La Vuelta 2019, Stage 21: Fuenlabrada > Madrid 15/09/2019 - 106,6 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited September 2019 in Pro race
La Vuelta 2019, Stage 21: Fuenlabrada > Madrid 15/09/2019 - 106,6 km

The final stage of the Vuelta a España runs from Fuenlabrada to Madrid. As (almost) always, the Spanish Grand Tour ends on a 5.9 kilometres circuit in the Spanish capital. Flat route, so expect a group sprint. The race is 106.6 kilometres long.

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Favourites 21st stage 2019 Vuelta a España

*** Sam Bennett
** Fabio Jakobsen, Fernando Gaviria
* Edward Theuns, Marc Sarreau, Max Walscheid

Madrid
74 stages of La Vuelta have had finales in Madrid

3,182,981 inhabitants.
Every year, Madrid honours La Vuelta’s overall winner. 2019 will mark the 50th anniversary of the race’s final stage in the capital. The list of winners that have wound their way through the city’s streets, with arms aloft as winner of this Spanish race, include such famous names as Gustaaf Deloor (the first, in 1935), Bernard Hinault, Lucho Herrera, Sean Kelly, Perico Delgado, Tony Rominger, Alberto Contador and Chris Froome, among others. Fifty Vuelta finishes and 75 stage finishes make the capital one of the race’s main landmarks.

On the circuit.

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And afterwards.

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

Comments

  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,851
    Thanks Blazing for all your efforts. Much appreciated.
    Half man, Half bike
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Seconded. Great stuff every day. Thanks!
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,924
    ^^^^ We say this so often.... but Thanks Again for doing this.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    I much prefer your stage previews to that on the tv or in the press. So, as above comments, top work and thanks.
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,851
    So what chance Movistar mixing it up a bit today...?
    Half man, Half bike
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,581
    Ridgerider wrote:
    So what chance Movistar mixing it up a bit today...?

    Maybe if there's a crash...
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,851
    Or just as Roglic is taking his first sip of cava...
    Half man, Half bike
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 530
    Thanks Blazing for the intros. Much appreciated.
  • Yes always good and an excellent aperitif to the racing
  • 6wheels
    6wheels Posts: 411
    As always, many thanks.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,312
    Thanks Blazing
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,873
    Jacobsen takes it from Bennett who got a little boxed in and started his sprint too late.

    Roglic gets his seat at the GT winners' table.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    With 5 stages DQS show how to do the whole ´stage hunting’ thing. Impressive.
    You have to wonder why so few sprinters take on the Vuelta. I know it’s tough but there is there is the chance of a few stages.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    Top intros again Blazing, thanks
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    All in all, that was a pretty entertaining race. Not much real GC drama for top spot but lots of intrigue and good racing. And a sensational debut from Pogacar.
    7/10
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Thanks Blazing - these threads make the race more entertaining, and the daily intros are simply the best place to find all the info about the stage.
  • I didn't watch the last stage. Be interested to know what the interest is in this - it feels like it's good for the teams and the riders to have a ceremonial/sprint stage but they could do it on the Monday without anyone much noticing.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    I didn't watch the last stage. Be interested to know what the interest is in this - it feels like it's good for the teams and the riders to have a ceremonial/sprint stage but they could do it on the Monday without anyone much noticing.
    People are at work on Monday. It's not all about you. These stages are important for sponsors.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95 wrote:
    I didn't watch the last stage. Be interested to know what the interest is in this - it feels like it's good for the teams and the riders to have a ceremonial/sprint stage but they could do it on the Monday without anyone much noticing.
    People are at work on Monday. It's not all about you. These stages are important for sponsors.

    This is exactly why I was saying it - I'm interested about whether as many people watch the ceremonial stage as a proper stage. I seem to remember some stats from last year that the TV viewing figures were down about 50%. If noone's watching, that's not what the sponsors want.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,645
    Top threads.. been busy so less online time. Cheers bs.

    Brutal race . Stage 20 there was nothing left from anyone except the youngster.. roglic letting the wheels go in sight of the line made me smile. Jumbo did good.... Tao mmmmm still looks a bit more super domestique than leader but he is not weak. Hope he steps up. How hard was that race? Was it just the A- squads and flattered the race ...the lack of real high altitude but repeated climbing made a difference I think. Suited valverde. Valverde?????

    The peloton is getting used to making these 3hour efforts on short stages... Basically riding at threshold from the gun to the finish with 3x 10 min rests on the big downhills of the day. But this sort of effort is playing into longer stages now which is reducing the argument for having shorter stages only. Basically the longer stages are ridden hard from the start too.

    Stage with the cross tail winds was basically a mass 1x240 min interval! Well if you can do it for 4 hours why not 5 ? And people are going to start training for it. It's a bit scary. I think the stage to the tourmalet at the tour was a signal racing has gone epic by default.

    While this intensity has been around for a while that tourmalet stage opened my eyes .. they just went from so far out as thou the finish was in the last 7k or something.

    Aero bikes skin suits better riding positions in the bunch . Feeding . Team drills ... Tactical thinking has evolved too.

    Bit of a year. Shame the giro parcours got messed up and they had to have that crap first week
    "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: 16,645
    I find it ironic some riders now complain about the short stages and the cut off and effort involved. You just can't win.
    "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
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,227
    I find it ironic some riders now complain about the short stages and the cut off and effort involved. You just can't win.

    Not sure what you mean (I haven't followed this Vuelta at all).
  • RichN95 wrote:
    I didn't watch the last stage. Be interested to know what the interest is in this - it feels like it's good for the teams and the riders to have a ceremonial/sprint stage but they could do it on the Monday without anyone much noticing.
    People are at work on Monday. It's not all about you. These stages are important for sponsors.

    This is exactly why I was saying it - I'm interested about whether as many people watch the ceremonial stage as a proper stage. I seem to remember some stats from last year that the TV viewing figures were down about 50%. If noone's watching, that's not what the sponsors want.

    These were the figures I saw from last year -
    Spanish TV viewing figures for the final stage in 2018 - 294,000.

    Next lowest viewed stage was stage 1 - 527,000

    Other three Sundays - 896,000 then 1,686,000 then 2,178,000

    Wonder if it is the same this year.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    RichN95 wrote:
    I didn't watch the last stage. Be interested to know what the interest is in this - it feels like it's good for the teams and the riders to have a ceremonial/sprint stage but they could do it on the Monday without anyone much noticing.
    People are at work on Monday. It's not all about you. These stages are important for sponsors.

    This is exactly why I was saying it - I'm interested about whether as many people watch the ceremonial stage as a proper stage. I seem to remember some stats from last year that the TV viewing figures were down about 50%. If noone's watching, that's not what the sponsors want.
    But sponsors also want a day where they can turn up, sit in hospitality, watch the race go by and then have a team function afterwards. And in a location they can bring a partner for a weekend. The top of some goat track is not that place.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95 wrote:
    But sponsors also want a day where they can turn up, sit in hospitality, watch the race go by and then have a team function afterwards. And in a location they can bring a partner for a weekend. The top of some goat track is not that place.

    I see your point if we're talking about Ineos.