# La Vuelta



## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Pre race thread. Most if not all teams have announced their line ups. Landa is out with injury, which apparently he did have a set back last week, thus making his participation impossible, also means it's highly unlikely he'll be selected for the Spanish National team for the Worlds.

Movistar's team has co leaders (Valverde and Quintana) and only 2 Spanish riders also meaning the Spanish National team will be looking for riders from other teams for their Worlds team and yes that does mean they will intentionally be leaving off their worlds team some very good climbers simply because they are not at la Vuelta. Movistar's roster is also weak and a lot weaker than it was just 2 years ago. It's really amazing how a team as strong as they were have completely destroyed themselves in two years after a mass exodus of riders.

Lotto Jumbo is sending the young American Sepp Kuss to get some experience. It appears the Izagirre brothers are actually the leaders for Bahrain Merida as Nibali is still getting back from his injuries although will be at la Vuelta.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

I want to see Porte racing. Ever since leaving Sky, this guy has so much bad luck with injuries.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

aclinjury said:


> I want to see Porte racing. Ever since leaving Sky, this guy has so much bad luck with injuries.


I am curious about how he will perform as well. He’s had quite a bit success in one week races since leaving Sky, but grand tours have been a complete bust for him. He’s reportedly heading to Trek, so I am sure they will be paying close attention as well.


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## azpeterb (Jun 1, 2006)

We’re hoping Louis Meintjes has a strong showing and is a GC contender.


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

If I hear Sherwen say "Andalucian Lynx" one more time, I'm heaving something at my TV.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

I want the Eurosport feed. I'm even willing to pay for that. Plus Sean Kelley is doing their broadcasts. I do not know much longer I can take the US announcers. There are some riders names they can't pronounce correctly (and some are not actually that difficult to pronounce). Then, yeah, I agree with rufus, some of the other things they say. I've had enough. Also love their wonderful idea of hey this is a great random stage to put on NBCsports.


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## troutmd (Sep 7, 2007)

KoroninK said:


> I want the Eurosport feed. I'm even willing to pay for that. Plus Sean Kelley is doing their broadcasts. I do not know much longer I can take the US announcers. There are some riders names they can't pronounce correctly (and some are not actually that difficult to pronounce). Then, yeah, I agree with rufus, some of the other things they say. I've had enough. Also love their wonderful idea of hey this is a great random stage to put on NBCsports.


Me too!

OK internetz wizards help two of your colleagues out here on how to get Eurosports please. Oh computer-duming-m-I.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

troutmd said:


> Me too!
> 
> OK internetz wizards help two of your colleagues out here on how to get Eurosports please. Oh computer-duming-m-I.


For straight streaming I have found links, but unfortunately that doesn't help when you're sleeping or working.


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

troutmd said:


> Me too!
> 
> OK internetz wizards help two of your colleagues out here on how to get Eurosports please. Oh computer-duming-m-I.


I use a VPN connection to the UK through PureVPN:
https://goo.gl/8V0UNm

I use a VPN router
http://www.sabaitechnology.com/#_l_kg
that handles all this for me and that is permanently connected to the UK, but you can also connect directly with your device.

Then all I do is take whatever device I want to watch Eurosport on and tell the router to pass that device's traffic via the VPN connection (simply click on the Vpn button next to the device's name in the list of devices on the network). Then all you need to do is connect to the Eurosport server in the UK:
http://eurosportplayer.co.uk/
sign up for an account and you have unlimited access. 

I can use my PC, smart phone or any of my Kodi media players as they now have a Eurosport player add-on that uses your login account info. All that costs under $10/mo. I do the annual package since like to watch the Nordic ski coverage in the winter. This costs me less than what I used to pay for just the DirecTV sports package to get the channels that carried cycling. 

Having a VPN service is very beneficial outside of Eurosport, e.g. connecting to public WiFi. Before I had one, I found it hard to imagine what it could be used for. But as the saying goes, "If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail". VPN is like that, once you make that jump, you wonder how you managed without it.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

TY for the info. Will look into it.

