Vuelta a España 2018 General thread

So the final grand tour of the year. Most open GT in a while with no Froome or Thomas. Nibali looking for stages? Tom Dumoulin's name vanishing from the startlist of the Deutschland Tour today though I doubt he'll ride here. Nico getting a spin after his worries earlier in the month.

Deignan was down to start in Germany but is no longer on that list and the Sky team for la Vuelta is missing two names not that he'd be riding GC but hasn't done a tour this year. Dan and Aru co leaders at UAE and Quintana and Valverde at Movistar with Landa ruled out with injury.

I'd be happy to see anyone but Sky win but I would like to see Simon Yates take it after his Giro.

Pinot???? No he hasn't the 3 weeks in him I don't think or the team.

Borderfox

https://www.lavuelta.es/en/overall-route

Cant see Aru doing much seems to be a spent force except for stage wins
My money would be on Tom

Steve SilverMint

I’m really looking forward to this one, it’s easily been the most entertaining of the tours in recent years.

GC looks wide open it’d be very difficult to call it but I think If Nibali has recovered well he has to have a great chance here. I don’t get Porte being favourite again. Simon Yates will be out to win but has he got the legs/team to get him there this time round?

I’d have liked to see Dan being the main man but all the rumblings from UAE are that he’s targeting stages and Aru for GC which is disappointing. Not a fan of Aru at all.

Edit- is Tom Dumoulin expected to race? That’d be brilliant.

1bryan

The best grand tour to attend in person. For a grand tour it's so unbelievably informal. If there's a start/finish in some small town any yeer, I'd suggest booking a place and going. The whole town gets taken over by the race and evening of the finish all the riders will be rambling around town. I had that experience in a town called Noja (the year froooomey 2.0 was born on Pena Carbaga). Booked into some small hotel and Astana and FdJ were all staying in the same place. 2 team buses parked outside, with the mechanics doing up the bikes for the following day, and the swannies washing the kit in a washing machine in the lower part of the bus.

Will always have a soft spot for La Vuelta after experiencing it in 2011.

Borderfox

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2018/startlist/

Just looking and no sign of Tom so money would go on Richie Porte, would like to see him have a good end to the season

neris

Anyone on their hols down Costa del sol should be able to get to see this. Be good if sky remembered they had deignan as a rider in their team and gave him a start. I think Nibali could win this if he's up there gong into week 3. Think he's bluffing a bit saying he's after a training ride.

Dr. Bre

Who’s sky leader? Is Bernal going?

Melodeon

Here's the full roadbook (in Spanish):
http://netstorage.lequipe.fr/ASO/cycling_vue/Libro_Ruta_V18_v3_sin_Hoteles.pdf

Steve SilverMint

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Who’s sky leader? Is Bernal going?

David de la Cruz leading them prob because he’s Spanish. Think he finished top ten in the Vuelta a couple of years back but wouldn’t have expected him to be leading the team.

Further reading suggests leadership shared between de la Cruz and Kwiatkowski which doesn’t surprise me.

neris

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Who’s sky leader? Is Bernal going?

Bernals broken after san sebastian

neris

Roche is in the BMC team for this

neris

Steve SilverMint wrote: »

David de la Cruz leading them prob because he’s Spanish. Think he finished top ten in the Vuelta a couple of years back but wouldn’t have expected him to be leading the team.

De la Cruz and kwiatkowski. Geighan harte is their squad aswell. Be interesting to see how he goes as he been on the scene a while but keeping a low profile

TheBlaaMan

neris wrote: »

Roche is in the BMC team for this

Strangely silence on Roches destination for next year.....is his presence in the Vuelta any indication that he might be staying on in the BMC/CCC team.......if not, a chance for him to put in a good performance

neris

I think he might stay at BMC, it could be a good opportunity for him to be 1 of their main riders as the others run for the exits.

LCD

Article on Velonews today saying he might be going to Team Sunweb

https://www.velonews.com/2018/08/news/dumoulin-seeks-grand-tour-support-as-sunweb-riders-defect_476082

ednwireland

Velogames is back for this one. Don't know how I'm already in boards mini league

selwyn froggitt

https://twitter.com/ukcyclingexpert/status/1032231144392220672

neris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=381r0Or95dc

Bugsy2000

ednwireland wrote: »

Velogames is back for this one. Don't know how I'm already in boards mini league

He mentioned on twitter that he just replicated all Mini Leagues from the cancelled TdF event.

