Vuelta 2014, **el sp-olé-rs**

[HF2300]

Bertie has the advantage of actually looking where he's going.

Liggett said today that Froome has worn his heart on his handlebars all season. Probably explains it, maybe he actually watches it and counts the beats.

 

[jarlrmai]

I remember this but from the Eurosport coverage I thought that stocky lad in the red and black was gonna push Froome over.

 

[jarlrmai]

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the TT.

 

[The Couch]

Bit of a shame for the suspense... without the rain Dennis would have most likely beaten Malori
Valverde (not such a shame of course ) and Ludvigson might have had a great result as well

 

[montage]

Had froome not fluffed the TT, this last stage could have been decisive!

What an amazing GT!

 

[Apollonius]

Never been able to warm to Froome - just seems a bit too "public school" and media polished. Changed my mind after this showing. I guess you see more of a man when he is under pressure.
Just shows how far UK cycling has come when we are mildly disappointed with second in GT. Not so long ago a top ten would have seemed unattainable.

 

[Crackle]

I still don't understand why Froome came into this needing to ride himself in. I also wonder about the outcome had Quintana not crashed. Credit to Beefy though, he is a talent, even if I never fully trust him now.

 

[ColinJ]

I still don't understand why Froome came into this needing to ride himself in.

Because his injuries from the Tour took much longer to recover from than Contador's?

It seems clear to me that Contador's leg can't have been as badly injured as first thought. Surely nobody can go from having a serious leg injury to winning a GT in about 2 months?

 

[rich p]

A decent race in the end, rather unexpectedly, given that Froome and Contador were expected to be sub-par. Shame that Quintana wasn't in the mix but it seems that there is always someone missing, someone off-form or whatever.
Maybe the 2015 TDF will be the one where all stars collide.
Rodriguez showed that whilst he is as game as ever he is unlikely to ever win a GT unless the others all fall off.
Aru showed that he has potential at 24
Deignan proved a solid, astute addition to the Sky team
Valverde has the sort of face you'd never tire of slapping
The Vuelta is made for Degenkolb
Froome has grit, and grace in defeat - though not on a bike
Brambilla and Rovny provided a comedy classic

 

[Hont]

I can't escape the feeling that the days of 2011 and 2012, where I'd be happy to bet that half of the Grand Tour winners were clean, are gone. I would not place any money on any of the 2014 victors being clean. As compelling as the racing in the Vuelta was, it felt like a bit of a return to the old two speeds, and it tempered my enjoyment.

But then when was the last time there was a clean winner of the Vuelta?

 

[jifdave]

So Quintana nibali and contador are all doping?

 

[rich p]

I can't escape the feeling that the days of 2011 and 2012, where I'd be happy to bet that half of the Grand Tour winners were clean, are gone. I would not place any money on any of the 2014 victors being clean. As compelling as the racing in the Vuelta was, it felt like a bit of a return to the old two speeds, and it tempered my enjoyment.

But then when was the last time there was a clean winner of the Vuelta?

I admire your staunch cynicism Hont but I'm not so sure. Nothing would surprise me, only a mug would be so naïve as to think it's a clean sport now.
I have a gut feeling that Froome is clean and Contador isn't far ahead of him in racing these days. Contador may be cleverly micro-dosing and that would surprise me even less but he's not the rider he was pre-steak. I think!
I'm holding fire on Nibali at the moment because the opposition was inferior at the TdF and he has spoken out against doping.
Quintana? Not a clue!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well I only saw snippets of the last week, and followed it mainly on the web and the last climb on Danish TV (I was in Copenhagen where all the headsets are threaded, and all the bikes have kickstands) and I really enjoyed that tour.

Thanks for the coverage, CC!

 

[Hont]

I have a gut feeling that Froome is clean and Contador isn't far ahead of him in racing these days.

I hope you're right. In Froome's defence the way he rode the climbs (in the saddle, smaller gear, mostly at an even tempo) is more credible in terms of sustained performance and particularly recovery than Contador's out of the saddle, bigger gear, quick-slow-quick style.

The pseudo science is not reassuring, however...

http://veloclinic.tumblr.com/post/97427649938/2014-vuelta-performance-analysis

I admire your staunch cynicism.

I think I either need to fix that or stop watching cycling.

 

[rich p]

I hope you're right. In Froome's defence the way he rode the climbs (in the saddle, smaller gear, mostly at an even tempo) is more credible in terms of sustained performance and particularly recovery than Contador's out of the saddle, bigger gear, quick-slow-quick style.

The pseudo science is not reassuring, however...

http://veloclinic.tumblr.com/post/97427649938/2014-vuelta-performance-analysis


.

Those graphs just confuse me - I need an interpreter.
Have those Science Sport people done an analysis yet, do you know?
I can't remember their website name