La Vuelta a España - Stage 1 - Puerto Banús/Marbella *SPOILERS*

Melodeon

Right, in the interests of completeness and in spite of this having become something of a 'non-stage', here's the first stage of la Vuelta a España 2015:

Type: Team Time Trial
Distance: 7.4Km
Start/Finish: Puerto Banús/Marbella

Stage map:


Profile:



This'll be interesting to watch, if only to see how it all pans out.
The real race starts tomorrow.

TV schedule:
Eurosport (Team Presentation) 5.00pm
Eurosport (Stage) 5:45pm

godtabh

I wonder what the approach will be from teams? GC teams won't compete. What about others?

Melodeon

Someone HAS to give it a go, there's a red jersey to be won after all.
Teams with realistic GC aspirations will probably be very conservative, but I'd expect (hope!) some of the others will consider the risks worthwhile.

REBELSAFC

Sparticus in red tomorrow

Darkglasses

I fancy OGE for this, Australians love beaches. Cam Meyer in red.

StevieGriff

Darkglasses wrote: »

I fancy OGE for this, Australians love beaches. Cam Meyer in red.

Ditto. Be interesting to see if any teams uses their road rigs over TT bikes.

Darkglasses

StevieGriff wrote: »

Ditto. Be interesting to see if any teams uses their road rigs over TT bikes.

Well I thought so (makes sense to me) but all the photos so far of teams doing their recon show them on TT bikes.

at1withmyself

Darkglasses wrote: »

Well I thought so (makes sense to me) but all the photos so far of teams doing their recon show them on TT bikes.

I'd imagine the sponsors would be putting pressure on them to use the tt bikes although a good opportunity to also use disc brakes today so interesting to see what they are riding.

StevieGriff

at1withmyself wrote: »

I'd imagine the sponsors would be putting pressure on them to use the tt bikes although a good opportunity to also use disc brakes today so interesting to see what they are riding.

Not really. Disc and sand are a disater.

dastardly00

Movistar used their TT bikes for their recce this morning, so I'd say all the teams will be fully kitted out.

dastardly00

https://twitter.com/Movistar_Team/status/635020228343152640

dastardly00

Darkglasses wrote: »

I fancy OGE for this, Australians love beaches. Cam Meyer in red.

This is a pretty weak TT team for Orica though? (I think)

Darkglasses

I don't think any of them are really great TTT teams tbh, but I think there's enough on the OGE team to give Trek a good run with such a short course. Chaves and Gerrans were good enough to win the TTT in the Giro this year, Howson, Meyer and Impey are all great TT riders, and Keukeleire will be alright (I think!) considering the short and technical nature of the course.

dragratchet

if gerro crashes in this vuelta he should find himself a nice quiet job in a library, he's been cursed this year. one of my favourite riders.

MPFGLB

I think SKY have (had) a good TTT team hence their frustration

GIANT look strong to me

ednwireland

When s the first team off ??

g0g

Spanish Times (+1):

18:48 MTN-Qhubeka
18:53 Team Colombia
18:58 FDJ
19:03 Team LottoNL-Jumbo
19:08 AG2R La Mondiale (Domenico Pozzovivo)
19:13 Team Cannondale-Garmin
19:18 IAM Cycling
19:23 Cofidis
19:28 Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
19:33 Team Europcar
19:38 Orica-GreenEdge
19:43 Trek Factory Racing
19:48 Tinkoff-Saxo (Rafal Majka)
19:53 Team Giant-Alpecin
19:58 Etixx-Quick Step
20:03 Lotto-Soudal
20:08 Lampre-Merida
20:13 BMC Racing Team (Tejay van Garderen y Samuel Sánchez)
20:18 Astana Pro Team (Vincenzo Nibali y Fabio Aru)
20:23 Movistar Team (Nairo Quintana y Alejandro Valverde)
20:28 Team Sky (Chris Froome)
20:33 Team Katusha (Joaquim Rodríguez)

Daroxtar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBVqWw9dU4Y

MPFGLB

Well one positive that no one seems to appreciate is that Nico cannot be blamed for SKY losing the TTT if neutralised

or so I thought until I realised what if
Kiryienka , Knees, Puccio & Boswell go for it and only Nico is left after others tail off ? He might be hanging in there still

Pudsy33

MPFGLB wrote: »

Well one positive that no one seems to appreciate is that Nico cannot be blamed for SKY losing the TTT if neutralised

or so I thought until I realised what if
Kiryienka , Knees, Puccio & Boswell go for it and only Nico is left after others tail off ? He might be hanging in there still

He's a big powerful chap, he will he fine over 7k!

