Author Topic: La Vuelta 2018  (Read 6111 times)

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
La Vuelta 2018
« on: 28 August, 2018, 07:55:46 pm »
What's going on?
  • 4 days
  • 4 different stage winners
  • 2 shiny jumper wearers
  • Stonking pace set by more than 1 team
  • Favourites dropping like flies
  • Best of all, no watchwanker general
And no YACF thread?
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

mattc

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #1 on: 28 August, 2018, 11:10:24 pm »
... but a Sky rider still hloding 3 of the jerseys. Bah!   
;)

The Simon Yates interview was interesting - it was like he was desperate to avoid overdoing it early in the race (like in the Giro), and felt daft for letting himself go and accidentally gaining 20secs on the other GC riders!
Has never ridden RAAM
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No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

mattc

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #2 on: 28 August, 2018, 11:12:06 pm »
p.s. I'm pretty sure that Zwift advert will start to grate as much as the Watchfinder General one!
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #3 on: 29 August, 2018, 08:45:35 am »

The Simon Yates interview was interesting - it was like he was desperate to avoid overdoing it early in the race (like in the Giro), and felt daft for letting himself go and accidentally gaining 20secs on the other GC riders!

I did wonder if his DS had had a word by then  ;D
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #4 on: 29 August, 2018, 09:25:56 am »
It seems he was more paranoid about expending too much energy and having another Giro moment. He didn't look particularly spent at the finish though so it seems the rest of the GC were also saving energy too by then. With eight hill top finishes I can understand why they might think that.

BTW,  if you are missing the Watchfinder general ads by the way, they seem to have turned their attention to sponsoring the endless Top Gear repeats on Dave!
Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

David Martin

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #5 on: 06 September, 2018, 09:39:06 pm »
Numpty at the finish line today. Managed to bring down the first two riders by getting in the way just after the finish.. There is a reason why the road is kept clear.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

mattc

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #6 on: 06 September, 2018, 10:47:19 pm »
Really eoyble few days; the last2 have been my favourite typeof GT stages. Brekaways that stick, racing for the stage win, like a 1-dy race within a race. and today with the sub-plot of a guy riding for his 5 minutes of fame in the leader's jersey.

 Great fun. and  a storm-in-a-teacup about which team should be chasing down the break :)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #7 on: 10 September, 2018, 12:32:04 pm »
If Yates can keep it together until next weekend, it would be the first year since 1964 that all three GTs have been won by riders of the same nationality (Poulidor won the Vuelta, Anquetil the Giro and Tour).

mattc

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #8 on: 10 September, 2018, 12:48:04 pm »
If Yates can keep it together until next weekend, it would be the first year since 1964 that all three GTs have been won by riders of the same nationality (Poulidor won the Vuelta, Anquetil the Giro and Tour).
I was thinking similar .. except this will be 3 different UK riders!

But I'm not betting my house on Yates yet. It still seems a very open race at this stage.


[and who knew his brother was in this race?? He's been completely invisible, even ITV4 didn't mention him for at least 10 stages. Weren't they rated as much the same potential just a year-or-two ago?  I'm beginning to think MTS got a poor two-for-one deal there :-\

Still, a GT win and maybe they won't care! ]
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #9 on: 10 September, 2018, 03:05:17 pm »
Adam has had the white jersey in the TdF so he is no slouch. he was second to Thomas this year at the Criterium du Dauphine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Yates_(cyclist)#Career_achievements

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #10 on: 11 September, 2018, 08:38:00 am »
So............ whats the problem with Sky then? Come on fess up get it out there and feel the better for it.

Is it the money?

PH
Bees do nothing invariably.

mattc

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #11 on: 11 September, 2018, 12:21:25 pm »
So............ whats the problem with Sky then? Come on fess up get it out there and feel the better for it.

Is it the money?

PH
It is mostly the money: I find the Freeview channels give us about as much telly as is reasonable to watch in a week (and all 3 Grand Tours these days :) ).

Why pay more, for shit I mainly won't watch??
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #12 on: 11 September, 2018, 12:41:10 pm »


PH
[/quote]
It is mostly the money: I find the Freeview channels give us about as much telly as is reasonable to watch in a week (and all 3 Grand Tours these days :) ).

