La Vuelta build up

red.rider

I just compiled the PTP thread, but will only post it on Wednesday so it doesn't get lost in the mix.
Anyway, here are the stage profiles. There's a distinct lack of hockey sticks this year, although there are quite a few saw blades

The Stages
Stage 1 -- TTT -- Saturday, August 24, 2019 -- Salinas de Torrevieja > Torrevieja -- 13.4 km


Stage 2 -- Hilly -- Sunday, August 25, 2019 -- Benidorm > Calpe -- 199.6 km


Stage 3 -- Flat -- Monday, August 26, 2019 -- Ibi. Ciudad del Juguete > Alicante -- 188 km


Stage 4 -- Flat -- Tuesday, August 27, 2019 -- Cullera > El Puig -- 175.5 km


Stage 5 -- Hilly -- Wednesday, August 28, 2019 -- L' Eliana > Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre -- 170.7 km


Stage 6 -- Hilly -- Thursday, August 29, 2019 -- Mora de Rubielos > Ares del Maestrat -- 198.9 km


Stage 7 -- Mountain -- Friday, August 30, 2019 -- Onda > Mas de la Costa -- 183.2 km


Stage 8 -- Hilly -- Saturday, August 31, 2019 -- Valls > Igualada -- 166.9 km


Stage 9 -- Mountain -- Sunday, September 1, 2019 -- Andorra la Vella > Cortals d'Encamp -- 94.4 km


Rest day -- Monday, September 2, 2019 -- Pau

Stage 10 -- ITT -- Tuesday, September 3, 2019 -- Jurançon > Pau -- 36.2 km


Stage 11 -- Mountain -- Wednesday, September 4, 2019 -- Saint Palais > Urdax-Dantxarinea -- 180 km


Stage 12 -- Mountain -- Thursday, September 5, 2019 -- Circuito de Navarra > Bilbao -- 171.4 km


Stage 13 -- Mountain -- Friday, September 6, 2019 -- Bilbao > Los Machucos. Monumento Vaca Pasiega -- 166.4 km


Stage 14 -- Flat -- Saturday, September 7, 2019 -- San Vicente de la Barquera > Oviedo -- 188 km


Stage 15 -- Mountain -- Sunday, September 8, 2019 -- Tineo > Santuario del Acebo -- 154.4 km


Stage 16 -- Mountain -- Monday, September 9, 2019 -- Pravia > Alto de La Cubilla. Lena -- 144.4 km


Rest day -- Tuesday, September 10, 2019 -- Burgos

Stage 17 -- Flat -- Wednesday, September 11, 2019 -- Aranda de Duero > Guadalajara -- 219.6 km


Stage 18 -- Mountain -- Thursday, September 12, 2019 -- Comunidad de Madrid. Colmenar Viejo > Becerril de la Sierra -- 177.5 km


Stage 19 -- Flat -- Friday, September 13, 2019 -- Ávila > Toledo -- 165.2 km


Stage 20 -- Mountain -- Saturday, September 14, 2019 -- Arenas de San Pedro > Plataforma de Gredos -- 190.4 km


Stage 21 -- Flat -- Sunday, September 15, 2019 -- Fuenlabrada > Madrid -- 106.6 km

Pross

Only 2 Esp cat climbs (the second doesn't look that difficult when looking at the bare numbers with 600m of ascent in 7km) and one peak over 2000m seems quite tame for the Vuelta. Lots of lumpy stages though.

RichN95.

This stage looks like potential chaos to me. They are essentially going over two mountains, then doing a little loop and going back over them in the opposite direction.

Is the loop long enough for the break not to collide with the gruppetto?
What do the fans do? Are there going to be huge numbers of fans on the descents?

RichN95.

TheBigBean wrote:

Is Cavendish riding?

No

TheBigBean

RichN95 wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Is Cavendish riding?

No

Any reason beyond the usual it's too hot? If he wants to return to proper racing he needs to return to proper racing.

RichN95.

TheBigBean wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Is Cavendish riding?

No

Any reason beyond the usual it's too hot? If he wants to return to proper racing he needs to return to proper racing.

I guess because there's not much there after stage 4 for an out of form sprinter. Better off looking elsewhere to get back into it.

rick_chasey

So who on the start list is actually targeting this race as a priority rather than doing it either as prep for something else, trying to salvage a bad season (either by performance or injury) or doing it because they have to?

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

So who on the start list is actually targeting this race as a priority rather than doing it either as prep for something else, trying to salvage a bad season (either by performance or injury) or doing it because they have to?

The ones who did the Giro and not the Tour I guess. Roglic and Lopez. Maybe Carapaz. Plus youngsters like Pogacar and maybe Sosa.

rick_chasey

Yeah. It’s hard to tell (and a problem with the race).

You’d have to put carapaz as the favourite surely.

rick_chasey

For those who are interested in the classics, worth keeping an eye on the flat classics riders who have a crash free Vuelta with the odd flurry of interest as they often do well going into next season. Usually quit after 2-2.5 weeks.

Pross

RichN95 wrote:

This stage looks like potential chaos to me. They are essentially going over two mountains, then doing a little loop and going back over them in the opposite direction.

