La Vuelta 2020 - Stage 18: Hipodromo de la Zarzuela - Madrid, 124.2 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
in Pro race
Stage 18: Hipodromo de la Zarzuela - Madrid, 124.2 km
Sunday 8 November, 13.00 GMT.

Against all the odds and all the lockdowns and restrictions, La Vuelta has arrived at Madrid and we have arrived at the final day of this strange and protracted season. Even now, at the eleventh hour, we will have doubts as the whether the victory procession will be allowed and the sprinter's get a final chance to bag a stage on the 5.8 kilometres circuit in the city centre.



The horse race course Hipódromo de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid hosts the start of the last stage on la Vuelta. To all intents and purposes, the stage is flat.



Previous winners at the Plaza de Cibeles are Fabio Jakobsen (2019), Elia Viviani (2018), Matteo Trentin (2017), Magnus Cort (2016), John Degenkolb (2015, 2012), Michael Matthews (2013), Peter Sagan (2011), and Tyler Farrar (2010).
Only one of those, Magnus Cort, is here to try for the double.



Hipódromo de la Zarzuela

The Hipódromo de la Zarzuela is a race course on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. It was designed in the 1930s. The race course was in an advanced state in 1936, but damage caused by the Spanish Civil War delayed completion. Inauguration eventually took place in 1941.
Races held at the facility include the Gran Premio de Madrid which has been held there since 1941.
The race course is now protected by a heritage listing.



Madrid

75 stages of La Vuelta have had finales in Madrid
3.223.334 inhabitants

Madrid lies on the southern Meseta Central, 60 km south of the Guadarrama mountain range and straddling the Jarama and Manzanares river sub-drainage basins, in the wider Tagus River catchment area. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The city has almost 3.3 million[8] inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.5 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union.
The site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times.





Cuisine
The Madrilenian cuisine has received plenty of influences from other regions of Spain.
The cocido madrileño, a chickpea-based stew, is one of the most emblematic dishes of the Madrilenian cuisine.



The callos a la madrileña is another traditional winter specialty, usually made of cattle tripes.
Fried squid has become a culinary specialty in Madrid, often consumed in sandwich as bocata de calamares.



Other generic dishes commonly accepted as part of the Madrilenian cuisine include the potaje, the sopa de ajo (Garlic soup), the Spanish omelette.







"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Madrid is also a must for art lovers. Three great galleries:

    The Prado of course (mostly pre 20th century):




    The Reina Sofia (generally modern art):




    And Thyssen Bornemisza (a great mix of paintings spanning centuries):



    Twitter: @RichN95
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 599
    Agree re the art being major part of the city attractions
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    Bonus seconds up the wazoo in the Madrid Challenge finale, so Brennauer and Wiebes spent energy sprinting against each other before ELB went on a solo break and held on for quite a while, mopping up a fair haul of bonuses in the process.

    Balsamo beat Wiebes to win the stage and Brennauer did enough to win the GC. Since ELB wasn't able to finish solo, Deignan tops this season's WWT rankings.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    Celeste and red really don't go together.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.

    Although I'm now thinking of 90s pop duo Daphne and Celeste
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    edited November 2020
    Not helped by the clash with yellow team colours, i suppose when it was first introduced it pre dated modern fabrics and dyes. Old wool jerseys ect., Cycling buffs can cast more light on this I’m sure! .
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    Bianchi team colours. Celeste goes with celeste. 🤣
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Well that's over ... Next year I guess
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Thanks BS and all forum mods helpers for keeping it together this year
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    RichN95. said:

    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.

    Although I'm now thinking of 90s pop duo Daphne and Celeste
    You could say it's UGLY.
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    Oof. Ackermann holds Bennett off by a rim, so second place for the Irishman again. Ironically, Bora and Quick Step swap places from last year.

    Carthy's advantage over Dan Martin allowed him to ship 28 seconds to the main group (so 1:15 behind Rog in the final GC).
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    A close finish, but Ackermann finally gets his win.
    Hope the scrap for 3rd doesn't end in a DQF.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,833
    That's all 3 Grand Tours won by less than a minute this year then.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    mididoctors said:

    Well that's over ... Next year I guess

    Underwhelming.

    Ackerman takes the final day - two stages for him, one for Bennett.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    mrb123 said:

    That's all 3 Grand Tours won by less than a minute this year then.

    As I said yesterday, it goes to show a close GC doesn't equate to an exciting race. Giro and Tour were pretty good but this one was dire.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    edited November 2020
    Ignore
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    I thought this vuelta was ok . This compact season especially the GTs has been good for what it's worth.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.
    Sorry, but that is one beautiful kit


  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    edited November 2020
    This was pointed out earlier. 😉


    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    phreak said:

    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.
    Sorry, but that is one beautiful kit


    Black bike though.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Carapaz seems happy enough with his second place

    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    More to do with the fans than second place I think.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    From 2015 onwards the Team Classification has been by Movistar 61% of the time (11 out of 18). In that time only Astana (3), Sky/Ineos (3) and BMC (1) have won.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    pblakeney said:

    This was pointed out earlier. 😉


    All other kits happily existing, then Coppi comes along and shows them what's what

    https://youtu.be/hQxyxant3Yk?t=162
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,313
    phreak said:

    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.
    Sorry, but that is one beautiful kit


    Simple, easy colour to pick out, italian class. Just the name celeste says it all. You know what colour it is and what brand by that word.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    edited November 2020
    Never mind.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,823
    phreak said:

    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Celeste and red really don't go together.

    Celeste doesn't go with anything. It's a really odd choice of "iconic" colour.
    Sorry, but that is one beautiful kit


    It's really irritating me that I can't identify the climb in this picture. It's from the Sunday stage of the 03 Tour as it looks Pyrenean, but I can't remember exactly which climbs they went up that day. I want to say Peyresourde as a guess

    Kit's nice too, I spose ;)
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    takethehighroad said:



    It's really irritating me that I can't identify the climb in this picture. It's from the Sunday stage of the 03 Tour as it looks Pyrenean, but I can't remember exactly which climbs they went up that day. I want to say Peyresourde as a guess

    Kit's nice too, I spose ;)

    Looking at the similar images on Getty, I think it was the Sunday stage to Loudenville that Gibo Simoni won.
    Pretty sure it is the Peyresourde, if that is the case.


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    blazing_saddles said:

    takethehighroad said:



    It's really irritating me that I can't identify the climb in this picture. It's from the Sunday stage of the 03 Tour as it looks Pyrenean, but I can't remember exactly which climbs they went up that day. I want to say Peyresourde as a guess

    Kit's nice too, I spose ;)

    Looking at the similar images on Getty, I think it was the Sunday stage to Loudenville that Gibo Simoni won.
    Pretty sure it is the Peyresourde, if that is the case.


    Small group. Vino up the road. I'd say you're right.

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