Vuelta

So the Vuelta sucks….or so says the fan base. Within the hierarchy of racing at the professional level, the Vuelta is sort of the forgotten grand tour. Everyone knows about the Tour and a growing number of fans are starting to appreciate the Giro de Italia but when the twilight part of the season drags around, the Vuelta is largely ignored. Not to say that it is a bad race, it simply seems to appeal to largely only Spanish fans and teams. This always has struck me as weird. For what the race offers, shouldn’t it rank up there with the overall public as a race worthy of major attention? It is a proving grounds for many a neo-pro looking to make a name for himself as a well rounded racer. It is in the Vuelta that we saw the emergence of John Degenkolb and Marcel Kittel, both now rising stars amongst the cut throat business that is professional sprinting. Yes it may have taken them a season or two to find their feet, but now those two are taking the fight, and winning against Mark Cavendish. And their success has largely stemmed from the experience and confidence gained from riding the Vuelta as their first grand tour. For established riders, the Vuelta marks a perfect time period to prepare for the world championships. The three weeks of racing fine tunes their legs thus giving them that perfect form for worlds. Which in turn provides for excellent racing to watch come that special day. Should we still complain then about the race and largely ignore it? No. There may have been expressed opinions by some stating that the teams sent to the Spanish tour don’t do much, that the teams sent by foreign countries are there simply to fill the required space. However I choose to disagree. If anything the racing is more explosive and exciting to watch. The Spanish riders passion for their home race can arguably surpass that of the French and Italian riders. Despite the race being held near the end of the season, they ride just as hard as if it the beginning of the season. The last few editions have proven this to be true, with the race leaders jersey switching multiple times between riders and the overall victory going to a victor who only seemed solid in assurance of success in the final three days. So no, the Vuelta doesn’t suck, if anything it fully deserves respect and attentiveness for the panache that it brings to racing. Also, we can’t ever overlook the beauty of the Spanish podium girls. They win. ‘Nuff said.