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Vuelta a Espana 2007
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 08-08-2007 20:54
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Time for a topic about the Vuelta-race.
There have undoubtedly been harder Vueltas but what will make this one particularly tough is the pattern of the stages. Many of the principal difficulties come in the first ten days, meaning that whoever is leading after the first rest day will need to have a particularly strong team if he is to defend from there until Madrid. .
In all there are 11 mainly flat stages and 8 days of medium and high mountains which include a total of four mountain-top finishes. These are Lagos de Covadonga (ESP - Special Category, stage 4), Estación de Esquà Cerler (ESP, stage 9), Estación d'Esqui d'Ordino-ArcalÃs (ESP, stage 10) and Alto de Abantos (Cat 1, stage 19).
A total of 42 categorised climbs are scattered along the route. Three are Special Category, six are first category, 15 are second category and 18 are third category.
There are also two time trials. The first of these comes on day eight and is a 49 kilometre race against the clock, while the second takes place on the penultimate day of race and is just 25 kilometres in length.
The 2007 Vuelta will include nine towns which are hosting a stage start for the first time. They are Allariz, Viveiro, Langreo, Calahorra, D.O. Cariñena, Oropesa, AlgemesÃ, HellÃn and Villacarrillo. There are also four towns making their debut as regards finishes: HellÃn, AlgemesÃ, Torre-Pacheco and Villacarrillo.
The total distance of the race is approximately 3,241 kilometres. It is a total of 23 days in length, although two of these are rest days.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/...id=default
And today (or yesterday), it was confirmed that Alejandro Valverde will not take part in this year's Vuelta. Neither will Vinokourov or Kashekhin -- so it seems pretty open. Maybe Menchov? |
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 08-08-2007 20:58
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Menchov is a pretty good bet, but i think Pereiro has a chance also now that Valverde is out
YORKSHIRE BORN, YORKSHIRE BRED... |
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| MarcoPRT |
Posted on 08-08-2007 21:03
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Samuel Sanchez or Gomez Marchante are the favorites to me, and then we have Menchov, Rujano (does Unibet go to Vuelta? If not, forget it), etc...
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 20:40
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| issoisso |
Posted on 08-08-2007 21:10
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Sastre seems the bigger candidate to me. Especially since he's recovered from the knee injury that hampered his Tour.
Menchov also. Marchante maybe. Sánchez has spent the second half of the season preparing for his goal of a podium here.
the Vuelta is pretty much every year the most mountainous of the three Grand Tours. not this year. however, I feel the parcours is very well designed.
for one, there will be no suffering in the Andalucian heat this year, since the flat stages are especially short. this will also mean less staring blankly at the TV waiting for the sprint finish.
but that's not why I feel this is well designed.
for you see, the mountains are small and sparse compared to other years. but they do however start right off the bat. stage 4 is pretty much flat, just as the 3 first ones....until the last 15km. where the riders must tackle the mythical Covadonga Lakes climb. it's going to be brutal, especially since at such an early stage, the amount of favorites having bad days is going to be high.
after that, a few stages of "rest" (read:flat), but then the first time trial. and considering it's the Vuelta, it's an especially long one.
and right after that, a couple of mountain stages. and they come in succession. nothing as hard as usual in the Vuelta, but a GC-shaping contest for sure.
one bad day in any of those three stages can be incredibly costly, with the last of the mountain stages being especially long, predictably hot, and finishing on the long and well known climb to ArcalÃs.
it's not particularly hard for a grand tour. but there is a long way to go between then and the next few mountains. that means that either whoever is in golden by then has a fabulous team to withstand the stages that come after, or it's going to be tough.
in the middle of all those flat stages, stands the trip to Granada. seems a transition stage on paper. then again, Vino took over the leader's jersey last year on that exact route. so expect surprises.
then even more transitional stages.
in case the leader's team is exceptionally strong and has miraculously withstood all that, there's a couple of half-mountain-half-transitional stages to come.
not a duel for the climbers. but perfect opportunities for candidates to pile the pressure on the leader. excitement is pretty much guaranteed by that stage.
and to top it all off as a finish, a final TT. but not a long one. just 25km, so if riders are close on GC, we could see someone clinging on for dear life.
after that, the circuit in madrid. sadly this year, the Vuelta doesn't end with a time trial, as has happened previously. usually those were the most exciting years, with someone grabbing yellow on the final day.
still, a very well designed parcours, because it is deceitful.
doesn't look all that hard at first, but the difficulties are there. they're just not the traditional huge mountains and long boiling hot flat stages.
