Like Contador? But if you mean guys like Levi then yes none of the top GC guys contest the Vuelta.

Just bounce that question back at them with why don't they know how to put universalsports.com into the address line on their preferred Internet browser.

deep down I think we'd all like to see Basso go all "terrestrial" on everyone like 06.

I wouldn't call 2nd by six seconds "totally punked."

contador is spanish. before him who was the last TDF champ to win the vuelta? indurain refused to ride the vuelta his final year and retired because he felt disrespected.

to me, menchov is another abraham olano -- aka "the next miguel indurain" -- or alex zuelle. of course he could win the giro and the tour this year :eek:.

ed rader

and with little Tommy Danielson "the best climber in the world" at an hour sixteen back he's in sprinter territory - without the sprint

that 2nd would look pretty good if they win a stage. if not they're punked....especially after concentrating on the TTT and having Cav in the MR at the end of the day.

ed rader

Apparently I hold my cycling gods to a higher standard than you do. :P

You've completely invalidated your point. If you insist that GC contenders don't compete in the Vuelta then you consider guys like Contador, Levi, and Sastra to be pretenders. If you don't rate Menchov then you don't rate the others..Your original quote was none of the top GC guys...not none of the Tour winners.

daveztwitt

justin.tv

I lol'd. :lol:

if you're going to discount the vuelta as the little spanish holiday tour then you've to do same with the giro. when was the last time a TDF champ took the giro seriously? (exclude last year when contador knew he was excluded from the TdF, otherwise he would have stayed on the beach).

The only reason this argument works is that Lance won 7 Tours in a row, and he always avoided the Giro, for the most part your argument is not true.

I'll give it a try tomorrow. Thanks.

Bummer! I will miss a couple of days of live action. Off to officiate at a couple of races in Colorado.

what races?

Louisville crit and Koppenberg.

ah bummer I'll at the Ironhorse. Koppenberg might get gnarly again! It looks like rain

my position is simply that the vuelta should not be discounted as a race and that winning it should not be considered a small achievement. maybe the analogy doesnt fit well to illustrate that position.

Yep and I see rain and SNOW for Silverton!!!

It would honestly be fine with me if the RR got cancelled :) I at least have a slim chance in the crit. Zero chance in the RR.

Well it still is a Grand Tour but it seems like the Vuelta's worst enemy has always been the Vuelta.


Sure It does not compare to the Tour, but nothing does.

So your main point is correct.

Hopefully, the Vuelta organizers will take a clue from the recent Tour and Giro route changes and modify their race accordingly. Don't lump all the sprint stages together then have the entire race decided by one day in the mountains.

you don't really think dave z made a serious effort in this TT do you?

It had technical descents, so he was pretty much screwed from the get go.