Since 2015, the Vuelta TTT organisers have learned that sand is not road, rain is a possible weather condition and it gets dark at the end of the day. It’s progress I guess 😂
Was the race start delayed . Sunset 8:33 and refraction provides some light ( civil twilight) for up to 30 minutes. The precipitation weather effectively simulated astronomical night .
@@bobzelley5100it definitely would have been dark anyway. That said, I wish every grand tour required at least one criterium stage... ideally at night. It's one of the most exciting forms of racing a bike
I still do not get why they banned the "supertuck"". It's so fun to do, and watch. As for night riding, stop complaining riders. Wear night vision goggles. Adapt, overcome (sarcasm BTW ha ha)
@@MVProfitsI agree. I’ve been doing the super tuck for many years and I’m definitely not at the old hippie mtb’r on a single speed level of bike handling skills and have seldom had even a remote issue up to 55mph. It’s like tucking in on a motorcycle. Just don’t be a dumbass and try to pedal, look back, or press your chest against the bars while you’re doing it and you’re fine.
@@David.. I do have my chest against the bar sometimes. But nope, never pedal (I tried but can't figure out how they do it!) and certainly never look back ha ha. Never a good idea to do that while going downhill anyway! It doesn't feel dangerous. I'm not a daredevil and still love doing that. As a spectator, it was great to see too.
Unbelievable how much the UCI touts safety and then the commissaries don’t see any issue with this, with the number of crashes and the risk present it’s insane that they still went forward with this at night
I like how he explained it so clearly and simply. He wasn’t raving madly, just laying out the facts e.g. it gets dark in the evening. Not rocket science, Vuelta team.
@@Daniel-ng8fiIt's not like the starting time was god-given, they made a decision. There is no good reason to not schedule the start of the race an hour earlier.
@@Daniel-ng8fi Of course they can't move the day. But they knew days in advance it was going to rain. Yet they still chose to start the race at nearly 7pm! Absurdly late especially given how rain obscures light.
I tuned in late and thought there was a problem with the GCN+ video or my computer display when I saw how dark it was. The organizers should be ashamed.
It was so dark because of the extraordinary thick storm clouds in the last hours of the day, not because it was already night, it shoudn’t be so difficult to understamd
I live in barcelona. It has been 3 days they announce rain precisely at that date so they had time to plan for the worst. heavy storm rain after a heatwave.
It's all about the money, big business cares about prime-time TV commercials and deals, riders' health and safety is immaterial and UCI is probably corrupt.
It would have been dangerous in dry daylight. This was a terrible course for a TTT. A TTT needs straight open roads to showcase the beauty of the pace line.
@@gkos2566 Not really, they played it down a bit, anyway it's not up to the riders. It might have been different if one of their riders got injured. If anyone would be expected to make noise it should be Ineos.
In Belgium we have a saying: "Mopping with the faucet open" which means to do pointless work without first dealing with the cause of the problem. Perfect description of this stage both figuratively and literally.
Remco and the other riders have every right to be upset. Pouring rain, lightning, and half the teams starting in the dark. This stage was way too dangerous, and I am usually the last person to say that. It should have been cancelled after the first lightning strike.
@@howlinhauler Remco specifically said the weather wasn’t the issue it’s the fact they they had them start IN THE DARK. Starting at night with 0 lighting on the course is a ridiculous and wildly unsafe thing to do, the weather just made it that much worse
@@howlinhauler You can't control the weather, but you can predict it, and you can react to it when its happened all around you. The race organizers failed at that today. I love technical finishes and days when the weather brings out the hard men. But we don't want to see a grand tour decided based on who didn't crash in the pitch dark and flash floods on the opening day TTT.
Same here. This looked insane (especially for a TT as then fairness is an issue) and I'm usually the one going: "dont be pussies and race damn it". What would have happened if the last teams refused to start?
It’s a disgrace that the organizers didn’t cancel or at the very least neutralize gc. Imagine if Roglic, Jonas, or Remco crashed out of the race on the first stage because of these conditions.
