The Vuelta thread 2024

Just checked the Velogames STW league – I’ll be taking a screen shot before all my scoring riders randomly catch Covid…

I think today is a breakway day – I’m half an hour behind live coverage but the break already has an 11 minutes advantage…

My masterplan is failing miserably.

Cracking stage! Great race among the break and lovely to see the win, then another race among the gc with a super comeback from more than one rider we thought had been dropped

The Brandon McNulty crash could have been so much worse. So pleased that he got back on the bike. He’ll be sticking to the bed sheets for the rest of the race.

Superb ride by the stage winner.

Loved seeing the finishers ride back down the mountain past those still climbing. Well done Ben, great defence of the jersey.

A lot of talk on EuroSport about “de braaaaak-awaaaay” and if it is in fact “de braaaaak of de daaaay” or just a preliminary braaaak before de real braaaak-awaaaay forms.

I imagine tings will continue on for a nooom-ber of kilometres before we can tell.

This might not age very well but made me laugh

What a finish. Tactical bike change for Roglic onto what looks like 1:1 1x 10-42 cassette for the 25% finish into zero visibility.

Apparently it cost him a 20sec penalty for drafting the team car on the way back to the peleton. Not sure those rules are uniformly applied …

Apparently it cost him a 20sec penalty for drafting the team car on the way back to the peleton. Not sure those rules are uniformly applied …

Seems pretty fair as it was tactical not a mechanical or crash.

If you’re going to draft the team car like that, do it when the cameras are off. And yes tactical not mechanical, so got what he deserved. Faded too considering the gear he had.

Just realised I posted my earlier comment in the wrong thread:

No comments on today’s stage yet? That was the best battle of sheer will and pain faces I remember seeing for a long time. Absolutely brutal.

No wonder there weren’t any comments.

Was also pretty nuts that Roglic thought O’connor had finished in front of him.

I think a fog machine at the top of every mountain stage should be mandatory. Adds so much to the finish!

Tour of Britain starts tomorrow, if you’re in the velogames league for the vuelta you’ll be in for the ToB

Wout Van Aert crashed and out on descent in  the Picos, sorry DrJ. Seems Red Bull doesn’t give you wings

More fog at the finish. Another epic stage, Spain really delivering this year

Rogla closing in !!

Wout Van Aert crashed and out on descent in  the Picos

That was a bloody shame, he was going like a train.

That was a bloody shame, he was going like a train.

My last post couldn’t have aged worse! Gutted for him.

Eddie Dunbar – you beauty. Roglic didn’t look too well yesterday, maybe there’s illness in the Redbull team (Danni Martinez abandoned).

The ITT coverage starts at 3.00pm today.

There was salmonella poisoning in the Bora camp. One of the staff was hospitalised. No idea if Roglic was affected, he was strong enough on a tough day yesterday, but I guess we’ll find out today.

Roglic didn’t look too well yesterday,

Hoping I’m that ill myself one day ( ◠‿◠ )

So, in the end a convincing victory for Roglic. Much as I like Sepp Kuss I don’t think he did much to advance the idea that he’s a grand tour winner for the future.

Much as I like Sepp Kuss I don’t think he did much to advance the idea that he’s a grand tour winner for the future.

He’s not really been good all year. There’s been lots of speculation whether 3 grand tours last year was perhaps a bit too much. The human body has limits.

Last year was Sepp’s year. Everything aligned and team orders took him over the line. The strongest rider last year has just won this year. Vingegard would have been the VLaB leader but he’s at home with a newborn. There was no way he was going to defend his win with a weaker team than last year. Remember that Ving and Rog were Sepp’a domestiques!

delighted for Ben O’Connor to finish second. And also pleased that Mas held on for third. He was looking strong in the hills and was really one more mountain stage away from second. Rog was, however, playing with the rest of the field.

Congratulations to FORZA FAZZINI coming 185 out of 15,886 in the STW league VeloGames.

Rog just loves the Vuelta