La Vuelta a España 2018 - Pre race chat

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  • pat1cp
    pat1cp Posts: 766
    inseine wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Read something yesterday that said if one of the Yates boys (or Tao Geoghegan Hart :wink: ) wins, it would be the first time all three GTs in a year have been won by riders from the same country.

    I heard the Cycling Podcast joking about three British winners being a first. I quick wiki search says that the French won all three in 1964

    and Spain in 2008


    Could it possibly be a first that three different riders from the same country won three GT's ? I'm guessing that in '64 & 2008 two of them were won by the same bloke.
    http://tinyurl.com/332edp
    http://tinyurl.com/2nu7r3
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    pat1cp wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Read something yesterday that said if one of the Yates boys (or Tao Geoghegan Hart :wink: ) wins, it would be the first time all three GTs in a year have been won by riders from the same country.

    I heard the Cycling Podcast joking about three British winners being a first. I quick wiki search says that the French won all three in 1964

    and Spain in 2008


    Could it possibly be a first that three different riders from the same country won three GT's ? I'm guessing that in '64 & 2008 two of them were won by the same bloke.

    Now you're onto something. Anquetil and Contador in the others as you suggested.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    inseine wrote:
    pat1cp wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Read something yesterday that said if one of the Yates boys (or Tao Geoghegan Hart :wink: ) wins, it would be the first time all three GTs in a year have been won by riders from the same country.

    I heard the Cycling Podcast joking about three British winners being a first. I quick wiki search says that the French won all three in 1964

    and Spain in 2008


    Could it possibly be a first that three different riders from the same country won three GT's ? I'm guessing that in '64 & 2008 two of them were won by the same bloke.

    Now you're onto something. Anquetil and Contador in the others as you suggested.

    That's it. I missed out a small but important detail :oops:
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Sounds a bit like Thomas to me, though in reverse I suppose. Could he be a challenger?

    ''Kwiatkowski has shown promise as a Grand Tour rider in the past with his 11th place at the 2013 Tour de France. In recent years, however, he has turned his focus to the Classics and shorter stage races, while riding in a support role in three-week races. The Polish national champion has had a strong 2018 campaign with overall victories at the Volta ao Algarve and Tirreno-Adriatico at the start of the season.''
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    RichN95 wrote:
    If Nibali doesn't ride for GC as he says, this will be only the fifth GC this decade (including 2010) without Froome, Contador or Nibali on the podium. That's 22 of the last 26 that have featured at least one of them on the podium. The last without them was the 2015 Vuelta.

    And Nibali had got himself DQ from that one.

    EDIT - Aru, J Rod, Majka was the top 3.

    EDIT EDIT - this is also the one Froome crashed and broke his foot.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    The issue with Kwiatkowski is whether he is willing to go that deep or save a little in the tank for worlds. I think worlds is a bigger goal for him.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    M.R.M. wrote:
    The issue with Kwiatkowski is whether he is willing to go that deep or save a little in the tank for worlds. I think worlds is a bigger goal for him.
    I would be gobsmacked if Kwiatkowski is anywhere near the podium on this parcours. That 2013 TDF referred to earlier contained a 25km TTT plus two individual TTs, each of more than 32km. He lost time on every uphill finish. When has Kwiatkowski ever shown any ability to consistently stick with the best climbers?
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I’d be surprised if Kwiatkowski wins but mainly because it wasn’t on his radar all year. He’s been performing Domestique duties in the mountains before but has climbed with the best. His TTing prowess is exactly what’s needed to be a GT contender.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,784
    CarbonClem wrote:
    Was Portes injuries ever really confirmed? It seemed at the time he may have over reacted a bit and wasn't as hurt as originally thought, but had to see it through. If he wasn't badly injured he'll surely be looking for another chance to muck it up?.


    “Richie Porte set to miss Vuelta a Espana team presentation because of gastroenteritis”
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    FFS. Please God can he just have one solid stab at a 3 week GT
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,548
    Shirley Basso wrote:
    FFS. Please God can he just have one solid stab at a 3 week GT
    He's probably praying for one of those at the moment...
  • frisbee
    frisbee Posts: 691
    DeadCalm wrote:
    M.R.M. wrote:
    The issue with Kwiatkowski is whether he is willing to go that deep or save a little in the tank for worlds. I think worlds is a bigger goal for him.
    I would be gobsmacked if Kwiatkowski is anywhere near the podium on this parcours. That 2013 TDF referred to earlier contained a 25km TTT plus two individual TTs, each of more than 32km. He lost time on every uphill finish. When has Kwiatkowski ever shown any ability to consistently stick with the best climbers?

