[Closed] STW Fantasy Vuelta 2019 / General Vuelta discussion thread

Team Pie entered.

well done NBT - I'm in. Will prob forget to go back & edit so I'll have 3 scoring riders ('til they crash out)

ABV

Are Movistar going to have even the slightest clue about tactics?

Place bets now..!

Movistar run 3 sets of tactics at once. Based on a shotgun they hope something hits!

Entered as Benny's Boys. Thanks

Don't think Sivakov is riding, too young for two GTs in a year. Geoghan Hart and Sosa co-leaders for Ineos I think.

Lopez and Roglic got to be the favourites. Astana have a team packed with strong climbers.

Mid week bump with some info courtesy of CyclingTips.com

The race begins with a Team Time Trial in Torrevieja, with an ITT in Frace - From Jurancon to Pau (just like the ITT in the TDF this year!)

There are eight uphill finishes in this year’s race.

Of those eight, three come in the first week, four come in the second, and just one comes in the final week.

Here are the stages with uphill finishes:

Stage 5: The first summit finish, with a final climb of 11.1km at an average of 7.8%.
Stage 6: A 7.9km rise at 5% after a hilly day.
Stage 7: A short but steep final climb (4.1km at 12.3%) on a day with four climbs.
Stage 9: Two big climbs, then the last 22km is mostly uphill (it ends with 5.7km at 8.3%).
Stage 13: A day with seven climbs, including a 6.8km ascent at 9.2% (max 25%) to finish.
Stage 15: Four mountains, concluding with a tough 7.9km at 9.7%.
Stage 16: 144km, three mountains, and the final climb is 17.8km at 6.2% (see below).
Stage 20: Six climbs, the last of which is 3.5km at 7% (after a stepwise final 10km).

The other stage likely to have an impact on the GC is Stage 18 in central Spain, which features FOUR Cat 1 climbs

>>>>>

In other news, Ineos have confirmed their lineup and as @t3ap0t said, no Sivakov. Wout Poels confirmed as co-leader with Geogehan-Hart, which is great news for those of us who've admired Poels for some time.

The other stage likely to have an impact on the GC is Stage 18 in central Spain, which features FOUR Cat 1 climbs

I've done all of those this year, Morcuera-Cotos is a classic (and excellent!) route for the riders round here.

Just as excitingly, the whole thing kicks off in the town where I've got a holiday flat, so you can guess where I'm going this weekend 🙂

I would like the TV coverage to feature a large pair of bombers being enthusiastically waved

I'm in. Surprisingly open this year so a good opportunity for someone to win a Grand Tour.

Will be at the side of the road on stages 5 and 6 as they're not far from home. The climb to the observatory on Javalambre is new and spectacular. Stage 7's finish is absolutely brutal, 3km of ropey concrete road with ramps of 20-25%, watched there 2 years ago when Froome was mugged by Quintana, only time I've seen pros off and walking.

Thanks nbt. You are the Vuelta's version of Lunge.

All round to Mogrim's next week.

I’m hoping that the Cumbrian lad Knox (dqs) is allowed to ride for himself on some of the stages. He’s not had the luckiest year so far but is promising.

It's taken a while to choose my team, but I think I'll stick with it now.
Come on Hugh (I can see a stage win).

Friday morning reminder - the rider list has been updated so if you've already entered a team, check to see if you need to swap riders (or if you just want to, I'm currently on about the fifteenth minor change)

Carapaz out after a crash. I suppose there's one advantage of having three team leaders.

wonder what the odds are for Roglic to be in red for the entire tour ?

timidwheeler wrote:

Carapaz out after a crash. I suppose there’s one advantage of having three team leaders.

Really? Bugger, I've got some serious refactoring to do now then 🙁

All round to Mogrim’s next week.

🙂

what's the deal for TV highlights this year, anything on ITV4???

highlights at 7pm on ITV4 everyday. no live coverage, sadly

Honest
Carapaz out

thanks @nbt

I'm picking George Bennett for the win - but thats based mostly on patriotism!

I'm in. Really missed the fantasy league element at the Tour.

Friday evening bump.

The closest they come to us is about 3hrs east in Andorra and 3 hrs north west in Pau. We will have it live on tv every afternoon though 🙂

@spekkie are you somewhere near Vielha then?

carnage in the TTT - Jumbo stack it

Enjoyed watching the TTT, but damn they're fast - we were standing at the exit to the first 90º right hander, and even so they're were past us in a second! Still good fun to watch though.

Been an interesting race so far, loads of GC action already - this has been one of the best Grand Tour years that I've watched with the Giro and the Tour, the Vuelta could be better than both!

ps anyone else wondering if the "accidental" popping of the paddling pool might have been "accidentall" done by someone who favoured certain riders?

Valverde really is an odious ****er isnt he, I wonder if the truth will come out when Quintana leaves.

Not sure what Valverde's done to earn your hate a_a, didn't see the interview with him yesterday. But that was a cracking stage, would love to have a go at that climb!

Well constantly attacking your team mate over a number of grand tours and then pacing the race favourite who rides for another team away from him is certainly a dick move.

Well constantly attacking your team mate over a number of grand tours and then pacing the race favourite who rides for another team away from him is certainly a dick move.

Or, making a move for yourself to win the race overall ? It's surely two sides of the same coin. He wasn't attacking his team-mate, he was attacking everyone. Sure he towed Roglic up but that's not his fault is it ? That's down to Roglic not taking a turn.

Just keeps getting better as he gets older.

Hmmm.

https://www.velonews.com/2015/04/news/analysis-the-curious-case-of-alejandro-valverde_368078

He wasn’t attacking his team-mate, he was attacking everyone.

He was attacking his team mate and as his team mate was at the front this would include everyone.

Sure he towed Roglic up but that’s not his fault is it ? That’s down to Roglic not taking a turn.

It is his fault anyone with a conscience or half a brain would have sat on Roglic as he had most to gain, a stage win wasnt possible.

Well constantly attacking your team mate over a number of grand tours and then pacing the race favourite who rides for another team away from him is certainly a dick move.

He probably thought it was acceptable now, seeing as Froome set the precedent against his team-mate G, last year? But is Valverde odious because he’s a doped up foreigner whereas Froome is a true-blue Brit, and honest as the day is long. 😄

It's the standard Movistar MO. No-one really understands it, I doubt if they do.

He probably thought it was acceptable now, seeing as Froome set the precedent against his team-mate G

Really, the two couldnt be more different, when was the last time you saw Froome drag the race favourite from another team up the road?

It is his fault anyone with a conscience or half a brain would have sat on Roglic as he had most to gain, a stage win wasnt possible.

The same as Thomas did in the TDF this year, sat that and let his team mate go while watching his TDF victory disappear into the wind. If Roglic had not been able to go faster and then Quintana had caught Roglic and Valverde, would the team have been better off for the day or worse ? I'd say arguably worse.

Uran, Carthy, Roche and some others abandon after crash.

The same as Thomas did in the TDF this year, sat that and let his team mate go while watching his TDF victory disappear into the wind. If Roglic had not been able to go faster and then Quintana had caught Roglic and Valverde, would the team have been better off for the day or worse ? I’d say arguably worse.

Sorry dont understand most of this, although yes Thomas did do the right thing as did Bernal as none of the other contenders were dragged away by Bernal. The rest is whataboutery.
Valverde attacked and then paced Roglic away.

Another unbelievable performance from Valverde. Will be a Piti when he retires...