Why pay more, for shit I mainly won't watch??
[/quote]

^This^ Same issue with netflix

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #13 on: 11 September, 2018, 06:18:33 pm »
There’s talk of painting a postbox in Cardiff yellow to celebrate Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France win. If Simon Yates wins the Vuelta, will the paint a postbox in Bury red?

😄
I am often asked, what does YOAV stand for? It stands for Yoav On A Velo

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #14 on: 11 September, 2018, 08:00:16 pm »
I thought Yates looked quite knackered at the end of today's stage. Mindful of how that went after the ITT in Italy has he overcooked?
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

mattc

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #15 on: 12 September, 2018, 01:07:48 pm »
I thought Yates looked quite knackered at the end of today's stage. Mindful of how that went after the ITT in Italy has he overcooked?

It was only a 40minute race! No matter how hard he rode, it won't have much impact on his overall fatigue.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #16 on: 12 September, 2018, 01:26:15 pm »
The current theory on why he blew up at the Giro is that he buried himself too deep in the TT and in the mountaintop finish 2 days before. As a result of those 2 short 100% efforts, he couldn't do the 95% required for hours at a time during the following days.

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #17 on: 14 September, 2018, 09:44:57 am »
There’s talk of painting a postbox in Cardiff yellow to celebrate Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France win. If Simon Yates wins the Vuelta, will the paint a postbox in Bury red?

😄
;D POTD?

If anyone had said in 2008 that in 10 years time there was even the potential for the 3 Grand Tours to have been won by 3 different British riders, would anyone have believed them? Or for there to have been two British riders from two different teams fighting for the stage win and race lead (I'm thinking about Yates vs Froome on the Zoncolan? I think it was?)?

My understanding was that Adam Y has been "resting" in order to be used now in the last few days. I don't think Simon has it won.

Oh, and yesterday's nailed on bunch sprint stage was a predicible as - oh. Or not. ;-)

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #18 on: 14 September, 2018, 10:17:23 am »
Great finish to a potentially boring day's racing.  I really though that the stage winner had blown it right up to the point where he crossed the line and raised his arms!

It was great to listen to Gaz and Dave at the start of the prog describing how getting in the break was going to be basically a punishment duty for a few riders who had pissed off their DS's and then watching the race unfold.

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #19 on: 14 September, 2018, 10:57:49 am »

If anyone had said in 2008 that in 10 years time there was even the potential for the 3 Grand Tours to have been won by 3 different British riders, would anyone have believed them? Or for there to have been two British riders from two different teams fighting for the stage win and race lead (I'm thinking about Yates vs Froome on the Zoncolan? I think it was?)?



The best known Vuelta in the UK before the current era of British success was the the 1985 edition, when the race was 'stolen' from Millar. http://www.thewashingmachinepost.net/bob/vuelta.html

Channel 4 coverage of the TdF coincided with English speaking riders breaking through in the Grand Tours.

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #20 on: 15 September, 2018, 04:59:43 pm »
Well there we are.

Barring an accident tomorrow, this will be the first time ever that one nation has won all 3 GTs in one year with 3 riders (I think) and that 5 consecutive GTs have been won by one nation.


Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #21 on: 15 September, 2018, 05:08:29 pm »
Well there we are.

Barring an accident tomorrow, this will be the first time ever that one nation has won all 3 GTs in one year with 3 riders (I think) and that 5 consecutive GTs have been won by one nation.

Yep, it's the first time with three different riders - two French riders won all three in 1964 (TdF and Giro for Anquetil, Poulidor taking the Vuelta), and two Spanish riders in 2008 (Sastre winning the TdF and Contador winning the Vuelta and Giro).
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #22 on: 15 September, 2018, 05:13:14 pm »
And chapeau to Yates, who learned from his experience in this year's Giro.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

TheLurker

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Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #23 on: 15 September, 2018, 05:42:10 pm »
Well.

I'm having trouble coming to terms with the fact that Britain produces world beaters at anything these days, never mind world beating cyclists.  I'm going to wake up tomorrow and find it's all just a dream aren't I?

Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: La Vuelta 2018
« Reply #24 on: 15 September, 2018, 07:06:51 pm »
Seems he learned the lesson very well indeed and i was flat wrong after the itt.
I can hear the sound of blood pressures rising and phones melting as every newspaper editor in the UK fights to be the first to get a line up with all three.

And Zwift didn't come close to the wank watcher.
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.