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!
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Nicely done, gents. Many thanks.
Crickets in here. Wow.
Just watched today's finish...I opted for "ambient noise" over the NBC highlights with Paul and Phil...silence sounded much better.
@Ron
I an not sure if the cause is cycling saturation or that the race to date seems a bit disjointed to date, but I feel....eh. I have greatly enjoyed La Vuelta in the past but this year it seems a bit of a consolation price after the TdF and Olympic races.
I am watching Paul and Bobkie Roll call the race and they aren't bad. Bobkie is a much better analyst than Paul and Paul is better at calling the race than Phil. So together Paul and Bob do a solid job.
@Ron
Is there a race on ?
Krashwijk goes down, without snowbank this time! Out of Vuelta.
@fignons barber
I picked him in my VSP. It was inevitable.
@fignons barber
No snowbank. Just a post in the road with no warning or protection! http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/unprotected-post-in-vuelta-a-espana-stage-5-finale-raises-hackles/
@LeoTea
Never seen anything like this: https://twitter.com/SaraGarciaGmez/status/768563272845058048/video/1
@fignons barber
Bad year for the Dutch. Kruijswijk certainly earned his nickname...
@KogaLover
God damn it! I was gonna say that!
Looks like I need a rest day swap for good old Krashy, then...