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La Vuelta 2021 - Rest day one *SPOILERS*

No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 11,954
in Pro race
A grand tour should have a spoiler thread every day, even when they're not riding...

I've barely seen any of this years Vuelta though, so what's the chat? Roglic walkover? Ineos tactics? Movistar being Movistar?

How's young Pidcock doing? Does he have a role here, or is he free to ride and learn?

Bring me up to speed!
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  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 22,350
    Roglic walkover.
    Ineos failing.
    Moviestar 2 & 3. And team, natch.
    Pidcock on a training course.
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  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,527
    Roglic only has a 50% record of winning Grand Tours that he was 'definitely going win' at this stage
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  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 66,179 Lives Here
    The main chat is whoever is directing the TV it doesn't know anything about how to direct a bike race but does know a good dramatic story when they see it, with the full director's cut of Valverde's eventual withdrawal but otherwise appalling coverage which leaves most people with little idea of wtf is going on.
    _
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 66,179 Lives Here
    In other news, the Vuelta is still the ugliest of the 3 GTs.
    _
  • m.r.m.m.r.m. Posts: 2,901
    Due to moving house, only just having internet again and GCN+ having expired with no deal on the horizon, I've simply not seen a single stage yet, so it's hard to take part in any discussion really. 🤭
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  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 13,099
    It's been a very frustrating watch coverage wise . ... Ineos not really getting it together . Roglic looks very good for it. Movistar going to get on podium and are riding entertainingly ... Haig under the radar .
    "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
  • bm5bm5 Posts: 489
    Coverage is pretty ropey, cut away at vital moments, wobbly cameras.
    Roglic looking really happy and relaxed.
    Shame for Valverde on possibly his last Vuelta.
    Shame about Carthy as well.
    They travelled an awfully long way last week. A lot of teams have got little reward. I think there may be many more abandons in coming days.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 13,099
    RichN95. said:

    Roglic only has a 50% record of winning Grand Tours that he was 'definitely going win' at this stage

    I get a feeling everyone is banking on him collapsing in the 3rd .....may be wishful thinking
    "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
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 13,099
    Lack of itv4 Coverage has killed it in the forum I think
    "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
  • bianchi_davebianchi_dave Posts: 728
    Just can't get excited about this Vuelta, having seen very little due to work. What I have seen has been a snooze fest - who ever thought a flat sprint stage would be good on a Saturday?? Hardly compelling viewing.

    Roglic is an incredible athlete, no question, but he's just so dull. Tbf English is not his first language but he's just not a very exciting bike rider. Maybe its just me - I've watched a lot of cycling this year so perhaps I'm burnt out (kind of like this Vuelta).

    Roll on PR and the Worlds, and looking forward to ToB - especially last day when I'll cycle up the Cairn to see them fly up a climb that kills me.
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  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,565
    I think marking Carapaz as a potential leader was a mistake- he's clearly over the hill form-wise this year, and who can blame him after the Tour and Olympics. They'd probably have been better off with another domestique.

    Movistar look pretty good despite losing Valverde (and another I think?)
  • daniel_bdaniel_b Posts: 10,824
    edited August 2021
    rick_chasey said:

    The main chat is whoever is directing the TV it doesn't know anything about how to direct a bike race but does know a good dramatic story when they see it, with the full director's cut of Valverde's eventual withdrawal but otherwise appalling coverage which leaves most people with little idea of wtf is going on.

    I've watched it for many years, and this is really the worst footage of any grand tour I have ever seen - they must have changed production company/stopped paying them or something?
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  • r0bhr0bh Posts: 1,785
    mididoctors said:

    Lack of itv4 Coverage has killed it in the forum I think

    The highlights on Quest are so poor I've given up on them. Added to the terrible camera work and direction are random cuts in the highlights edit with no explanation e.g cut from the Valverde crash at 45km to go straight to 9km to go
  • elbowlohelbowloh Posts: 7,078
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    A grand tour should have a spoiler thread every day, even when they're not riding...

    I've barely seen any of this years Vuelta though, so what's the chat? Roglic walkover? Ineos tactics? Movistar being Movistar?

    How's young Pidcock doing? Does he have a role here, or is he free to ride and learn?

