Vuelta a Espana 2016

Itv website says evening highlights from 11pm.

Cheers. I'll start praying that Rob Hatch isn't on Eurosport.

FROM 11pm?!?! Fucksake. I'm already flagging from staying up late for the Limpics.

First day is later than rest according to Cycling Weekly:

ITV4 schedule for the 2016 Vuelta a España

Saturday August 20
22:00-23:00 Stage one highlights

Sunday August 21
19:00-20:00 Stage two highlights

Monday August 22
19:00-20:00 Stage three highlights

Tuesday August 23
19:00-20:00 Stage four highlights

Wednesday August 24
19:00-20:00 Stage five highlights

Thursday August 25
19:00-20:00 Stage six highlights

Friday August 26
19:00-20:00 Stage seven highlights

Saturday August 27
19:00-20:00 Stage eight highlights

Sunday August 28
19:00-20:00 Stage nine highlights

Monday August 29
19:00-20:00 Stage 10 highlights

Tuesday August 30
Rest day

Wednesday August 31
19:00-20:00 Stage 11 highlights

Thursday September 1
19:00-20:00 Stage 12 highlights

Friday September 2
19:00-20:00 Stage 13 highlights

Saturday September 3
19:00-20:00 Stage 14 highlights

Sunday September 4
19:00-20:00 Stage 15 highlights

Monday September 5
19:00-20:00 Stage 16 highlights

Tuesday September 6
Rest day

Wednesday September 7
19:00-20:00 Stage 17 highlights

Thursday September 8
19:00-20:00 Stage 18 highlights

Friday September 9
19:00-20:00 Stage 19 highlights

Saturday September 10
19:00-20:00 Stage 20 highlights

So, who is going to take Vuelta?

Start list here: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=163768&c=3

Some strong contenders but teams seem like a shadow of their TdF (Froome has just lost Landa) showing with the exception of Movistar

Any guesstimates?

I'm a little disappointed by that. Lacking in big names for sure. I can't see many (any?) top tier sprinters, time triallists, or one day riders really. Might make for some very open racing though.

Phil Gil and Kwiatkowski aren't bad one day riders. But I know what you mean. The racing is too hard for sprinters teams to control. Vuelta is always brutal.

Hope Carthy can get a top 10 finish.

nairo!

Be interested to see how Miguel Lopez does over three weeks...

Is there a velogames LFGSS League I can prop up from the base?

#bornsweeper

True. I noticed those two and earmarked them for stage wins, although I've not bothered to look at any previews. To be honest I just wait for Inrng to do his customary post and skim that article. Hoping Chavez can do some damage also.

Was there any word on why Nairo underperformed at the TdF. There was talk of virus or something else but don't seem to remember anything being confirmed

He's going to be the next Colombian GT winner. Not this year though.

That's what I thought but could definitely see him animating the race a la Pantano

Why is Froome riding this year?

Because he almost always rides the Vuelta.

Does he have any chance? He must be knackered, can't see him mounting a serious challenge but could be wrong.

I saw a thing this week somewhere, probably on here, that said success in the TdF relies on having ridden the Vuelta the year before. No idea how true that is.

Both Brailsford and Kerrison are convinced that riding the Vuelta in the autumn is key to performing well at the Tour the following year. Unless he's injured, Froome always rides the Vuelta. Every time he's won the Tour, he's started the Vuelta the year before.

Does he have a chance? Probably. Depends on how the race develops, but a 38 km flat ITT at the end favours him more than it favours Contador or Quintana. I doubt he'd be on the start line unless he thought he had a chance of winning.

Yeah that's why Froome always rides it apparently, so it remains to be seen whether he will go for the overall or ride it for form. I hope the former, suspect the later.

Is there any (purported) scientific basis behind this idea? Does it really make a difference having a big tour in your legs 49 weeks before the TdF (i.e., the previous year's TdF) or 42 weeks before (Vuelta)? Just curious.

Don't think their dataset is complete to give them a completely accurate picture...My guess is correlation rather than strong enough case to talk about causation and doesn't take into account other variables such as Olympics

I think the benefit comes from the fact that a rider has a high level of fitness prior to their off season, meaning they don't need to do as much conditioning work before they can start doing high quality race type training efforts.

Both Brailsford and Kerrison are convinced that riding the Vuelta in the autumn is key to performing well at the Tour the following year. Unless he's injured, Froome always rides the Vuelta. Every time he's won the Tour, he's started the Vuelta the year before.

Does he have a chance? Probably. Depends on how the race develops, but a 38 km flat ITT at the end favours him more than it favours Contador or Quintana. I doubt he'd be on the start line unless he thought he had a chance of winning.

There seems to be a contradiction between the first paragraph and the last sentence of the second. :)

Well it was barely worth watching the highlights.

For a time trial, the officials have one job - to record the times properly. Felt bad for the commentators trying to keep up with what was actually happening.