Vuelta 2018 stage 21: Alcorcón - Madrid 100.9 km

Inquitus

The Coronation!

Vuelta 2018 stage 21: Alcorcón - Madrid 100.9 km NB! late start 17.15 CET

From Malaga to final stage at Madrid. The year's last 3 week GT ends on the streets of Madrid. Chapeau to Yates (S) and to all who made it an entertaining race.

At 100.9 kilometres, the final stage of the Vuelta a España runs from Alcorcón to Madrid, places that are actually only 13 kilometres apart. As (almost) always, the Spanish Grand Tour ends on a 5.9 kilometres circuit in the Spanish capital. The route is flat, so we should expect a bunch sprint.

Following a slight detour the riders hit the 5.9 kilometres circuit in the city centre of Madrid. It’s flat and it’s straightforward and it’s raced eleven times. Last edition, Alberto Contador entered the circuit slightly ahead of the others. El campeón was saluted by cheers and applause from the home crowds and he drank in this goodbye.

It’s a safe bet to expect a bunch sprint in Madrid. Previous winners at this arrival are Matteo Trentin (2017), Magnus Cort Nielsen (2016), John Degenkolb (2015, 2012), Michael Matthews (2013), Peter Sagan (2011), and Tyler Farrar (2010). They all won in the sprint.

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The Bookies Take

Elia Viviani 8/13
Peter Sagan 9/4
Danny van Poppel 11
Giacomo Nizzolo 11
Ivan Garcia Cortina 22
Maximilian Walscheid 18

Womens race is on the player at 1pm and hightlights later this evening.

neris

Ffs Carlton shut up

neris

Theo geoghan harte. Another one to go with Ronan Dennis & fabian arrow

Inquitus

Personally I think Viviani is good value at 8/13 can't see him being beaten in this sprint.

Inquitus

To be fair, Sam Bennett put it up to Vivianni way better in the Giro, than Sagan managed in the Vuelta!

neris

https://twitter.com/procycletrumps/status/1041384996290945026?s=19

retalivity

For all about sky being 'the big team', and winning/ruining GTs with their trains, quickstep have been ridiculously successful this year. Viviani, Mas, Alaphillipe, gaviria, Jungels etc....all huge wins.

neris

https://twitter.com/procycletrumps/status/1041390807423610880?s=19

dahat

retalivity wrote: »

For all about sky being 'the big team', and winning/ruining GTs with their trains, quickstep have been ridiculously successful this year. Viviani, Mas, Alaphillipe, gaviria, Jungels etc....all huge wins.

Do you think they are the right team for Mas? I dont see QS as the right team for him long term.

Inquitus

dahat wrote: »

Do you think they are the right team for Mas? I dont see QS as the right team for him long term.

No, as Dan Martin showed they cannot support a GT rider in a major Tour, he'll have to move on if he wants to win a TDF or even perhaps a Giro or a Vuelta, pretty much all the GT winning teams in recent years have been all in on the GC rider, as Mitchelton Scott were for the Yates Vuelta, Giro and TDF efforts, with Caleb being left at home for the Tour.

retalivity

dahat wrote: »

Do you think they are the right team for Mas? I dont see QS as the right team for him long term.

Probably not, i don't think they will deviate from the current formula that has been so successful - aim for stage wins, one day & week long stage races. The likes of Alaphillipe & Jungels are perfect for that team

dahat

Possibly 2 more years at QS then move to a GC team would be ideal.

One thing is for sure he will be sought after when /if he becomes available.

retalivity

retalivity wrote: »

For all about sky being 'the big team', and winning/ruining GTs with their trains, quickstep have been ridiculously successful this year. Viviani, Mas, Alaphillipe, gaviria, Jungels etc....all huge wins.

The general public's focus is more on Grand Tours than Monuments/Classics which might (partly) explain why Sky get it in the neck whilst Quickstep struggle to find a head sponsor despite their outstanding season.

Inquitus

red_ken wrote: »

The general public's focus is more on Grand Tours than Monuments/Classics which might (partly) explain why Sky get it in the neck whilst Quickstep struggle to find a head sponsor despite their outstanding season.

The Belgians and the Dutch love the Classics, so Quikstep does play to its home audience, I think the sponsorship issues are just down to the terrible way pro-cycling is setup these days.

dastardly00

Thanks to everyone who started the stage threads. It's been a great Vuelta!

Macy0161

Inquitus wrote: »

The Belgians and the Dutch love the Classics, so Quikstep does play to its home audience, I think the sponsorship issues are just down to the terrible way pro-cycling is setup these days.

And as I said on previous thread, other sponsors may be put off by it being known as Quick Step anyway, regardless of them not being the main sponsor, which is pretty much what happened other times Quick Step were just co sponsors.

cython

Ferociously hot over here (Madrid) yesterday, myself and the OH eventually camped out at 300m to the final sprint (before anyone thinks I made her, we came over for her birthday present!).

So we missed the visual of the final sprint, but still a bit of craic. She also got her club kit signed by Peter Sagan at the team bus, so I'm in the good books overall



*apologies if the image breaks desktop view, on mobile so can't gauge

cunavalos

cython wrote: »

Ferociously hot over here (Madrid) yesterday, myself and the OH eventually camped out at 300m to the final sprint (before anyone thinks I made her, we came over for her birthday present!).

So we missed the visual of the final sprint, but still a bit of craic. She also got her club kit signed by Peter Sagan at the team bus, so I'm in the good books overall



*apologies if the image breaks desktop view, on mobile so can't gauge

Well that means that I was only about 100m away from you, some where between 300m and 500m.

Its a real good day out as the temperature is usually in the high twenties and the last two years the womens race has added to the overall spectacle. i even got a sneaky spin on most of the circuit early in the morning albeit on one of the Madrid Public bikes

One thing though, the publicity caravan really does spew out some awful tat that people go nuts over. Grown adults fighting over cheap hats and oversize t shirt (and we wont mention the yorkshire flags). Having said that i did develop a taste for the cups of Amstel Radler they were doling out near the finish.

I was with a non cycling friend and she was amazed at the speed and how close the riders are to the crowds racing along side the barriers.

Its a fairly laid back atmosphere afterwards and as Cython said easy enough to get up to the team buses afterwards to see the riders