La Vuelta 2016 **SPOILERS**

[rich p]

Here are the odds.
Can Froome recover from his exertions and will Quintana be a more credible threat?
Bertie will be rested and up for it but has he still got it?
Chaves should go well again.
JRod and Landa will be also rans
It would be nice to see Kruijswiik reproduce his Giro form
Lopez, too young?
Uran and Valverde will be thereabouts but...
Pinot ?

Alberto Contador 15/8
Nairo Quintana 11/4
Chris Froome 3/1
Esteban Chaves 5/1
Joaquin Rodriguez 9/1
Mikel Landa 16/1
Steven Kruijswijk 20/1
Miguel Angel Lopez 22/1
Alejandro Valverde 25/1
Rigoberto Uran 33/1
Andrew Talansky 40/1
Thibaut Pinot 40/1
Robert Gesink 50/1
Tejay Van Garderen 50/1
Roman Kreuziger 66/1
S Sanchez 66/1
Simon Yates 66/1
Leopold Konig 66/1
Jon Izaguirre 125/1
Jean Christophe Peraud 125/1
Andrey Amador 125/1
Joe Dombrowski 150/1

 

[HF2300]

The one thing you do know is Sky will have a strong, organised team behind Froome. Think Bertie's ride might well depend on what his relationship with the team is at the moment, but although he had particular problems on the Tour I don't think he's the Pistolero of old. Would be good to see Purito win a farewell stage and a decent (top 5?) placing, but who knows with Katusha. Movistar will need to get it together as a team better than they did on the Tour if they want to put Quintana on the top step - my cynical side suspects they might not. Pinot? Nah.

 

[Buddfox]

Contador looked fresh in the Vuelta a Burgos so think it's hard to see past him winning, absent crashes. Froome looked knackered at the Olympics

 

[Crackle]

I tend to think this race is Froome's nemesis. Contador will have a fractured team again so he'll have to do it himself. We're due a complete outsider I reckon, a Cobo or a Horner but as others often say to me; what do I know.

 

[smutchin]

We're due a complete outsider I reckon

Hugh Carthy!

 

[rich p]

The one thing you do know is Sky will have a strong, organised team behind Froome

Not as strong looking as the TdF team.
Landa, Kwiat, Kennaugh, Konig, Puccio, Golas, Boswell, Knees

 

[brommers]

Hugh Carthy!

My rocking horse has just made a nasty mess on the carpet

 

[brommers]

Carthy is a very good prospect, but I think he would need to have better guys around him. Saying that, Yates more or less freelanced his way to 4th in the TdF.

 

[mjr]

The Chaves-Yates combo to show Quintana-ValvPiti how to do a one-two attack?

 

[smutchin]

My rocking horse has just made a nasty mess on the carpet

Tbh, if Carthy performs beyond expectations in this Vuelta, I wouldn't necessarily take it as a good sign. If we're looking for this year's Cobo or Horner, I suspect (hope?) it's more likely to be someone like Kreuziger.

 

[Crackle]

Landa out.

 

[HF2300]

Landa out.

Hip injury, apparently. Replaced by David Lopez. Froome's Vuelta bogey starting early.

 

[Crackle]

Hip injury, apparently. Replaced by David Lopez. Froome's Vuelta bogey starting early.

Call me cynical but I'm still waiting for Landa to produce his Astana form.

 

[HF2300]

Call me cynical but I'm still waiting for Landa to produce his Astana form.

Cynic. Don't know how you could suggest such a thing of a team run by such a fine upstanding young gentleman as Vinokourov.

 

[rich p]

Teejay has decided not to go for the GC!!!!!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/van-garderen-plans-radically-different-approach-to-vuelta-a-espana/