Can Wiggins win the Vuelta?

[wildjetskier]

FYI Here'e the schedule.


Vuelta a España – 2011



Teams time-trial

Saturday 20 August

Benidorm > Benidorm

13,5 km


Sunday 21 August

La Nucía > Playas de Orihuela

174,0 km


Monday 22 August

Petrer > Totana

163,0 km


Tuesday 23 August

Baza > Sierra Nevada

170,2 km


Wednesday 24 August

Sierra Nevada > Valdepeñas de Jaén

187,0 km


Thursday 25 August

Úbeda > Córdoba

193,4 km


Friday 26 August

Almadén > Talavera de la Reina

182,9 km


Saturday 27 August

Talavera de la Reina > San Lorenzo de El Escorial

177,3 km


Sunday 28 August

Villacastín > Sierra de Bejar. La Covatilla

183,0 km


Time-trial

Monday 29 August

Salamanca > Salamanca

47,0 km



Rest Day

Tuesday 30 August


Wednesday 31 August

Verín > Estación de Esquí Alto de la Manzaneda

167,0 km


Thursday 01 September

Ponteareas > Pontevedra

167,3 km


Friday 02 September

Sarria > Ponferrada

158,2 km


Saturday 03 September

Astorga > La Farrapona. Lagos de Somiedo

175,8 km


Sunday 04 September

Avilés > Anglirú

142,2 km



Rest Day

Monday 5 September


Tuesday 06 September

Villa Romana La Olmeda (Palencia) > Haro

203,6 km


Wednesday – 07 September

Faustino V > Peña Cabarga

211,0 km


Thursday 08 September

Solares > Noja

174,6 km


Friday 09 September

Noja > Bilbao

158,5 km


Saturday 10 September

Bilbao > Vitoria

185,0 km


Sunday 11 September

Circuito del Jarama > Madrid

95,6 km




ITV4′s coverage of Vuelta a Espana starts on Sat 20 August at 4pm with coverage of the teams 13.5km time-trial across Benidorm. ITV4 will then screen daily live coverage from 2.45pm with highlights at 7pm.

 

[User269]

Wiggins is at least down to ride as far as I can tell from the latest start list I can find.

 

[User269]

Ah, here we go. He is riding according to this.

It always helps to actually be in a race to win it I find.

 

[Biscuit]

Ah, here we go. He is riding according to this.

It always helps to actually be in a race to win it I find.

Excellent news! I'll get the hob nobs in and pop the comfy armchair and footstool in front of the TV... ready.

 

[wildjetskier]

Excellent news! I'll get the hob nobs in and pop the comfy armchair and footstool in front of the TV... ready.

Indeed great news, you get the hob nobs, i'll get the missus to knock up a victoria sponge and we'll all hibernate for 3 weeks

 

[Hont]

6 summit finishes, including the Angliru. Pretty sure that's not a parcours for Wiggo, but we can but hope.

 

[mangaman]

6 summit finishes, including the Angliru. Pretty sure that's not a parcours for Wiggo, but we can but hope.

I know - and a lot of Vuelta finishes are not mountain-top finishes, but finish with a cheeky massively steep climb at the finish.

(It's why I like the Vuelta really - it is purely for the climbers)

 

[moxey]

Wiggo has a heat chamber in his shed at home that he's been training in to get accustomed to the spanish heat. He has it set to between 40-42 degrees while on the turbo

The things you have to go through to be a the top level

 

[User269]

Wow! According to the start list on La Vuelta website, Cavendish is riding too, but there's no Mark Renshaw. This should be interesting. I wonder if he'll retire before the mountains though.

Will Wiggins' hot shed training really make any difference?

 

[rich p]

Cav thought that finishing the Vuelta last year spoilt his chances in the Worls Champs, so given that it's apparently a Cav friendly course, GB have 8 riders to assist him, it's almost certain that he'll be off before the biggest hills.

The first mountain finish is on day 4 though so he'll have to suffer for a bit first.

 

[Keith Oates]

After completing the TdF course I'm surprised that he's even riding the Vuelta but if he's serious about the world's (as if he wasn't knowing Cav) then it would make sense for him to bail out early IMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Of course he can. But I don't think he will.

 

[moxey]

After yesyerdays TTT I'd now say no.

Yes I know there's 3 weeks racing still to go but I think it was going to be a hard enough job as it was without having that time to make up from the off.

Hope I'm wrong