Spain is an awesome country. It has amazing scenery, culture, cities and chicas… oh, the chicas. Its football competition features the world’s best players, their national team are the reigning World Cup holders, and they boast world champions in tennis, Moto GP, Superbikes and Formula 1. They regularly kick the collective asses of France and Italy, and a lot of other European countries when it comes to bicycle racing, although most of their recent heroes have somewhat of a cloud hanging over them. So why does their Grand Tour hardly raise an eyebrow when compared to the other two big tours, and why the fuck do they still allow cowards on horses armed with poison darts to taunt and kill a beast as noble as el toro for ‘entertainment’?
I can’t really answer the last one, but the fact that La Vuelta is treated like the road racing equivalent of a red-headed stepchild is about as fair as the Corrida itself. To me, and to many pros, it is seen as a tour of redemption. Those who, for one reason or another, either due to bad luck, bad management or bad form suffered a less-than-stellar Tour de France, now get a chance to make something of their season and add a ‘major’ to their palmares. Riders like Jan Ullrich, who in 1999 took the amarillo jersey after sitting out Le Tour with a dicky knee. 2008 saw Contador make amends after his Astana team was prevented from starting le Grande Boucle under a doping cloud. In fact, La Vuelta and doping have more than a passing aquaintance, with Valverde winning while under a pending hearing in 2009, and of course little Robbie Heras getting stripped of his 05 title after an EPO positive. Last year wasn’t without its own scandal, with a positive for 2nd place ‘sensation’ Ezequiel Mosquera dragging La Vuelta’s name through the red dust again. It could well be the dirtiest tour of them all, a race that itself seeks atonement as much as those who race it.
This year’s edition has the same sense of redemption written all over it, with some of Le Tour’s unfortunates having a crack at it. There’s Wiggo, who was in the self-proclaimed form of his life before snapping his twig-like collarbone early on. Can he show us what he had promised on the roads of France in the Dauphine, or will the Spanish heat and steep, long climbs be too much for him? How about Jurgen Van den Broeck, also looking great before his own clavicle calamity ended his July. Invisible Denis will also be there, his Geox team considered not good enough for the Tour, out to show that he’s still a force and add to his two Spanish victories. Other battered old warhorses who will never give up easily are Andreas Klöden and Carlos Sastre, but father time may have finally taken its toll on this duo.
In reality, it’ll probably come down to the younger brigade made up of last year’s winner Vinnie Nibali, J-Rod, Scarponi, and Anton. It could be a blow-out, or one of the best races of the year. We may even get another drug controversy to keep up the status quo of years gone by. Whatever happens is anybody’s guess, which is why this race is one of the hardest to pick for VSP contenders, and one that might even be as exciting, vibrant and colourful as the country it traverses for three hot weeks.
So pour yourself a glass of Sangria, give the start list a long or glancing look, and post your picks before 5am Pacific time (yeah, I don’t know when the hell that is either…) and if you have any doubts, confusion or questions, head to the VSP page for clarification, rules and/or rebuttals. No horsing around, no bullshit.
Buena suerte!
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Steampunk
I didn't watch the Giro last year as I was not yet into cycling but I heard it was awesome.
@RedRanger
Strada Bianchi with Cuddles and Vino was amazing.
@Ron
I'm going to play contrarian on this, and don't mean it to become an anti-American, but I couldn't give a rat's ass about the ATOC, Utah, or Colorado. Just don't. They make a big-ass fuss about all these top riders coming over, and then pitch it to the American public as how great Horner or Leipheimer is when they're the only guys actually racing. And they invariably conflict with the Giro and the Vuelta in ways that dilute those races, because sponsors (understandably) want some presence in the American audience.
It would be great to have a major stage race in North America, but it's easier to get excited about the new Quebec one-day races that don't interfere with nearly as much European racing. Perhaps a Tour de Southwest shortly after the Aussies do their thing?
Oh, no worries, not really running against my feelings. I do think it is cool anytime I can turn on (my friend's) television and watch cycling. I also thought it was cool to see all those (broken up) shots of Colorado, as I've never been there.
The race itself was kind of bs. I rolled my eyes and laughed when Eggtimer said some nonsense about saving himself in other races to be on form for Utah & Colorado. Yeah fucking right. I didn't follow CA or UT at all. Since I'm on the road and have t.v. access, I watched a bit of the CO cycling.
And I do think it's a bit unfair to the Vuelta as well.
On that note, I sadly realized that during July & August I have been away from home and without a bike for five damn weeks. That is unacceptable. I don't think I've been off the bike for five total weeks in the past five years combined. Screw this traveling & working on the road nonsense, it sucks. Damn, five weeks is a huge bite out of training. Oh well, only four more days of life without a bike.
@Steampunk
Agreed, and I've been lucky enough to see many stages of the AToC over the years. Moving it to May was a real bonehead play. Ain't no way one week stage races in CA, CO (or anywhere else for that matter) compete with a GT. Stupid to try.
And +1 on more one day races. Mo betta.
@sgt
@Ron
What really pissed me off was the head of the UCI a while back mention the idea of shortening La Vuelta. No god damn respect
@sgt
Shit small races.
Tour of Texas. Redzinger Classic. Coors Classic. Tour duPont. Tour de Trump. Tour de Georgia. Tour of Missouri. Tour of California. Tour of Utah. Tour de Quizno's/not Quizno's/not Tour of Colorado/Pro Cycling is Very Challenging Challenge not featuring Lance Armstrong. Or whatever the hell that thing finally became.
California's the only one with staying power, I think.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Froome! Whut? I've been so disinterested I haven't even made picks, but what is it now the final week? Wiggo, Nibbles, Froome, J Rod a couple of minutes down playing spoiler, teh rest of this thing is going to be spectacular. Especially with a true test of Wiggo as a leader - all the speculation about what type of leader he is, this is either going to be banging or a whimper. 3
And Martin vs Spartacus at the Worlds TT - who gets excited about that? Uh huh. Me.
Here we go again! Almost there! Just found out that Murilo Fischer left the race yesterday with a broken wrist...dam it!