La Vuelta a España - discussion thread (possible spoilers) (+ velogames)

Confirmed highlights on quest (Freeview ch12, +1 on ch70), 11pm for the opening day's coverage of the team time trial around Utrecht in the Netherlands, then 7pm seems to be the usual slot

I'm in, see if I can do as badly as my Le Tour team did!

Doesn't appear to be on ITV4, our favourite for highlights 😢

Not the end of the world as we have gcn+ and can see quest highlights, but...

Tuesday bump. The race starts with an EVENING Team Time Trial around Utrecht.

The Velogames entry deadline is 18:15 CEST (Central European Summer Time) on Friday 19th August 2022. That is 17:15 in the UK, and 12:15 on the US East Coast.

Entered, thanks @nbt

Odd's taking all the way this year

Ah is it confirmed it's not on ITV? I thought it was except for the opening time trial or something?

GCN don't seem to reliably get their highlights (if they do them at all) up on their app by early morning (I watch it before work normally).

Is there a way of watching Quest online (I don't have freeview or freesat)?

I'm looking forward to Stage 7 which we largely did (in reverse) on this year's "Cadiz to Santander" cycle tour. Stunning scenery and a 55 km descent, which these poor lads will have to do as a climb.

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^ previous winners on this year's start list.

Does velogames have a start list check?

Does velogames have a start list check?

Not sure. I think in the past they have had, and have auto-replaced any they know about, but not all are announced in time

I am pretty sure they did for Me Tour, oh well a few non starters will help in my quest for last place!

Erm, I shall repost my previous post, but correctly this time.

6 previous winners on this year’s start list.

Oh and they are:
Primoz Roglic (last 3 events), Alejandro Valverde (2009), Vincenzo Nibali (2010), Chris Froome (2011 and 2017), Nairo Quintana (2016) and Simon Yates (2018).

Going to be in Spain and riding stage 15's final climb to Sierra Nevada (and possibly beyond, up to Pico Veleta) before then watching the race.

Stage 20 includes a lot of my local climbs, and it's a Saturday 🙂

Thanks nbt.
It's always tricky to get the riders needed or wanted.

Nairo retrospectively disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France after two blood samples during the race tested positive for tramadol. It's a UCI infringement but as it's not banned by WADA he is allowed to race in the Vuelta.

https://www.ukad.org.uk/news/article/uci-tramadol-ban-all-you-need-to-know

Tramadol use in the peloton was pretty rife (4% of tested samples), and was banned by the UCI due to safety concerns - riders may lose concentration. Out of competition, it is still allowed. Quintana’s team must have known this, but perhaps misunderstood “competition” to mean just during the daily race rather than at any time in the three week.

Tramadol has a relatively short half-life (6h) and it’s notable that’s it’s a blood sample (often rest day samples). This was a Dried blood spot from 8/13 apparently - we’ve tested dried blood on occasion but not used it for quantitation, but as a presence/absence it has its use. Will have needed at least a day to be eliminated.

First offence is disqualification, second is a five month ban, further offences are nine month ban. A UCI team with more than one positive in a year there’s a fine and then a ban.

Nairo retrospectively disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France after two blood samples during the race tested positive for tramadol. It’s a UCI infringement but as it’s not banned by WADA he is allowed to race in the Vuelta.

BBC reporting that Arkea Samsic have withdrawn Nairo from the Vuelta

On Tuesday, Quintana's Arkea-Samsic team announced he had signed a contract extension until 2025, but he has been omitted from their squad for the Vuelta a Espana which begins on Friday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/62580517

But not confirmed elsewhere as yet, most other sources seem to be saying he's coming out fighting, denying ever knowingly using tramadol and confirming he's riding
Link to article and video in spanish

Almeida and UAE for the win;)

Let the velogames begin!

Regarding Tramadol, I was once prescribed it for badly bruised ribs after crashing the bike. I was off my t*ts for hours! No way would I want to be riding a bike on that stuff.

Now confirmed that Nairo is not racing
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nairo-quintana-pulls-out-of-vuelta-a-espana/

Regarding Tramadol, I was once prescribed it for badly bruised ribs after crashing the bike. I was off my t*ts for hours! No way would I want to be riding a bike on that stuff.