On a note about today's Vuelta stage, Movistar managed to made the split with the wind, which is not typical of that team. On the other hand it may have helped that Valverde is racing on his home roads (his training roads) over the next several stages, so first hand knowledge certainly could have helped with this.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Stage 7, nice win for Gallopin. Benoot has a nasty knee injury, hope he'll be ok. Happy to see Sepp Kuss get a top 10 finish on the stage. Unexpected, but nice. Maybe if he does that a few more times they'll put the race on TV over here? Of course a few words about my boy. They started the stage near his home and he had tons of friends and family at the start including members of his amateur team. Although he didn't win, he does currently hold both the green and white jerseys and is 2nd overall in GC. His comment about if he's going for GC or not today was: I'm in a good spot, we'll see, can't rule it out, just let's wait and see and take it little by little.


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## J-Flo (Sep 30, 2015)

The race is on the Olympic Channel. I’ve watched every stage except the beginning TT. Sherwen and Roll though sometimes annoying are far superior to Sherwen and Liggett. The race has been quite exciting even when the producers screw up (like stage 5 - Clarke, DeMarchi and Mollema looking at each other in the finale and waiting like track racers at the front as the next three fast men steam up quickly towards them — so dramatic but the feed cuts to the irrelevant peloton 4 minutes behind — no excuse for that). 

If only they would show the Giro in the US. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

J-Flo said:


> The race is on the Olympic Channel. I’ve watched every stage except the beginning TT. Sherwen and Roll though sometimes annoying are far superior to Sherwen and Liggett. The race has been quite exciting even when the producers screw up (like stage 5 - Clarke, DeMarchi and Mollema looking at each other in the finale and waiting like track racers at the front as the next three fast men steam up quickly towards them — so dramatic but the feed cuts to the irrelevant peloton 4 minutes behind — no excuse for that).
> 
> If only they would show the Giro in the US.
> 
> ...


A lot of people don't have that channel and can't watch the streaming due to work.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Oscar Rodriguez is the best moment of a great Vuelta so far! So happy for him on such an amazing stage win! He smoked a TDF KOM and a convincing Giro race leader in that break. A Basque rider on a Basque team in the mountains of Spain. Just poetic perfection, congrats Oscar, you deserve the champagne tonight alright!


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

PBL450 said:


> Oscar Rodriguez is the best moment of a great Vuelta so far! So happy for him on such an amazing stage win! He smoked a TDF KOM and a convincing Giro race leader in that break. A Basque rider on a Basque team in the mountains of Spain. Just poetic perfection, congrats Oscar, you deserve the champagne tonight alright!


And thus showing it's great to have a Basque team back at the Pro Conti level. Although before today I'd have gone with De Marchi's win as the best moment of the Vuelta. I think these two are definitely in the running for that prize.

The winner's team today said they have other riders picked for the rest of the mountain stages to try to do the same thing and that they have had them intentionally saving energy for their one day attempts.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

KoroninK said:


> And thus showing it's great to have a Basque team back at the Pro Conti level. Although before today I'd have gone with De Marchi's win as the best moment of the Vuelta. I think these two are definitely in the running for that prize.
> 
> The winner's team today said they have other riders picked for the rest of the mountain stages to try to do the same thing and that they have had them intentionally saving energy for their one day attempts.


So many great stages so far! Ben King killing himself to beat Mollema, that’s a great finish as well!


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Wow! What a stage today! One of my favorite stages from any race this year. If you like climbing at all, make sure you find a way to watch this one. The last 50km or so we’re outstanding.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Rashadabd said:


> Wow! What a stage today! One of my favorite stages from any race this year. If you like climbing at all, make sure you find a way to watch this one. The last 50km or so we’re outstanding.


Absolutely! Last 50K are incredible bike racing! Some of everything great about cycling! And a closing grade that is inhuman! It has been a great Vuelta! Year after year now, it’s bevomming my favorite tour!


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

PBL450 said:


> Absolutely! Last 50K are incredible bike racing! Some of everything great about cycling! And a closing grade that is inhuman! It has been a great Vuelta! Year after year now, it’s bevomming my favorite tour!


