Vuelta 2008



Drongo

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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.
 
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.
 
Crankyfeet said:
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?
Menchov rode the Giro to warm up for the Tour. Three GTs in one season is too much for him, hence no Vuelta defence.
 
Rolfrae said:
Menchov rode the Giro to warm up for the Tour. Three GTs in one season is too much for him, hence no Vuelta defence.
Thanks. I think that may qualify as a toe in mouth...
redface.gif
 
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/recorrido/altimetria.asp

Previous one

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005//vuelta05/?id=stages/vuelta051
 
...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...
 
Crankyfeet said:
Does anyone know what the route looks like this year? Hopefully better than last year.

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
 
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 :eek: ), the Ventoux can equal it if the weather is bad.
 
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.
 
lucybears said:
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...
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 ...
 
limerickman said:
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

... etc.
Thanks Lim.
 
Crankyfeet said:
A photo of Contador training for the Vuelta.
Nah...that's an old picture from April...Since he spilled the beans about his secret training method he's had to hide from the vampires.

This is a more recent shot :) He's under the 62nd umbrella from the right top:
pic_400861001186964900.jpg
 
Drongo said:
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.


I would imagine that Astana would be going all out to win the Vuelta and that Contador would be their main man.

Looking at whatever information is available concerning the route, Vuelta 2008
looks to be a pretty uncompromising GT.

The main opposition to Astana will come from CSC and Rabo.

Interesting to see Tinkoff getting their start...........Ignatiev had an excellent Vuelta a couple of seasons ago.
 
I wonder if CSC will be racing seriously (ergo, for the amarillo) or just going for a few stages. They are the only team that appears to be able to compete with Astana (Cadel should be a contender, but given the support he does not have in Lotto, and Cunego being increasingly sucky this season although Lampre is not a half bad team)...
 
Powerful Pete said:
I wonder if CSC will be racing seriously (ergo, for the amarillo) or just going for a few stages. They are the only team that appears to be able to compete with Astana (Cadel should be a contender, but given the support he does not have in Lotto, and Cunego being increasingly sucky this season although Lampre is not a half bad team)...
I'm sure that Sastre will go for GC only, like he's done the last few years. Apart from Sastre, I don't think anyone from CSC's Tour de France line-up will start the Vuelta.

Evans will not start.
 

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