La Vuelta...Spoilers!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Starts today, on itv4 highlights only
Not sure if Froomey is in or not, last years champ.
Starts with a short TT 15K IIRC then a longer 40k later on.

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

[reohn2]

He's not in the team:- https://www.lavuelta.es/en/team/SKY/team-sky

[Norman H]

No Chris Froome or Geraint Thomas in the Team Sky squad. They look to be going with a home grown rider in David de la Cruz, and Mikal Kwiatkowski as a possible second choice.

Maybe they're hoping for a less hostile response from the Spanish crowd than they got from the French at the TdF.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Someone is using a 60 single clanger, Miller D is talking of individuality and chain line possibly just using 4 gears, so why not a 4 gear cassette?

[cycleruk]

No Chris Froome or Geraint Thomas in the Team Sky squad. They look to be going with a home grown rider in David de la Cruz, and Mikal Kwiatkowski as a possible second choice.

Maybe they're hoping for a less hostile response from the Spanish crowd than they got from the French at the TdF.

There are 4 Brit's competing :-
The Yates brothers (71 & 78) (Mitchelton-Scott)
Steve Cummings (103) (Team Dimension Data)
Tao Geoghan-Hart (143) (Sky.)

[hodge]

No Chris Froome or Geraint Thomas in the Team Sky squad. They look to be going with a home grown rider in David de la Cruz, and Mikal Kwiatkowski as a possible second choice.

Maybe they're hoping for a less hostile response from the Spanish crowd than they got from the French at the TdF.

There are 4 Brit's competing :-
The Yates brothers (71 & 78) (Mitchelton-Scott)
Steve Cummings (103) (Team Dimension Data)
Tao Geoghan-Hart (143) (Sky.)

5 - inc Dan Martin, born Birmingham, 'holds both British and Irish citizenship' says wiki -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Martin_(cyclist)
Popular and entertaining rider - won hill top finish of stage 6 of TdF 2018 holding a solo break to the finish from 1k out (iirc) and also 'named the most combative at the (same) Tdf overall'.

[cycleruk]

I just assumed Dan was Irish but always an entertaining rider.
Good finish yesterday but not seen todays stage yet.

P.S. Now watched day 3.
How the heck there are not more crashes in the sprint for the line I don't know. All over the road twitching back and forth. Not for the faint hearted.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Win yesterday by Valverde he is 38 IIRC...............but we forget about his history...well I have....sorry to digress..

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/tag/alejandro-valverde

"Alejandro Valverde’s palmares is one of the most impressive in modern cycling, yet his involvement in Operacion Puerto sullied his reputation and left a huge question mark over the whole of his career. His greatest achievement was the overall win in the Vuelta a España in 2009, but the Spaniard was given a two-year suspension the following year for his use of banned blood-booster EPO.
Read more at https://www.cyclingweekly.com/tag/aleja ... g8jJS8K.99"

[cycleruk]

Valverde
https://twitter.com/lavuelta/status/103 ... spana.html

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
On top form at 38 and sagan is pants, not on form.
Plenty of hills to come
Yates not far off.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yates in red by one second!
Kywyakoski down 2 minutes on GC.

[mjr]

Hi,
Yates in red by one second!
Kywyakoski down 2 minutes on GC.

That's racist!

Yates said he made a mistake attacking the first time. Today was not quite a mistake but not the plan his team had!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,
Yates in red by one second!
Kywyakoski down 2 minutes on GC.

That's racist!

Yates said he made a mistake attacking the first time. Today was not quite a mistake but not the plan his team had!

Not questioning your theory's on race strategy.
But the other remark is well...........................

[mjr]

*sigh* https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thats-racist

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Well I think I understand now.
You will have to forgive my naivety on stuff like that, I was dumbfounded by what you meant.
Something I would probably never use as I would not want anyone to misconceive what I meant as I am bound to put my foot in it ...like you do.

Need a bit more action on the tour can't really get into it for now.