I think I am with you at this point. I used to be a big Giro guy, but the Vuelta is where it’s at. Today’s stage proved that.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Man, I have gained a lot of respect for Pinot and Yates at this year’s Vuelta thus far. My goodness. Great racing today as well.


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## El Scorcho (Dec 14, 2005)

I think the Vuelta has been my favorite Grand Tour for a while now. The end of the season brings a last chance for redemption, an opportunity to salvage the year, so guys seem to go for it. There are also some lesser name guys that might still be looking for that next contract, it makes for some exciting stuff. 

Also agreed on Yates showing us something. He had no reason to keep attacking today, and conventional wisdom says he should sit on and just cover any moves by the contenders, but he just kept going back to the well...maybe the best defense is to attack.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

El Scorcho said:


> I think the Vuelta has been my favorite Grand Tour for a while now. The end of the season brings a last chance for redemption, an opportunity to salvage the year, so guys seem to go for it. There are also some lesser name guys that might still be looking for that next contract, it makes for some exciting stuff.
> 
> Also agreed on Yates showing us something. He had no reason to keep attacking today, and conventional wisdom says he should sit on and just cover any moves by the contenders, but he just kept going back to the well...maybe the best defense is to attack.


Maybe it is because Sky only has 1 of their 4 GC contenders in this race? This hS been such a great race, I mwan Porte in a break, Nibali pulling on a cat 3 to blow apart the peloton... the brutal, painful climbing finishes, hell, even the “flat” stages are seeing 2K meters of climbing. Movistar is hard to understand, what are they doing? I know Valverde is a special rider, but he seems to be outclimbing himself these last 2stages? And Niro? Can he find the steep attack? Are those two racing each other? Is Valverde really an elite climber? He can smoke Bennett, Keldemann, Adam Yates, Kreisweik? Van Poppel pulling himself into oblivion! Fraeile and Haig just turning themselves inside out for their GC leaders... So much to talk about!


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## coldash (May 7, 2012)

I’ve enjoyed the race so far but it is a bit of an unusual selection of riders with many e.g. Nibali, Uran, Porte not at their best/recovering from injury and others e.g. Froome, Thomas, Roglic, Alaphilippe riding in the Tour of Britain (some to wind down their season and others to prepare for the Worlds) and, of course, Dumoulin for whom it would have been a third GT. I like the Vuelta but it is behind the Giro for me (- and both well in front of the TdF, IMO)


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

coldash said:


> I’ve enjoyed the race so far but it is a bit of an unusual selection of riders with many e.g. Nibali, Uran, Porte not at their best/recovering from injury and others e.g. Froome, Thomas, Roglic, Alaphilippe riding in the Tour of Britain (some to wind down their season and others to prepare for the Worlds) and, of course, Dumoulin for whom it would have been a third GT. I like the Vuelta but it is behind the Giro for me (- and both well in front of the TdF, IMO)


That used to be my assessment of the Vuelta as well (very few racers come to the event fresh and targeting it as their big goal), but now I feel like so many big names crash out of or underperform at the Giro and TdF that the Vuelta is the race where it all comes together for some guys and they seem to consistently put on the most exciting race/route.


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## El Scorcho (Dec 14, 2005)

Rashadabd said:


> That used to be my assessment of the Vuelta as well (very few racers come to the event fresh and targeting it as their big goal), but now I feel like so many big names crash out of or underperform at the Giro and TdF that the Vuelta is the race where it all comes together for some guys and they seem to consistently put on the most exciting race/route.


Agreed. More great racing today.

On a side note, I would like to see if we can get Yates to switch glasses to something that actually fits the elf like dimensions of his face. It looks like he's wearing ski goggles.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

El Scorcho said:


> Agreed. More great racing today.
> 
> On a side note, I would like to see if we can get Yates to switch glasses to something that actually fits the elf like dimensions of his face. It looks like he's wearing ski goggles.


