2011-08-20 - Vuelta a Espana: dates / route

Sat 20 Aug: Stage 1 - Benidorm to Benidorm (TTT) - 16km
Sun 21 Aug: Stage 2 - La Nucia to Playa Orihuela - 171.5km
Mon 22 Aug: Stage 3 - Petrer to Totana - 164km
Tue 23 Aug: Stage 4 - Baza to Sierra Nevada - 172km
Wed 24 Aug: Stage 5 - Sierra Nevada to Valdepeñas de Jaén - 200km
Thu 25 Aug: Stage 6 - Úbeda to Córdoba - 185.7km
Fri 26 Aug: Stage 7 - Almadén to Talavera de la Reina - 185km
Sat 27 Aug: Stage 8 - Talavera de la Reina to San Lorenzo de El Escorial - 182km
Sun 28 Aug: Stage 9 - Villacastín to Sierra de Béjar-La Covatilla - 179.5km
Mon 29 Aug: Stage 10 - Salamanca to Salamanca (ITT) - 40km

Tue 30 Aug: Rest day

Wed 31 Aug: Stage 11 - Verín to Estación de Montaña Manzaneda - 171km
Thu 1 Sep: Stage 12 - Ponteareas to Pontevedra - 160km
Fri 2 Sep: Stage 13 - Sarria to Ponferrada - 150km
Sat 3 Sep: Stage 14 - Astorga to La Farrapona-Lagos de Somiedo - 173.2km
Sun 4 Sep: Stage 15 - Avilés to Alto de l'Angliru - 144km

Mon 5 Sep: Rest day

Tue 6 Sep: Stage 16 - Villa Romana La Olmeda to Haro - 180km
Wed 7 Sep: Stage 17 - Faustino V (Oyón) to Peña Cabarga - 212.5km
Thu 8 Sep: Stage 18 - Solares to Noja - 169.7km
Fri 9 Sep: Stage 19 - Noja to Bilbao - 157.9km
Sat 10 Sep: Stage 20 - Bilbao to Vitoria - 187km
Sun 11 Sep: Stage 21 - Circuito de Jarama to Madrid - 94km

Just realised that i'm going to be staying about 50 miles away from the finish of Stage 4 when it rolls through.

Ace!!!

who's ready for clasica cyclista san sebastian,
http://clasica-san-sebastian.diariovasco.com/recorrido-clasica-san-sebastian.html

most of the riders coming straight from the TdF no less..
http://clasica-san-sebastian.diariovasco.com/equipos-ciclistas-clasica-san-sebastian.html

I'm giddy for it, but it's not on Eurosport unfortunately.

Live stream?

http://www.steephill.tv/classics/san-sebastian/#live

somewhere on here

What big names are hitting up this years vuelta in a couple of weeks? anyone got any info?

there is already a thread for this

I'm giddy for it, but it's not on Eurosport unfortunately.
Live stream?

They might do a post-race highlight pack for this one, I can't really remember though.

Pretty sure it is on Eurosport? Just saw an ad for it on Eurosport 2!

Whos fav for the win?

http://www.lavuelta.com/indexen.html

i haven't seen the start list but my money is on Igor Anton from euskaltel euskadi if he starts

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,22762_7105569,00.html

team line up announced for the vuelta

ITV 4 snaps up live Vuelta a Espana coverage

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/8704023/ITV-4-snaps-up-live-Vuelta-a-Espana-coverage.html

Nice, I'll try and watch it this year then, usually I lose interest in the cycling season after the TdF, but especially with Wiggins going for it, it should be intesting.

I've never really followed it in the past, but I looked at the route this morning, and what surpised me is that it doesn't really seem to have consistant spells of flat stages and mountain stages like the TdF, it changes completely from one day to the next. Is this normal for the Vuelta?

Oh, and interesting team from Sky, I'm surprised they haven't largely stuck to the TdF team, I thought that was one of their stronger line ups. No EBH, no Thomas, no Swift, no Flecha, no Uran, only Wiggins and Xandio are there from the TdF.

Edit - saying that, most of those were in the Eneco tour that only just finished, so maybe this would be too much for them.

I guess they've gone with quite a climber heavy team to help Wiggins.

Oh, and interesting team from Sky, I'm surprised they haven't largely stuck to the TdF team, I thought that was one of their stronger line ups. No EBH, no Thomas, no Swift, no Flecha, no Uran, only Wiggins and Xandio are there from the TdF.

Edit - saying that, most of those were in the Eneco tour that only just finished, so maybe this would be too much for them.

I guess they've gone with quite a climber heavy team to help Wiggins.

You could never put a full Tour de France team into a grand tour so soon after the finish. It would burn them out. Young riders like Swift might risk being burnt out permanently.

I'm more excited for the Vuelta than I have been for years. I actually wish I had the pennies for a long weekend break to watch it.

Sky have an awesome team for the race, in my opinion. They could possibly podium with Wiggo or Cioni.

absolutely agree with Luci.. TeamSky want to capitalise on their form this year, i think it exceeded many expectations despite Wiggins's early departure from the TdF.. plus there are others teams wanting to salvage something for this season too, which all makes la vuelta a mouth watering prospect

#beginningtosoundlikeafootballtvpundit

and possibly little done in the office ;)
http://www.steephill.tv/vuelta-a-espana/

Jesus. looking at the latest pictures from team Sky FB post and Wiggins has lost even more weight. He's as thin as a rake

more snake than rake..
hope he has venom / bite
when it goes full tilt

me too

What happened to Sky?

Dropped their 5th rider, meaning they had to wait for him to get back.

Is it me, or is the ITV4 commentary just awful so far? Who's the pundit on at the moment?

Agreed. I thought the coverage as a whole was pretty shocking ...

Dropped their 5th rider, meaning they had to wait for him to get back.

Thought I heard something about a crash with car involved?

No mention of it here, sounds like a mixture of bad luck and poor communication;

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,22762_7114830,00.html