The Vuelta

24

Comments

  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 1,761
    knedlicky wrote:
    And I would welcome it if England had a special relationship with Italy.

    Wales has a special relationship Italy. I would love a stage of the Giro in Wales.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    SecretSqirrel wrote:
    knedlicky wrote:
    And I would welcome it if England had a special relationship with Italy.
    Wales has a special relationship Italy. I would love a stage of the Giro in Wales.
    I’ve often wondered why for years there’s been a Welsh flag flying on the top of a flagpole of a small castle in the Vinschgau valley between the Reschen Pass and Merano.
  • oxoneil
    oxoneil Posts: 147
    I quite like the Vuelta. Some of the finish towns are quite stunning on TV. What's that place with the huge "castle like" wall all around it?
  • bipedal
    bipedal Posts: 466
    With a bunch of riders stating they're at the Vuelta for Worlds training (Schleck, Evans etc.) has anyone actually said they're gonna try and win it?
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    oxoneil wrote:
    I quite like the Vuelta. Some of the finish towns are quite stunning on TV. What's that place with the huge "castle like" wall all around it?

    Ávila:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81vila
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    bipedal wrote:
    With a bunch of riders stating they're at the Vuelta for Worlds training (Schleck, Evans etc.) has anyone actually said they're gonna try and win it?

    Samuel Sanchez has focused his entire season around it. I imagine Basso will be going for the win, too.

    Not really sure why Evans or Schleck would pull out early for the Worlds. When was the last time a proper climber won the rainbow jersey?
  • oxoneil
    oxoneil Posts: 147
    afx237vi wrote:
    oxoneil wrote:
    I quite like the Vuelta. Some of the finish towns are quite stunning on TV. What's that place with the huge "castle like" wall all around it?

    Ávila:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81vila

    Yeah that's it. :D
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,114
    afx237vi wrote:
    Not really sure why Evans or Schleck would pull out early for the Worlds. When was the last time a proper climber won the rainbow jersey?
    When was the last time the Worlds was on a course that favoured climbers, Duitama in 1996?

    The course in Mendrisio is meant to be very, very hard.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    andyp wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Not really sure why Evans or Schleck would pull out early for the Worlds. When was the last time a proper climber won the rainbow jersey?
    When was the last time the Worlds was on a course that favoured climbers, Duitama in 1996?

    The course in Mendrisio is meant to be very, very hard.

    Yeah it's a climber's course this year, and a sprinter's one next year.

    Di Luca was having the team built round him for it, so I assume leadership of the Italians will go over to Cunego.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Not really sure why Evans or Schleck would pull out early for the Worlds. When was the last time a proper climber won the rainbow jersey?
    When was the last time the Worlds was on a course that favoured climbers, Duitama in 1996?

    The course in Mendrisio is meant to be very, very hard.

    Yeah it's a climber's course this year, and a sprinter's one next year.

    Di Luca was having the team built round him for it, so I assume leadership of the Italians will go over to Cunego.

    Pellizotti? Could have a chance.

    They say it's a climbers course virtually every year, but looking at the profile, this year it might actually be true :shock:

    Mendrisio 2009

    al_corsa_linea.jpg

    In comparison, Varese 2008

    big404_3_200709231433.jpg

    Shorter circuit, steeper climbs.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    With Nibali, Pelizotti and Basso Liquigas will definitely claim one of the leadership positions. It's like that every year with the Italians.... almost like Astana :wink:
  • mandie
    mandie Posts: 218
    FJS wrote:
    With Nibali, Pelizotti and Basso Liquigas will definitely claim one of the leadership positions. It's like that every year with the Italians.... almost like Astana :wink:

    Complete with infighting, the only difference being that they usually manage to chase each other down.
    We\'ll kick against the darkness \'till it bleeds daylight
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    It's on tight roads too. There's a kind of fly through the course on the website that I've lost the link to, and the climb looks a little like the St Nicolas in LBL, twisty and steep (maybe not AS steep!)
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    http://www.mendrisio09.ch/documenti/video_strada_high.wmv
  • bipedal
    bipedal Posts: 466
    What are the chances the uci will clarify the valverde situation before the start of he vuelta? I'm beginning to think they'd rather retrospectively change the podium than rock the boat before the race and spoil all the sweet publicity
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    I am as big a Valverde fan as frenchfighter is a Contador fan, but it's lookin' bleak with the news about Ricco, it seems the UCI are manning up and actually giving out suspensions.