MPFGLB

Lotto Jumbo as I thought have gone for it....good for them

Pudsy33

That seems a good time by lotto

Eamonnator

Has anybody died yet?

MPFGLB

Dan Martin is on the course .....no mishaps please

ThisRegard

Eamonnator wrote: »

Has anybody died yet?

Boredom is a pretty serious threat at the moment to the viewers.

MPFGLB

Eamonnator wrote: »

Has anybody died yet?

Carlton Kirby may be close given the rubbish he is talking especially saying Fabian Cancelera has a weave ...

MPFGLB

Wonder will Sagan go for it or do some wheelies on the boardwalk

retalivity

This reminds me of GTA San Andreas, expecting CJ to bunny hop up the road...

Subpopulus

Caja Rural went all out there to try and get the leaders jersey, one of their best chances ever to get it.... 10 seconds short though.

Take a good look at Europcar, probably the last GT we'll watch them at.

dastardly00

Europcar would have been quicker if they walked the course.

Pudsy33

Subpopulus wrote: »

Caja Rural went all out there to try and get the leaders jersey, one of their best chances ever to get it.... 10 seconds short though.

Take a good look at Europcar, probably the last GT we'll watch them at.

Not covering themselves in glory there, Europcar I mean.

Subpopulus

dastardly00 wrote: »

Europcar would have been quicker if they walked the course.

Hard to know what was up there, though I'd imagine that morale and motivation in the team is pretty low knowing that their team is on the verge of dissolving. On the other hand you'd expect a bit more motivation on the part of the riders to advertise themselves to potential teams.

Darkglasses

Flip I just realised I forgot to make a poll

MPFGLB

Tinkoff Saxo without Majka looking like they are going for it


Gerrans "In order to win the stage you have to go for it" :rolleyes:

dastardly00

Darkglasses wrote: »

I don't think any of them are really great TTT teams tbh, but I think there's enough on the OGE team to give Trek a good run with such a short course. Chaves and Gerrans were good enough to win the TTT in the Giro this year, Howson, Meyer and Impey are all great TT riders, and Keukeleire will be alright (I think!) considering the short and technical nature of the course.

I'll be surprised if any other team beats Orica's time!

dastardly00

It feels like ages since I've seen the Bora cooker hood TV ad.

MPFGLB

I think SKY will also go for it without some of the leaders

Darkglasses

dastardly00 wrote: »

I'll be surprised if any other team beats Orica's time!

My only bet is them h2h with giant alpecin *I think*

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

I'll be surprised if any other team beats Orica's time!

Tinkoff Saxo have with Sagan & co

Pudsy33

Well I didnt see that coming.

dastardly00

Tinkoff-Saxo have gone fastest by less that a second!

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

Tinkoff-Saxo have gone fastest by less that a second!

"Didn't see that coming "
No one did ...camera work & TV terrible

Imagine Sagan brought them all the way

Inquitus

Giant Alpecin take the Sportif option.

MPFGLB

EQS having a barney at the line :eek:

At least Purito won't lose time I suppose

dastardly00

The Etixx boys aren't happy at all, shouting at each other just after they finished.

dastardly00

Lampre probably have the weakest line-up of the World Tour teams?

MPFGLB

Sagan for red ? He missed out at the Tour

Arequipa

Watching the stage.. I think it is a strange setup for a Team TT Stage..
Lovely scenery with the beach & Med to the right hand side...
But the combo of surfaces, narrow roads & very tight start & finish all seem a bit amateurish!

Seems to be lots of sunburnt & disinterested tourists in the background!

Subpopulus

Tinkoff-Saxo vacate the hotseats....

MPFGLB

BMC...Peter Velits great come back at the Vuelta

dastardly00

BMC go fastest!
Allowing four riders to drop from the start and essentially have a 5-man TTT seems like the way to do it.