Spot On . Said it b4 . Imagine if they Go Down .. & really hurt themselves. I see 👀 a Court Case coming if garbage 🗑 like this continues. What about ferocious winds in UAE l think it was Blowing the Riders off there Bikes
@@tylerb7521 sure, maybe not to win, but to write him off for a podium position has been proven to be dumb. People said he had zero chance of being in contention at the Tour last year, he came 3rd. Same again with the Giro this year; he came 2nd. I personally think he will be lucky to finish top 5 at the Vuelta, but we will see.
Since watching his interview with LR and his TH-cam channel, I have become a big fan of Remco. I am glad he expressed how he felt about the race conditions. Completely careless to have it so late in the day. And that start ramp! 🙄
So you respect the fact that he unleashes his anger towards the reporters whose microphones he just slams out of his face? Honestly he is right but he should be angry towards the organizers of the race, not take it out on the first person he sees. Reporters are doing their jobs just as much as he is. This to me is a great example of the immaturity and arrogance he still carries with him. If he would let go of this behavior I would have so much more respect for this guy.
Jumbo Visma did exactly right. They rode to not have a crash and not crashing for them was a win. In those conditions not crashing for any team was a win. I don't know how the 'winners' can celebrate it though as the only reason they won was because the weather and light were far more favourable when they raced. The organisers need shooting though for sending these teams into very dangerous conditions that are almost going to guarantee crashes.
I'm surprised the teams didn't make a huge issue of it beforehand. The first teams finished while still light, and the last teams started when it was nearly dark. Those later teams had a huge disadvantage. Did the teams starting later protest this in the weeks/months before ?
Before the stage even started I thought "wouldnt it be dark for the last teams?" and thats exactly what happend. No idea how the orginiganisers didnt think about that...
@@howlinhauler LED lights add weight, esp with the batteries required. Why should later starts have to add that weight when earlier starts don't. Also obviously LED lights don't fully replicate daylight. I'm fine with night starts as long as all teams are doing it.
It’s a pancake flat stage, adding 250g of weight in the form of a front light wouldn’t make a jot of difference. The mechanics wouldn’t have any lights for the bikes however, mounting them on the tt bars would be tricky and they shouldn’t be racing in the dark anyway!!
@@simonbailey2151Every second counts. So even 200 grams could make the difference. Headlights also aren't very aero. Regardless, they should never be a requirement in a race like this. I think we all agree on that.
I was watching the race on GCN and when Remco took the complaining gesture, the commentator said something like, 'it can be frustrating but it's part of the game', and I thought it was ridiculous. Apart from the safety issue, I don't think it's fair for those who started later in the race with less visibility and more rain drops.
Lightning is not dangerous in a city full of high buildings (on a open road lined by trees or a mountain it's something else), but in a thunderstorm there are usually also wind gusts. And the sunset miscalculation is simply inexcusable. It's only doable if you put floodlights along the entire circuit. I think they did that once during a very short opening prologue in the Giro.
I was just in front of where the ineos rider crashed. He stayed on the ground for a very long time. It was heartbreaking to watch. I believe the organizers were so concerned with the heat that they forgot it could be raining and dark.
I believe that JV had a puncture between the start and the first time check, the whole team had to wait because of that. Most likely that is the reason they were outside the top ten (I believe 32 seconds behind on DSM)
They should've neutralised the stage once the conditions had so obviously deteriorated, DSM declared the winners and everyone given the same time. Forcing riders to take huge risks that could end their participation in the Vuelta minutes into the event is ridiculous. After seeing what happened to De Plus no wonder Jumbo appeared hugely relieved that they all survived the stage. The best team in the world finish 11th and look like they're celebrating!
The big problem for this TTT was the schedule but it was closer from being right than it looked The INTENTION was to have the top couple of teams ride around in the twilight, AFTER sunset. Thing is they should've gone safer and aim for the final teams to ride around under the sunset, then even with rain it would've been mostly fine.
Worked out great, set up this twilight ride for the spectators to see. Unfortunately they were only able to really see the first half of the race. All the best teams went at the end and the spectators weren't even able to see them at that point.
