UKC

Ok so I may be getting a little premature here, but this year's Vuelta looks even more brutal than last years and that was no picnic.  Nine (count them) summit finishes with inclines of twenty percent and greater fairly commonplace means that the sprinters field is going to be pretty sparcely populated, I'm guessing that the duo from the Giro (Bennet and Viviani) will take up the challenge but given that the cream of the sprinters crop were all eliminated from the TdF for missing the time cuts, surely this is even more likely in the Vuelta.

Could we see the point jersey won by a climber ? They'll probably just post it to Sagan before the start if he enters.

GC Contenders, TdF dnf's Porte and Nibali, the Yates brothers (both I hear!), Aru, Kelderman, not sure who's signed up yet ?

And just to add to the pain, temperatures in Spain are currently set to hit 48 degrees !!! but hopefully significanty cooler by 25th September but it certainly wont be 'cool'.

Have they made it too hard this year ?

In reply to GravitySucks:

Its never been one for the sprinters, has it ? Might be good for the Tour of Britain, though.  Be interesting to see who rides GC for Sky - Henao at a guess.

Are Porte and Nibali likely to have recovered and recovered fitness in time ? pretty impressive if so.

Fingers crossed for the Yates.

In reply to GrahamD: 

The Vuelta? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Vuelta_a_España

 

In reply to Mike Highbury:

Before my time 

In reply to GrahamD:

Here is the startlist so far

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2018/startlist

Porte is on the list and should have had time to recover, but there were some curious comments from the BMC DS that make me wonder if they trust him, so maybe Caruso will be the leader.

Not sure about Nibali - do vertebrae heal as fast as collarbones? Got a feeling the worlds may be his priority now.

Apparently the Movistar "Trident" (or blunt instrument) is going to make another appearance - time for Landa to step up to the plate ? 

Kwaito could be Sky's leader, or maybe joint with Henao. Assuming they rest Bernal

Kruijswijk had an impressive tour, likewise Lopez at the Giro, whilst there's a whole host of riders hoping to salvage something from a disappointing season - Aru, Uran, Pinot,  Zakarin.

Would be great to see a third Brit with a GT this season, but at the moment it looks a very open race. Yates, Lopez, Landa ???

In reply to Mike Highbury:

Can you imagine the reaction if something like that happened these days ?

In reply to GravitySucks:

I'm thinking even further ahead and wondering if we might see a British Challenge at the Worlds this year 

In reply to Chris the Tall:

To quote the man himself, he, 'prepared well for that race'.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

It was less than a month after he'd been DQed at Flanders for doping.

In that race that he was also DQed for an illegal wheel change, but allowed to continue so sold the race to de Vlaeminck. And because RdV only paid him half what they agreed he now considers himself the moral victor of the race!

And people say nothing has changed...

In reply to Chris the Tall:

But impossible not like, no?

 

In reply to GravitySucks: will be great to see Simon Yates racing well. I’ll be keeping a careful look out in case he’s practicing high speed descending on my local Sheffield climbs

 

In reply to GravitySucks:

The heat is causing problems at the Volta a Portugal

https://twitter.com/LouisBendixen/status/1025407658575183879

I always think that it would be better to have the Vuelta in Spring and the Giro in autumn. Instead the Giro is apparently moving back a week next year, to avoid snowy roads. I think this reduce the gap between the Giro and the Tour to just 3 weeks, so it is unlikely we will see a serious attempt at the double again any time soon. 

I guess it is to much to expect ASO and RCS to agree, but that's what the UCI is for isn't it ? 

 

In reply to Chris the Tall:

As previously rumoured, both Yates brothers have been confirmed for the Vuelta this year, which could make things interesting, given that lack of an out and out favourite for the GC. 

In reply to GravitySucks:

Meanwhile the Tour of Britain gets a big boost with both Thomas and Froome:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-and-geraint-thomas-to-ride-tou...

Be interesting to see how much they go for it or treat it as a processional.

In reply to GravitySucks:

 

25th august....could still be a little toasty

 

In reply to GrahamD:

Certainly good PR for all concerned - when was the last time Froome was seen in a British race ? 

I suspect they'll use it as a chance to repay one of their teamates, as well as prep for the Worlds

In reply to Chris the Tall:

I suspect the 2012 Olympics for Froome ?

In reply to GrahamD:

Well there are a few summit finishes and an uphill time trial - I guess we'll know after the latter.

In reply to GrahamD:

Also 2014 Tour de France , but I don't really count either as a British race.

He was second in the 2010 National TT, with Wiggins first and Thomas third. 

In reply to ianstevens:

I'm not a fan of team time trials, especially not in shorter stage races, as it can really distort the results. Admittedly it only 14k and up the easier side of Whinlatter, but still hard to see Sky not winning that, so it then becomes a question of which member of the team will be nominated as leader.  I guess the following day's finish, again up Whinlatter, will be decisive. It's a pity that they couldn't do an individual TT from Cockermouth to Whinlatter, but taking in Newlands Hause on the way.  

In reply to ianstevens:

Just looking at more recent reports it looks as though Poels is actually team leader for the tour of Britain.

In reply to GrahamD:

That would make Thomas and Froome Super 'Duper' Domestiques....

I'm here all week, try the veal !

In reply to GravitySucks:

Startlist nearing completion - https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2018/startlist

Dan Martin is joining Fabio Aru for UAE - rather suspect he'll be looking for stage wins and training for the Worlds rather than going for the overall.

Likewise Valverde, and with Landa out this would mean Quintana is Movistar's main focus for the GC.

Porte appears to be the bookies favourite (just) ahead of Yates. Big question mark as to whether either can sustain a challenge for 3 weeks, and in Quintana and Nibali you've got 2 riders who tend to come good in the third week. Should be interesting. 

 

In reply to Chris the Tall:

The added intrigue is what difference the injuries Porte and Nibbali picked up in the Tour versus the extra mileage put in by Quintana.

Heat was blamed for Adam Yates slightly disappointing showing in the tour and Spain isn't set to be any cooler.  Is Simon similarly susceptible ?

Assuming his rehab went well, I think my bet would go on Nibbali, because his racing and winning pedigree could be a significant advantage given that no team looks to be strong enough to totally boss it.