Vuelta Espana 2006

Valverde will seriously have to improve his time trialing before he starts winning any grand tours...

Mind you there are 7 mountain stages in this race and a few high finishes in the flat (good sprinter) he could make up for his lack of Time trialling ability.

Same goes for Sastre (aside from the sprinting)

Menchov to defend succesfully I feel, or Vino with a full team behind him he could nail it, as long as he doesn't do too much insane attacking...

After Sastre's performance in the TdF, I have to pick him to win the Vuelta. Provided he didn't completely sap his resources trying for the TdF podium. He's the one to watch I think.

DeanMoriarty said:

Valverde will seriously have to improve his time trialing before he starts winning any grand tours...

Mind you there are 7 mountain stages in this race and a few high finishes in the flat (good sprinter) he could make up for his lack of Time trialling ability.

Same goes for Sastre (aside from the sprinting)

Menchov to defend succesfully I feel, or Vino with a full team behind him he could nail it, as long as he doesn't do too much insane attacking...

ITTs are shorter in the Vuelta, not as much time to be lost. Valverde finished third in '04 behind Heras (busted doper) and Perez (busted doper) - AV was the virtual winner of his very first Vuelta. Menchov and Sastre are exhausted after the Tour. Alejandro will roll over the field.

cyclingheroes said:

In about 2 weeks (August 26) the Vuelta Espana will start. As an attachment the provisional startlist. Not on this list is Andreas Klöden but there are reports in Germany that he will start.

Code name.... Alex Green. I hope he has maintained his form.

lw

...out on the limb again...iban mayo...embarrassed at the tdf both individually and as a team (go rabobank & euskaltel)...good tune up in the north...little bit of pride... IBAN MAYO. (i fully realise i will regret this pronouncement when he retires from the race after the fifth stage)

Why isn't Tommy D listed as a possibility there? Maybe the man hasn't won a single Pro Tour race yet, but he finished top ten last year.

Where are these Kloden rumors coming from

Mayo did just win the Tour of Burgos.

I think Sastre will be too tired,but I will root for him

EvilJediJ said:

Why isn't Tommy D listed as a possibility there? Maybe the man hasn't won a single Pro Tour race yet, but he finished top ten last year.

Where are these Kloden rumors coming from

Mayo did just win the Tour of Burgos.

I think Sastre will be too tired,but I will root for him

Tommy D ????? I could name every top ten rider of the last 2-3 years but it would be a little to much wouldn't it?

Klöden rumours come from followers of the Tour of Germany and the ARD (German TV).

Mayo? Yes Mayo could be but with Mayo you never know.

Sastre? hmm it's his third grand tour this year...

I will root for Klöden!

i gotta think vino's gonna be hungry. + he's a little more complete a GT rider right now than valverde.

Vinokourov and Valverde should be the big guns with Menchov, Mayo and a Phonak rider who is on drugs will go Ok aswell.

Valverde and Vinokourov are extremely similar riders so it should be decided by the best team. Mayo might finally live up to expectations and sastre has no chance 3 GT's!!!

This race has snuck up on me really quickly because we still dont know who won the Giro or the TDF yet and its only 2 weeks away 😄 .

I think Vino he's gota be disapointed about missing the Le tour, and he'll be hungrier then ever.

cyclingheroes said:

Tommy D ????? I could name every top ten rider of the last 2-3 years but it would be a little to much wouldn't it?

Removing all accused riders from last year's final GC, Danielson ends up on the podium! See the first post at
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t-357553-15-1.html

I'm not picking him for the podium, Valverde and Vino are coming into the mix this year, but Danielson is worthy of mentnioning.

JRMDC said:

Removing all accused riders from last year's final GC, Danielson ends up on the podium! See the first post at
cyclingforums.comt 357553 15 1.htmlOpen ↗

I'm not picking him for the podium, Valverde and Vino are coming into the mix this year, but Danielson is worthy of mentnioning.

Danielson is not a young promising rider, he is 28 and his best result was Tour of Georgia 2005 and a top ten spot in the Vuelta 2005. If you think that's worthy mentioning than i know about 25 other riders which should be mentioned.