+1.

Could be why Nairo conducts interviews in such a slow and considered way. 😀

Velogames team assembled. A few chancers included.

I've got two racers, both in the same category, both with the same points, really can't decide, so easy without hindsight to pick the wrong riders.

Bump - you've slightly less than 5 hours left to enter a team in Velogames if you want to play again

Busy night of sports for us now - European champs MTB at 4pm on BBC, then TTT at the Vuelta on GCN,and that will probably overlap with HUlll FC vs Wakefield in the Super Leagu on Sky sports tonight

I wonder if any of the GC teams will have their GC contenders cross the line first?

Who doesn't love a team time trial?

Who doesn’t love a team time trial?

Me

Odd didn't make the start list, poor Odd

I used to be a fan of the TTT but that wasn't the best, as mentioned on Eurosport, too technical. Don't think it was really the spectacle they'd hoped for.

Already lurking near the bottom of the table. Bloody team time trials.....

Starting to think my velogames tactic of choosing riders based on the altitude of their birth might backfire in these first few days.

Apologies guys, quick post.

Discovery+ or GCN best bet to watch La Vuelta? Both live and highlights.

Thanks!👍

Yes.

Also

Confirmed highlights on quest (Freeview ch12, +1 on ch70), 11pm for the opening day’s coverage of the team time trial around Utrecht in the Netherlands, then 7pm seems to be the usual slot

Team time trials are always best seen live imo.

Weird stuff from Alpecin, drill it for ages to bring back break with 100km to go, get to within 10s then sit up and let them go again!

Have we returned to old style racing? I fear the Tour and Giro this year may have wasted me. Hopefully Remco will try to light some fires. I also seem to have assembled almost the worst dream team ever....

I think a lot of riders are just waiting to reach Spain. My team was 3rd yesterday now down to 8th... bit disappointed really, prefer to be at the back!!!

Merlier pulling his foot out in the sprint didn't help!

Have we returned to old style racing? I fear the Tour and Giro this year may have wasted me.

Both of the other Grand Departs this year have yeilded unexceptional racing before the travel day. I wouldn't read too much into the race so far.

Some good racing today. A deserved win and a tactical red jersey, not that I was a fan of how he did it mind you. This may be influenced by the fact that I have Fred Wright in my dream team though.

Indeed - Fred only 2 seconds down.
Nice riding from Jakey Stewart. I've been a fan of his for a couple of years and not happy for taking him out of my velogames team and swapping with Rein Taaramae, with the same points and in the same category (silly woman).

This is fantastic, GC battle and stage battle aplenty.

That is one big climb today, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the breakaway hold a out. Fred Wright ftw🤞

Nice bump in my dream team the last few days, I've jumped 20 spots. I had thought I'd blown it with the way the TTT panned out .

Well played by the breakaway today. Shame for Fred though - again.

Easy to look at with hindsight but his tactics could have been better, same the other day. His DS needs a shake.

Remco looking imperious and the TT is on Tuesday.

Oddly they are going down the road at the end of my street so I’m wondering whether to catch it there or to ride down to the coast and catch them going by there.

They really do arse up the strava thou 🙂

I’m not sure if they’ve been tidying up the roads but rode down a bit of the route Saturday and the surface looks good.

If your gonna live in the middle of nowhere may as well live on the Vuelta route 🙂

BTW It’s stage 11

TT's still boring, my team up to second though 😮😮

The good news from the TT is that the AEROSNOOD lives on:

dudofdoom - that photo looks great. Enjoy the Vuelta.

The TT was rubbish for my velogames team, even though I had Rohan Dennis, who wasn't feeling too good.
I was 1,410 out of 17,753, now tumbled down. Ethan Hayter has left, I was banking on him to do well. Feel sad for him, but he'll be back (hopefully in the Tour of Britain).

I'm going the other way and nipping at your heels bunnyhop. I was 17*** at one point. Think Pederson today might put you a bit clearer though.

Sivakov and Yates (among others) out with Covid

32 of them out apparently in total.

