Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Vuelta

Is (and if so when) is the Vuelta 2023 going live as a competition?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

85 comments

Avatar
11waterloo | 4 months ago
0 likes

What an odd 3weeks that was! In the end Jumbo nearly turned an amazing performance into a public relations disaster and Evenepoel turned potential disaster into a PR triumph over the last week. It would have been easy for him to sulk but he single-handedly animated the race in the later stages. Game wise, I got a real wake up call. I'm not sure if I failed make the right calls or my luck just ran out - either way I was mediocre! 

Avatar
Daniel Norton replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
0 likes

Perhaps your luck didn't run out after all.   I didn't have time to make any transfers for the final stage.  Three weeks work down the toilet.  Still got three transfers spare.

I would have picked the top two for the stage.  Poop!

Avatar
11waterloo replied to Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
0 likes

That is ultra annoying. At least Rui Costa got you a few as consolation but it doesn't take away that feeling of frustration. The weird results did conspire to keep me top in the purist league inspite of having half my team perform below expectations, so there was some satisfaction in that. On a different note, has any player scored more in a three week race than Evenepoel just did? He had two days where he scored over 90! 

Avatar
MinardiM189 replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
0 likes

Sagan at the Tour de France perhaps.

 

Avatar
11waterloo replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

Good shout. He was always a lock & leave for the TdF - could place in any stage outside the mountains and would always win the intermediate sprint in the mountains. Could also do a half decent Prologue/TT if he could be bothered! 

Avatar
tony kappler replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

Road.cc points scored by Sagan at TdF;

2014- 599,  2015- 678,  2016- 582,  2017- DISQ,  2018- 583,  2019- 464.

So Evenepoel at 713 points is a clear winner, probably never to be beaten. 

 

 

 

 

Avatar
11waterloo replied to tony kappler | 4 months ago
0 likes

Great work Tony, glad I had him in my purist!

Avatar
MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

Stage 19 sums up my Vuelta.

I brought in 4 sprinters and the best result was 17th !!

Avatar
11waterloo replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

I wasn't much better. Shows the lottery of sprinting - quite a few had their progress halted . Theuns definitely got slowed down & Groves somehow jumped off his bike and stayed on his feet! 

Avatar
MinardiM189 replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
0 likes

The climax of the season could be all down to luck then. 5 sprints in the Gree Tour.

I guess it depends which sprinters go.

If I remember correctly some teams have used it as a punishment in the past. I think Sky sent Halvorsen in 2019 and didn't let him sprint !!

Avatar
11waterloo replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

It has never really caught the imagination as it is a long trip at the end of the season to a location that doesn't appeal. I guess riders are hoping for end of season races like the late lamented Amstel Curaçao Race, which was a glorified Caribbean holiday with a token bit of cycling! 

Avatar
Daniel Norton replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

My best scorer wasn't even a real sprinter.

Avatar
11waterloo replied to Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
0 likes

He was a dual threat though- sprint or breakaway! Funny how very few people went Dainese..... burnt us too many times I guess! 

Avatar
Daniel Norton replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
1 like

I find Dainese one of the most irritating riders for the game.  How often do you pick him only because you know he "could win" even though you expect him to fail.  Then the one time you don't pick him...  BANG!

Avatar
MinardiM189 replied to Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
0 likes

Yesterday suited him, a long straight finish, making it difficult for him to get lost.

If I remember, the sprint he won in the Giro was a similar finish, the sprint where he was relegated in the Giro too.

Avatar
Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
1 like

When you immediately doubt your picks after confirming transfers. yes

Avatar
11waterloo replied to Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
0 likes

Exactly! I always check what a few others have done once window shuts then become paranoid if I haven't done the same! 

Avatar
Daniel Norton replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
1 like

I try not to look until after the race.  Scary!

My instinct was right.  I finally didn't pick Dainese and Theuns was interrupted by the crash!  Fecking sprints!

 

ETA:  So was Molano by the look of it.  Meh

Avatar
Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
0 likes

WTF were UAE and Movistar playing at today.  Real anticlimax.  Ayuso publicly says he needs to take risks to get on the podium, and then lets Vingegaard ride away.  Doh!

In terms of the race, really disappointing to watch the difference between how real winners ride and watching most of the GC riders today. 

Avatar
MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
2 likes

It was me having the tantrum today.

I had 3 riders in the initial break of 10, and then Ineos decided to chase it down to try and get Bernal in the break.

 

Avatar
11waterloo replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

I feel your pain, I was annoyed & I only had two in that break.

Avatar
chrisdstripes replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
1 like

I had 8 of the top 10 today so might be close to a win, on a roll after picking Yates for Montreal  1 Didn't see the stage but would've been cheering for Ineos chasing that down for me...

Avatar
MinardiM189 replied to chrisdstripes | 4 months ago
1 like

Congratulations.

I guess you had Poels and Storer then.

It was another disasterous stage for me. I hate INEOS !!!!

Avatar
11waterloo replied to chrisdstripes | 4 months ago
1 like

That is an impressive result! 

Avatar
MinardiM189 replied to 11waterloo | 4 months ago
0 likes

Ineos have more problems than I thought.

They wasted so much energy today for absolutely nothing. They will probaby miss the break again tomorrow, on a stage which suits more of their riders.

I guess that is what you get with Cummings as DS.

Was that planned by Jumbo? It was a little similar to the stage in Itzulia that Vingegaard won.

Avatar
chrisdstripes replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

Good point re Ineos, seems like Ganna trying to mob the sprinters on Friday is their best chance of another win now. I'm not sure how much stock they were holding in Arensmen for GC, but they haven't responded well since his crash...

Avatar
Daniel Norton replied to chrisdstripes | 4 months ago
1 like

Get Bernal in your teams for the next two days, now you said that.

I had Storer and Poels already in my team and decided not to change.  Had a feeling it would be hard for a break to get enough lead on a stage that short.  I did consider changing to mostly GC riders but went half way and kept my breakaway riders.

ETA: Bernal will be in the break Thursday IMO.

Avatar
11waterloo replied to Daniel Norton | 4 months ago
1 like

Same with me, just sat on my existing team and went out to stop myself tinkering! First time that I haven't been punished by not having Evenepoel. He did say he was going to lose time today so I was glad he was true to his word. Was panicking he would get an extra 10 for coming last! 

Avatar
MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

Did Evenepoel have a tantrum yesterday?

I read that he wasn't happy with the route of the stage and was calling the race organisers 'assassins'.

I can imagine that the idea of trying to hold off JumboVisma with virtually no help might be slightly demoralising.

Avatar
Daniel Norton replied to MinardiM189 | 4 months ago
0 likes

I don't think he had a public tantrum, he was too busy crying and didn't speak to the media after the stage.

I suspect he has a tantrum every time he doesn't win.  He's very childish in many ways, but he is still a kid tbh.

Pages

Latest Comments