The Vuelta thread 2024

That last climb was a brute – classic Rogla !!

Nathan van Hooydonck is a good addition to the commentary team – insightful.

That last climb was a brute – classic Rogla !!

Yes and more like that to come in the Vuelta. Still ridiculously small gaps in GC given how hard it’s been so far. Which is good.

Nathan van Hooydonck is a good addition to the commentary team – insightful.

Indeed.

Could someone explain what Israel were thinking with all the work they did?

Could someone explain what Israel were thinking with all the work they did?

Well following INEOS collapse as a viable team, someone has to be responsible for Pointless Pedalling and IPT drew the short straw.

Off-topic – did you see the interview with Matt Richardson? His thighs are HUGE ! I could fit my entire body in one leg of his jeans, and I’m not slim !!

The experts were saying that IPT had missed the breakaway, therefore hoping that they could bring up maybe Michael Woods or George Bennett. But in my little mind all they were doing was helping Redbull BORA Handsgrohe. All very odd.

Slight diversion – it’s funny how cycling sponsors make such mundane products – Hans Grohe (very nice) taps etc, Soudal make the stuff our roofers were using last year, various supermarkets. It’s always been like that – Jacques Anquetil’s iconic Bic shirt, Moltemi coffee machines and so on and so forth !!

For all the best updates and punditry on the Vuelta follow @ukcyclingexpert

Felix Gall must have forgotten he's teammates with Des O'Connor today. Easily done in pro professional cycling's grand tours like the Viva Espana because Des had to wear the red leader's yellow jersey rather than the kit the rest of the team bought in Decathlon.

— UK Cycling Expert (@ukcyclingexpert) August 24, 2024

But in my little mind all they were doing was helping Redbull BORA Handsgrohe.

They helped Bora win the stage but they more helped Decathlon defend the leaders jersey by controlling the break.

They helped Bora win the stage but they more helped Decathlon defend the leaders jersey by controlling the break.

Why did Decathlon want to control the break?

To protect the leaders red jersey, if no one rides they lose it.

I think Decathlon would have been happy to let the break go within reason. It would have avoided Rog getting 10 secs bonus and potentially have brought another rider into the mix (Tejada) for the other teams to stress over.

I think Decathlon would have been happy to let the break go within reason. It would have avoided Rog getting 10 secs bonus and potentially have brought another rider into the mix (Tejada) for the other teams to stress over.

Exactly this. Decathlon would have been happy for the time bonuses to be taken by the breakaway riders … and Roglic not to get any. And if Bora/Roglic wanted to get time back from O’Connor they would have to put the effort in and do the riding whilst Decathlon tried to sit on them.

Yea Decathlon didn’t want to bring the break back but they would have needed to control it to stop the gap getting beyond six mins or so which is why the were riding on the front before Decathlon decided to pull the break back so that Roglic could win. I think Bora would have been happy sitting back and watching Decathlon ride and then letting Roglic attack the final climb without the 10s time bonus. Roglic seemed a little surprised at the finish that it worked out so well for him at the end. Israel pulling the break in was utterly pointless for them.

Looking forward to today’s stage cos I’ve ridden that area a fair bit.

Also missed much of the last 3-4 days so I have little idea of what’s actually happening! Might have to find a detailed stage summary and catch up before the TV coverage starts.

Cycling stage does reasonable write ups for each stage

https://www.cyclingstage.com/vuelta-2024-results/stage-8-spain-results-2024/

Today is interesting, couple of big hills including a loop, finishing with a downhill into Granada. Breakaway day?

Almeida out, COVID.

Almeida out, COVID.

Cycling seems to have quite a relaxed attitude to COVID. Presumably he tested positive some time ago and has been riding with symptoms?

He lost a minute or two yesterday – seems to be a pattern, rider has a rubbish day, then tests positive and (sometimes) pulls out.

Super close call for Enric Mas on that descent, he did very well to hang onto that and not disappear over the barriers!

New bib shorts required after that…. ?

I’ve ridden that descent. Sadly when there was traffic on it but even then it was ridiculously quick. We were touching 50mph, these guys are doing nearly 60!

It’s good that the GC is still very open, it’s nice to have a race where there’s a lot going on. Annoying that the coverage didn’t start until about 90km to go, I missed all the roads between Motril and the mountains that I’ve ridden.

Although I’ll be 200 places further down the Strava lists after today.  😉

It’s going to be very interesting now that Carapaz has got a sniff!!

Josh Tarling out after a crash we didn’t see on coverage

https://www.threads.net/@ineosgrenadiers/post/C_GRmzSo5I9

@crazy-legs have you been out there with Cycle Sierra Nevada by any chance? I’ve been there a few times and ridden the first bits of todays stage a fair bit too.

I’m delighted that Carapaz is back in the game. He’s always a fun guy to watch racing and now he has a tache he looks like a hitman as well.

Yates, Soler and Vine – that break was really the Ugly Bugs Ball 🙁

I’m so pleased for Adam Yates. He’s got himself into the GC top ten (now Almeida is out). It’s been a superb season for Yatesy and at the age of 32 there should be a few more yet.

Sad for Josh Tarling, but he’s struggled with confidence since his puncture during the Olympic ITT. He was in my Vuelta team and I was hoping he would show his true worth at the last ITT, in Spain, c’est la vie.

Two out of my team gone, nearly at the bottom, gonna make other league players improve;)

Let’s hope it stays interesting, better for the sport…would really like to visit/cycle in Spain, but obviously a wet BH taking!!

Great stage yesterday. Going to be interesting to see if Carapaz and EF hold a grudge after being taken out by AG2R yesterday

Congratulations to Eddie Dunbar. What a finish. The front group had a few seconds looking around, playing cat and mouse, then whoosh Dunbar goes, full gas and wasn’t spotted. A top rider and about time he had his day of glory.

I wonder how many other riders will be out today with covid (looking at INEOS mostly).

Going to be interesting to see if Carapaz and EF hold a grudge after being taken out by AG2R yesterday

I saw an interview with Ben O’Connor saying he’s not as much of a dick as he appeared on Netflix (my paraphrase) but that protestation looks a bit hollow today.

I wonder how many other riders will be out today with covid (looking at INEOS mostly).

Given that the whole peloton shared buses and planes for the 1,000km transfer from south to north the other day, I suspect there’s potential for pretty much any team to cop it tbh. A master-stroke by the organisers 🙁

Fabulous scenery today. Galicia is beautiful- too bad it’s so difficult to get to for us ( NE England).

Loved that!

I was shouting at the TV – “stop looking round, pedal !!!”

DrJ

Full Member

I was shouting at the TV – “stop looking round, pedal !!!”

Same here “FFS just pedal”

One of the best finishes of the Vuelta so far.

I haven’t really been following this, so please excuse potentially eye-rolling question.

Is the Alto de L’Angliru on the route this year – and if so, which stage?

I don’t think the Angliru features this year. They do finish at Lagos de Covadonga on Stage 16.

Disappointed to learn that Lennert van Eetvelt didn’t start yesterday, covid I guess? He’d had a fantastic first week

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

Is the Alto de L’Angliru on the route this year – and if so, which stage?

No. It was used last year though. They tend not to use the same “signature” climbs each year, it’s one of those ones they visit every once in a while. Kind of like how the Tour doesn’t do Alpe d’Huez or Ventoux every year.