La Vuelta 2026 ***Spoilers***

[mjr]

It's a forum, so we're here to disagree (agreeably).

Yes, that's fair enough. Misdescribing what I posted or personal attacks aren't OK, but feel free to disagree about whether the whinge was OK or handled badly by the team.

The last thing I want is for a rider to feel as though he has to fact-check or brand-check any views he may have or to feel that he can't speak his mind.

Yes, people not fact-checking what they say to the press works so well, doesn't it?

At least it gives stuff to discuss!

 

[wakemalcolm]

Yes, that's fair enough. Misdescribing what I posted or personal attacks aren't OK, but feel free to disagree about whether the whinge was OK or handled badly by the team.


Yes, people not fact-checking what they say to the press works so well, doesn't it?

At least it gives stuff to discuss!

Need a hug?

 

[Pblakeney]

Swapping the Giro and Vuelta has been mentioned more than a few times

It has done, but that alone probably still won't suffice.
Going up the Gavia in 38C last week was no picnic.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Yeah, he should definitely hang for that.

He's only just turned 21 and not au fait with Spanish employment law. Perhaps he's done a few shifts in offices out Darlo way where there might be aircon, or has friends or relatives that do.

To start throwing hyperbole like 'tone deaf' at him will just make him say: stuff the mixed zone or worse, start talking in rehearsed clichés. I'd sooner have him say what he thought and develop into a character.

To be frank, it often surprises me that cyclists know anything at all that isn't directly related to what they need to eat next, what components they have on their bike (inc. crank lengths, saddle specs etc), a load of W/Kg style training data and a bit of tax law. Maybe some local knowledge of coffee stops.

Aside from that, I assume the 27C law is an energy grid issue, and while it's pretty hot, if you're in an office and just sitting around it's not dangerous, and you can have a fan on top of that. In the June heatwave here my flat was often over 30C.

Meanwhile, Brennan's cycle computer was showing 41C at the foot of the climb and 44C further into the stage. These are temperatures where it can be genuinely dangerous just to be out and about, let alone racing a bike. I don't think Visma need to intervene while he's out by 7C re employment law, given he's still expected to ride a bike at nearly 20C higher than that

 

[matticus]

It's a forum, so we're here to disagree (agreeably).

The last thing I want is for a rider to feel as though he has to fact-check or brand-check any views he may have or to feel that he can't speak his mind.

At the risk of (agreeably) disagreeing with mjr: wanting athletes to fact-check/brand-check/tone-check everything they say is a road to boooooooooredom.
How about before every rest-day we send the legal teams all our questions - then the riders can take it in turns to read out pre-prepared statements at the press conference.
How exciting!!!

Who gives a monkeys if a rider says something that ignores spanish workplace laws?!? Frankly I'm happy to hear pretty lame opinions from them; if they get feedback from the fans, they can address it later, and whaddya know, we've had an interesting debate!
If it's on a subject that we - as fans - couldn't know about, we might learn something interesting. Imagine that!!!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well I didn't know about Spain's 27° law,and I do now.

So I'm infinitesimally less ignorant. Result!

 

[mjr]

To be frank, it often surprises me that cyclists know anything at all that isn't directly related to what they need to eat next, what components they have on their bike (inc. crank lengths, saddle specs etc), a load of W/Kg style training data and a bit of tax law. Maybe some local knowledge of coffee stops.

Yes, that's fair enough, but I equally wouldn't expect him to comment on stuff that he knows nothing about. I don't understand why he couldn't complain about the heat getting dangerous without attacking office workers. Being completely wrong about what "a normal office person" can have where he is now was just the cherry on the turd that seemed especially eye-catching. Visma should have tried to save him.

Aside from that, I assume the 27C law is an energy grid issue, and [...]

That assumption seems almost as strange as Brennan's. The law was introduced alongside a 19 degree heating maximum and a 10pm turn-off time for lights in closed shop windows by arguing it would reduce energy consumption and reduce dependency on Russian oil and gas (this was in 2022), plus reduce emissions and reduce the health risks of going hot-cold-hot as you go into and out of buildings. I don't recall it being about the energy grid at all. Indeed, Spain's grid seemed to have been powering some shockingly cold indoor temperatures successfully for years, to the point where I'd seen people put jumpers on while riding AVE trains in summer!

I don't think Visma need to intervene while he's out by 7C re employment law, given he's still expected to ride a bike at nearly 20C higher than that

Nothing to do with employment law and maybe they don't strictly need to, but they really should have helped him out.

 

[T4tomo]

I don't understand why he couldn't complain about the heat getting dangerous without attacking office workers

But but but.....He wasn't "attacking" office workers, specifically not local Spanish ones, he was having a pop at the UCI for making fairly minimal adjustments to the route (i.e just cutting some distance, but not running it earlier in the day out of the heat) whilst sat in air-conditioned offices, well away from the extreme afternoon heat.

Have you seen one negative comment anywhere from a local Spanish office worker about what Brennan said????

 

[Archie from BR]

Swapping the Giro and Vuelta has been mentioned more than a few times

The Vuelta only changed to its present calender timing in 1995, who amongst us remember the good old days ?
Think the Giro was a couple of weeks later back then aswell

 

[rich p]

Does the rest day count as the silly season?

 

[TomDW]

stg 19 & 20 should both provide gaps on GC as the finish on 19 has some feisty ramps. But Mas currently looking stronger than Rog on the hills. I hope Rog puts a good chunk of time into MAs & Gall on the ITT, mainly to make the GC more interesting.

Also never rule out a long range lunatic attack from Carapaz!

Are there any sneaky GC Team tactics to come or as you say will one of them go for broke, who knows? You're right as I'd forgotten about Peñas Blancas on Stage 19, it's a great climb if you're ever in that area; reachable from Ronda.

 

[mjr]

But but but.....He wasn't "attacking" office workers, specifically not local Spanish ones, he was having a pop at the UCI for making fairly minimal adjustments to the route (i.e just cutting some distance, but not running it earlier in the day out of the heat) whilst sat in air-conditioned offices, well away from the extreme afternoon heat.

Do the UCI offices even have air-con? They're in Aigle which is in the Vaud canton of Switzerland, where the rules on fitting air-con are more restrictive than Spain's and the World Cycling Centre is a recent building. It's also quite likely that some of the people in the building would be much rather out riding their bikes. It is an attack: it's a bizarre and inaccurate-looking lash-out that detracts from legitimate complaints about the heat and the limited changes.

Have you seen one negative comment anywhere from a local Spanish office worker about what Brennan said????

Well, no, but the interview was in English and Diario de Córdoba doesn't even seem to have reported it. https://www.diariocordoba.com/vuelta-espana/ Have you seen it reported in any Spanish-speaking media yet? What difference would their comments make to how you view it?

 

[mjr]

Does the rest day count as the silly season?

Go stand in a bucket of custard and ask again. 😜

 

[mididoctors]

Stage 16 Cortegana > La Rábida. Palos de la Frontera 181.1 km


Quiet long . Sprinter teams are just lacking in general never mind one team.with a sprinter faster than Brennan.

 

[roadrash]

Visma should have tried to save him.

from what , exactly, he was hardly in peril from the comment, well, .....apart from the wrath of mjr