At what time of the day were the last teams starting? Storms can darken the sky a lot, but the last shots look like it was just super late in the day? Why?
Rain is rain, but the idea of setting the starting time so late ended up being a disaster. And when planning it they simply have to take into consideration ''What if it rains and that makes it extra dark?'' It really is a scandal. But lesson learned hopefully.
The sunset time in Barcelona is 20:35 after that starts the twilight. I think this was mostly a build up on the clouds, or am I missing something. The footage seems quite dark..
these guys are chads who had to go in later, and just barely missed the time. thats why sports and sportsmanship, and spirit in so great. they still trying their best.
I'd be interested in Patrick's take on this compared to cricket regulations which are quite strict in terms of light levels. If this was a cricket match the umpire would be out with a light meter, or flood lights would be switched on way earlier. Otherwise it would be clear case of "play stopped due to bad light".
I was at crash corner (about 2km in). That TTT was ridiculous. White residue (summer oils) came to the surface making painted markings even more slippery. Once the sky darkened it was like a pre-dawn winter group ride in the rain, but a TTT ride. The last 3 teams were literally in the dark and the street lighting was pretty much nonexistent.
Patrick what's your thoughts of how the riders could get a strong functional riders union to say to the organizers. not gonna happen you waited all day and now it's dark raining with a gloss painted launch ramp that's almost a full post code long then a 45* turn onto a bike path
let me tell you listillo that the organization of la vuelta has been rewarded by doing better than the tour and the giro. Being original in the stages and giving more show in recent years than the tour(not this year)and the giro was getting boring to rage. What has happened has been something very unexpected, a very strong storm that darkened the city when it is daytime in Barcelona normally at that time.
Have a look at races in the 70s and 80s like the Paris Nice the riders were riding through snow. The riders of today should pack in and take up knitting wimps
It was nothing but a goat rope. The teams that went out in the dark had it worse. Remco and all the other riders had every right to be pissed off if you tryed to push it you would've just ended up on the ground . Who ever thought doing a prolog into darkness on a rainy night was not to smart. Sure weather can cause issues. But this was sad. The teams you thought would win went towards the end but it was so bad they couldn't go fast at all. And city streets in the rain are ice skating rings.
Stage is done. No going back and fixing the results of this disaster of a stage. The sheer fact along people are DNF/DNS with tame pavement touches before they are facing a road stage is crazy and puts it into perspective how badly the organizers messed this up. They should at the very least allow all riders to start tomorrow’s stage regardless of finish condition. Going to be tricky to see how this gets penned into the rule book though. Since I don’t see an outright blanket no nighttime racing allowed, that a lot of people are proposing, being added. And I don’t foresee nothing being added in the rule book as a result of this disaster that had way too many wrong variables.
Generally there either is lighting on the course or it is still lighter. Like last year they started a bit earlier and it was a week earlier as well (so sun goes under later). And riding in a city with buildings that can block the remaining light also has an impacted.
@@Tibovl Sun sets earlier in Barcelona than in Utrecht (Netherlands) today. And it set 20 minutes later at the startdate of last year compared to Barcelona yesterday.
I live in Barcelona, it was weird to see that it was dark already at 8pm (when final teams started taking off). During the summer, it starts being dark around 21:30. The other unlucky thing is that it wasn’t raining for the whole summer.
Barcelona sunset 26 August 20.35. Look it up. So it starts getting dark an hour after sunset? You must not go outside much. BTW we are much closer to the equinox than we are to the lighest days of summer.
What the hell is this shit. While I am biased as a Jumbo Visma fan, this is a pathetic way to start a grand tour, how do you have a premier stage race start off with this absolute travesty. With the variable conditions and up to 30 secs up for grabs for the gc leaders its a wonder we didn't see more crashes. Ineos being down a rider for the rest of the tour is a shame, and for what gain? Really pathetic display from the race organizers. Anyways great to see you guys covering the vuelta and I'm hoping to see a solidly exciting tour going forwards :)
I used to commute by bike in the city on 2 inch wide Kevlar slicks in all types of weather and never had a problem, except once while rolling over a large patch of ice. Of course, I wasn't riding at pro TTT speeds, either (only 12-18 mph). I wonder how much tire compound and tread design would affect speed and traction on bikes. Because auto racing teams change tires constantly, depending on the weather and track surface.
