Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2016

Platinum blond Frankie VDB goes deep in the Spanish desert.

The Vuelta is my least favorite Grand Tour. I say this every year, I know. And every year, circumstances make it look an awful lot like I could be wrong about that. Circumstances like, for instance, the fact that the GC almost always comes down to a nail-biting final few days, or someone comes from far down the classification to upset the standings on a transition stage, like Contador did a few years back.

Still, there is no denying that it has the least prestige of the three Grand Tours; any rider who has won the Tour de France would have no trouble finding a contract for years to come, and the same goes for the Giro to a lesser extent. Yet, I can think of two Vuelta winners – if not three – in the last decade who were without a contract the following year or were forced to resign themselves to racing on a lower-ranked team.

I blame my dislike for the Vuelta on Spain’s geography; those rains in Spain that fall mainly in the plains are also the plains in Spain that host stages on roads so flat and straight that you get the idea half the peloton would be happy to wrap a bungee cord around their handlebars and take a nap. Yet, some of the most brutal climbs are found along its parcours and those brutal climbs make for some wildly fantastic racing.

So I’m not saying I’m changing my mind about the Vuelta, but it can’t be worse than the Tour was this year.

Anyway, don’t mind this grumpy old man; prognosticate on the start list, get your picks in, sit back, and enjoy the racing. Good luck!

[vsp_results id=”73002″/]

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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Ron says:

Sep 9 2016 at 9:57 am

@chris

@RobSandy

@chris

So true. I aspire to the stroke of Maître Jacques but comfort myself with the knowledge that Stannard can stomp his way to victory.

I do need to spend a lot of time on my rollers this winter, though. That’s the key to a more magnificent stroke for me.

I plan to ride fixed on the track once a week, that should help. Mind you, elegance can get you so far but there’s no substitute for POWER. I wish I had a fraction of the leg power big Yogi must have.

Rollers for souplesse, turbo for power.

Stannard averaged 326 watts the other day. I’d be luck to produce that sort of power for more than a couple of minutes.

I know I shouldn't even inquire and just let it be a mystery...but how in the hell do the PROs do that when we can train and ride like crazy...and never get close to their level. Years and years of riding and never having to attend uni and have a FT job?
chris says:

Sep 9 2016 at 10:34 am

@Ron

@chris

@RobSandy

@chris

So true. I aspire to the stroke of Maître Jacques but comfort myself with the knowledge that Stannard can stomp his way to victory.

I do need to spend a lot of time on my rollers this winter, though. That’s the key to a more magnificent stroke for me.

I plan to ride fixed on the track once a week, that should help. Mind you, elegance can get you so far but there’s no substitute for POWER. I wish I had a fraction of the leg power big Yogi must have.

Rollers for souplesse, turbo for power.

Stannard averaged 326 watts the other day. I’d be luck to produce that sort of power for more than a couple of minutes.

I know I shouldn’t even inquire and just let it be a mystery…but how in the hell do the PROs do that when we can train and ride like crazy…and never get close to their level. Years and years of riding and never having to attend uni and have a FT job?

David Millar talks of a similar output over four hours in a break in an early season classic.

Apparently, the answer is 10,000 hours or more and a stack of decent genes. Look on the bright side though, if, like me you've never put in anything like the 10,000 hours, you can happily tell yourself that you could have been a contender if you'd taken it seriously from the right age.
RobSandy says:

Sep 11 2016 at 1:59 am

Got the top 4 right, NITRO. Thus ends my challenge for the VSP podium this year.
Randy C says:

Sep 11 2016 at 6:09 pm

Well I've changed my mind. Originally I was not a fan of yellow and celeste with the mix of Lotto Jumbo kits and the Bianchi bikes. I was wrong. It works. The kits are cool, with the black shorts yes, and for whatev reason, yellow just works with the Bianchi bikes in my eye. Now, the classic old Bianchi's with the yellow fade/celeste frames ?? I'm not there yet. But as I was watching Koen Bouwman in the break today I was thinking… you know what, looks good… and from stage 14 with Mr. Gesink:
Jay says:

Sep 11 2016 at 6:28 pm

@Randy C

Well I’ve changed my mind. Originally I was not a fan of yellow and celeste with the mix of Lotto Jumbo kits and the Bianchi bikes. I was wrong. It works. The kits are cool, with the black shorts yes, and for whatev reason, yellow just works with the Bianchi bikes in my eye. Now, the classic old Bianchi’s with the yellow fade/celeste frames ?? I’m not there yet. But as I was watching Koen Bouwman in the break today I was thinking… you know what, looks good… and from stage 14 with Mr. Gesink:

Yellow just goes with everything. Best color out there. IMO.
Jay says:

Sep 11 2016 at 6:34 pm

Well this a surprising turn of events...
Teocalli says:

Sep 12 2016 at 2:01 am

@Jay

Well this a surprising turn of events…

Nice One!
RobSandy says:

Sep 12 2016 at 2:22 am

@Randy C

Well I’ve changed my mind. Originally I was not a fan of yellow and celeste with the mix of Lotto Jumbo kits and the Bianchi bikes. I was wrong. It works. The kits are cool, with the black shorts yes, and for whatev reason, yellow just works with the Bianchi bikes in my eye. Now, the classic old Bianchi’s with the yellow fade/celeste frames ?? I’m not there yet. But as I was watching Koen Bouwman in the break today I was thinking… you know what, looks good… and from stage 14 with Mr. Gesink:

I really like this guy.
Erik says:

Sep 12 2016 at 6:47 am

Final race results? I'm hoping to snag a Red Badge since I know that my VSP hasn't a chance of winning. That said, I think there are some people out there who have better picks than me so I'll settle for podium. But I need to know!
Erik says:

Sep 12 2016 at 7:47 am

@RobSandy

@Randy C

Well I’ve changed my mind. Originally I was not a fan of yellow and celeste with the mix of Lotto Jumbo kits and the Bianchi bikes. I was wrong. It works. The kits are cool, with the black shorts yes, and for whatev reason, yellow just works with the Bianchi bikes in my eye. Now, the classic old Bianchi’s with the yellow fade/celeste frames ?? I’m not there yet. But as I was watching Koen Bouwman in the break today I was thinking… you know what, looks good… and from stage 14 with Mr. Gesink:

I really like this guy.

Me too. I didn't like the Celeste with the kit either, but I'm getting over it. It isn't like my Bianchi matches any kit that I own. It is just Celeste. As it should be.