Spain
2015 La Vuelta stage 7
Let’s get right to it. The Alto de Capileira is located in the mountainous La Alpujarra area: 18.7km with an average gradient of a modest 5% only because the middle 5km are virtually flat. Otherwise it’s more in the neighborhood of 6% with a max of 14% in the penultimate kilometer (though I walked it and … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 6
It was apparent from the word go that it just wasn't going to be the kind of morning that would yield a ton of autographs. No bother. I stayed at the podium for awhile and then wandered around the buses for the bulk of the time. BMC's 8 remaining riders arrived together. Movistar … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 5
Today was never going to be a pretty stage. The 167km route took the peloton from Rota through dry scrub land and even though the intermediate sprint was in Sevilla, the organizers for some reason decided to travel though bland streets in the new part of town, bypassing the historic center completely. The finish town … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 4
Markel Irizar, the first rider at the sign on podium this morning, spotted a friend in the crowd. But first he had to sign autographs for kids from the local cycling club. Geoffrey Soupe. He, too, was pulled in by the kids. Jasper Stuyven. Nick Roche. Roche arrived just … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 3 departure
I arrived so early that the truck which doubles as the sign on stage hadn't even started to set up yet! So I wandered down to the vacant beach for a little stroll. Is it time to put up the start line? Nah. The teams could hardly have parked any closer to the … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 3 arrival
Today the public transport gods smiled upon me and I was able to get to the finish in Málaga with no problem. Hizzah! Here's the gist of the stage in 50 words or less: an inevitably doomed break was caught in time for the sprint teams to establish their lead out trains as the … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 2
Stage 2, the first road stage of this year's Vuelta, departed from Alhaurín de la Torre. I'm guessing there was once a slightly more impressive tower around here which inspired the town's name (this one isn't much taller than I am!). Oh, la Vuelta. It's so relaxed here in every conceivable way. While I … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta stage 1 TTT
Neutralized or not, the finish line awaited each of the 22 teams and at the end of the night, one man would wear the leader's jersey. MTN Qhubeka led in by Louis Meintjes. Team Colombia. FDJ. Lotto Jumbo. AG2R. Cannondale Garmin. IAM Cycling. Cofidis. Caja Rural. … Continue reading
2015 La Vuelta a España team presentation
Tonight the 70th running of Spain's grand tour got underway with the team presentation. It was a surprisingly low key affair. Held on a driving range between the white painted buildings of Benahavís and the arid hills beyond, each team was called to the stage, sometimes the riders were introduced by name, and then they … Continue reading
So…you nervous?
“So…you nervous?” I've been asked this question at least four times a day for the past week now. It's generally accompanied by a knowing grin and a slight eyebrow raise. Not that I mind. Everyone wants to know how I'm feeling in the last few days before I compete in my first half Ironman. … Continue reading