Hahaha! Looking good so matters in this sport! I should have quoted Rashad and Coldash as well, but I think the rider selection makes this such an unpredictable and enjoyable race. I wouldn’t say it’s the best, in terms of most talented, but in terms of a fabulous race? I’m a convert. Been thinking it for a few years. Sure, im pumped for the other 2 and then the red headed step child comes along and I’m glued to every minute because so much is going on. Stuff you don’t see in the other 2 tours... This is absolutely great bicycle racing! Congratulations to Woods on his first stage win, there have been more than a handful of those so far and it makes me smile even when it’s guys I’m not rooting for. DeGhent racing for KOM is fabulous? Not even a legit climber! Just a bad azz endurance monster who is targeting KOM because he’s in the break every single day! Great race!


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

La Vuelta is usually a good race. Many stories lines for different reasons. Yes some come to train for the Worlds. However there is usually still great racing and this year the GC battle is crazy. Yates who was looking great for 2 weeks in the Giro then cracked and Valverde at 38 years old who just had a career threatening injury last year battling for the red jersey. Yates for his first GT win, Valverde not only for his 2nd Vuelta title, but also chasing history both with podiums (for la Vuelta and for Spanish cycling in GTs) and to tie the record for the Green jersey. Great to see Alessandro De Marchi get his first stage win since 2015. Who would have realized it has been that long since since he'd won a stage since he's in so many breaks. Of course I'm extactic with how well Valverde is doing. 2 stage wins, the green jersey (also the white jersey) and so close to the overall lead.


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## coldash (May 7, 2012)

The Vuelta suffers a bit from its proximity to the Worlds but this year especially, that has made for a more interesting contest.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Another great stage! What a fabulous race! Best flat stage I’ve seen a long time!!!


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

PBL450 said:


> Another great stage! What a fabulous race! Best flat stage I’ve seen a long time!!!


Yes, that was a good stage for sure, one for the breakaway! Another great one today on an uphill finish.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

I'm going to try to be around. We had to evacuate due to the hurricane. (Reports from home are hopeful so far). We're currently in Charlotte at a hotel. Unfortunately due to the sheer number of people in Concord the internet is over loaded and is running extremely slowly for that reason. So streaming is not really useful. Thankfully NBCSports is showing today's stage tonight. I'm sure my Dish said they are also showing both tomorrow and Sunday's stage, but heck if I can remember when and of course no TV guide in the room OR on the tv or even a TV station list. LOL. We do have NBCSports though. 
Sounds like today's stage was interesting. What the heck Movistar is doing is a wonderful question that no one has an answer for. Why they did what they did today, who knows as we all knew this was by far the worst stage of the entire Vuelta for Valverde's abilities. Tomorrow is better suited for him. Just hoping at this point he can hang on for a podium. Quintana looks like he has no legs in this race. No idea what is going on with him at all.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Great racing again today. So happy for the guys that performed well. Mas is in pole position to be my new favorite GC rider. He’s slightly ahead of Nibali, Dumoulin, and Yates.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Horrible, horrible, horrible tactics by Movistar yet again. What they are doing I have no clue other than ensuring they screw up everything.

Will NOT be watching today's stage when it's on TV tonight and have no interest in watching tomorrow's stage either. I WILL NOT watch my boy suffer the way he did today. I will NOT watch him lose what would have been a historic podium. Instead I shall just go cry for awhile.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Yates now has a grand tour and almost had two. Dumoulin has one and a couple of podiums. Quintana has two, some podiums, but appears to be fading fast in three week races. Mas, Roglic, Lopez, and Bernal look ready to challenge for wins if given the support. Porte pretty much crashes out of every grand tour he enters. Jungles seems to be shifting his attention toward the Ardennes Classics, which is where Alaphilippe seems to be focused for now as well. Bardet and Kelderman seemed to take a step backward this year. Mohoric looks like he is on the rise. 

Given the lay of the land, who do you all have as the current and/or next great GC leaders? Will any of them really challenge Froome and Sky anytime soon?