Allaphillipe is down hard, looks like collar bone! 🙁

Tbh I thought it looked a little smaller than usual,I rode down the route to a town called Pulpí and sat on a bench for a few hours to see it go thru , just got back was cooler today than it’s been for a while.

I did get a muse bag but they were stingy throwing stuff out 🙂

(If it goes that way next time I’ll probably get a lift and sit in the pub/restaurant but I’d took the bike and tbh a morning of beer and the ride back wouldn’t really work)

Second time I’ve seen it,it’s nice seeing them in the flesh ripping by.

Looked painful, tough season for him 😟

Just leaving this here for posterity I doubt it will happen again!

https://ibb.co/3v0hVsw

Not to piss on your chips a_a, but isn't this the table you are looking for?

https://www.velogames.com/spain/2022/leaguescores.php?league=457982927

Nope I am far happier with the one depicted

32 of them out apparently in total.

32 DNS/withdrawals as of yesterday (plus Alaphiliple during the race, so 33 by the end of the day), though not all covid. Numbers are increasing though

https://twitter.com/TourDeJose/status/1565271468799303680

https://www.lavuelta.es/en/withdrawal

Looking like a good day for some heroics today. I think if Movistar want to do anything with Mas, today might be a chance, maybe trying to get Valverde his swan song also.

I'm not sure if tis good news or not, I know sometimes a sprain can take longer to heal than a break

France's Alaphilippe, 30, who won the world title in 2020 and 2021, was taken to hospital for tests and his Quick-Step team later confirmed he had suffered a dislocated right shoulder, but X-rays showed there was no fracture.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/62743679

did remco have to have his shoulder popped back in ? ( Seems they were talking about Allaphillipe ^^)

No it was Alaphilippe, just a bit of road rash for Remco.

Wonder if Remco will take the hint and start wearing gloves?

Anyway good end to the stage, loads better than yesterday's snoreathon.

Wonder if Remco will take the hint and start wearing gloves?

Nah, you get shit tan lines and the Insta-bangers are affected 😉

Yay - thanks a_a for putting that shot up of us leading the game. I was at the top a few days ago.
Guessing that most players have lost at least one rider if not two.

It's going to be interesting next week with La Vuelta and the 'Tour of Britain' on at the same time.

Off to select my ToB team soon.

Bryan Coquard is the latest to withdraw, but not because of Covid or injury or illness - he has to go and race in some smaller races to bag UCI points for the team so they don't get relegated at the end of the season. Madness

BTW ToB entries now open on Velogames

https://www.velogames.com/

If you entered the STW grand tours league, that will be active for your ToB team

Edt - and straight away I see names of riders who've withdrawn from the Vuelta like Michael Wods and Jake Stewart. Thinking about it, I thought that if you withdrew from a race, you werent allowed to start another race happening within the same timescale? Or is ToB not UCI World Tour so it's ok? Or have th Vuelta organisers had to sign off on these guys racing elsewhere?

Yessssss. After a disastrous TdF velogames team choice, I'm at the TOP of our STW league, Yay.

...and I'm second behind B'Hop:) no idea how, anyhow final week could be interesting more hills coming up.

Bryan Coquard is the latest to withdraw, but not because of Covid or injury or illness – he has to go and race in some smaller races to bag UCI points for the team so they don’t get relegated at the end of the season. Madness

There's been a fair bit of talk about this recently, it's not doing race organisers any favours nor is it working well for the World Champs - some trade teams simply can't afford to let their star riders go off and race the Worlds for their country because of the possibility of the trade team being relegated. 🙁

Coquard was a good 2nd place today behind Pedersen as well, he's clearly on form. Never good to see riders withdraw cos they want/have to race somewhere else - personally I think it's quite an insult to the race and I know the UCI put rules in place to prevent withdrawals like that. Now they seem to have opened the door to it happening again.

oof! brutal start to a climb

Remco and Primoz are very similar types of rider.... it's the .001% that makes the difference

some puffing and wheezing already only another 18km to go !

is Roglic faking.... Remco doesn't know!

fascinating !!