Tour of Spain 2014 - Vuelta de Espana 2014

Caz · August 28, 2014, 01:47:06 PM

One for any cycling fans out there. The sixth day of the Tour of Spain started in Benalmadena today and here are few pictures of the day and a video of the start. I think every Guarda Civil and National Policemen in the whole of Andalucia were on duty, I have never seen so many police, rows and rows of both cars and bikes.

The support cars come through town on the way to the start

Support cars and medics ready to go

Close-up of the gear on the press bikes

Ready for the off

The Benalmadena start gate

The Yellow Jersey (at least I think he was, there was a lot of interest in him) being interviewed just before the start

The Benalmadena start video

http://youtu.be/byJ0ajP_z9U

red_death · August 28, 2014, 01:55:04 PM

The guy in the yellow jersey is Alberto Contador I suspect (very famous Spanish cyclist).

The leader of the Vuelta wears a red jersey.

Thanks for the photos!

Cheers, Mike

Caz · August 28, 2014, 03:01:47 PM

Quote from: red_death on August 28, 2014, 01:55:04 PM
The guy in the yellow jersey is Alberto Contador I suspect (very famous Spanish cyclist).

The leader of the Vuelta wears a red jersey.

Thanks for the photos!

Cheers, Mike

Shows what I know about cycling then doesn't it.

I have heard of him, they were mentioning his name over the PA, now I know why there was such a scrum to get his photo.

red_death · August 28, 2014, 03:08:24 PM

He has won the Tour de France (and possibly the Vuelta) a few times....then he got caught being a drugs cheat. He claims he was given a steak with steroids in!

njee20 · August 28, 2014, 03:43:44 PM

It was even more tenuous than that - he was busted for Clenbuterol, which is used as a masking agent - to potentially cover up more nefarious goings on. He claimed that came from 'contaminated' beef. Wonderful!

But yes, he's won the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta and the Tour various times, despite having been stripped of a couple of those victories along the way!

He's the darling of Spain, despite seemingly not being a particularly nice fellow! He did, however, ride 18km in the mountains in the Tour de France with a broken leg, and you have to doth your cap to him for that!

Newportnobby · August 28, 2014, 04:24:08 PM

Thanks for the pics and the vid, Caz

Whether you like Contador or not, he's riding La Vuelta in fine style so far considering he broke his leg in the Tour de France not so long ago

He also broke the peloton yesterday

GroupC · August 28, 2014, 05:45:34 PM

You couldn't just nip and get me one of those bikes off the top of the cars could you? Any would do but I'd prefer a Bianchi off the Belkin team car if possible. Mine's getting a bit long in the tooth.

Thanks in advance.

Contador may be hard as nails (they all are) but he's no gent. Just ask Andy Schleck about what happened in 2010...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jul/19/tour-de-france-alberto-contador-andy-schleck

Newportnobby · September 14, 2014, 06:32:56 PM

Can't wait to see the highlights of the final stage tonight (ITV4 10pm). It's been an epic 3 weeks of cycling and the funniest (though extremely dangerous) part for me was seeing 2 riders having a punch up on 2 wheels. They, the riders not the wheels, were both ejected from the race.

On the subject of cycling I have also been following the Tour of Britain and have to say what a fantastic event it's been. Full marks to the organisers and riders involved.