A day for breakaway but a short stage at just 160km.
Month: August 2017
Vuelta a España Stage 11 Preview
The Vuelta has had a series of uphill finishes and tricky climbs, now comes the first of the real mountain stages with long ascents.
Slipstream’s Sponsorship Crisis
One minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re in the gutter. Sport regularly serves up cruel metaphors for life. Cannondale-Drapac wore the king of the mountains jersey for a few days in the Tour de France, won a stage and put Rigoberto Urán on the podium. They announced a new blue chip sponsor in Oath, a US media company and were renewing the contracts of their star riders with a new sponsor set to be unveiled, apparently even the new kit and bus designs had been worked. Only it seems the funding for 2018 was never in place, the new sponsor had not signed a binding deal and now the team could vanish. Here’s a look at the chronology of events as well as the options ahead.
Vuelta a España Stage 10 Preview
The Tour de France went to Vittel, now the Vuelta goes to ElPozo… the large processed meat company that sponsors the race.
Vuelta a España Stage 9 Preview
A flat coastal procession past white sandy beaches and inviting bays, a day of sol y playa if you watch it all on TV. It’s all a warm-up for the double ascension of the Puig Llorença with its steep slopes and another Made-For-TV stage finish.
Vuelta a España Stage 8 Preview
One difference between Vuelta and its cousins in Italy and France is that it lacks a rich catalogue of famous climbs. But slowly names are emerging and today’s climb Xorret de Catí is one of them.
Vuelta a España Stage 7 Preview
A hilly stage with but with few chances of a bunch sprint remaining several teams will want to set up their sprinters as the race heads inland.
What’s The Point of The Vuelta?
This question was raised three years ago as the tour of Spain seemed aloof on the calendar, an uncertain event. With hindsight the race was at a turning point but as ever it is good, even healthy, to question established practices so let us review this race once more, an event that doesn’t have the history of its French and Italian cousins and in recent times its future has been in doubt but now the race seems to have found its niche.
Vuelta a España Stage 5 Preview
The first of two consecutive mid-mountain stages, today’s route offers a good course on familiar roads for many in the peloton and race convoy before a tricky uphill finish that is twice as steep as it looks.