You probably don't drive your tires to the limit. Those guys ride right on the limit on what sticks and what doesn't and if there is a patch that is slightly less sticky, they crash out. It is mostly about risk management. Those that manage risk well, they cannot win the stage...
Most of the crashes were not in the dark. Get some wet weather tyres or something or use normal road bikes if a TT bike can't go brake and go around corners in the wet when ridden by pro's.
Why start that late? Even without the rain, there is no reason to start that late in the day. This was so dangerous for the riders, the last several teams were racing in the dark. They couldn't even see where they were going. I don't know how involved the UCI is in these races, but lately the race organizers are confusing danger with excitement. Watching riders crash and get injured, does not make a race more exciting.
They should divide the time gaps by at least a factor of 3 to lesson the impact of this travesty on the race. Brutal call to run it so late in these conditions.
The track conditions were completely different from start to finish, so the fair thing to do would be to cancel any time differences and for the organisers to accept responsability and learn from their mistake here.
Just walked the final climb of Stage 2, definitely under estimated… it’s very wet with leaves on the ground making it very slippery. Wasn’t fun walking can’t imagine it on a bike.
Riding a ttt with 9 riders is sketchy enough as it is. Riding in the rain and dark is just stupid. When making money and getting tv coverage is more important than rider safety! Rain could work but in the dark is just plain stupid. Surely they understand when the sun goes down?
Rain happens. So does bloody nighttime and some of those streets didn’t even have lighting. Bad decision to have guaranteed uneven conditions for later starters.
On the TV you could barely see anything for the glare of motorbike lights through the rain. It was a truly disappointing start to La Vuelta, especially when compared to the first day of the TdF this year. As it was a TTT, there was little at stake, other than rider safety of course and spectator enjoyment. The normal excitement of speed and control skills through the city streets was a non-starter really. It was more about keeping the bikes vertical and staying off the white lines and somehow avoiding puddles. Maybe they should have had "nobbly tyres" for grip and a bit of old school interest... Obviously, the weather is what it is. This was the first day of rain for many weeks and prior to that it would have been very hot. Anyway, the main issue seems to have been insufficient light level for rider safety. On that point, the "race" was shambolic and hopefully it may serve to not repeat such stupidity in the future.
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I'm sorry, but where is the pleather bucket hat?
@@aaaawwwwwwwwww Yeah, we want bucket hats, NOW...
Those shirts gold or something ? $$$
Since 2015, the Vuelta TTT organisers have learned that sand is not road, rain is a possible weather condition and it gets dark at the end of the day. It’s progress I guess 😂
they obviously have NOT learnt...
😂😂😂
Was the race start delayed . Sunset 8:33 and refraction provides some light ( civil twilight) for up to 30 minutes. The precipitation weather effectively simulated astronomical night .
@@bobzelley5100it definitely would have been dark anyway. That said, I wish every grand tour required at least one criterium stage... ideally at night. It's one of the most exciting forms of racing a bike
@@bobzelley5100Could they not have…rented out lights? Would that have made the road surface blinding in this case (I’m not sure it would have).
Supertuck =unsafe. Riding at night during a thunderstorm=no problem.
I wonder if they were measuring sock height before the stage. Yah know... UCI priorities 😕
I still do not get why they banned the "supertuck"". It's so fun to do, and watch. As for night riding, stop complaining riders. Wear night vision goggles. Adapt, overcome (sarcasm BTW ha ha)
@@MVProfitsI agree. I’ve been doing the super tuck for many years and I’m definitely not at the old hippie mtb’r on a single speed level of bike handling skills and have seldom had even a remote issue up to 55mph. It’s like tucking in on a motorcycle. Just don’t be a dumbass and try to pedal, look back, or press your chest against the bars while you’re doing it and you’re fine.