    His finish line has always been 3 km before the best climbers finish line.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    frisbee wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    M.R.M. wrote:
    The issue with Kwiatkowski is whether he is willing to go that deep or save a little in the tank for worlds. I think worlds is a bigger goal for him.
    I would be gobsmacked if Kwiatkowski is anywhere near the podium on this parcours. That 2013 TDF referred to earlier contained a 25km TTT plus two individual TTs, each of more than 32km. He lost time on every uphill finish. When has Kwiatkowski ever shown any ability to consistently stick with the best climbers?

    His finish line has always been 3 km before the best climbers finish line.
    Which is the same for many domestiques out there, a bunch of whom have a reasonable TT also.

    Kwiatkowski is a cracking rider who has proven that he can go up short climbs super quick and can ride the bottom half of a climb hard enough that he can put anyone who is not on a good day in trouble, before grinding to a standstill. However, my impression is that, when the climbing has gotten serious, he has tended to get dropped even if he hasn't been called upon to do his turn at the front by that stage. Feel free to provide examples to the contrary.
  • coopster_the_1st
    coopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    DeadCalm wrote:
    frisbee wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    M.R.M. wrote:
    The issue with Kwiatkowski is whether he is willing to go that deep or save a little in the tank for worlds. I think worlds is a bigger goal for him.
    I would be gobsmacked if Kwiatkowski is anywhere near the podium on this parcours. That 2013 TDF referred to earlier contained a 25km TTT plus two individual TTs, each of more than 32km. He lost time on every uphill finish. When has Kwiatkowski ever shown any ability to consistently stick with the best climbers?

    His finish line has always been 3 km before the best climbers finish line.
    Which is the same for many domestiques out there, a bunch of whom have a reasonable TT also.

    Kwiatkowski is a cracking rider who has proven that he can go up short climbs super quick and can ride the bottom half of a climb hard enough that he can put anyone who is not on a good day in trouble, before grinding to a standstill. However, my impression is that, when the climbing has gotten serious, he has tended to get dropped even if he hasn't been called upon to do his turn at the front by that stage. Feel free to provide examples to the contrary.

    I agree with your point above but he has won T-A and Volta Algarve this season, both of which are predominantly won by the best GC racers. We would also have said the same about Geraint Thomas a couple of seasons ago and Sky now have a proven method of turning a great cyclist into a GT winner.

    I don't think he'll win. I think if he is in contention he'll have a bad day and drop out of the running but I much prefer his odds EW than I do for Aru or George Bennett

    Porte is my favourite but he needs to finish to win.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    Coopster the 1st wrote:

    Porte is my favourite but he needs to finish to win.

    He needs to start as well.... :shock:
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Coopster the 1st wrote:

    Porte is my favourite but he needs to finish to win.

    He needs to start as well.... :shock:

    “If I can’t start cos I’m on the sh!tter, then at least I can’t be called a quitter”, is what Porte is possibly not saying to himself right now...
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Coopster the 1st wrote:

    Porte is my favourite but he needs to finish to win.

    He needs to start as well.... :shock:

    “If I can’t start cos I’m on the sh!tter, then at least I can’t be called a quitter”, is what Porte is possibly not saying to himself right now...

    Hahahah he just doesn’t have the bottle, he’s uncomfortable with gc leadership duties it seems. He was a very good domestique though.
  • shipley
    shipley Posts: 549
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Yay. My man rides.

    Team Sky for the Vuelta a Espana: Michal Kwiatkowski, David de la Cruz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Castroviejo, Sergio Henao, Salvatore Puccio, Pavel Sivakov and Dylan van Baarle

    Sky being fairly vague as to their objectives:

    "Having enjoyed a period of sustained success – winning the last four Grand Tours, including the Giro d’Italia in May and the Tour de France last month – the team will now be looking to leave its mark on the Vuelta a España.

    The squad of Michal Kwiatkowski, David de la Cruz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Castroviejo, Sergio Henao, Salvatore Puccio, Pavel Sivakov and Dylan van Baarle represents an exciting blend of youth and experience – riders making their Grand Tour debuts at the start of their careers; riders who have experience of winning Grand Tours with Team Sky; and riders looking to make the final step in performance as GC riders in their own right."


    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.
  • mamil314
    mamil314 Posts: 1,103
    Shipley wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Yay. My man rides.

    Team Sky for the Vuelta a Espana: Michal Kwiatkowski, David de la Cruz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Castroviejo, Sergio Henao, Salvatore Puccio, Pavel Sivakov and Dylan van Baarle

    Sky being fairly vague as to their objectives:

    "Having enjoyed a period of sustained success – winning the last four Grand Tours, including the Giro d’Italia in May and the Tour de France last month – the team will now be looking to leave its mark on the Vuelta a España.

