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Puerto Banús › Marbella (7.4k)
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So here we go. It only feels like yesterday that Chris Froome was drinking champagne on the way to Paris and we're here for the third and last Grand Tour of the year with the Vuelta! We start as traditional with a short team time trial. This year it is actually more of a team prologue. With only 7.4km scheduled we probably won't see more than 20-30 seconds from first to last and we could see fractions of seconds needed to decide the winner. Accordingly it would need a man either brave or foolish to risk large sums of money picking a winner. Recent winners of Vuelta team time trials are Movistar (2014), Astana (2013), Movistar (2012), Leopard Trek (2011) and HTC Columbia (2010). You'd expect Movistar to be up there again, and possibly to be challenged by the typically strong TTT teams such as Sky, Etixx and BMC.
Last Kms
The route itself is fairly technical, starting on the marina at Puerto Banus and sticking to the seafront as they head Eastwards down the coast to Marbella itself. The coastal road is narrow and the fans will be right on top of the riders throughout. This stage should provide some fantastic shots of the Andalusian coast with its miles of blue flag beaches and the Sierra Blanca behind it.
Map
Profile
So here we go. It only feels like yesterday that Chris Froome was drinking champagne on the way to Paris and we're here for the third and last Grand Tour of the year with the Vuelta! We start as traditional with a short team time trial. This year it is actually more of a team prologue. With only 7.4km scheduled we probably won't see more than 20-30 seconds from first to last and we could see fractions of seconds needed to decide the winner. Accordingly it would need a man either brave or foolish to risk large sums of money picking a winner. Recent winners of Vuelta team time trials are Movistar (2014), Astana (2013), Movistar (2012), Leopard Trek (2011) and HTC Columbia (2010). You'd expect Movistar to be up there again, and possibly to be challenged by the typically strong TTT teams such as Sky, Etixx and BMC.
Last Kms
The route itself is fairly technical, starting on the marina at Puerto Banus and sticking to the seafront as they head Eastwards down the coast to Marbella itself. The coastal road is narrow and the fans will be right on top of the riders throughout. This stage should provide some fantastic shots of the Andalusian coast with its miles of blue flag beaches and the Sierra Blanca behind it.
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On the beach
 Not sure how accurate this is or whether it's subject to change . http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-espaa-riders-question-conditions-of-dirt-bike-path-team-time-trial-course/ |
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It looks to me like a number of the stages have changed since the route was originally launcehd. Both Stages 2 and 3 have changed quite considerably, as you can see from looking at the maps and profiles on the Vuelta site and the ones on other sites. Even the stage descriptions on the Vuelta sites differ considerably from the profiles on certain stages, which makes me think theyve changed the route then not updated the descriptions (eg Stage 3 "sports commentary" says 2 x Cat 3 climbs instead of Cat 3 then Cat 1). Based on this I've no idea whether the routes are that accurate, although don't remember any issues in this race with published routes in previous years. Think stakes should be kept very low for Stage 1.
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Some of the photos riders are tweeting about this stage are funny! Some of the course is on a cycle path by the beach that is covered in sand. Some of it appears to be on a raised platform made of wooden slats and then finish line looks like it is made from rubber mats. Can't see any of the main contenders risking their necks for the sale of a few seconds here. Definitely a day to keep stakes small, and I'd be avoiding Sky, Movistar and Astana here, which means that there could be an opportunity for a smaller team with something to prove. Giant look like they could be strong contenders, but my first bet here is IAM Cycling at 66/1. They've got two very decent TTers in Chavanel and Coppel and a number of fast men of the type that often perform well in short TTTs.
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Main contenders won't have to risk their necks now - times will be neutralised so they'll be competing for the stage and jersey only. Worth chucking a few pennies at teams with no overall objectives now
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The course is so short you might see some of the strongest riders and best bike handlers spend alot of time at the front. Doesnt look like the course is going to be suited to much rotation at the front. Saying that, i have no idea who will prevail. Will possibly just play couple outside teams for interest
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7.4km is a bloody long spell at the front. But it is short enough that even without the neutralisation you certainly wouldn't have seen overall contenders pulling trains
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Really? What's the point in this stage? Make up a half-arsed stage and the neutralise the times.
Might as well just start Sunday. |
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True. I guess there wasn't that much point in it to start with, now there's even less.
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the neutralization has to open the stage win up now even more so. Cant see the big GC teams wanting to take any risks when no time bonus is available.
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^^^ Agree 100%. Looks like all the non-GC teams shortening accordingly too and the GC teams drifting right out. Sky gone from 4/1 to 11/1 today since news broke. Movistar 6/1 to 14/1. Teams like IAM, Etixx & Lotto Jumbo halved in price.
http://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/vuelta-a-espana/vuelta-a-espana-stage-1/winner |
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Complete lotto for the win here. I wonder what the logic behind putting in what is effectively a cyclo-cross TTT prologue was?
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The Vuelta organisers are chuffed to have such a top field and want to lift the profile of the race to near Tour level, and then they go and include a stage such as this!
 At least they have listened to the riders and made the right decision. No bets for me, not confident with the way the course holds up. |
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Bit of a farce this but for interest have done Giant at 9/2 and small ew's MTN 200/1 and Cannondale 125/1.
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Unbelievable that a) the organisers and b) the uci who agreed that this is a suitable course for a 50k ph Team Time trial
The words p!ss up and brewery readily spring to mind. |
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Couple quid on MTN & Lotto Jumbo is all ill play on this
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Wouldn't have even had Tinkoff in my top 5 here, that's a bloody good effort!
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Starting to feel a bit sorry for Peter Sagan
 Geraint Thomas clearly not happy there with the organisers. Looking forward to tomorrow now - the final climb should be a lot of fun. |