add to that the fact that at this stage of the season the riders' form is extremely difficult to judge, and there will be (as always in the Vuelta) very big surprises.
looking forward to it 
Edited by issoisso on 08-08-2007 21:11
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 08-08-2007 21:43
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That was an excellent preview  |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 08-08-2007 21:43
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merci beaucoup |
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| alex153 |
Posted on 08-08-2007 21:43
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Indeed |
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| Guido Mukk |
Posted on 08-08-2007 22:24
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Can we have already sord of start list?..probably to early for that. Is mr. Valverde in the line? If there no hasnt been TdF everyone will scream Valverde..Valverde.. |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 08-08-2007 22:27
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Guido Mukk wrote:
Can we have already sord of start list?..probably to early for that. Is mr. Valverde in the line? If there no hasnt been TdF everyone will scream Valverde..Valverde..
CrueTrue said in the first post: no Valverde.
yay! |
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| Guido Mukk |
Posted on 08-08-2007 22:31
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issoisso wrote:
Guido Mukk wrote:
Can we have already sord of start list?..probably to early for that. Is mr. Valverde in the line? If there no hasnt been TdF everyone will scream Valverde..Valverde..
CrueTrue said in the first post: no Valverde.
yay!
Ouch...that what happens when you dont read thrue the end every post... Ok then what we all can tell about Valverde year...realy sucks.. That is good lessons for them who's thinking that Contador gonna win 10 TdF straight.
But Valverde is coming back..has Tom Boonen isn't dead yet..he's quite young guy |
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| Soendergaard |
Posted on 08-08-2007 22:36
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Andreas klöden will win!
If Rolf Sørensen has 2 minutes lead, and you have 2 minutes lead, Rolf has a bigger lead than you!
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 08-08-2007 22:42
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If he's not caught for use of doping before the start ... |
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| Phanekim |
Posted on 09-08-2007 00:01
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Danielson's turn. Now that he's cured his stomach ailments. You guys doubted me on Levi. Don't count Tom out.
Edited by Phanekim on 09-08-2007 00:01
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| niconico |
Posted on 09-08-2007 00:49
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Addy291 wrote:
Menchov is a pretty good bet, but i think Pereiro has a chance also now that Valverde is out
The only chance Pereiro will have of winning is if he is given 30 minutes on a flat stage. Nah seriously, I don't think Pereiro is good enough, last year's Tour was a one time deal and Pereiro won't get on a Grand Tour podium again.
My money is on Sastre. He finished 4th last year behind Vino, Kashechkin and Valverde, whom are all absent from this year's edition, meaning that Sastre would be the logical bid for the win. But I'm also really looking forward to see how Samuel Sanchez does as he's been focusing his season on this race, so I expect him to be really sharp.
Does anyone know if Di Luca is racing, cause if he are, I wouldn't vote against him for a podium spot. |
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| Levi4life |
Posted on 09-08-2007 01:08
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Tom Danielson AND Christian Vande Velde Will be racing Phanekim. But seeing as Tom will be fresher and Vande Velde will be wrking for others i think Tom is the one to win. |
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| Alejandro_Valverde |
Posted on 09-08-2007 07:55
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Last year's podium is missing from Vuelta 2007. And my boy is the only one from the three who hasn't been caught doping. Yet. Pity for last year. So for now: if Samuel Sanchez will be in the form as it was in the last week in 2006 he can be a surprise.
I hope he will. The route is relatively easy, that favours him. Sastre will be there, so as Marchante, and the Disco boys: Danielson, Brajkovic or Devolder. |
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| Crommy |
Posted on 09-08-2007 09:45
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It's quite good this year, it's all open.
And Levi, I would mock your choice, but Levi did so well in le Tour, I'll wait until the end to either say "what a rubbish choice" or "I knew you were right" 
Win-win for me
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| Phanekim |
Posted on 10-08-2007 01:02
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Surprise there is no Menchov mention.
btw, isn't cunego and rogers going to be there as well?
Lets hope its clean. In fact, I know I can trust the spanish authorities. |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 10-08-2007 01:07
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Phanekim wrote:
Surprise there is no Menchov mention.
look again. he's been mentioned in this thread
Phanekim wrote:
Lets hope its clean. In fact, I know I can trust the spanish authorities.
If that isn't sarcasm, I don't know what is  |
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| MarcoPRT |
Posted on 10-08-2007 01:37
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I don't know as well, from a country where a major doping process was closed without too much investigations...It is just rumours...
I heard that Fuentes will be in orgnisation this year (ironic)...
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