Official Vuelta 2013 Route

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
edited January 2013 in Pro race
Is out.
All profiles already online.
http://www.lavuelta.com/13/es/recorrido/vuelta.html

So many mountaintop finish. Several of them are seriously hard.

10_perfil.png

14_perfil.png

15_perfil.png

Not to mention the penultimate day with the Angliru.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

Comments

  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    This should be a good spectacle but last year was so tough and this year is even tougher I fear they may have many riders choosing not to ride it. Looking forward to it none the less.

    vuelta+2013.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Rider comments:
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riders- ... elta-route

    It appears as if there are fewer of those explosive finishes and more 'normal' climbs, which gives it a different dimension.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    it must kill the organisers to have to include ANY sprinter stages, TTs or transition days. Oh well, give them another couple of years and they'll have that sorted.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Depends if there's a young spanish sprinter in the wings or not. If we get an El Cavendishio you can guarantee there won't be so much as a large bridge in the route...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Some fans lust after mountain top finishes. Others (like me) think that repetition of anything is not good.

    So - 11 MTFs - epic or boring? I'll say the latter at this point.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited January 2013
    Double post
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    RichN95 wrote:
    Some fans lust after mountain top finishes. Others (like me) think that repetition of anything is not good.

    So - 11 MTFs - epic or boring? I'll say the latter at this point.

    I'll agree-but only the once. :wink:
    Whole idea of a GT is to find the best overall rider.
    While it's OK to tip the balance a little in favour of an ITT specialist, or a climber,
    11 MTFs is serious overkill.

    I suspect there being no Spanish sprinter and limited money for lengthy televising, is driving this rational.
    Should end up being.........repetitive.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    Dad resides in Galicia, so Im pleased to see plenty of stages in that part of Spain. Im sure I'll be heading over to watch some
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Cogidubnus wrote:
    Dad resides in Galicia, so Im pleased to see plenty of stages in that part of Spain. Im sure I'll be heading over to watch some
    A beautiful part of Spain, will look great on TV. Already looking forward to the 'end of the world stage'. A bit surprised all those stages avoid the main cities, apart from Vigo. No Santiago, no Coruna, Lugo or Ourense. Weird.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Guess they are just making sure they get a Spanish winner. Even the TT has a hill in it again this year.

    I enjoyed the 2012 Vuelta, but did start to tire of all the 3 way uphill sprints, felt like watching La Fleche Wallone over and over again.

    The key though is the strength of the field, if one rider dominates the uphill finishes it could get very boring very quickly.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    last year it felt like groundhog day after a while
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    inkyfingers wrote:
    I enjoyed the 2012 Vuelta, but did start to tire of all the 3 way uphill sprints, felt like watching La Fleche Wallone over and over again.

    That's exactly the phrase I was going to use as well.

    The fact is that having so many MTF finishes doesn't increase attacking riding, it often leads to the opposite. The GC riders tend to just conserve their energy and mark each other until the last few stages.

    The Vuelta is still a good spectacle but it's becoming a bit of a novelty race to be honest.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    13 mountain stages?

    Bloody hell.


    They've found their niche I guess.
    _
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    The organisers must be banking on a larger list of contenders for the MTFs making it to the Vuelta in some sort of shape this year. Otherwise they could end up shooting themselves in the foot.
    Perennial White Hope (now looking a bit Grey) Rujano ( Vacansoleil) usually generates a bit of excitement - before he fizzles out after 2 difficult days and then has a strop. And maybe Pozzovivo and AG-2R might make it, along with a whole host of Colombians who will be looking to save their seasons and quiet any grumbling critics banging on about how their apprentice period is over and they need to start producing results, etc. Quintana has shown flashes of brilliance.
    One of them will have a breakthrough year, surely?

    Andy Schleck would probably do well to seriously consider the Vuelta this year, too: all being well (although he's a Shleck - what am I saying?!) it should coincide with him running out of hip excuses...
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    The organisers must be banking on a larger list of contenders for the MTFs making it to the Vuelta in some sort of shape this year. Otherwise they could end up shooting themselves in the foot.
    Perennial White Hope (now looking a bit Grey) Rujano ( Vacansoleil) usually generates a bit of excitement - before he fizzles out after 2 difficult days and then has a strop. And maybe Pozzovivo and AG-2R might make it, along with a whole host of Colombians who will be looking to save their seasons and quiet any grumbling critics banging on about how their apprentice period is over and they need to start producing results, etc. Quintana has shown flashes of brilliance.
    One of them will have a breakthrough year, surely?

    Andy Schleck would probably do well to seriously consider the Vuelta this year, too: all being well (although he's a Shleck - what am I saying?!) it should coincide with him running out of hip excuses...



    Hip as in Hoxton Hipster? Hip Daddy-O?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    It is a bit climb heavy but at least there's more variation in the climbs. Last year all those 'fairly short but steep' finishes got a bit tedious, at least there appears to be more longer climbs and more multiple climb stages. Hopefully this will give a better possible spread of winners. With a bit of luck a few riders will give the Tour a miss and come into the Vuelta fresh.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    It depends how the race develops but I thought 2012 was the best Vuelta in a decade and one of the best GTs I can remember. The 2013 route is fine by me.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    You have to feel a bit sorry for the Vuelta. After being relegated to 3d place GT, when they were shuffled a good while back. Unless a top contender has missed the TDF, for whatever reason, the very top guys, in general, tend to give it a miss. Unless they are Spanish of course.
    Now they seen stuck in a dilemma. Make it all hills, to almost guarantee a Spanish winner, or go for a balanced route and try to attract the best guys.
    If they do the former the race seems to get more marginalised, do the latter and there is no guarantee the top guys will turn up as its late in the season and most have already ridden there target races.
  • IanSmitton
    IanSmitton Posts: 12
    I was a bit surprised by the route; makes it almost impossible to compete seriously at the TdF and the Vuelta. Will be interesting to see what the top Spanish riders look to peak for. Presumably Contador will go for the Tour, possibly Rodriguez as well and then whoever leads Movistar there.

    If some of the best climbers are not focussing on the Vuelta, it might allow a couple of outside bets to challenge for the podium; someone like Quintana or whoever will lead Sky.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Valverde?
    _

Categories