La Vuelta 2026 ***Spoilers***

[No Ta Doctor]

In podium-chasers-news Gall lost a chunk today due to the split - 18". On top of a less-than-impressive TT yesterday he's now at 1:08 - that's 30-40 seconds behind Roglic, Skjelmose and Rodriguez

 

[DeadCalm]

In podium-chasers-news Gall lost a chunk today due to the split - 18". On top of a less-than-impressive TT yesterday he's now at 1:08 - that's 30-40 seconds behind Roglic, Skjelmose and Rodriguez

Decathlon should throw their weight behind Bisiaux. I'm only being slightly facetious. Bisiaux is already almost a minute ahead of Gall, will have a better career than Gall and will be at Decathlon next year, unlike Gall.

 

[Pross]

Do we know he's got no contract, or are we assuming, because none has been announced?

Says he didn't have the legs for the positioning "a hard finish for someone that's been in the breakaway"

He seemed to go and sit straight on the back once he got caught which was always going to make it hard for him.

 

[M.R.M]

I don't understand why Pog wouldn't let WVA take red. That was the entire basis of my PTP pick. Having Visma do all the work in the coming days would be such a boon for UAE. Makes no sense to me to mark him.

 

[mididoctors]

Decathlon should throw their weight behind Bisiaux. I'm only being slightly facetious. Bisiaux is already almost a minute ahead of Gall, will have a better career than Gall and will be at Decathlon next year, unlike Gall.

Decathlon deserve a better Gall . The guy has serious gaps in tactical accumen

 

[mididoctors]

I don't understand why Pog wouldn't let WVA take red. That was the entire basis of my PTP pick. Having Visma do all the work in the coming days would be such a boon for UAE. Makes no sense to me to mark him.

Clearly pog read the thread. To be fair I thought similar

 

[Pblakeney]

I don't understand why Pog wouldn't let WVA take red. That was the entire basis of my PTP pick. Having Visma do all the work in the coming days would be such a boon for UAE. Makes no sense to me to mark him.

Possibly thinks WvA is his main threat and marking him.
I suspect that he'd have let most others go.

 

[M.R.M]

Main threat for what? 😂

 

[Dorset Boy]

I don't understand why Pog wouldn't let WVA take red. That was the entire basis of my PTP pick. Having Visma do all the work in the coming days would be such a boon for UAE. Makes no sense to me to mark him.

Because they detest Visma. They've been UAE's GC rivals for 7 years and UAE feel there have been quite a few occassions of underhand tactics from Visma, so wouldn't want them to benefit from the publicity.

 

[Pblakeney]

Main threat for what? 😂

1st mistake would be an assumption of winning.
Many things can go wrong even if you are superior by far.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't understand why Pog wouldn't let WVA take red. That was the entire basis of my PTP pick. Having Visma do all the work in the coming days would be such a boon for UAE. Makes no sense to me to mark him.

Maybe because he wants to improve on his '24 Giro where he was in the leader's jersey for a mere 20 stages?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Decathlon should throw their weight behind Bisiaux. I'm only being slightly facetious. Bisiaux is already almost a minute ahead of Gall, will have a better career than Gall and will be at Decathlon next year, unlike Gall.

Another good reason is that Bisiaux, having a name that begins with B, is in my fantasy team.

 

[M.R.M]

1st mistake would be an assumption of winning.
Many things can go wrong even if you are superior by far.

So WVA is going to come second in the Vuelta? He is the guy to take the win if Pogacar crashes out? Seriously?

I mean fine. I have no intent to deride anyone. I'm trying to understand the motivation behind his tactics today. Maybe animosity towards Visma explains it, or him just wanting to stay in red for whatever reason. Is there some type of bragging rights in holding the jersey for 21 days?

 

[Blazing Saddles]

My conspiracy theory is that Pog hasn’t forgiven Wout for dropping him on last year’s Champs Elysees stage, stealing his thunder.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Maybe because he wants to improve on his '24 Giro where he was in the leader's jersey for a mere 20 stages?

This. He thinks it's worth a shot at going all the way through in red. Tomorrow's hockey stick would have seen him back into red again anyway, so why not see if you can keep it the whole way?

So WVA is going to come second in the Vuelta? He is the guy to take the win if Pogacar crashes out? Seriously?

I mean fine. I have no intent to deride anyone. I'm trying to understand the motivation behind his tactics today. Maybe animosity towards Visma explains it, or him just wanting to stay in red for whatever reason. Is there some type of bragging rights in holding the jersey for 21 days?

I'm assuming the original post was a joke, nobody's suggested Wout as a GC rider for a couple of years now, let alone a threat to Pogacar.

Except.... Wout is a bit of a nemesis for them. Last man to drop Pogacar on a climb, ruined Del Toro's Giro, was instrumental in Vingegaard's wins. Maybe he's more of an existential threat to them?

EDIT: Forgot Roubaix! 😱