were Kruijswijk and Aru busy that day?