La Vuelta 2026 ***Spoilers***

[TakeTheHighRoad]

Just a note on the neutralisation. I heard an interview with (I think) Larry Warbasse, but it was typical of the narrative that "you don't want to lose 20 days of work with a crash on the final day". Where's the cut-off for this? Is it OK to lose 19 day's of work with a crash on the penultimate day? Pog lost 9 day's of work with a crash, when we all agree he would've won the Vuelta

I think the answer should either be that the race is raced for 21 days, or the rules should stipulate that the last day of a Grand Tour doesn't count for GC. The last minute changes just make everyone look bad, not least the riders

 

[mididoctors]

Just a note on the neutralisation. I heard an interview with (I think) Larry Warbasse, but it was typical of the narrative that "you don't want to lose 20 days of work with a crash on the final day". Where's the cut-off for this? Is it OK to lose 19 day's of work with a crash on the penultimate day? Pog lost 9 day's of work with a crash, when we all agree he would've won the Vuelta

I think the answer should either be that the race is raced for 21 days, or the rules should stipulate that the last day of a Grand Tour doesn't count for GC. The last minute changes just make everyone look bad, not least the riders

Whatevers the answer is I agree it shouldn't be last minute

 

[mididoctors]

Pogacar would have raced it

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Just a note on the neutralisation. I heard an interview with (I think) Larry Warbasse, but it was typical of the narrative that "you don't want to lose 20 days of work with a crash on the final day". Where's the cut-off for this? Is it OK to lose 19 day's of work with a crash on the penultimate day? Pog lost 9 day's of work with a crash, when we all agree he would've won the Vuelta

I think the answer should either be that the race is raced for 21 days, or the rules should stipulate that the last day of a Grand Tour doesn't count for GC. The last minute changes just make everyone look bad, not least the riders

Part of the issue here is that GTs have traditionally (at least in recent decades) ended with a parade and a sprint with no real GC action. Then in this era of flag-to-finish coverage everyone decided sprints were boring, because who wants to watch hours on end of no action? So the organisers decide the city center circuit needs a kicker a few km from the finish line to make it interesting and all the fans said "yeah, great finale!" But for their entire racing careers, GC riders have knocked off after twenty days (except for the few last day TTs, the Giro especially liked them). De facto, the GC has been twenty stages. It's only really become an issue as organisers have looked to spice things up, which is done without any real input from or consultation with the riders, so it's literally only when they get close to the stage that opinions solidify about whether it's good or not.

Largely the point the GC riders will be making is that they're not racing the 21st stage anyway, that the race is already done and dusted, and that the terrain on offer doesn't have what's needed for an actual GC day. So they've got nothing to gain by the added spiciness and everything to lose. There's a huge difference between crashing on a dodgy circuit on the last stage and e.g. crashing out on a descent on a GC day - even the 19th stage - if you're talking about "losing all that work"

 

[T4tomo]

and that the terrain on offer doesn't have what's needed for an actual GC day.

this is the crux, but could get unmerited (for want of a better word) gaps on GC coming from splits in the groups caused by a crash on the closing lap of these circuits as the sprint teams assemble at the front. the way it is being handled (from what we have seen at TdF and V this year) to my mind is perfect. Take away that "GC destroying" risk and let others battle out a stage win, and let the final stage crowds see a lot more of the riders by having a circuit style stage finish

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

the terrain on offer doesn't have what's needed for an actual GC day.

Just to expand on this point slightly. I know the Nice finish to the Tour in 2024 was a GC day as it was a Time Trial, but what if it was the same circuit as there was in the women's TDF this year (i.e. laps of the Col d'Eze)? Would that have been an OK way to finish a Grand Tour?

I agree about the "de facto 20 day race" as a concept, but then that's where I say this should be written in the rules. The sport is by definition abitrary, so we can avoid the bad look of last minute changes by saying from the start "this is what the rules are"

 

[Dorset Boy]

this is the crux, but could get unmerited (for want of a better word) gaps on GC coming from splits in the groups caused by a crash on the closing lap of these circuits as the sprint teams assemble at the front. the way it is being handled (from what we have seen at TdF and V this year) to my mind is perfect. Take away that "GC destroying" risk and let others battle out a stage win, and let the final stage crowds see a lot more of the riders by having a circuit style stage finish

I don't really have an issue either as it's not dis-similar to the current 5 km rule.
HOWEVER, it needs to be set out in the race rules before the event starts, and not a last minute decision.
They also should say that the first 20, 30, 40 or whatever kms of the final stage are neutralised too, for the photos and champagne sipping etc, and then the race is on properly.