La Vuelta 2022:- Stage 1 - Utrecht - Utrecht 23.2km TTT. ***Spoilers***

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,676
edited August 2022 in Pro race
Stage 1 - Utrecht - Utrecht 23.2km TTT.

Start Time: 18:30CET.

Friday, August 19th sees Utrecht complete their Grand Tour triple, having previously hosted both the Tour and Giro. Whereas the previous Grand Departs in the Netherlands featured individual time trials, the Vuelta a España opening stage will be a highly technical 23.3-kilometre team time trial. The route is pan flat but the twists and turns and narrow roads will add a level of difficulty to keeping eight riders together and coordinated while pushing flat.



The race starts and finishes near the Jaarbeurs. The first kilometres of the route run through the city centre before the teams continue to Overvecht, a post-war neighborhood in the northern part of Utrecht. The TTT winds its way counter-clockwise around the city centre, tackling sharp turns, roundabouts.



Final Kms.

The course loops under itself, taking a bus route back toward the city centre for a finish next to the central station where the first leader of the race will be lauded.



Utrecht

Population 359,355
Utrecht is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Netherlands.
Utrecht is one of the world’s largest cycling capitals. The Dutch city, with its mostly flat terrain, has an excellent infrastructure in which it has consistently invested in over the past few decades, making it the proud bike-friendly city it is today. With its extensive bike lanes and bike parking facilities capable of accommodating over 12,500 bikes, Utrecht is a cycling paradise thanks to its devotion to this clean, modern and sustainable mode of transport.



Utrecht is home to Utrecht University, the largest university in the Netherlands, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Due to its central position within the country, it is an important hub for both rail and road transport; it contains the busiest train station in the Netherlands. In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world's unsung places.



The area surrounding Utrecht Centraal railway station and the station itself were developed following modernist ideas of the 1960s, in a brutalist style. This development led to the construction of the shopping mall Hoog Catharijne.



Bitterballen is a classic food that you’ll find at most bars around the Netherlands. They’re usually ordered or served as snacks accompanied with drinks, and there’s nothing bitter about them! Those small, fried, bread-crumbed balls contain a mixture of veal and beef ragout to go with mustard.



Stampot

Stampot which means mash pot is a mixture of mashed potatoes with other veggies – onion, cabbage, lettuce, carrot, turnip greens, kale, or sauerkraut – and a smoked sausage called rookworst. My personal preference is stampot made of potatoes, spinach, onion, mushrooms and bacon.



Ontbijtkoek

The Ontbijtkoek is a delicious ginger-spiced cake made with rye flour. Spices used include ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sometimes a candied citrus peel called succade is also added.



The Utrecht Craft Beer Tour is an alternative bike tour through the city of Utrecht. During the bike tour you will be accompanied by one of our guides. All of our local guides are hugely passionate about craft beers. During the trip they will share their practical knowledge about local beers, the brewing process and the city of Utrecht. However, the most important part of the tour is, of course, the beer tastings. During the tour, we will be tasting a variety of different speciality beers. Like, for example, Pale Ales, IPA’s, Stoutes, Porters, Wheat beers and experimental beers. Taste at least 6 different tasting glasses of locally crafted beer, on three unique locations. The Utrecht hopspots are scattered across the city, off the beaten track, so the tour will also give you a really new and unique way of discovering this beautiful city. At the end of the tour, you too will be able to tell the difference between the various types of craft beer.










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

  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,451
    Fantastic choice of first photo of Utrecht. Stunning.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    I don’t really want to be picky but are we not missing something to 🍺
  • webboo said:

    I don’t really want to be picky but are we not missing something to 🍺

    Sorted.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Weather wise, it looks as if the teams also face a bit of a lottery for their time trials.



    Just what the teams need, given the course is already described as twisting and technical.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087

    webboo said:

    I don’t really want to be picky but are we not missing something to 🍺

    Sorted.
    🍻
  • Caught the end of the MTB on the BBC and Hatch was commentating.

    Immediately filled me with dread for the next 3 weeks
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,156
    edited August 2022
    They’re off. Big Crowds
  • Kirby fans rejoice.
    The more is less man is revving it up on comms.

    Not much rain. Meh.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,394
    Spitting with rain now
  • Spitting with rain now

    Which sets Mr Roundabout off on a thunderstorm watch waffle....
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • I think they have over egged the technical aspect of this course. These roads might be described as narrow and twisting if they were in the US, but in Holland?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,156

    Kirby fans rejoice.
    The more is less man is revving it up on comms.

    Already too much. Someone stop him, Ffs
  • Mad_Malx said:

    Kirby fans rejoice.
    The more is less man is revving it up on comms.

    Already too much. Someone stop him, Ffs

    I think it’s fair to say that he’s said “I think it’s fair to say “ more than 50 times already
  • Kirby has delivered our first "Turbo Durbo" of the Vuelta.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,156
    edited August 2022
    Mr bo jangles coming up
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,156
    I’m impressed that a road ttt can match track speeds (cf hour record)
  • 5th fastest: Kern have been on the Pharma. :D
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • The Ketone Kops have started....
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • The Ketone Kops have started....

    More puns than Carlton on the goofballs

    😆
  • Carlton’s never heard a disc wheel before…
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,510
    Movistar started dropping riders pretty early, but which of them will attack first?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,394
    edited August 2022
    We’ve now lost the graphics.

    At what point is a TTT not worth watching?

    When you can’t see the live times. I’m off.
  • LOL. The Homies 14 seconds faster. Quelle surprise.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,510
    One of the Quickstep not in a skinsuit?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Remco won't be happy with his sluggish team mates....

    One second seperate Ineos and QS.
    Could be closer to 1 minute between the yellow motorbikes and Ineos.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,510
    Movistar demoing how to ride a positive split...
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,676
    edited August 2022
    Van Baarle waiting around to greet his new team mates.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 497
    TJV look frighteningly powerful. Question is, has Rog fully recovered? Will he last for 3 weeks?
  • Knocked it back a bit in the second half. Gesink into Rojo?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,510

    Knocked it back a bit in the second half. Gesink into Rojo?

    Yep
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format