Vuelta a Espana 2019 - Stage 1 - Salinas de Torrevieja - Torrevieja

13.4km TTT to get things underway. I've actually been to this town about 15 odd years ago. I've little memory of it other than walking along the pier on what was a miserable September morning for that part of Spain.

neris

Wiggo looks like a lad who's ready to hit Benidorm for the night for a few beers & punch up

Darkglasses

Bloody weird start location. Excellent.

neris

Darkglasses wrote: »

Bloody weird start location. Excellent.

Salt mine

Darkglasses

neris wrote: »

Salt mine

Definitely not snow no? :pac:

MPFGLB

Bora could go very well ...

MPFGLB

Remember a few years back ( 2013 I think) the TTT started from a boat and crossed glass with cameras in the sea below...

Was very slippy by all accounts

Always doing something strange those guys !!!

Darkglasses

MPFGLB wrote: »

Remember a few years back ( 2013 I think) the TTT started from a boat and crossed glass with cameras in the sea below...

Was very slippy by all accounts

Always doing something strange those guys !!!

Jaysus yeah I remember that. I look forward to the year they parachute in from a helicopter for the start.

Lusk_Doyle

MPFGLB wrote: »

Remember a few years back ( 2013 I think) the TTT started from a boat and crossed glass with cameras in the sea below...

Was very slippy by all accounts

Always doing something strange those guys !!!

Yea, that was different. I was waiting for a rider to mis step and fall into the water when disembarking the boat!

Lusk_Doyle

neris wrote: »

Salt mine

Either that or global warming has taken a sudden and major turn!

Darkglasses

https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1165310119250464768?s=19

Blooooody hell

neris

Tis only a scratch. Hope the bikes are ok

Darkglasses wrote: »

https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1165310119250464768?s=19

Blooooody hell

Lusk_Doyle

neris wrote: »

Tis only a scratch. Hope the bikes are ok

"All of our riders got around ok. Our DS, however..."

That could have been a lot worse. With spectators etc.

Guess it's not something I really though about before but if the lads are riding 50kmph then the car has to keep up.

dastardly00

Deleted User wrote: »

That could have been a lot worse. With spectators etc.

Guess it's not something I really though about before but if the lads are riding 50kmph then the car has to keep up.

I'm amazed that team cars don't crash more often given that the DS is usually the person who is driving. And he uses the CB radio, hands out bidons and gives instructions to the riders.

Whole Jumbo team down :eek:

MPFGLB

The Vuelta never disappoints for drama

MPFGLB

And dont forget the TTT a few years ago when they were riding thru cafes on a beach path that was so slippy they had to neutralise GC

Those Vuelta organisers !!!!

neris

Puerto Banus start a few years back.

MPFGLB wrote: »

And dont forget the TTT a few years ago when they were riding thru cafes on a beach path that was so slippy they had to neutralise GC

Those Vuelta organisers !!!!

Darkglasses

https://twitter.com/TeamUAEAbuDhabi/status/1165349086117208064?s=19

Another crash from the day. Ouch

Something I didn't pick up on earlier but noticed in the highlights when I flicked over to ITV 4 there was Tony Martin doesn't have a national champs skin suit, they opted to give him helmet with a German flag. Or do they wear nationals kit in the TTT

Also that section of road the crashes happened on was bone dry when Astana and Bora rode it.

EDIT: ITV said it was a "rose garden hose pipe" likely set to water the flowers every evening.

dastardly00

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Something I didn't pick up on earlier but noticed in the highlights when I flicked over to ITV 4 there was Tony Martin doesn't have a national champs skin suit, they opted to give him helmet with a German flag. Or do they wear nationals kit in the TTT

Maybe riders don't wear the Nationals kit in the TTT.
Daniel Martinez (EF) is the Colombian ITT champion and Patrick Bevin (CCC) is the New Zealand ITT champion. I don't think they were wearing National Champions jerseys?

dastardly00

dastardly00 wrote: »

Maybe riders don't wear the Nationals kit in the TTT.
Daniel Martinez (EF) is the Colombian ITT champion and Patrick Bevin (CCC) is the New Zealand ITT champion. I don't think they were wearing National Champions jerseys?

Yeah that makes sense.

Daroxtar

Probably the one and only time I've ever been, or ever will be, top of the Velogames league

cunavalos

According to Andy Engels, Jumbo team manager the water came from a kids paddling pool that burst 500 metres up the hill.

They went to the house where the water came from. That is five hundred metres from the course, on a steep slope that goes straight onto the roundabout. There was a child playing in a inflatable plastic swimming pool that broke. As a result, according to the organisation, all of that water flooded down onto the road all of a sudden

dastardly00

cunavalos wrote: »

According to Andy Engels, Jumbo team manager the water came from a kids paddling pool that burst 500 metres up the hill.

It must have been some size

Lusk_Doyle

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Something I didn't pick up on earlier but noticed in the highlights when I flicked over to ITV 4 there was Tony Martin doesn't have a national champs skin suit, they opted to give him helmet with a German flag. Or do they wear nationals kit in the TTT

Also that section of road the crashes happened on was bone dry when Astana and Bora rode it.

EDIT: ITV said it was a "rose garden hose pipe" likely set to water the flowers every evening.

I believe it's because it's a TTT and not an ITT that the jersey can't be worn.