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Given what I've seen this year I don't know if I even care enough both with any of the Grand Tours next year. I can only hope and pray they give Valverde one more shot at his beloved Vuelta WITH a team that is actually going to support him instead of riding against him. He deserves one more shot at a historic podium.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

KoroninK said:


> Given what I've seen this year I don't know if I even care enough both with any of the Grand Tours next year. I can only hope and pray they give Valverde one more shot at his beloved Vuelta WITH a team that is actually going to support him instead of riding against him. He deserves one more shot at a historic podium.


Okay. Anybody else that cares about the future of pro cycling have an opinion?


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Rashadabd said:


> Okay. Anybody else that cares about the future of pro cycling have an opinion?


Mas was freaking incredible. Quickstep on the second step of a world tour?!?! You are a classics team!! Hahaha! Amazing, I can’t help but be happy for him and his team which just churns talent... Movistar is such a talented team, OK, SKY has depth that is ridiculous, but they are 2nd I’d say, I mean the drop off is huge when Kwaito is your domestique. So, Nairo, WTF? He paced his 2nd place GC guy off the back? Haha, like, is his radio on? 

Contador was telling the world that Mas was the real deal, and I’ll listen to Alberto, hell I miss him... He looks ahead of Bernal in development but Bernal could be buried at Sky. Sunweb is wonderful, bake sales to sign riders and they have had amazing results. Wilko’s Top 10 is a win for them and for him, maybe disappointing but he has some work to do. The overperformers are Mitchelton Scott. Fabulous. Almost a Giro. Got a Vuelta! Adam hiding in the groupetto for two weeks shows up just for this. Great management, 2nd to Quick Step. Been a Scott fan all along. Lopez is going to be around for a while and his aggressiveness is a joy to watch, I can’t help but root for him, like Contador. Attack, attack, attack. I’m loving Roglic and Kreisweik on Lotto. They are here to stay and the team is filling in nicely around them. Their TDF result was a joy. Mijka worked his tail off, a former TdF KOM but I’m not sure what he has in his future? Zakarin had the early crash so who knows where he’s at, awful race for him. Nibali is coming off spinal surgery, I don’t know how he raced at all. This is definitely not F^]…%NG soccer! Aru looks done and dusted and angry about it, so sorry Campy! 

This has been a fabulous race! Tomorrow is for the sprinters and champagne. The world tours are something very special, so many races within races, so much to gain or lose and so much of that only to the trained eye.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

I really hope Quintana is punished for what he did in this race. He cost Valverde his podium. Doesn't matter that they forced him to go back and pace Valverde later. He already did the damage on two consecutive days. It was almost like if I can't get a podium I can't deal with a teammate getting one.

Rashadabd, care about cycling, just not the Grand Tours. I've never liked the Tour and it's been my least favorite race of the year for years. I've gotten to the point I really just don't like any of the Grand Tours very much at all.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

KoroninK said:


> Rashadabd, care about cycling, just not the Grand Tours. I've never liked the Tour and it's been my least favorite race of the year for years. I've gotten to the point I really just don't like any of the Grand Tours very much at all.


Ok, but it sounds like you are just really upset. Maybe take a break and think about something else for a while and come back to all of this at a later date? You seem to have a lot of serious stuff going on right now. My impression is that you like bike racing generally and while grand tours may not be your favorite, you enjoy the racing that takes place in those events when you are in a better place. No need to get worked up about this. Take care and I hope you feel better and are back home soon.


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## ngl (Jan 22, 2002)

KoroninK said:


> I really hope Quintana is punished for what he did in this race. He cost Valverde his podium. Doesn't matter that they forced him to go back and pace Valverde later. He already did the damage on two consecutive days. It was almost like if I can't get a podium I can't deal with a teammate getting one.


I agree with you 100% and this "in-fighting" seemed evident in the TdF also. Movistar has great talent, but maybe management has to make some hard decisions as to who is working for who.


