2012 Cycling Tour of Spain (Vuelta)

[funkyrobot]

Just a heads up as this starts today.

It's being shown as highlights on ITV4 at 9 tonight too.

[ArnageWRC]

And don't forget Eurosport with their usual coverage with the excellent Harmon & Kelly. Will be interesting to see if it gets any extra coverage, after the success in TdeF/ Olympics. Or is it that 3 weeks in July is cycling, still, as far as the mainstream are concerned?

Can't see Froome having recovered sufficiently to challenge Bertie - though Sky have taken a strong climbing team ; Porte, Henao, Uran, etc

[IanUAE]

Team Sky 5th after the team time trial.

[Dr Imran T]

Shame swifty just missed out today. Looking forward to tomorrow's stage. Nice to see AC back again.

I reckon this race is going to be very interesting. Would have liked to seen schleck in there though.

[Hackney]

Just caught the end of the (terrestrial) TV coverage.
Missing the crowds.

[DJRC]

Not got any British tv now I have Italian Eurosport, but not sure if its covering the Vuelta...bloody would be if it was the Giro!

[anonymous-user]

DJRC said:

Not got any British tv now I have Italian Eurosport, but not sure if its covering the Vuelta...bloody would be if it was the Giro!

Are you near a computer and internet? Subscribe to Eurosport Player and you can watch it anywhere.

Edited by swiveleyedgit on Monday 20th August 08:42

[DJRC]

Subscribe? Good grief man I dont pay for things I can steal for free!! Im in Switzerland, its not illegal here

[BlackVanDyke]

British Eurosport is £2.99 a month and I'm not sure there's any other way to get it. Well worth it IMO - loadsa motorsport too!

I'm fascinated by ITV4's increasing coverage of and prominence given to cycling - I think it's an absolutely brilliant progression. Cycle show hasn't really settled down into the format yet but it's on its way, and live cycling on ITV1... couldn't have imagined that a year ago!

[Gizmoish]

Enjoying the Vuelta highlights already.

Short sharp climbs absolutely murder me.

Is it #VamosFroomey ?

[Gizmoish]

Bertie's certainly had his burgers today.

[anonymous-user]

Gizmoish said:

Bertie's certainly had his burgers today.

Spanish riders fill yer boots at the vuelta, no real testing, great mountains for juiced up break aways. Look at Bertie the returned hero, nobody cares that he's been off for doping.

I hope Froome dog and his twittering girlfriend kick his tainted meat eating arse.

[DJRC]

They did today!

[GBDG]

Some insane attacking today. Like watching le tour from the 90s.

[ewenm]

5 or 6 kicks from Contador and Froome still beat him Then afterwards said that he wasn't really putting in full effort anyway as there are much bigger stages to come. Loving the mind games.

[London424]

Well there were fun and games on todays stage! Soap opera stuff...will be plenty written overnight

[anonymous-user]

as Hammond said, the "unwritten" rules are so vauge and ambiguous now that there is no point trying to apply them.... its racing pure and simple now, there is too much money at stake to pretend its the sixties and seventies...

[Dr Imran T]

Interesting stage today. It's been an explosive start to the Vuelta, more so in my opinion than the TDF!

I did feel for Valverde, it was a super effort that he put in to close the gap down and reduce the damage.

Some serious politics going on post race too.

Nice win for OGE. I thought Tony Martin might have fought a little harder though??

What confused me was that when Evans had problem in the TDF, Wiggins held back for him as a matter of respect. How come Froome/Sky did not do this today?

[anonymous-user]

Dr Imran T said:

What confused me was that when Evans had problem in the TDF, Wiggins held back for him as a matter of respect. How come Froome/Sky did not do this today?

Confusion in the SKY camp apparently.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/08/news/to-wai...

[Dr Imran T]

^^^ the movistar team car went alongside froome/leaders to ask them to back off a little to allow their to to catch up. They were on the face of it ignored.