@@David.. I do have my chest against the bar sometimes. But nope, never pedal (I tried but can't figure out how they do it!) and certainly never look back ha ha. Never a good idea to do that while going downhill anyway! It doesn't feel dangerous. I'm not a daredevil and still love doing that. As a spectator, it was great to see too.
Unbelievable how much the UCI touts safety and then the commissaries don’t see any issue with this, with the number of crashes and the risk present it’s insane that they still went forward with this at night
What does the UCI have to do with the Vuelta? It’s organised by ASO
@@riquelmeone UCI is also responsible for confirming a race in terms of safety etc.
@@MDP1702 how so?
lets ban supertuck because it is dangerous
The team could easily tell the rider to ride slower and use even slower/all traction tire!
And the UCI said: Let there be light, and the bikes were light, very light, but the darkness prevailed.
Not too light though
Anything under 6.8 kg would be dangerous
Lol
Singapore, the F1 night-race organizer would've done a way better job than these Vuelta folks!
😂😂😂
Amen
Remco cracks me up. He never fails to let us know exactly how he feels. In this case, he’s 100 percent correct. This shit was easily fixed
What about the TV contracts, they are more important than the riders, if a rider dies or gets disabled, there will be another rider to replace.
hows it easily fixed? you can't cancel it, you can't move it.
I like how he explained it so clearly and simply. He wasn’t raving madly, just laying out the facts e.g. it gets dark in the evening. Not rocket science, Vuelta team.
@@Daniel-ng8fiIt's not like the starting time was god-given, they made a decision. There is no good reason to not schedule the start of the race an hour earlier.
@@Daniel-ng8fi Of course they can't move the day. But they knew days in advance it was going to rain. Yet they still chose to start the race at nearly 7pm! Absurdly late especially given how rain obscures light.
I tuned in late and thought there was a problem with the GCN+ video or my computer display when I saw how dark it was. The organizers should be ashamed.
It was so dark because of the extraordinary thick storm clouds in the last hours of the day, not because it was already night, it shoudn’t be so difficult to understamd
I live in barcelona. It has been 3 days they announce rain precisely at that date so they had time to plan for the worst. heavy storm rain after a heatwave.
If only there was a way to predict the periods of light and darkness within a 24 hour cycle.
Especially in a country like Spain.. The Sun takes 5-7 minuttes to set, not like up here North...
Zero respect for the riders from the organizers of the race. For me it was the first time ever seeing cycling at night. Ridiculous.
Cycling at night can be great if it's well lit and at lower speed, but not like this though.
It's all about the money, big business cares about prime-time TV commercials and deals, riders' health and safety is immaterial and UCI is probably corrupt.
Felt so dangerous... Even for the ones watching at home it was too much.
It would have been dangerous in dry daylight. This was a terrible course for a TTT. A TTT needs straight open roads to showcase the beauty of the pace line.
The Jumbo were like, there is no point of taking any risk here, we’ll get’em later. 😂
Yep, no need to take unnecessary risks on a day/night like that.
Already getting preparing the excuses for when remco wins the vuelta 🤡🤡🤡
@@maximefornasari1634i like remco but there is just no way he wins this, jumbo way too strong imo
Jumbo Visma has to respond as Remco did.
@@gkos2566 Not really, they played it down a bit, anyway it's not up to the riders. It might have been different if one of their riders got injured. If anyone would be expected to make noise it should be Ineos.
Bros mopping the wet starting ramp under the heavy rain 💀
In Belgium we have a saying: "Mopping with the faucet open" which means to do pointless work without first dealing with the cause of the problem. Perfect description of this stage both figuratively and literally.
@@Tibovl I was waiting for a good Belgian to bring this up - couldn't help but thinking it during the event
Remco and the other riders have every right to be upset. Pouring rain, lightning, and half the teams starting in the dark. This stage was way too dangerous, and I am usually the last person to say that. It should have been cancelled after the first lightning strike.
So you can control the weather? Should they have canceled a race due to rain?
Really? I thought this was a pro race, was it junior day ?
@@howlinhauler Remco specifically said the weather wasn’t the issue it’s the fact they they had them start IN THE DARK. Starting at night with 0 lighting on the course is a ridiculous and wildly unsafe thing to do, the weather just made it that much worse
@@howlinhaulerit was dark. That's not weather.