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## coldash (May 7, 2012)

> The team has been great throughout the whole Vuelta and Nairo has shown today he knows how to be a great team-mate and be by my side. I thank him for that,” Valverde said. “It’s painful to come off the podium, but when you give it everything, you can’t ask for more.


https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...ving-everything-final-vuelta-mountains-394499


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Rashadabd, I am. Movistar has cost Valverde history for the 2nd time in as many Vueltas. That is unforgivable. They owe him much better than that. Yeah, maybe we weren't evacuated it wouldn't be as bad. I have no idea how my home is although I have heard the road behind ours is flooded. 


ngl, the team is a disaster right now and we've seen that since the season started and it's just gotten worse.

coldcash, that's just typical Alejandro. I was talking to his sister-in-law yesterday (she and I are good friends). She said he'll have forgotten about the whole thing by the time they get home from Madrid. He doesn't let much bother him.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Sitting here listening to the commentary and halfway watching the final kilometers of this year’s last grand tour, my thoughts returned to the question I posed yesterday. My thoughts are this: if you want to follow a team that has a guy that has a legitimate shot at winning a grand tour next season, your options are limited. 

You have Sky with Froome and Thomas; Sunweb with Dumoulin, Mitchellton with Yates, Quickstep with Mas (but only if they provide him with support), Astana with Lopez and/or Fuglsang; and Bahrain with Nibali. I feel like everyone else is fighting for podium spots and lower placings. That being said, I don’t think Lotto NL Jumbo are that far off and if Porte could stay upright or if Quintana can find his pre 2017 form, they are threats too. 

While there are lots of good 1 week stage racers out there, legit threats to win a grand tour seems to be limited to a select few these days, particularly when you factor in team resources and dynamics.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Moviestar has a great supporting cast of domestiques that is probably second only to Sky. Their problem is that they don't really have a consistently legit GC contender. I think Geraint Thomas would fit nicely in here. Quintana and Valderde ain't cutting it at this point no matter how you slice it and dice it. The "in fighting" is really not an in fighting at all, it's really a manifestation of not having a legit GC guy. "GC by committee" is not the answer.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

aclinjury said:


> Moviestar has a great supporting cast of domestiques that is probably second only to Sky. Their problem is that they don't really have a consistently legit GC contender. I think Geraint Thomas would fit nicely in here. Quintana and Valderde ain't cutting it at this point no matter how you slice it and dice it. The "in fighting" is really not an in fighting at all, it's really a manifestation of not having a legit GC guy. "GC by committee" is not the answer.


I pretty much agree. Unfortunately, Thomas extended with Sky officially a few days or so ago. If I were them, I would pursue Mas or Lopez aggressively.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Movistar seems to like GC by committee for some reason. However, I do agree for a GC team they aren't exactly very good at finding top GC talent. My guess is that they may let Quintana and Landa go after next year and go after Mas. Valverde isn't going anywhere if he wants to keep racing.

I agree Lotto Jumbo is close and I'm interested in seeing how Kuss develops over the next few years.


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

I think Soler might be their next big GC hope. And I'd keep Landa, no reason why he can't win a Giro or a Vuelta. But I'd let Quintana off to find greener pastures. mas would be a good signing, if they could afford him, or if they could pry that young kid away from Sky. 

otherwise, raid the Caja and Euskadel teams for their top promising talent.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

I think they are working on developing Soler. I'd like to see him go to the Giro and Vuelta next year with Valverde. My idea would be have Soler ride for GC at the Giro, but with Valverde there he won't have all the pressure on him and he'll be able to rely on Valverde for advice and help. Obviously the Vuelta give to Valverde for one more shot at getting that historic podium.
Quintana needs to go. He doesn't fit with the team. Landa, well that will be up to Landa. I would definitely go after Mas. Bring in another young Spaniard to the Spanish team, plus Mas is the first Spaniard to podium in a Grand Tour under the age of 24 since Valverde.


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

Thank God that college football has begun, or I would be going into post-GT season depression. This was a good Vuelta. Valverde had an incredible GT season, considering his serious injury last year. Valverde had an incredible Gt season, all around. I am not sure what Quintana is waiting for, but he looked lackluster, relative to the hype and apparent team expectations, all GT season.

Ah, well. That is about all that I care to comment here regarding any of the GTs, since this RBR pro cycling forum has gotten so lousy in the recent couple of years.

Maybe the new RBR ownership can figure out how to support and police RBR and improve things a bit.

