The Vuelta a España starts this Friday. Things have been a bit quiet about it but it may be a good race. Will Jai Hindley back up his Giro win and do the double? Will former ski jumper Primoz Roglic have recovered from the injury that saw him retire from the Tour de France? Will Carapaz get his own back on Hindley and get a(nother) Grand Tour win for Ineos ahead of his rumoured departure? Will Miguel Angel Lopez still be on edge after recently being arrested for alleged drug trafficking?

Velogames is up and running and the Grand Tours league I set up is valid for this, so if you entered that league for the Giro or the Tour, you’re in as soon as you set up a team. If not, feel free to join in the fun

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

Coverage on GCN for sure, which means it’s possible that we might get free to air highlights on Quest in the evening – not yet confirmed. I am not sure whether we’ll get Ned and David offering their insights on ITV4, wil confirm as and when I find out

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.

^ 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!