Vuelta A Espana 2016 the MN Peloton contemplates another glass of Rioja to go with the tapas

[FelicityLemon]

Despite the Olympics still in full swing it is time to turn our attention to the Vuelta.

www.lavuelta.com/la-vuelta/2016/us/parcours-general.html

The stages

1 Team time trial Saturday, August 20th Ourense, Laias Health Resort / P. N. Castrelo de Miño 27.8 km

2 Flat Sunday, August 21st Ourense Thermal Capital / Baiona 160.8 km

3 Hilly Monday, August 22nd Marín / Dumbría. Ezaro Viewpoint 176.4 km

4 Hilly Tuesday, August 23rd Betanzos / San Andrés de Teixido 163.5 km

5 Flat Wednesday, August 24th Viveiro / Lugo 171.3 km

6 Hilly Thursday, August 25th Monforte de Lemos / Luintra. Ribeira Sacra 163.2 km

7 Hilly Friday, August 26th Maceda / Puebla de Sanabria 158.5 km

8 Flat Saturday, August 27th Villalpando / La Camperona. Valle de Sabero 181.5 km

9 Hilly Sunday, August 28th Cistierna / Oviedo. Alto del Naranco 164.5 km

10 Mountain Monday, August 29th Lugones / Lagos de Covadonga 188.7 km

• Rest day Tuesday, August 30th Oviedo / Oviedo

11 Flat Wednesday, August 31st Colunga. Jurassic Museum / Peña Cabarga 168.6 km

12 Hilly Thursday, September 1st Los Corrales de Buelna / Bilbao 193.2 km

13 Hilly Friday, September 2nd Bilbao / Urdax-Dantxarinea 213.4 km

14 Mountain Saturday, September 3rd Urdax-Dantxarinea / Aubisque - Gourette 196 km

15 Mountain Sunday, September 4th Sabiñánigo / Sallent de Gállego. Aramón Formigal 118.5 km

16 Flat Monday, September 5th Alcañiz / Peñíscola 156.4 km

• Rest day Tuesday, September 6th Castellón / Castellón

17 Mountain Wednesday, September 7th Castellón / Llucena. Camins del Penyagolosa 177.5 km

18 Flat Thursday, September 8th Requena / Gandía 200.6 km

19 Individual time trial Friday, September 9th Xàbia / Calp 37 km

20 Mountain Saturday, September 10th Benidorm / Alto de Aitana. Air Force Squadron 193.2 km

21 Flat Sunday, September 11th Las Rozas / Madrid 104.8 km

Apparently it is going to be a tough one: Too brutal for sprinters: Teams prepare their climbers for mountainous Vuelta a España
Read more at www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/#iLVQdFMS6pFLb4wQ.99

From nul points to glory!

Chapeau, cordelia!

Yesterday was jolly to see. Recognised lots of the roads and of course the Cat and Fiddle.
AND...Stannard lives about 3 miles from me! In 2012 his house was be-decked with TfF emblems.
There's a nasty kick up on a road near his house that has everyone else in a bottom gear and weaving slightly. I bloke I know at the M/c Bike Centre Velodrome says Stannard takes in as big a chain as possible "for training purposes". Show off .

There is an update on Stig Broeckx
www.cyclingnews.com/news/stig-broeckx-remains-in-coma-but-shows-signs-of-recovery/
Let's hope that he can recover.

Anyone seen this?

TeamSky bus driver almost taking out a bike rider

It's gone a bit viral this morning.

I saw that on my Twitter feed. Shocking, you'd think that that driver would be more aware of cyclists than most.

So many things wrong - slides past rider, moves bus in too early, ignores progress of HGV fuel tanker who has to stop, all done within sight of a bend.
Lot's of tweets to Fran Millar, Sky, and Andy Rolfe the rider.

Barmy.

Andy should be getting a 'restorative justice' chat with the driver, all the bike and gear he wants and a chance to turn down an invite for a chat with Dave B.
Happens round here a lot. Just go cold seeing the footage.

I've been out to watch the TOB this morning, had a great view in the Forest of Dean until the blokes with the musettes arrived just in front of us! At least lots of riders slowed down enough for us to identify a few. Lots of middle aged blokes afterwards combing the undergrowth for discarded team stuff. Came home to watch the stage go past my Dads on the TV, now I can rewind and see if we made it onto the Coverage or not.
It's silly really, you see much more on the TV and only see seconds out on the course but I still get stupidly excited when the stage comes past

Looking at the TV to see if you can spot yourself is great fun too. Did you manage to catch any discarded musettes? I'm imagining the middle aged blokes scrambling for them like ladies catching the bride's bouquet at a wedding.

I thought we might just get into the coverage as they came past just after it started. Sadly there was too much of the talking heads at the start of the programme, then a shot of them coming up Speech House hill towards us, then adverts! Bah. Very good crowds this side of the river and all through Stroud etc.

Yes, that happened to us when the TdF visited. Saw them coming down the road, going "any second now, there we are......oh adverts".

Yes! Adverts on TdF in the Peaks, JUST as the peloton rounded the corner we were at. Grrr....

My teams seem to have put in a bit more effort lately apart from one or two (looking at you Cav, Dowsett and Izagirre).

I never get on tv, it's like a reverse magnet so far I have failed at the Tour Series, Nocturne, TdF, Ride London and the Olympics.

Wow managed to pass the ToB lantern to MrSlant - put in a massive effort today.

That's not bad Pan considering Bobridge didn't make it to the start line.

Did you see the lovely gesture from our famed Caja Rural domestique who passed his bottle to a small boy on the side of the road yesterday? Just brill.

Bit like the BMC rider in Yorkshire who slung his musettte into the open arms of a v young girl whilst riding through a small town(Otley possibly) in 2014. Just makes one warmly grin. Like this:

excuse the split infinitive in that last post....

It was sweet. Go Caja!

Seeing last 5km ToB live - they are shooting along!

Fully expecting tomorrow to b Alex Dowsett Day. Time to pull his finger out please.

Yes please. Also Owain Doull - is he even riding? He has no points.

No nor have half my bloody team Endo. FFS.

Damn! Pass me the Vuelta lantern please DA.