Vuelta 2022

[emme]

Did anyone notice that 3 SA riders are riding the Vuelta?!

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, emme said:

Did anyone notice that 3 SA riders are riding the Vuelta?!

nope. lineups could change between now and then. not sure if maincheese is one of them, but he will surely  need more recovery after that ITT return

[emme]

Willie Smit,Gibbons and De Bod..

[J Wakefield]

11 minutes ago, emme said:

Willie Smit,Gibbons and De Bod..

Smit and Gibbons are not doing Vuelta. 

[emme]

Sorry guys

Wrong info.

My apologies!!

[Shebeen]

Wonder if Roglic is going to arrive and take his annual TdF disaapointment frustration out on the peleton*? If not, then for the first time in a long time (or forever?) QS have got the actual GC favourite in Evenepoel.

 

 

 

*not sure i can trust the PCS startlist for much, it currently has Bernal as riding

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2022/gc/startlist/startlist

On 7/25/2022 at 6:06 PM, J Wakefield said:

Smit and Gibbons are not doing Vuelta. 

His team not even there.

[lechatnoir]

34 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Wonder if Roglic is going to arrive and take his annual TdF disaapointment frustration out on the peleton*? If not, then for the first time in a long time (or forever?) QS have got the actual GC favourite in Evenepoel.

 

 

 

*not sure i can trust the PCS startlist for much, it currently has Bernal as riding

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2022/gc/startlist/startlist

His team not even there.

This is becoming and annual certainty

Though, if the Ineos startlist is anything to go by, Rog may have a battle.

Would it be asking too much if I wanted the Vuelta to be a better race than TdF '22?

[dexterdent]

1 hour ago, lechatnoir said:

This is becoming and annual certainty

Though, if the Ineos startlist is anything to go by, Rog may have a battle.

Would it be asking too much if I wanted the Vuelta to be a better race than TdF '22?

Yes, except if WvA also shows up at the Vuelta then anything goes

[Vetplant]

37 minutes ago, dexterdent said:

Yes, except if WvA also shows up at the Vuelta then anything goes

Although that would be awesome, I'd prefer if he takes time off and builds towards the World Championships. He is in prime form to take both the ITT and the Road Race.

[Shebeen]

36 minutes ago, dexterdent said:

Yes, except if WvA also shows up at the Vuelta then anything goes

zero chance of that happening surely!

JV have an interesting move for Vuelta if PR is not ready now that TomD is done.

back Kuss for a top5? 

 

 

 

[lechatnoir]

2 hours ago, Vetplant said:

Although that would be awesome, I'd prefer if he takes time off and builds towards the World Championships. He is in prime form to take both the ITT and the Road Race.

he's opted out of the ITT in favour of the road race, and but Evenpoel is coleader with WvA. Should be fun and games.

[Shebeen]

8 days to kick off, endless possibilities.

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2022/gc/startlist

will roglic actually ride?

how can evenepoel really be the favourite, he is not really GT racepony ?

Can almeida step up and get a big result if given the go ahead and backup?

Carapaz was a bit off the pace at tdPologne, but Ineos still won with Hayter.

Hindley to do the double?

 

[lechatnoir]

16 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

8 days to kick off, endless possibilities.

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2022/gc/startlist

will roglic actually ride?

how can evenepoel really be the favourite, he is not really GT racepony ?

Can almeida step up and get a big result if given the go ahead and backup?

Carapaz was a bit off the pace at tdPologne, but Ineos still won with Hayter.

Hindley to do the double?

 

man, I love the Vuelta from a racing perspective. Sure, it's not got the 'zing' of the Giro, or the self-glorification of the Tour, but it's always brutal, and coming at the back-end of all the 'fun stuff', teams are often depleted, and those with nothing to show for their seasons are gunning for glory - often with an under-strength team, so it's desperate! and so much fun for an armchair pundit. Procycling stats shows no complete teams as of today, except the Spanish teams that seem to have included their entire squads! 

And don't those route planners put in some brutal bit? exhibit 1: Angliru... (not in this year)

as for potential winners, it's pretty open, but if Rog's riding, I'd bet the engraver's already figuring out how to write Rog's name even better this time. 🍷

As for Evenepoel, I saw a twitter poll a while back asking for the most overrated rider... Evenepoel popped up - based on his being touted as the new Merckx. he isn't, and we don't even know if he can ride for 3 whole weeks, with some of the route requiring some nifty bike handling. I hope he can, and does at some point, cos what he has shown so far has been good. Anyway, worst thing he could do would be to follow Alaphillipe - all the swerving never did anyone any favours 😆

I suspect if Superman can stay on the bike and not throw a hissy-fit, he'll have some say on who wears what jersey... He has a point to prove, and what better place than on Movistar's turf?

First stage is a TTT. This is always a lottery for teams with a GC rider, but not too great at this event, as their rider is always on the backfoot, especially if it's the first stage with the possibility of losing bags of time. Bravo to the organisers for this though - always good to see a well-drilled team zooming over the course. Will it mess up the whole GC battle for the rest of the race? One thing's for sure, Jumbo, barring a disaster, are a slam-dunk for this... Each of their riders are contenders in an ITT, so if they get it right on the day, their GC rider will be in the pound seat. Having Dennis in there can't hurt at all

[lechatnoir]

for those vaguely interested in cycling and history and cyclo-touring-history, check out Vuelta Skelter by Tim Moore. It's a fantastic read

"Tim Moore completes his epic (and ill-advised) trilogy of cycling's Grand Tours. Julian Berrendero's victory in the 1941 Vuelta a Espana was an extraordinary exercise in sporting redemption: the Spanish cyclist had just spent 18 months in Franco's concentration camps, punishment for expressing Republican sympathies during the civil war. Seventy nine years later, perennially over-ambitious cyclo-adventurer Tim Moore developed a fascination with Berrendero's story, and having borrowed an old road bike with the great man's name plastered all over it, set off to retrace the 4,409km route of his 1941 triumph - in the midst of a global pandemic. What follows is a tale of brutal heat and lonely roads, of glory, humiliation, and then a bit more humiliation. Along the way Tim recounts the civil war's still-vivid tragedies, and finds the gregarious but impressively responsible locals torn between welcoming their nation's only foreign visitor, and bundling him and his filthy bike into a vat of antiviral gel."

The above is copied from Loot, where you can get the book. Also available at Audible, where a trial account gets a free book - this can be it... 

[Ispeed_V]

Looking highly possible that we may have 3 saffas riding, looking at the provisional start list:

Debod

Maincheese (looks to be the possible leader of the team)

Gibbons (back from his lower back injury)

One more week till TV time

 

 

[Vetplant]

Impey is confirmed for Israel - Premier Tech. COVID stole his 2022 TDF ambitions. Hope he can sneak a win somewhere.

Meintjies is pencilled in for Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert. I'd be surprised if he seriously considers going for GC after that sapping TDF. Stage Win hunting?

De Bod didn't make the cut for Astana, Gibbons didn't make it for UAE.