@@howlinhauler You can't control the weather, but you can predict it, and you can react to it when its happened all around you. The race organizers failed at that today.
I love technical finishes and days when the weather brings out the hard men. But we don't want to see a grand tour decided based on who didn't crash in the pitch dark and flash floods on the opening day TTT.
Same here. This looked insane (especially for a TT as then fairness is an issue) and I'm usually the one going: "dont be pussies and race damn it".
What would have happened if the last teams refused to start?
It’s a disgrace that the organizers didn’t cancel or at the very least neutralize gc. Imagine if Roglic, Jonas, or Remco crashed out of the race on the first stage because of these conditions.
Well, G's chances are now severely impacted by the fact one of his key climbing domestiques has crashed out.
@@robotomassi2011Love Thomas, but regardless, he doesn’t have a chance.
Spot On . Said it b4 . Imagine if they Go Down .. & really hurt themselves. I see 👀 a Court Case coming if garbage 🗑 like this continues.
What about ferocious winds in UAE l think it was Blowing the Riders off there Bikes
@@tylerb7521 sure, maybe not to win, but to write him off for a podium position has been proven to be dumb. People said he had zero chance of being in contention at the Tour last year, he came 3rd. Same again with the Giro this year; he came 2nd. I personally think he will be lucky to finish top 5 at the Vuelta, but we will see.
lots of professions work in the rain...at night...etc.
Since watching his interview with LR and his TH-cam channel, I have become a big fan of Remco. I am glad he expressed how he felt about the race conditions. Completely careless to have it so late in the day. And that start ramp! 🙄
That start ramp was a shocker, although maybe it was made of some anti-slip rubber?
So you respect the fact that he unleashes his anger towards the reporters whose microphones he just slams out of his face? Honestly he is right but he should be angry towards the organizers of the race, not take it out on the first person he sees. Reporters are doing their jobs just as much as he is. This to me is a great example of the immaturity and arrogance he still carries with him. If he would let go of this behavior I would have so much more respect for this guy.
@@sth6027shut up you melt.
@@markdonovan1540definitely not. So many people's wheels slipped
@@Gws525 Lucky it wasn't me, I would have slipped backwards off the ramp and into the sea...
Jumbo Visma did exactly right. They rode to not have a crash and not crashing for them was a win. In those conditions not crashing for any team was a win. I don't know how the 'winners' can celebrate it though as the only reason they won was because the weather and light were far more favourable when they raced.
The organisers need shooting though for sending these teams into very dangerous conditions that are almost going to guarantee crashes.
Jumbo Visma has to respond as Remco did.
Jumbo Visma is het beste team van het peloton maar Remco is de mentale leider van het peloton.
I'm surprised the teams didn't make a huge issue of it beforehand. The first teams finished while still light, and the last teams started when it was nearly dark. Those later teams had a huge disadvantage. Did the teams starting later protest this in the weeks/months before ?
It's so surreal seeing a Vuelta stage in darkness like that.
This is why the Tour de France is the main event.
The vuelta got lucky they didn’t loose some big names to crashes.
Before the stage even started I thought "wouldnt it be dark for the last teams?" and thats exactly what happend. No idea how the orginiganisers didnt think about that...
Apparently not everyone knows that night follows day!
So the race organizers weren’t aware that it gets dark at night?
so the mechanics dont know about led lights?
@@howlinhauler LED lights add weight, esp with the batteries required. Why should later starts have to add that weight when earlier starts don't. Also obviously LED lights don't fully replicate daylight. I'm fine with night starts as long as all teams are doing it.
It’s a pancake flat stage, adding 250g of weight in the form of a front light wouldn’t make a jot of difference.
The mechanics wouldn’t have any lights for the bikes however, mounting them on the tt bars would be tricky and they shouldn’t be racing in the dark anyway!!
Since everything on the bike has to be UCI approved and the bikes are check and randomly x-rayed, I don't think they can just add something like that.
