Vuelta 2008

Drongo

Cadel Evans has confirmed that he'll be racing the Vuelta this year; so too Contador and Sastre.

CN's list of Vuelta a España teams and leaders:
Team CSC - Saxo Bank (Carlos Sastre),
AG2R - La Mondiale (Vladimir Efimkin),
Andalucía - Caja Sur (José Luís Carrasco),
Astana (Alberto Contador),
Bouygues Telecom (Dimitri Champion),
Caisse d´Epargne (Alejandro Valverde),
Cofidis, le Credit par telephone (Sylvain Chavanel),
Credit Agricole (Eric Berthou),
Euskaltel - Euskadi (Igor Anton),
Française des Jeux (Sandy Casar),
Gerolsteiner (Davide Rebellin),
Karpin Galicia (Ezequiel Mosquera),
Lampre (Damiano Cunego), Liquigas (Daniele Bennati),
Quick Step (Paolo Bettini),
Rabobank (Oscar Freire),
Silence-Lotto (Cadel Evans),
Team Milram (Erik Zabel) and
Tinkoff Credit Systems (Mikhail Ignatiev)

So, it promises much.

I think Contador for the win: not because I think he's head and shoulders above the rest like some do, but he has no injuries of which I am aware, he won't be as tired as his competitors, and the climate in Spain will be to his liking...

Any thoughts?

**********

Edit: More complete start list here. Kloeden is riding for Astana, but Astana won't let him win in Spain in preference to Contador, surely.

Query whether Popo might be preferred to Evans given the ACL; perhaps he will recover some form in Spain, but then Evans owes him nothing, whatever your thoughts about Evans' stage win in Paris-Nice.

I am interested to see how Euskaltel manages also.

Crankyfeet

Well done Drongo.

Why isn't Menchov defending his title and Rabo's team leader? Is he injured and I just put my foot in my mouth again?

Astana/Contador look strong like you say. And hungry for exposure.

Does anyone know what the route looks like this year? Hopefully better than last year.

__________________

Rolfrae

Menchov rode the Giro to warm up for the Tour. Three GTs in one season is too much for him, hence no Vuelta defence.

Crankyfeet

Thanks. I think that may qualify as a toe in mouth...

__________________

Anticyclone

I would suggest Contador as he will have had longer to prepare. Be interesting to see how strong a team CSC puts up.

The first stage seems to be a 7km team time trial. Does anyone know what the course is? I see that in 2005 there was a 7km individual time trial. Would seem likely that it is the same course but does anyone know? I cant find anything better than this

http://www.lavuelta.com/08/ingles/r.../altimetria.asp

Previous one

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/200...tages/vuelta051

slovakguy

...i'm hoping that somebody/anybody can muster a concerted attack against a.c. & astana just so i don't have to read the brayings of j.b. about how his team bracketed the tour with his "people's" champion...

__________________
"To Hell with poverty, we'll get drunk on cheap wine."
--Gang of Four, To Hell With Poverty

lucybears

The cyclingnews.com article does not actually say that Evans has said he will start. Possibly they might lok at his website for the latest August entry there.
http://www.cadel.com.au/news/news.html

I & the cyclingfever.com guys have doubts...

lucybears

google is a wonderful invention
http://www.lavuelta.com/08/ingles/recorrido/index.asp

limerickman

Route details :

Vuelta 2008 details

21 stages, total distance of 3,169 kilometres
10 flat stages, 8 medium and high mountain stages
1 team time trial
1 individual time trial
1 mountain time trial

Other facts:
5 summit finishes (Andorra Naturlandia-La Rabassa, Pla de Beret, Alto de l'Angliru, E.E. Fuentes de Invierno, Puerto de Navacerrada)
3 Categoría Especial (hors categorie) climbs
13 first category climbs
9 second category climbs
15 third category climbs
First time start locations: San Vicente de la Barquera Cudillero La Granja de San Ildefonso San Sebastián de los Reyes
First time finish locations: Naturlandia - La Rabassa (Andorra) Suances Ski station of Fuentes de Invierno

The Mountains
Stage 7 - September 6: Barbastro - Andorra, 224 km
Category 2: Port de Montllobat, 1,085m
Category 3: Collado de Faidella, 1,260m
Category 1: Alto de la Rabassa, 1,860m
Category Esp. (HC): Andorra (Naturlandia-La Rabassa), 2,050m

Stage 8 - September 7: Andorra - Pla de Beret, 160 km
Category 1: Puerto del Canto, 1,730m
Category 2: Alto de Enviny, 1,220m
Category 1: Puerto de la Bonaigua, 2,070m
Category Esp.: Alto Pla de Beret, 1,880m

Stage 9 - September 8: Viella - Sabiñánigo, 198 km
Category 3: Alto del túnel de Viella, 1,450m
Category 2: Coll de la Espina, 1,410m
Category 2: Puerto de la Foradada, 1,020m
Category 1: Puerto del Sarrablo, 1,290m

Stage 13 - September 13: San Vicente de la Barquera - Alto de L'Angliru, 199 km
Category 3: Alto Ortiguero, 440m
Category 3: Alto la Faya de los Lobos, 700m
Category 1: Alto de la Colladiella, 850m
Category 1: Alto del Cordal, 780m
Category Esp,: Alto de L'Angliru, 1,580m

Stage 14 - September 14: Oviedo - E. E. Fuentes de Invierno, 158 km
Category 3: Alto del Padrún, 200m
Category 2: Alto de San Emiliano, 530m
Category 3: Alto La Camperona, 600m
Category 3: Alto la Faya de los Lobos, 700m
Category 1: Alto de la Colladona, 850m
Category 1: E.E. Fuentes de Invierno, 1,496m

Stage 20 - September 20: La Granja de San Ildefonso - Alto de Navacerrada (ITT), 16 km
Category 1: Puerto de Navacerrada, 1,870m

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

ad9898

Glad to see the L'Angliru is in, I have rode this climb, truely terrible. I'd say this and the Ventoux(from Bedoin) are the hardest climbs in Europe, well what I have done anyway. Although the L'Angliru is harder (the last 5k's are like ), the Ventoux can equal it if the weather is bad.

Eldrack

I can't see too much past Contador for this one. He's had the time off he needs to recover from his Giro effort and I think all the people that rode the tour will struggle to find top form coming into the third week. They'll be so tired by that final mountain TT Contador will crush them all there (if he isn't ahead already with all that climbing). Unfortunate but I think the most likely result.

Valv. Piti to finish second.

confusedfan

yeah, Evans' website says he might start the Tour of Poland (which would conflict with the Vuelta) and Evans previously announced he was skipping Worlds to rest his knee (so it wouldn't make sense to do the Vuelta first). That and Silence-Lotto officially announced their team today and have Matt Lloyd in place of Evans ...

__________________

Crankyfeet

Thanks Lim.

__________________

Crankyfeet

A photo of Contador training for the Vuelta.

__________________