La Vuelta (Tour of Spain) and The Tour of Britain

[Pan]

Taking a leaf out of my new biking hero Sylvan Chavanel, it seemed a good idea to lead from the front.
Vuelta starts this Saturday, and many of the usual suspects will be in there. The course looks quite climby, so Team Sky have opted for their Columbian rider Sergio Henoa Montoya as leader, tho' an old warrior will be the sprint king.
Useful links are:
A course guide
and
The Start List by Team
As far as I can tell, Eurosport are carrying live action and ITV4 are showing highlights, tho I think that may well be from the action the day before.
The Tour of Britain starts the day the Vuelta ends, 15th September.

Sooo, if you like most things in lycra and whizzing along a road, this is the place for you. As NicholasTeacozy reckons, it's like chess on hundreds of wheels. If you're intrigued but don't know your peloton from your domestique, drop in and someone will no doubt help out.

Have fallen behind due to visitors coming over yesterday so I'm watching highlights now. Off topic a bit but can I recommend Galicia for a holiday, just seeing Finisterre on tv has made me come over all nostalgic.

That final climb yesterday was murderous!!

Pan - you have my deepest sympathy re. the unreasonable attitude of your employers - have they no heart??

I was surprised to realise Finisterre was one of the shipping forecast areas (now Fitzroy).
Yes Galicia looks gorgeous.

No SDT, heartless and very bikist.
and yes loved seeing them standstilling on that nasty ramp. It was absurd.

Aha! Found you! Not that I have watched any Vuelta at all yet. Curse you Gods of Work.

DH is watching it with the DD's and they keep slipping into the spare room to tell me what I am missing. Irritating little chuffers.

Right - off to see if DH has kept the highlights on the recorder-box-doodah.

Oooh, it's raining in Galicia. There's a surprise. And Phil Ligget must be about 100 by now.

I love watching cycling, can't wait for 2014 when the TDF comes to Yorkshire - am taking the weekend off work and following it like a saddo

I sat down to watch the highlights this evening, fell asleep on the sofa & missed it all . I'm more tired than usual because work is getting busy & I'm having to get up earlier now the kids are back at school.

I'll settle in for a cosy Vuelta watching session or two at the weekend.

That ramp yesterday was something else. Cyclists at a standstill!

Another work victim here. Saw nothing of today. I'll end up in the broom wagon at this rate.

wow!

just watched yesterday's itv4 highlights and just wow! tony martin is a star!!!!

that last km was worth the whole long rather dull stage.... :)

Tony Martin was robbed - I know that it is a race, and it is their job, but what mean bastards they were.

That final K was so hard to watch. Lovely, lovely man I was heartbroken for him. I think a lot more people will know his name now though, and his sponsors will be pleased with the exposure

RL getting in the way - slipping in behind a car to catch up with the peloton, about 2 days behind. so not reading thread!

It's been brilliant Pan I haven't posted too much because there's no one to talk to I don't want to do spoilers for people. Come and talk to me about work and Bradders I am very, very bored .

Here is a photo of Dan Martin DS1 took which I was excitedly showing DH yesterday as we watched the stage, proud of being up there with all my cycling know how. He was very gentle pointing out that the guy cycling along like mad on telly was actually called Tony . Another 20 years and I will be up to speed I'm sure.

Dontcha just luuuurve the Vuelta! What two days to miss.

Must admit I only kept a sort of weather-eye in the past but 'Tu eres muy benites'! It;s the lack of team discipline and the resultant peloton being all over the place unlike Le Tour.

TM is the escapado of all time. To paraphrase Basil Fawlty, it's the hope that finally kills. I thought he had it, and so did he. But isn't OPQ looking v strong for next year?

Bit sorry for Gilbert too, and all of them riding in 100 degrees today. And I'd noticed Rigoberto lies in 7th and Henao doesn't even get listed by Ch4.....
Off south now...and
Tour of Britain beckons. Yay!

Tony Martin's a star! After that and Stybar, I'm rooting for OPQS. Good point about the lack of discipline now that Garmin is down to 4 riders it's edging towards a free for all!

Tony Martin was robbed the other day, wasn't he? I was so hoping he'd hang on.

Exciting sprint finish yesterday - I think Stybar won by about half a tyre!

Or..you could say it was remarkable/outstanding judgement of the peloton to nick it in 20metres over a 190 km course. Still sad for him though.

That's bike racing isn't it? You put in all that work, all day, then a determined peloton catches you up & someone else grabs the glory!

Hello! Work and RL have seriously impacted on my Vuelta watching this year (and MN..hardly here these days!) so hello! Good to see some familiar names again :)
The parcours have been stunningly hard this year-anyone else wonder how on earth they expect the sport to be clean when they are demanding such superhuman efforts to win?! V hard - good - but this is tough!!
Anyway because of RL I missed both Roche's win and Dan Martin :(

Hi SeaShells - another escapado caught by the MN peloton!
Yes, I wonder if the course designer is making a statement, that this tour is now evolving massively and the bar of competition is being raised to reflect that.

oh and I've already used the OGE words of 'we just ran out of biscuits' in RL.

Hi Pan! I was hiding out in the grupetto :)

Seems a half hearted effort by Sky...I think they got caught on the hop by Wiggo not being in the team, and whilst uran/heneo are good, they are better as nos 2+3 not 1. World champs will be interesting and track will be v interesting over the next few years with Cav/Wiggo trying to get back in

One leg (can I call it a leg?) finishes in my town on 5th - I shall be waving to y'all