Vuelta a España

[ariadneoliver]

Lots of info and links here: www.steephill.tv/vuelta-a-espana/#route-map

The official site is here: www.lavuelta.com/14/en/index.html

No Chris Horner this year so new champ beckons

1 Saturday, August 23 12.6 km
Jerez de la Frontera

2 Sunday, August 24 174 km
Algeciras ? San Fernando

3 Monday, August 25 188 km
Cádiz ? Arcos de la Frontera

4 Tuesday, August 26 173 km
Mairena del Alcor ? Córdoba

5 Wednesday, August 27 182 km
Priego de Córdoba ? Ronda

6 Thursday, August 28 158 km
Benalmádena ? La Zubia

7 Friday, August 29 165 km
Alhendín

8 Saturday, August 30 207 km
Baeza ? Albacete

9 Sunday, August 31 181 km
Carboneras de Guadazaón ? Aramón Valdelinares

R Monday, September 1
Rest day
10 Tuesday, September 2 34.5 km
Real Monasterio de Santa María de Veruela ? Borja

11 Wednesday, September 3 151 km
Pamplona ? Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar

12 Thursday, September 4 168 km
Logroño ? Logroño

13 Friday, September 5 182 km
Belorado ? Obregón. Parque de Cabárceno

14 Saturday, September 6 199 km
Santander ? La Camperona. Valle de Sábero

15 Sunday, September 7 149 km
Oviedo ? Lagos de Covadonga

16 Monday, September 8 159 km
San Martín del Rey Aurelio ? La Farrapona. Lago de Somiedo

R Tuesday, September 9
Rest day
17 Wednesday, September 10 174 km
Ortigueira ? Coruña

18 Thursday, September 11 174 km
A Estrada ? Mont Castrove. Meis

19 Friday, September 12 177 km
Salvaterra do Miño ? Cangas do Morrazo

20 Saturday, September 13 0 km
Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil ? Puerto de Ancares

21 Sunday, September 14 10 km
Santiago de Compostela ? Santiago de Compostela. El Final del Camino

Total Distance 3018 km

So pour a glass of Sangria, kick back and enjoy!

Yes, the Green One just seems to have been 'off' all year.
Love the views of the countryside as well.

Good to see Dan Martin is back on form . Just pipped at the line today. Exciting stage.

The Green One isn't too bothered, I shouldn't think. He's got a nice new contract all signed and a nice new team to go to.

Poor Dan - he so nearly had that one. Interesting that Contador looked as strong as he did. Sky looks as shaky a team as they have been all season. Hmm......

I must go back to Seville and Cordoba some time. It all looked so gorgeous today. Racing was good too, but they looked wiped out by the heat at the end. Glad to see Uran in 3rd overall.

Go OPQS!

Another baking day, but it seems to have sorted out the top contenders. Sadly Rigo Uran didn't do too well but this is going to be an exciting tour.

That was an exciting finish alright, and we certainly got an idea of who's feeling good & who isn't.

That looked just 'orrible! 'orrible temps and 'orrible climb. They must be wearing factor 1,000 sunblock.
Caught the ITV4 h/lights, so saw nothing of Granada - and the pack does look well and truly shuffled doesn't it? Interesting to see Quintana getting dropped at the very end, and so losing time.

Just seen that Edvald Boasson Hagen has signed for MTN-Qhubeka (sp?) for next season, turning down Tinkoff-Saxo.

Dear Eddy. Where has Sagan gone to do we know?

Tinkoff-Saxo!

, thanks!

That was an interesting last climb today, it's what the Tdf was missing this year, a bit of competition.

According to Sean Kelly Sagan is looking a couple of kilos overweight (he commented that the advertising on his behind was looking very stretched ) and is hanging round the back of the peloton. He's off to Tinkoff-Saxo next season so he probably doesn't care.

Sagan has no incentive to race as anything he gains will go to the credit of Cannondale now and he is off to Saxo. So he won't bother. Someone, can't remember who, poss Roger Hammond, said it was a bit like slapping your team in the face when they have worked so hard all year, just to sit back and use the race as prep for the Worlds.

I am intrigued by the Cannondale/Garmin merger for next year - it will be interesting to see how that one pans out. DH reminded me that Cannondale formed out of the ashes of High Road. Odd that we have now been fans long enough to bother about the provenance of teams!

So far, the racing has has been great and shows what we missed out on in the Tour. I have never been a Bertie fan but is is amazing how he rides like that so soon after the fractured tibia. THey are hard men.

AIBU to be a bit weepy over Jens's retirement? blogs.bicycling.com/blogs/hardlyserious/smile-because-it-happened
On the plus side, he has got a new puppy

Finally caught up with the Vuelta last night, dunno where this last week's gone. Good to see such a well-matched fight going on.

But you'd think Sagan would have something called professional pride? But he was stragely 'off' during the Tour and doesn't appear to have changed any - yep If I were a Cannon rider being invited to sweat spinal fluid in 36 degrees for a man who isn't trying and is off in a few weeks I'd be too.

Jens - weeps - the @jensvoigtfacts twitter has retired as well - the idea of the team car being penalised for drafting behind Jensie was a real lol moment.

YANBU - I got very emotional over his last few tweets and quite cross that I couldn't go geo-cacheing for his goodbye boxes.....

Hello! I've been on holiday for a week so have a lot to catch up on. Just place marking

It's knocking the Tour into a bucket of ice, isn't it?
Poor Ryder!

Well perhaps not the most riveting day. But we did see some echelons which is always fun. Sagan has awoken from his coma so hopefully he'll start racing.

Sagan needs to wake up, it's poor form to not fight for your team. I know it's been a long season but he owes them his best effort.

Well quite Dr. really mixed feelings about the Green One - dislike for antics, liking for charm and playfulness (and fantastic bike-manship - lots of youtube stuff, like riding up some stairs), then dislike for not, it seems, working his contract.
Today's h/lights up next. What will happen to Crash Froome?

Hello all, just back from rural mid Wales, no tv and a fitful wifi signal from the pub over the road so just catching up with the Vuelta tonight. I see the searing heat is over then!

More exciting I've just realised that stage 4 of the Tour of Britain is going right past my parents house. We will all be roadside with Welsh flags at the ready. My Dad is particularly hopeful that some of the bigger local potholes are going to be specially filled in, probably too hopeful knowing Gloucestershire County Council

hi canute, and goodbye all, for about 10 stages! Worky stuff and a bit personal stuff means nooo wifi for days and days and days. Can CF keep the rubber side down? Missing most of ToB too! See you in the hills of the north!

Taking a Betancur style break Pan? Stay off the burgers!

Another exciting day has shaken up the top 10. This one is well worth watching the highlights.