La Vuelta 2026 ***Spoilers***

[mididoctors]

Lot of familiar names hanging up their wheels

 

[mididoctors]

Rolling out

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Have you seen or read anything specific as to what the riders concerns are?
The only thing I have read is a post suggesting that the penultimate descent may be a bit more technical than the rest.
Anyhow, if they are going to race the other laps, but not the final lap, it’s a head scratcher.

I've not had a good look, no. But it's not a head-scratcher that they race some laps but not the last - race context has a massive influence on danger. The descent might be fine - until sprint teams start jostling at the front, for e.g.

But I also think that riders are probably rebelling a little against the entitled "entertain me!" attitude. I've always said that the moaning about ceremonial final stages in GTs being boring was out of order, and that the riders deserved a soft finish with a glass of Champagne/Prosecco/Cava. I'll not deny that e.g. the new Paris finish is more exciting, but it's definitely extra stress on the riders and they're robbed of the bit of space they had to catch up, swap a few stories and congratulate each other on getting to the finish. If you're not into that then fine, but they're not performing monkeys and they deserve a bit more respect imo

 

[mididoctors]

Movistar traded there kit for total energies old one

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Lot of familiar names hanging up their wheels

Pelé Bilbo will be missed for sure. And I wonder how many km Kruijswijk has raced in his career? 😱

 

[No Ta Doctor]

You know that thing how British roads appear to be made of some stuff that's so grippy you wonder if it's possible to actually ride on it?

Some of these streets in Granada appear to be made of exactly the opposite. Even dry they look like something that just needs a quick polish to be used for a mirror. I can see why the riders were a touch concerned about GC racing on it

 

[mididoctors]

Roads are a bit shiny smooth

 

[mididoctors]

Traffic buffed tarmac can be slippery as F**k

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Traffic buffed tarmac can be slippery as F**k

Imagine what this would look like with a light shower just now

😱

 

[mididoctors]

WvA with yesterday legs

 

[mididoctors]

PB Spanish Moto

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Axel Laurance rips past Bilbao, but there's a decent chase behind - spurred on by the fact they've just about dropped Brennan

 

[Dorset Boy]

Group of 11 at the front likely to contest the win

 

[mididoctors]

Maybe not vismas day

 

[Dorset Boy]

Johanneson for Uno X takes it.

Brennan properly worked over by the group