2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Now we have something / quite-a-lot to discuss and celebrate.
Brucey
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2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Brucey »

The Vuelta remains somewhat more partisan and oddball that most of the other national tours; stages are won more often by riders who are winning their first stage, whether they be climbers, sprinters, or all-rounders. Despite this air of unpredictability, it cannot be argued that the overall race is likely to be won by a rider who isn't of high quality. This year it is Contador's final Vuelta, final stage race, come to that, and he will be keen to add a final victory to his (somewhat controversial) tally. Nibali, Aru, Bardet are all contenders too.
This year's Vuelta is probably also objective #2 this season for Chris Froome; he was talking about it immediately after finishing the TdF this year. One senses that it remains unfinished business, winning the Vuelta, ever since he was narrowly beaten a few years ago, arguably as much because of team orders as any other reason.

Will he manage it? Difficult to say; he has a as good a chance as anyone, but anyone can be unlucky. A good start in the team time-trial... It would be a shame if something dumb like a mechanical problem robbed him of a chance of victory; already there are worrying signs, in stage 2 Chris Froome suffered a mechanical and had to chase back on in potentially tough crosswind conditions.

I have not seen the highlights of stage 3 as yet....

cheers
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Badger_Pete
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Badger_Pete »

In case you haven’t yet caught up with Monday's stage, (stage 3) I won’t spoil it. But will say what happened at the intermediate sprint just before the final climb was interesting as indeed was the climb itself.

I haven’t seen the result of today’s stage as I’ waiting to watch the highlights that are on later due to coverage of women’s rugby.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Spinners »

Chapeau or should that be felicitaciones to ITV4 from packaging the highlights TdF style. I'm running a full day behind but have enjoyed the action thus far.
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Postboxer
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Postboxer »

Am I right in thinking that in previous years, ITV4 have had live coverage further on in the race, maybe in the last week or the last few stages? It's hard with the highlights clashing with other sport this week meaning they aren't on til 10pm some nights, meaning I have to remember to have a media blackout for 3 more hours.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by mjr »

Postboxer wrote:Am I right in thinking that in previous years, ITV4 have had live coverage further on in the race, maybe in the last week or the last few stages?

The 2011 Vuelta was live every stage, as mentioned on http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/itv-t ... elta-49731

I guess even with both Froome and Wiggins in contention, it didn't get enough viewers for the advertisers because it was back to highlights in 2012 - https://www.itvmedia.co.uk/news/itv4-br ... spana-2012

Live coverage of every stage is not an option this year because it would probably conflict with the live Tour of Britain coverage. I don't know whether they'll do some last-minute deal with ASO to get the last few stages live if Froome looks like he might win - and getting the UCIWWT Madrid Challenge would be a bonus which I suspect ASO undervalue compared to British viewers. I bet ITV only scheduling repeats on those afternoons, just in case.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Todays stage a cyclist is downed by a motorcycle and the motorcycle rides off into the sunset :roll:
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Brucey »

well, today is the rest day and I have caught up on the racing.

Chris Froome is looking pretty strong for the win, but there's two weeks to go yet; anything could happen. A stage win makes up for a lot of misses in the Vuelta in times past; it is one of his few stage wins in the last couple of years and may be his only stage win this year...?

In the meantime the cycling world is full of controversy; Warren Barguil 'disobeyed team orders' which might have cost his team leader a few seconds on GC, and he 'accidentally' overtook the nominated team leader on GC. However it was almost certainly a symptom of an underlying conflict within the team, so he was asked to leave the Vuelta. He's leaving sunweb for Fortuneo-Oscaro next season anyway, so probably doesn't give a monkey's.

Cannondale-Drapac have a multi-million dollar hole in their projected finances for next year, and (barring miracles) seem almost certain to fold; their contracted riders are 'free to look for positions elsewhere' which does not bode well for professional cycling as a whole.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Early days.
http://www.cyclingstage.com/vuelta-2017-route/
The route looks good as usual, four flat stages :) and the rest are hilly / mountain finish ignoring the TT's of course, so a lot of stumbling blocks.
Froomey looks good so early and the 40K TT will probably favour him too.