@@simonbailey2151Every second counts. So even 200 grams could make the difference. Headlights also aren't very aero. Regardless, they should never be a requirement in a race like this. I think we all agree on that.
Keeping it real. The only highlights worth watching!
Whoever organized this should be punished.
Fired*
Absolutely!😮Who lets its 5:31 riders ride on roads with no lights, basically at night????
This is scandalous, 2 riders died recently, but Vuelta making it as dangerous as possible, great job UCI.
Oh… that ramps gives me the cold sweats..😊
I was watching the race on GCN and when Remco took the complaining gesture, the commentator said something like, 'it can be frustrating but it's part of the game', and I thought it was ridiculous. Apart from the safety issue, I don't think it's fair for those who started later in the race with less visibility and more rain drops.
Hunger Games feeling
Lightning is not dangerous in a city full of high buildings (on a open road lined by trees or a mountain it's something else), but in a thunderstorm there are usually also wind gusts. And the sunset miscalculation is simply inexcusable. It's only doable if you put floodlights along the entire circuit. I think they did that once during a very short opening prologue in the Giro.
Wow. It was today?? Can't believe I missed it. Ty Lanterne for the summary.
I think you mean, 'Wow, it was tonight??'
I was just in front of where the ineos rider crashed. He stayed on the ground for a very long time. It was heartbreaking to watch. I believe the organizers were so concerned with the heat that they forgot it could be raining and dark.
CPA on a holiday …. Remco had the hot take “they should know it’s dark at night”
I believe that JV had a puncture between the start and the first time check, the whole team had to wait because of that. Most likely that is the reason they were outside the top ten (I believe 32 seconds behind on DSM)
They should've neutralised the stage once the conditions had so obviously deteriorated, DSM declared the winners and everyone given the same time. Forcing riders to take huge risks that could end their participation in the Vuelta minutes into the event is ridiculous. After seeing what happened to De Plus no wonder Jumbo appeared hugely relieved that they all survived the stage. The best team in the world finish 11th and look like they're celebrating!
The big problem for this TTT was the schedule but it was closer from being right than it looked
The INTENTION was to have the top couple of teams ride around in the twilight, AFTER sunset. Thing is they should've gone safer and aim for the final teams to ride around under the sunset, then even with rain it would've been mostly fine.
Just pesky reality getting in the way of the tourism PR people.
@@A.J.456 - Those same people could've turned on at least part of the streetlights or turned all on at like 50% power
Worked out great, set up this twilight ride for the spectators to see. Unfortunately they were only able to really see the first half of the race. All the best teams went at the end and the spectators weren't even able to see them at that point.
At what time of the day were the last teams starting? Storms can darken the sky a lot, but the last shots look like it was just super late in the day? Why?
Jonas had a puncture and in the Danish interview after he said that they would only wait for him and Primoz
I was nervous as heck watching this TT. Blows my mind that these guys can average 50km/h in those conditions
Rain is rain, but the idea of setting the starting time so late ended up being a disaster. And when planning it they simply have to take into consideration ''What if it rains and that makes it extra dark?''
It really is a scandal. But lesson learned hopefully.
The sunset time in Barcelona is 20:35 after that starts the twilight. I think this was mostly a build up on the clouds, or am I missing something.
The footage seems quite dark..
Crazy circumstances, but the finish line demeanour difference between Remco and Primoz was epic
One saw the glass as half full, the other as half empty 😂🍸
It’s embarrassing how far the vuelta is behind the Tour de France and the giro
Omg the vuelta has literally received awards for the most entertaining of the three in recent years, so wtf are you talking about
Road disc for the win in the wet lol.
IYKYK.
What a day! Thanks for braving the weather and bringing us this great analysis.
Day?! It definitely was night already 😅
This is how I watch the Vuelta. My man Lantern Rouge🎉🎉
Epic race. The LV organisers really wanted them to suffer like commoners like us during our rides.
Salut j'ai une petite question. Comment à tu accrocher ta base au Playseat ? Unique petit souci que je n'ai pas encore su régler haha
Every day, in every way, I love Remco more and more. So good to actually have a “personality” in the Peleton!