Is the loop long enough for the break not to collide with the gruppetto?
What do the fans do? Are there going to be huge numbers of fans on the descents?

Seems to be a loop of around 20k so around 30 minutes riding time. They should be OK. Good point about spectators on the descents although you don't get particularly big crowds mid stage at the Vuelta though (first descent / final climb might be an issue though).

andyp

RichN95 wrote:

The ones who did the Giro and not the Tour I guess. Roglic and Lopez. Maybe Carapaz. Plus youngsters like Pogacar and maybe Sosa.

Give it up, Rich, he won't be on the start line.

FocusZing

ddraver

RichN95 wrote:

This stage looks like potential chaos to me. They are essentially going over two mountains, then doing a little loop and going back over them in the opposite direction.

Is the loop long enough for the break not to collide with the gruppetto?
What do the fans do? Are there going to be huge numbers of fans on the descents?

The longest Links Rechts ever...

No_Ta_Doctor

Pross wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

This stage looks like potential chaos to me. They are essentially going over two mountains, then doing a little loop and going back over them in the opposite direction.

Is the loop long enough for the break not to collide with the gruppetto?
What do the fans do? Are there going to be huge numbers of fans on the descents?

Seems to be a loop of around 20k so around 30 minutes riding time. They should be OK. Good point about spectators on the descents although you don't get particularly big crowds mid stage at the Vuelta though (first descent / final climb might be an issue though).

It took me bloody ages to work out what was going on there. Should have got a Belgian to draw the map.

m.r.m.

Seems like a rather low amount of TT km's.

r0bh

Ineos:
Tao GH
Wout Poels
Owain Doull
Kenny Elissonde
Sebastian Henao
Vasil Kiryienka
Salvatore Puccio
Ian Stannard

Pross

r0bh wrote:

Ineos:
Tao GH
Wout Poels
Owain Doull
Kenny Elissonde
Sebastian Henao
Vasil Kiryienka
Salvatore Puccio
Ian Stannard

Possibly the weakest GC squad they've put out since Sky's debut season although Poels could be an outside bet. Then again I'm not quite sure yet what TGH is capable of and he has already surprised me a few times with his results.

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

Possibly the weakest GC squad they've put out since Sky's debut season although Poels could be an outside bet. Then again I'm not quite sure yet what TGH is capable of and he has already surprised me a few times with his results.

My counter offer is 'the one where Cataldo was leader'. The 2014 Giro as it turns out

191 CATALDO Dario
192 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
193 DEIGNAN Philip
194 EISEL Bernhard
195 HENAO Sebastián
196 SUTTON Chris
197 PUCCIO Salvatore
198 SIUTSOU Kanstantsin
199 SWIFT Ben

They got a second and third on stages. Henao was 22nd

No_Ta_Doctor

Looking forward to seeing how Tao goes.

andyp

Pross wrote:

r0bh wrote:

Ineos:
Tao GH
Wout Poels
Owain Doull
Kenny Elissonde
Sebastian Henao
Vasil Kiryienka
Salvatore Puccio
Ian Stannard

Possibly the weakest GC squad they've put out since Sky's debut season although Poels could be an outside bet. Then again I'm not quite sure yet what TGH is capable of and he has already surprised me a few times with his results.

The Giro squad this season was weaker. Poels was 6th in the Veulta in 2017, despite working for Froome all race. He's out of contract too, and rumoured to be Sunweb bound, so a decent showing here will increase his value.

RichN95.

andyp wrote:

The Giro squad this season was weaker. Poels was 6th in the Veulta in 2017, despite working for Froome all race. He's out of contract too, and rumoured to be Sunweb bound, so a decent showing here will increase his value.

Whatever he's doing he will have signed the contract by now

phreak

Roglic and Carapaz seem the standouts. Both have pedigree and excellent teams behind them.

shipley

M.R.M. wrote:

Seems like a rather low amount of TT km's.

Good

Pross

andyp wrote:

Pross wrote:

r0bh wrote:

Ineos:
Tao GH
Wout Poels
Owain Doull
Kenny Elissonde
Sebastian Henao
Vasil Kiryienka
Salvatore Puccio
Ian Stannard

Possibly the weakest GC squad they've put out since Sky's debut season although Poels could be an outside bet. Then again I'm not quite sure yet what TGH is capable of and he has already surprised me a few times with his results.

The Giro squad this season was weaker. Poels was 6th in the Veulta in 2017, despite working for Froome all race. He's out of contract too, and rumoured to be Sunweb bound, so a decent showing here will increase his value.

The Giro squad was due to Bernal's late withdrawal though and still had two of the future hopes in it. Poels doesn't seem to like being a GT leader but I'm certainly interested to see how Tao gets on.

rick_chasey

Who's got Hugh Carthy down for another top 10?

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Who's got Hugh Carthy down for another top 10?

"Another" suggests that there's been a previous top 10

rick_chasey

Fair.

In my mind he was top 10 in the Giro.

(He was 11th)

gethinceri

Give it a few years and he'll have been bumped into the top ten.

andyp

Rick Chasey wrote:

Fair.

In my mind he was top 10 in the Giro.

(He was 11th)

He was ever present in the final week of the Giro, which was impressive. That one bad day in the second week cost him a top ten placing.