Alberto is showing his teeth again :) Not sure he will finish in top ten and Chaves will struggle on the harder stages I think.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Paulatic »

Is it just this household who can't help think Froome is getting too good to believe?
Listen to the words commentators and other cyclists use. Such as unbelievable, incredible, .......his performance is becoming so good that we, in this household, dare not put any trust in him.
We did it once before with LA so I suppose once bitten twice shy. Yes he's in a team surrounded by riders many of whom could , in their own right, be team leaders elsewhere. There are some days I think team SKY with all their financial recourses are quietly killing professional cycling.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by squeaker »

Paulatic wrote:There are some days I think team SKY with all their financial recourses are quietly killing professional cycling.

Didn't similar get said about Man U or Chelsea regarding footie?
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by mjr »

Paulatic wrote:Is it just this household who can't help think Froome is getting too good to believe?
Listen to the words commentators and other cyclists use. Such as unbelievable, incredible, .......his performance is becoming so good that we, in this household, dare not put any trust in him.

Nah, not yet. Maybe you weren't listening but there was a lot of criticism of his Tour preparation and even his Tour this year, that he didn't win any races or Tour stages and looked like he was over the hill and past it... and now it just looks like he moved his "peak" later in the year a bit so he could make a more vicious assault on the Vuelta title that he's been wanting since 2011. You can tell how much the Vuelta means to him because he completed most of a mountainous stage with a broken foot a few years ago, rather than abandon mid-stage... maybe if he abuses anything, it could be painkillers!

I'm more worried by Sky's Moscon's sudden excellent form, but even then, he has got something to prove to the world after his racism ban.

Paulatic wrote:We did it once before with LA so I suppose once bitten twice shy. Yes he's in a team surrounded by riders many of whom could , in their own right, be team leaders elsewhere. There are some days I think team SKY with all their financial recourses are quietly killing professional cycling.

Not that quietly... and there are a few other teams who aren't that far behind them in budget, although yes they are still behind. Unlike LA, though, I'd say that Froome always looks vulnerable, that the race is in play until the penultimate stage, especially at the Vuelta where one bad day can cost a rider minutes if it's the wrong day. A Formigal-style reversal could yet happen again and that's part of what makes his races fascinating to watch IMO.

There's also an increase in diversity of styles now, with calculating riders like early Froome battling it out with more heart-on-sleeve ones like recent Contador, climbers like Chavez up against more TT-centred riders like Dumoulin... we're just not seeing the TT specialists like Martin and Dowsett powering themselves over the climbs implausibly like LA and Ullrich did. TTers who want to win like Dumoulin and Wiggins have had to lose some weight first.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Millar was talking of a 70 kg limit, at which any more meant power to weight declined and you would not stand a chance climbing.
I still have a way to go :mrgreen:
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by Dafydd17 »

Did anyone hear David Millar's rant against the Spanish police this evening? Seemed a bit over the top; I'm no lover of the Guardia Civil (having once been 'arrested' by them for daring to walk past Franco's yacht!) but in this Vuelta they do seem to have been doing their best to keep idiot fans from interfering with the race.

Re. Froome's second fall on yesterday's stage, does anyone else think the team car's proximity on the inside of the bend may have contributed? All of us who watched it saw the car's brake lights come on as Froome approached, but the car was still far enough forward to send him off line.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Well I am beginning to think that Froomey should not drive a car, his bike handling skills do not match his performance.
The race could change yet.

A new fashion emerging for spectators is to run across and down a rider or be pushed across the road to meet your fate in front of a motorbike..............by a policeman....... :?

A one man mr muscles crowd control.
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Re: 2017 Vuelta (spoilers post-highlights please)

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Wed, a motorcyclist fell off after stalling on a hill ..........camera quickly cut from another bike / car before he unceremoniously fell into gutter..................then later a M/Cycle was in the way being caught.............rider shouted at bike..............nothing unusual then :)
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