Vuelta A Espana

[ChillDoubt]

begins tomorrow, for anyone missing their 'fix' since the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/23808896

Nibali, the Giro winner goes into the Vuelta as favourite, with British interest restricted to Luke Rowe for Team Sky. Irishman Dan Martin will lead Team Garmin-Sharp.
For the uninitiated, the Vuelta is every bit as tough as the TdF with some difficult (downright brutal IMHO) mountain stages and this years sees 11 hill-top finishes.

For those interested, coverage is by ITV with a highlights programme nightly on ITV4, 10 p.m. to 11.

[Frank97]

Very much looking forward to it Chill. You're right, some of the climbs are vicious, I heard last year that the only reason some of them are tarmacked at all is so the cyclists can race up, as they don't actually go anywhere.

[ChillDoubt]

Didn't realise that Frank (the roads not going anywhere), but this clip certainly bears out what you say. Some of the riders in this clip are just breaking being stationary.
If memory serves me correctly, a stage winner of one of last year's summut finishes took over 5 minutes to complete the final kilometre.
Brutal indeed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVuVjanE738

[ichkeria]

Since the Tour de France there seems to have been a constant succession of televised cycling events mind you, including Poland, UK, US. With lots of terrific scenery

[ChillDoubt]

Congratulations to Chris Horner on winning today's stage with an explosive summit finish.
The American becomes the oldest winner of any stage in a Grand Tour and takes the Red Jersey in the Vuelta.

Very well done!

[Frank97]

A nasty little climb they're going up as I type
http://www.sportlemon.tv/20130604/vv51adaaf70a9ff1.15036684-493129.html

[Frank97]

Well it took 2.5 weeks, but it seemed to finally get going yesterday with a great ride from Kiryienka to take the win.

[ChillDoubt]

Further congratulations to Chris Horner, who subsequently went on to win the Vuelta and earned his place in cycling history as the oldest winner of a Grand Tour.
The Vuelta is often deemed tougher than the TdF, with some fearsome climbs and summit finishes, which makes Horner's feat all the more remarkable and a gargantuan effort of endurance.

[ChillDoubt]

Forgot to mention his age. He will be 42 next month.