Vuelta stage 20 *spoiler*

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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    afx237vi wrote:

    Frankly, even if you ignore the Puerto stuff, Valverde has got to go down as one of the most unexciting GT winners ever. Didn't win a stage, didn't attack once, only ever saw him sprinting for bonus seconds. Tedious.

    And herein lies the rub. Bonus seconds - I greatly dislike them (as well as TTTs). If you're Valverde, why attack to gain 20 seconds when you can just outsprint everyone instead? Ten seconds for the winner at most, preferably 6-4-2. Worth sprinting for but not crucial.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    afx237vi wrote:
    Frankly, even if you ignore the Puerto stuff, Valverde has got to go down as one of the most unexciting GT winners ever. Didn't win a stage, didn't attack once, only ever saw him sprinting for bonus seconds. Tedious.
    .

    Whatcha expect? It's a grand tour! It's not that often a fight for the overall becomes genuinely exciting.

    If you want rid of tedium, go watch some classics. :wink:
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • markwalker
    markwalker Posts: 953
    teagar wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Frankly, even if you ignore the Puerto stuff, Valverde has got to go down as one of the most unexciting GT winners ever. Didn't win a stage, didn't attack once, only ever saw him sprinting for bonus seconds. Tedious.
    .

    Whatcha expect? It's a grand tour! It's not that often a fight for the overall becomes genuinely exciting.

    If you want rid of tedium, go watch some classics. :wink:

    I never ubderstand why people watch a race unfold over three weeks if they find it tedious every time? Ive enjoyed all three tours this year fo different reasons.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    iainf72 wrote:

    Giro - After Menchov won the TT, was he ever close to being in trouble? Nope. It was a tedious event
    Absolutely.
    Mega long ITTs and the dredded TTT are killing attacking riding. After, his, Menchov only had to do what he does best - follow. Not an easy task, I know, but right up his street, given the form he was carrying.

    Oh for a GT with it's Queen stage well before a short ITT. Riders have it all figured, these days. Where and when to make the effort.
    iainf72 wrote:

    If Evans hadn't punctured, Valv probably wouldn't have shifted him and the dynamic would've changed a lot.

    Yes, then we might we'll have seen something more along the lines of the Dauphine.
    Valverde has learned to win, by becoming dull. First step, get ride of these time bonuses.
    Having said that, Caisse rode like the old USPS/Disco. Only Liquigas came close to matching them on the road.

    A strong case for consigning the TTT to history, adding more team invites and cutting teams to 8 riders.....maybe even 7.
    Make races harder to control.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    markwalker wrote:
    teagar wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Frankly, even if you ignore the Puerto stuff, Valverde has got to go down as one of the most unexciting GT winners ever. Didn't win a stage, didn't attack once, only ever saw him sprinting for bonus seconds. Tedious.
    .

    Whatcha expect? It's a grand tour! It's not that often a fight for the overall becomes genuinely exciting.

    If you want rid of tedium, go watch some classics. :wink:

    I never ubderstand why people watch a race unfold over three weeks if they find it tedious every time? Ive enjoyed all three tours this year fo different reasons.

    It's not tedious every time - but the Vuelta was. IMO, anyway.

    Besides, the classics don't guarantee excitement. Flanders has been negative racing for the past two years, Amstel and Fleche are basically bunch sprints up a hill, M-SR is hardly that different from a flat stage of a grand tour. Roubaix and Lombardy are the only two that guarantee attacking racing.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    A strong case for consigning the TTT to history, adding more team invites and cutting teams to 8 riders.....maybe even 7.
    Make races harder to control.

    +1
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    afx237vi wrote:
    markwalker wrote:
    teagar wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Frankly, even if you ignore the Puerto stuff, Valverde has got to go down as one of the most unexciting GT winners ever. Didn't win a stage, didn't attack once, only ever saw him sprinting for bonus seconds. Tedious.
    .

    Whatcha expect? It's a grand tour! It's not that often a fight for the overall becomes genuinely exciting.

    If you want rid of tedium, go watch some classics. :wink:

    I never ubderstand why people watch a race unfold over three weeks if they find it tedious every time? Ive enjoyed all three tours this year fo different reasons.

    It's not tedious every time - but the Vuelta was. IMO, anyway.

    Besides, the classics don't guarantee excitement. Flanders has been negative racing for the past two years, Amstel and Fleche are basically bunch sprints up a hill, M-SR is hardly that different from a flat stage of a grand tour. Roubaix and Lombardy are the only two that guarantee attacking racing.

    I agree on Lombardy i think its a great race that one ,always usually produces an attacking winner. I also agree on this years Vuelta in terms of excitment it produced squat diddly, a turgid yawnfest from start to finish.
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • markwalker
    markwalker Posts: 953
    Moray Gub wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    markwalker wrote:
    teagar wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Frankly, even if you ignore the Puerto stuff, Valverde has got to go down as one of the most unexciting GT winners ever. Didn't win a stage, didn't attack once, only ever saw him sprinting for bonus seconds. Tedious.
    .

    Whatcha expect? It's a grand tour! It's not that often a fight for the overall becomes genuinely exciting.

    If you want rid of tedium, go watch some classics. :wink:

    I never ubderstand why people watch a race unfold over three weeks if they find it tedious every time? Ive enjoyed all three tours this year fo different reasons.

    It's not tedious every time - but the Vuelta was. IMO, anyway.

    Besides, the classics don't guarantee excitement. Flanders has been negative racing for the past two years, Amstel and Fleche are basically bunch sprints up a hill, M-SR is hardly that different from a flat stage of a grand tour. Roubaix and Lombardy are the only two that guarantee attacking racing.

    I agree on Lombardy i think its a great race that one ,always usually produces an attacking winner. I also agree on this years Vuelta in terms of excitment it produced squat diddly, a turgid yawnfest from start to finish.

    Have to agree on Lombardy and PR. usually great if very different to watch.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    One day races aren't the same, riders will risk moves as if it doesn't work... well they tried and there's usually a team mate to try again after them.

    Do this in a GT and you blow your chances, it's all about gradually plugging away and letting your rivals disappear. In a stage race there's usually no other rider on the team to win, although some teams right now do have a second card to play.

    Personally I found the Giro exciting but was forced to suspend belief at times, the performances of some were literally unbelievable. Positive tests validated this after the race. But it was still exciting. I think next year's Giro will be interesting. Contador is on another level and so we might see more riders trying for the win in Italy.

    The Tour de France is always brilliant. Even if the yellow jersey is locked-down, the race for other jerseys is good, so are the battles for each stage. And the race is covered in such details that we see so many other stories, like the lanterne rouge or many other subplots.

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