He's obviously taking extra precautions with this event too. It's now 'Velogames Spain', no mention of La Vuelta.

GetWithIt

Nico 14/1 to finish top 10. Fill your boots.

Nico looked OK in Norway last week. Especially with that nasty crosswind on one of the stages but missed out by making a mistake I've seen him make a few times and get stuck leading others out in a reduced bunch finish

GetWithIt

GetWithIt wrote: »

Nico 14/1 to finish top 10. Fill your boots.

Not sure about that. He will be riding for Porte. He might be told to take it easy for a day (losing 10 minutes) so he can be there to help Porte the next day. He has had a poor season compared to previous seasons. He went well in the Artic Race of Norway but the competition was not to the level of the Vuelta.

Just on Norway I was surprised Dylan Teuns wasn't there to defend but I see he's starting the Vuelta. I'd love to see him get something from this year as it's not been the year he had last year at all so hopefully there's a stage win for him too here.

MPFGLB

LCD wrote: »

Article on Velonews today saying he might be going to Team Sunweb

https://www.velonews.com/2018/08/news/dumoulin-seeks-grand-tour-support-as-sunweb-riders-defect_476082

I think Nico is not going to Trek and I cant see him staying with BMC where everything is for GVA and GT support riders are not needed ..Sunweb need support for Dumoulin and Nico could be a replacement for Geschke a mid mountain man and strong rouler in wind and hilly stages , protecting Dumoulin and placing him on the climbs...wonder though why so many leaving Sunweb ?

But anyone who heard the Home Roads podcast will wonder as when asked Nico said he thought Dumoulin was a boring rider !!!!:D:D

Anyway to this Vuelta where he needs to show something...I think he will do well ...his form is good and getting better and he loves the heat and Spain

MPFGLB

GetWithIt wrote: »

Nico 14/1 to finish top 10. Fill your boots.

Not a bad bet at all...

Porte is not 100% for GC and other riders will be given chances

Porte is tuning for the Worlds he said ...though I am sure he'd love the Vuelta win

As for Norway the competition was not top (except VDP on steep finishs) but Nico had not raced in months so was just coming back and he is not fast on the short climbs but 5km to 10km is his forte and there are plenty of those at the Vuelta


https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/nicolas-roche-brothers-cancer-battle-put-cycling-into-perspective-863679.html

retalivity

Weird sky team announced, no general gc guy, instead 3 support riders for 5 'main' guys. No deignan either

Michal Kwiatkowski, David de la Cruz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Castroviejo, Sergio Henao, Salvatore Puccio, Pavel Sivakov and Dylan van Baarl

Weepsie

Isn't Deignan's wife about to have a kid? That said, he's done 1 race since June so unlikely to have been picked.

MPFGLB

Deignan is at SKY just for the money ...

Many years now and hardly ever races

But if they pay Diego Rosa 1 million a year for 3 years for doing nothing I expect Deignan gets a good pay packet too ...alot more than he would anywhere else

neris

MPFGLB wrote: »

Deignan is at SKY just for the money ...

Many years now and hardly ever races

But if they pay Diego Rosa 1 million a year for 3 years for doing nothing I expect Deignan gets a good pay packet too ...alot more than he would anywhere else

do you reckon sky even remember they have deignan on the payroll

He's raced over 5000km this year https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/philip-deignan

His name appears then disappears from the startlists of bigger races on a regular basis. The Tour today in Germany being the latest. He was on there up until sunday/monday I think.

Looking at the two startlists for Germany and Spain for Sky has me scratching my head a bit. They look to be prioritising a win for Thomas over the Vuelta.

Weepsie

[Deleted User] wrote: »

He's raced over 5000km this year https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/philip-deignan

His name appears then disappears from the startlists of bigger races on a regular basis. The Tour today in Germany being the latest. He was on there up until sunday/monday I think.

Looking at the two startlists for Germany and Spain for Sky has me scratching my head a bit. They look to be prioritising a win for Thomas over the Vuelta.

The UK is their main market you'd think, Thomas is popular. Makes marketing sense to go there.