Everyone, do what you can to cope with post-GT-season withdrawal, and be safe out there.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Not sure why people are bashing on Quintana, asking him to do more than he's capable of. At this level of GC contender, it's all about the physiology. It's either you have it or you don't. There isn't much skills involved, there is no mind game to be played much. People say Quintana attacks are not strong enough, he fades. Well guess what, I'm sure his mind wants to go, but the physiology is just maxed out. As I have said before, I think Quintana is not doping hard enough like the other guys, and he needs to get on the program.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

aclinjury said:


> Not sure why people are bashing on Quintana, asking him to do more than he's capable of. At this level of GC contender, it's all about the physiology. It's either you have it or you don't. There isn't much skills involved, there is no mind game to be played much. People say Quintana attacks are not strong enough, he fades. Well guess what, I'm sure his mind wants to go, but the physiology is just maxed out. As I have said before, I think Quintana is not doping hard enough like the other guys, and he needs to get on the program.


I get that, but this is a guy who has won. Did his physiology change? His DNA? Maybe his success was luck? Lack of competition? How do you use that argument with the data that exists? I’m not trying to be argumentative, I just don’t understand how to reconcile the information.


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

PBL450 said:


> I get that, but this is a guy who has won. Did his physiology change? His DNA? Maybe his success was luck? Lack of competition? How do you use that argument with the data that exists? I’m not trying to be argumentative, I just don’t understand how to reconcile the information.


Before he was poor and hungry, and now he's rich and content?


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

rufus said:


> Before he was poor and hungry, and now he's rich and content?


Motivation could definitely be part of it in my opinion. All you need to do in this sport is drop off 5-10% and you can’t keep up with the top guys anymore. If he has shifted just a little of the time he used to put into training into focusing on family (which he now has) or is eating 10% less healthy or traveling more or winning is just not as big a priority as it was before, that’s all it takes. It’s a tough sport and staying at the top requires both health and a laser like focus or pharmaceutical assistance. It’s that simple.

Now, when you are a pro, somebody is paying you to find a way to stay motivated. If you can’t do that, it’s probably time to find something else to do. Fortunately for him, his subpar performances are often still top 10 GC and a big stage win here and there.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Motivation/lack there of, very well could be part of Quintana's problem at this point. At 28, you'd think he should still be capable of doing what he did at 25. However, he's currently not able to do that. A lack of motivation, being content, having a family (although plenty of other riders have families and it doesn't effect them) thus changing training, not eating as well, having too big of a celebrity status in Colombia where he does most of his training.

Thing is all these teams (even Movistar) do have team psychologists who are there to try keep the riders motivated. There was a nice interview about 2 years ago with Movistar's psychologist about motivating riders and some of what he does about 2 years ago in one of the Spanish publications. One of the things he said was that you have to find what works for each rider as they are all different. Not sure they've found what works for Quintana yet.


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## J-Flo (Sep 30, 2015)

Anyone else completely underwhelmed by Simon Yates’ personality (or lack thereof)? His victory speech at the Vuelta was embarrassing. After the several prior content-free interviews he gave during the race, it adds up to zero. Sheesh. 

I have nothing against him as a rider. His victory was convincing. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

J-Flo said:


> Anyone else completely underwhelmed by Simon Yates’ personality (or lack thereof)? His victory speech at the Vuelta was embarrassing. After the several prior content-free interviews he gave during the race, it adds up to zero. Sheesh.
> 
> I have nothing against him as a rider. His victory was convincing.
> 
> ...


I guess I don’t care all that much to be honest. He’s a bike racer and not a college professor, so I give him a pass for the most part (unless he becomes a big jerk). My favorite guys have a little more personality, but a lot of these guys aren’t exactly the world’s greatest conversationalists. They sure pedal bikes fast uphill and across cobbles though and I guess that’s enough for me so long as they seem like decent human beings.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

I agree with Rashadabd on this. Most of my favorites do show more personality, but many aren't the greatest speakers in the world. Many pro cyclists are also introverts, and thus less likely to be very good at speaking, esp to large crowds. As long as they aren't jerks we're for the most part good.


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