Don't get me wrong: i like Tommy D. very much, i just don't see a GC winner in a grand tour. If i'm wrong i would be happy for him. I actually don't know why VALV (pitti) is alowed to start if others are not... I voted for Klöden but i hope Vino will win, Vino was robbed!

I think if Kloden rides (a big if, because on his personal website he said that he wanted to take things easy due to his shoulder) he could top 3 if he holds some of his TdF form and has been ridding consistantly following the tour.

Otherwise, I think Valverde is the favourite as long as he has sufficiently recovered.

cyclingheroes said:

Danielson is not a young promising rider, he is 28 and his best result was Tour of Georgia 2005 and a top ten spot in the Vuelta 2005. If you think that's worthy mentioning than i know about 25 other riders which should be mentioned.

Don't get me wrong: i like Tommy D. very much, i just don't see a GC winner in a grand tour. If i'm wrong i would be happy for him. I actually don't know why VALV (pitti) is alowed to start if others are not... I voted for Klöden but i hope Vino will win, Vino was robbed!

I never called him young or promising. I never said he had a great palmares. But, you never addressed the issue I raised. He made a virtual (drugs-not-found) podium placing last year. (Correct me if I am wrong, but the Puerto accusations are not just regarding 2006, they go back a year or two.) Of the riders from last year that are returning, he placed third. That makes him worthy of mentioning in the list. Absolutely.

BTW, side issue, do you think Tour of Georgia is a better result than Tour of Austria this year, which you did not mention? Maybe so, I suppose, his competition was Landis and Leipheimer, and I don't recall any comparable riders at Austria. But on a teams basis, I'm not sure how to compare the A-level North America-based teams at Georgia to the B-level European teams at Austria. Equal?

JRMDC said:

I never called him young or promising. I never said he had a great palmares. But, you never addressed the issue I raised. He made a virtual (drugs-not-found) podium placing last year. (Correct me if I am wrong, but the Puerto accusations are not just regarding 2006, they go back a year or two.) Of the riders from last year that are returning, he placed third. That makes him worthy of mentioning in the list. Absolutely.

BTW, side issue, do you think Tour of Georgia is a better result than Tour of Austria this year, which you did not mention? Maybe so, I suppose, his competition was Landis and Leipheimer, and I don't recall any comparable riders at Austria. But on a teams basis, I'm not sure how to compare the A-level North America-based teams at Georgia to the B-level European teams at Austria. Equal?

The Puerto accusations are accusations. No proof at all! More than half of the accused riders are cleared already. More will follow. I should have mentioned Bernhard Kohl, third at DL, a bigger race than the Tour of Georgia. Danielson wasn't on the podium and i don't believe he ever will be. And yes no worries: i go down with the ship...😉

lwedge said:

Code name.... Alex Green. I hope he has maintained his form.

lw

Got it ! Alejandro Valverde.

He will be ready and able to win his country's race.

Go Alex!

-Mike

cyclingheroes said:

The Puerto accusations are accusations. No proof at all! More than half of the accused riders are cleared already. More will follow. I should have mentioned Bernhard Kohl, third at DL, a bigger race than the Tour of Georgia. Danielson wasn't on the podium and i don't believe he ever will be. And yes no worries: i go down with the ship...😉

No worries, we are just having fun speculating. With Vino and Valverde added to the mix, I am not projecting a podium for Danielson either, but top 5 - well, that means pretty much 5th - is in range. And he isn't young, but he is at a good age to start getting his maximum results. However, he is only 1 for 3 in terms of finishing GTs. We'll see!

Is Kohl riding the Vuelta?

JRMDC said:

No worries, we are just having fun speculating. With Vino and Valverde added to the mix, I am not projecting a podium for Danielson either, but top 5 - well, that means pretty much 5th - is in range. And he isn't young, but he is at a good age to start getting his maximum results. However, he is only 1 for 3 in terms of finishing GTs. We'll see!

Is Kohl riding the Vuelta?

Kohl is on the provisional TM startlist.

cyclingheroes said:

Danielson is not a young promising rider, he is 28 and his best result was Tour of Georgia 2005 and a top ten spot in the Vuelta 2005....!

I think Tommy D is a promising young rider.

Just like at his first Giro - out with a bad knee
Like his first Vuelta - sick in the mountains
Like his second Giro - sick in the mountains

But he's my hometown boy and I wish him three healthy weeks.
.