Vuelta a Espana stage 1

I've pretty much transferred out my entire roster after just two stages. Ugh.

Frustrating fantasy cycling fans.

STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

... it was dangerous and boring.....Not sure where the beautiful scenery was... The population of Puerto Banus is made up of 75% foreign nationals..... The Spanish can not afford to live there...

I think what made it boring was the fact it was neutralized... I'm not sure how exciting other TTT's have been, but this one was ok for me... I thought all the seaside shots were amazing and though you may be right and most Spanish can't afford to live there, I bet a ton of families went there for the day just to see their favorite cyclists... I don't know.. How bad or boring is it compared to a TTT in the desert during the early season?... As for how dangerous it was, well, I just wish they'd have been forced to ride for GC to see what happened... They'd have had to measure pride, losing seconds and the risks of crashing... Cannondale lost 1:20 and Europcar 2:15, Sky 1:09, but Movistar and Astana were at 24s and 30s, I think, that's not horrible really... I think it would have been a level playing field and any difference could have been made up in the mountains... Anyways, how much more dangerous could it have been than riding over cobbles during the TDF?...

STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

... Not sure where the beautiful scenery was...

Dan Martin said "It's a beautiful course and a beautiful show. It must have looked good on TV. We owed it to the public to make a show..." (http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/martin_we_owed_it_to_the_public_to_mak...) And I agree it was nice... I don't see why you didn't like it, at least, scenery wise... too commercially touristy for you?.. I don't know. I loved it. But I'm partial to the sea and the sand...

Colin Peyresourde wrote:

Picked Velits so I'm happy.

Good for you!

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STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

...What were the organisers thinking?...

I take Javier Guillen's side on this issue (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-espaa-organisers-distance-thems...).

The article reads:

' ... Unipublic’s boss, Javier Guillén, was... in disagreement [with] the decision [to neutralize the Stage 1 TTT] ... Guillén emphasised... the UCI, rather than the Vuelta, were responsible for [the neutralization]...

Guillén stated: “... individual times should count... the Vuelta doesn’t make these kinds of decisions... the UCI have taken this decision."

As for the criticisms... from the riders, he stated: “I don’t share those opinions, because if so we would have suggested a different route... "

STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

... it was dangerous and boring...

Well... "... reports state that six weeks ago, a UCI commissaire came with a representative of the Spanish riders’ association to reconnoitre the course and gave it the green light... "

And what did Sagan say about it (http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-1/results/)?

"For us it was ok. It was a little bit technical, a little bit narrow roads, a bit like Strade Bianche but it was good."

And what did Velits say? (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/five-years-on-velits-returns-to-vuelta-a...)

"We decided to go out hard and we were ready to use up guys early on and we were still able to finish strongly with the bare five riders and I think that was the right tactic."

It's done and over with, but in my mind the teams would have had to measure their effort and intensity and weigh their efforts against the possibility of crashing. What makes the course dangerous is not, in my mind, the course itself, but the speeds at which you try to navigate it and the risks you take. If someone was reckless enough to go at it full speed and be skilled enough to navigate it at those speeds and make it to the end upright, I think they would have been a worthy winner of the leaders jersey. I think BMC made it exciting yesterday and as far as I know no one was ever really in any danger of crashing. In all probability, it wouldn't have been a climber who got to keep the leaders jersey and so probably would have lost it eventually. I don't know. I think the riders wimped out. And you can't blame the organizers. Blame the riders that complained and the UCI. Not BMC and the Vuelta. They did their part.

STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

... Not sure where the beautiful scenery was...

I think this was beautiful. Admittedly the sandy parts could have been dangerous, but so what? Any more dangerous than the cobbles of Paris Roubaix or the gravelly roads of Strade Bianche? Take a look at this video. I think it was pretty nice! I can't find a picture of it, although it features nicely in the Orica GreenEdge video below, but the starting line with the waves crashing behind it and the first section with the road with the ocean at both sides of the riders were pretty amazing scenery too!
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Via http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-saxo-edged-out-on-vuelta-a-espan...

Vuelta a Espana 2015: On-board with Tinkoff-Saxo during team time trial recon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj1ewMgm-qw

STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

... it was dangerous and boring...

Maybe the live coverage didn't do it for you, but it seemed pretty exciting from within the Orica GreeEdge car! Maybe it's their deiting, though...

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Vuelta a España 2015 - Stage 1 TTT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LIpEA0bFQ4

enrique wrote:

Admittedly the sandy parts could have been dangerous, but so what? Any more dangerous than the cobbles of Paris Roubaix or the gravelly roads of Strade Bianche?

Neither of which are ridden on a TT bike....

Moist von Lipwig wrote:

Neither of which are ridden on a TT bike....

Well, uphill time trials aren't ridden in TT bikes either, and some undulating courses, I think , for example in some Spanish one week or shorter stage races, the course dictates, or the rider chooses, a normal road bike... I don't think the fact that it's a TTT should dictate the equipment... Sure, the course doesn't permit the use of the equipment at its fullest, nor does it showcase the pure raw speeds these riders are capable of in a flat unencumbered roadway, but I think it was ok... BMC played it well, they strategized, prepared and they played it out to where they worked around the course... I don't know, I'd have to check to see how many teams opted for TT bikes, but why should the classification of a stage require the use of particular equipment? I don't know. I found it interesting, pleasing and different. And dangerous? Well, you would have had to balance your fear of crashing with the importance of losing seconds... I'm ok with the organizers decision. Maybe it wasn't as impressive as a fully flat course, but I don't see a need to criticize it, think of it as a waste... It was scenic, different and it brought attention to an area that's usually reserved for the jet set... I liked it!

STEVESPRO 79 wrote:

... its an absolute joke...What were the organisers thinking?...

They were thinking of showing off their country, its beautiful scenery and its majestic seaside. I think the spectators must have enjoyed the hell out of it. I certainly thought it was beautiful! sometimes the race is not only for die hard professional cycling fanboys! sometimes it's about showing off scenery and getting folks out of their homes to enjoy the fresh air, the excitement and the sense of community and belonging and history that these events bring to their home fans and TV spectators. I loved it!