    The squad of Michal Kwiatkowski, David de la Cruz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Castroviejo, Sergio Henao, Salvatore Puccio, Pavel Sivakov and Dylan van Baarle represents an exciting blend of youth and experience – riders making their Grand Tour debuts at the start of their careers; riders who have experience of winning Grand Tours with Team Sky; and riders looking to make the final step in performance as GC riders in their own right."


    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.


    Such disrespect to the ToB.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,436
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    How dare a cycling team win bike races. It's outrageous.
  • wotnoshoeseh
    wotnoshoeseh Posts: 531
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Read something yesterday that said if one of the Yates boys (or Tao Geoghegan Hart :wink: ) wins, it would be the first time all three GTs in a year have been won by riders from the same country.

    The same country?? I didn't know Geoegehan Hart and the Yates boys were from Kenya or Wales??

    Oops sorry, that's two countries.... Or are we thinking that Wales and Kenya are in some other "country" called Britain??

    Or should that be Great Britain?? :wink:
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    wotnoshoeseh wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Read something yesterday that said if one of the Yates boys (or Tao Geoghegan Hart :wink: ) wins, it would be the first time all three GTs in a year have been won by riders from the same country.

    The same country?? I didn't know Geoegehan Hart and the Yates boys were from Kenya or Wales??

    Oops sorry, that's two countries.... Or are we thinking that Wales and Kenya are in some other "country" called Britain??

    Or should that be Great Britain?? :wink:

    Boring
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    Which Tours did you enjoy so much more than this years? We’re you on the edge of your seat during the Indurain or Armstrong years?
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    Which Tours did you enjoy so much more than this years? We’re you on the edge of your seat during the Indurain or Armstrong years?
    Armstrong (and to a lesser extent Indurain) had the decency to stay clear of the Vuelta.

    Personally, I tend to prefer the three / four year periods between dominant eras where the winner tends to be more unpredictable and the racing is more interesting. Fingers crossed, we're due one of those periods soon.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    wotnoshoeseh wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Read something yesterday that said if one of the Yates boys (or Tao Geoghegan Hart :wink: ) wins, it would be the first time all three GTs in a year have been won by riders from the same country.

    The same country?? I didn't know Geoegehan Hart and the Yates boys were from Kenya or Wales??

    Oops sorry, that's two countries.... Or are we thinking that Wales and Kenya are in some other "country" called Britain??

    Or should that be Great Britain?? :wink:

    Pathetic little Englander rasicm.
  • shipley
    shipley Posts: 549
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    Which Tours did you enjoy so much more than this years? We’re you on the edge of your seat during the Indurain or Armstrong years?

    2014 Giro
    2014 Vuelta
    2015 Giro
    2015 Vuelta
    2016 Giro
    2016 Vuelta
    2017 Giro

    Any more questions ?
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Shipley wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    Which Tours did you enjoy so much more than this years? We’re you on the edge of your seat during the Indurain or Armstrong years?

    2014 Giro
    2014 Vuelta
    2015 Giro
    2015 Vuelta
    2016 Giro
    2016 Vuelta
    2017 Giro

    Any more questions ?

    You’ve not been cycling very long have you? Or has it just been best in the last 4 years?
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Sky still in the top spot in the TT. Business as usual ;)
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • shipley
    shipley Posts: 549
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    Which Tours did you enjoy so much more than this years? We’re you on the edge of your seat during the Indurain or Armstrong years?

    2014 Giro
    2014 Vuelta
    2015 Giro
    2015 Vuelta
    2016 Giro
    2016 Vuelta
    2017 Giro

    Any more questions ?

    You’ve not been cycling very long have you? Or has it just been best in the last 4 years?

    Wow you’re full of pointless comments. Want me to list every stage race that Sky haven’t won ?
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    Shipley wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    inseine wrote:
    Shipley wrote:
    Please God can we have a tour without them spoiling it. An open race with a newish GC winner would be very gratefully received in this household. Bored to tears with Sky and their antics. At least the stick insect isn’t riding.

    Which Tours did you enjoy so much more than this years? We’re you on the edge of your seat during the Indurain or Armstrong years?

    2014 Giro
    2014 Vuelta
    2015 Giro
    2015 Vuelta
    2016 Giro
    2016 Vuelta
    2017 Giro

    Any more questions ?

    You’ve not been cycling very long have you? Or has it just been best in the last 4 years?

    Wow you’re full of pointless comments. Want me to list every stage race that Sky haven’t won ?

    Isn't that what you were doing?
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago

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