    It's only a matter of time before Valverde's ban is applied worldwide, and I don't think they will mind when it happens, so long as it happens.
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    Schleck brothers and Evans are going to be in the Vuelta.

    Favourites at the moment:


    Valverde
    Mosquera
    Samuel Sánchez
    Astarloza
    Pereiro
    Luis León Sánchez
    Basso
    Frank and Andy Schleck
    Gesink
    Evans
    Cunego
    Andreas Kloden

    Without confirmation:
    Vino and Chicken legs
    Roman Kreuziguer
    Levi Leipheimer

    For first time in the history The Vuelta has a harder route than Giro and Tour
    If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    Someone mentioned Pellizotti riding. I couldn't imagine unless he's doing the Marino Lajaretta thing and ride all 3 Tours in one year.
    -Jerry
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • bipedal
    bipedal Posts: 466
    Leipheimer has said he'll ride Missouri not the vuelta... So does that really mean horner is Astana team leader?!
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    The Astana team leader is going to be Klodi
    If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    victorponf wrote:
    The Astana team leader is going to be Klodi

    i thought astana operated a system whereby "the road decides". this identifying the strongest rider on the team as the leader in advance is a novel idea.

    I'm sure I saw confirmation elsewhere that vino is riding, but can't find it now.

    3 summit finishes in a row looks good.
  • lucybears
    lucybears Posts: 366
    vino is riding
    interview.cyclingfever.com
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    I'm looking forward to seeing Mosquera riding, Xacobeo need to have a good Vuelta to make up for the Giro, which in my eyes was a waste of a wild card.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    I'm looking forward to seeing Mosquera riding, Xacobeo need to have a good Vuelta to make up for the Giro, which in my eyes was a waste of a wild card.

    I think the intention was to give Mosquera a shot at a GT outside Spain, but then he went and broke his arm climbing up stairs in his house.

    I think he could get a podium this time.
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Looking forward to seeing Martin vs Schlecks vs Gesink. Was disappointed when Gesink had to drop out this Tour as he would have added more excitement to the mountains.

    As for the route, have a look at all those lovely summit finishes! Three in a row too.
    ]



    First week looks like a snoozefest long lazy days staring at endless brown plains with the GC favs all marking each other the lumpy days before the Stage 7 time trial. First proper day of GC racing will be stage 8
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    Moray Gub wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Looking forward to seeing Martin vs Schlecks vs Gesink. Was disappointed when Gesink had to drop out this Tour as he would have added more excitement to the mountains.

    As for the route, have a look at all those lovely summit finishes! Three in a row too.
    ]



    First week looks like a snoozefest long lazy days staring at endless brown plains with the GC favs all marking each other the lumpy days before the Stage 7 time trial. First proper day of GC racing will be stage 8

    Sorry but you are wrong, cobbles stones in Benelux and a uphill finish in Vinaroz.
    If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com
  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 1,761
    avoidingmyphd wrote:
    victorponf wrote:
    The Astana team leader is going to be Klodi

    i thought astana operated a system whereby "the road decides". this identifying the strongest rider on the team as the leader in advance is a novel idea.

    I'm sure I saw confirmation elsewhere that vino is riding, but can't find it now.

    3 summit finishes in a row looks good.

    'The road decides' was a Lance invention rather than Astana system.

    OMG - Vino & Klodi back together, with Klodi as leader! :shock:
    That will stretch Klodi's elastic patience somewhat. Bring back memories of the Tdf 2007 bust and all that jazz.
    Having said that, it will be in Vino's interest to keep Klodi sweet if he hasn't already signed for RadioShack. We might see Vino the model lieutenant, if he can keep up the pace enough to be of any assistance.
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    Roman Kreuziguer in the Vuelta too (he said so yesterday in San Sebastián)
    If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    Even with his "chute" in San Sebastián, Andy Schleck has confirmed his participation.

    Extra-oficially Vino too
    If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    From "Plataforma Recorridos Ciclistas: En España sí hay montaña" we are saing that Vuelta 2009 has a better router than Giro and Tour editions.

    We have data to demostrate it: (sorry is in spanish but the file has good comparatives profiles and tables). For example Sierra Nevada by Monachil and Sabinas is harder than Blockhaus (this year summit, until top they have almost the same grafic) or la Ragua (both in the same stage) is very similar to Madelenien.

    You can see it in:

    http://unavueltamejor.files.wordpress.c ... a-2009.pdf


    Enjoy it
    If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com

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