    Bring me up to speed!

    Same.

    I have Eurosport and have even set the tv box to record every stage and the highlights show and haven't managed to watch pretty much any of it apart from 5 minutes here and there.
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  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,346
    I've watched most of it. The day they showed the stage from the start was a good day of racing, and the day Cort won was a good last hour. There's been too much flat boringness on most of the other days, even when it finishes with a ramp at the end.

    Next weekend should be good.
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,527
    There's been a problem of sport overload this year. Euros, Tour and Olympics all in quick succession. The Vuelta's a bit of a hangover
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • daniel_bdaniel_b Posts: 10,824
    edited August 2021
    The opening week was pretty flat in many ways to be honest.

    Pidcock may have featured earlier in the stages, but I've only noted him a few times at the pointy end later in proceedings, and nowhere that I have seen in the closing km.
    I suspect he is just using this for miles in the legs, and experience more than anything.

    Mas is looking to be one of the few people who can really challenge Roglic.

    Carapaz and Bernal have looked to be in similar form, ie not as good as Roglic.
    Yates has looked really promising at times, but so far Movistar have always pulled him back, in support of Rog obviously.
    Carapaz looks to be struggling for absolute form, perhaps struggling post olympics, and Bernal may be having back issues again :-(
    I expect they are maybe thinking they should have bought Martinez instead of one of them.

    Saturday (14), Sunday (15), Wednesday (17) and Thursday (18) look like they might be the pick of the remaining stages, where someone/some teams might have a concerted crack at something.

    So far though, if someone attacks, Rog is more than up to closing it down when he feels like it, and then nipping past for bonus seconds as he does.
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  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,322
    mididoctors said:

    Lack of itv4 Coverage has killed it in the forum I think

    I think a lot of people are in my situation of having bought the early bird GCN offer around last year for 20 Squids, pretty much watched 2 full seasons of cycling, but now has to pay 40 squids to have a braying monkey ruining the coverage.

    I'm trying to get into watching the Quest highlights but sticking the last few kms of the stage on when the commentary is giving you zero context makes it a tough watch. All I'm really doing is following the Boulting/Millar podcast which, by not-design, only talks about it tangentially anyway...
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  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 22,350
    daniel_b said:


    So far though, if someone attacks, Rog is more than up to closing it down when he feels like it, and then nipping past for bonus seconds as he does.

    Yup!
    Makes it look like he has been on a cafe run prior to making the jump.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
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  • Mad_MalxMad_Malx Posts: 4,765
    ddraver said:

    mididoctors said:

    Lack of itv4 Coverage has killed it in the forum I think

    I think a lot of people are in my situation of having bought the early bird GCN offer around last year for 20 Squids, pretty much watched 2 full seasons of cycling, but now has to pay 40 squids to have a braying monkey ruining the coverage.

    I'm trying to get into watching the Quest highlights but sticking the last few kms of the stage on when the commentary is giving you zero context makes it a tough watch.
    This is exactly where I am.
  • yorkshirerawyorkshireraw Posts: 1,620
    I too hope Pidcock is in there for training miles, prior to a proper good crack at the WCs and PR.
  • gsk82gsk82 Posts: 3,247
    yorkshireraw said:

    I too hope Pidcock is in there for training miles, prior to a proper good crack at the WCs and PR.

    I hope he's been riding himself in to form with the intention of winning 5 stages in the next 2 weeks
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  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,346
    I like Fabio Aru's shoes:


  • takethehighroadtakethehighroad Posts: 6,231
    Mad_Malx said:

    ddraver said:

    mididoctors said:

    Lack of itv4 Coverage has killed it in the forum I think

    I think a lot of people are in my situation of having bought the early bird GCN offer around last year for 20 Squids, pretty much watched 2 full seasons of cycling, but now has to pay 40 squids to have a braying monkey ruining the coverage.

    I'm trying to get into watching the Quest highlights but sticking the last few kms of the stage on when the commentary is giving you zero context makes it a tough watch.
    This is exactly where I am.
    Me too, along with the sports overload this summer and the knowledge that it's a Spring Classics World's and Roubaix in 4 weeks time.

    Will probably watch loads of the TOB as that's ITV4 and then look for the next GCN offer
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