This seems like a winter post work training ride. Or commute. Or in the trainer because it's raining. Excellent choice by the organizers👌
these guys are chads who had to go in later, and just barely missed the time.
thats why sports and sportsmanship, and spirit in so great. they still trying
their best.
I'd be interested in Patrick's take on this compared to cricket regulations which are quite strict in terms of light levels. If this was a cricket match the umpire would be out with a light meter, or flood lights would be switched on way earlier. Otherwise it would be clear case of "play stopped due to bad light".
Tuning in to catch the latest variant of the Vingegaard pronunciation.
I was at crash corner (about 2km in). That TTT was ridiculous. White residue (summer oils) came to the surface making painted markings even more slippery. Once the sky darkened it was like a pre-dawn winter group ride in the rain, but a TTT ride.
The last 3 teams were literally in the dark and the street lighting was pretty much nonexistent.
Patrick what's your thoughts of how the riders could get a strong functional riders union to say to the organizers. not gonna happen you waited all day and now it's dark raining with a gloss painted launch ramp that's almost a full post code long then a 45* turn onto a bike path
The new glow in the dark jerseys are gonna be awesome tho😂
Eternally Sunshine in a spotless mind!
AY CARAMBA🙈🙉🙊
let me tell you listillo that the organization of la vuelta has been rewarded by doing better than the tour and the giro. Being original in the stages and giving more show in recent years than the tour(not this year)and the giro was getting boring to rage. What has happened has been something very unexpected, a very strong storm that darkened the city when it is daytime in Barcelona normally at that time.
Have a look at races in the 70s and 80s like the Paris Nice the riders were riding through snow. The riders of today should pack in and take up knitting wimps
Organisers obviously never heard of the well-lit Singapore F1 night race!
Their night race is bright as day!
@@kwaihoechan4050 Excellent lighting system!
Without tail and head lights? How did they manage to not get traffic tickets 😮
The Spaniard, Bike Police couldn't catch them.
Aero tuck is dangerous while riding in dark wet road at 40kph is not dangerous, I love you UCI.
It was nothing but a goat rope. The teams that went out in the dark had it worse. Remco and all the other riders had every right to be pissed off if you tryed to push it you would've just ended up on the ground . Who ever thought doing a prolog into darkness on a rainy night was not to smart. Sure weather can cause issues. But this was sad. The teams you thought would win went towards the end but it was so bad they couldn't go fast at all. And city streets in the rain are ice skating rings.
Stage is done. No going back and fixing the results of this disaster of a stage.
The sheer fact along people are DNF/DNS with tame pavement touches before they are facing a road stage is crazy and puts it into perspective how badly the organizers messed this up. They should at the very least allow all riders to start tomorrow’s stage regardless of finish condition.
Going to be tricky to see how this gets penned into the rule book though. Since I don’t see an outright blanket no nighttime racing allowed, that a lot of people are proposing, being added. And I don’t foresee nothing being added in the rule book as a result of this disaster that had way too many wrong variables.
The Vuelta organizers failed to understand that Darkness occurs late in the evening.
Vuelta does this like every year and people still act surprised :D But i am glad people are speaking out this year.
Generally there either is lighting on the course or it is still lighter. Like last year they started a bit earlier and it was a week earlier as well (so sun goes under later). And riding in a city with buildings that can block the remaining light also has an impacted.
@@MDP1702Sun also sets later in the Netherlands than in Spain if I remember my geology correctly.
@@Tibovl Sun sets earlier in Barcelona than in Utrecht (Netherlands) today. And it set 20 minutes later at the startdate of last year compared to Barcelona yesterday.
if you're going to complain about conditions, stay on indoor velodromes, yes sometimes it rains on roads princess
Ridiculous. A joke, and really shows there is no care given to the riders who risk it. Just need money in pockets.
Unbelievable to see riders race in complete darkness.
I live in Barcelona, it was weird to see that it was dark already at 8pm (when final teams started taking off). During the summer, it starts being dark around 21:30. The other unlucky thing is that it wasn’t raining for the whole summer.
Barcelona sunset 26 August 20.35. Look it up. So it starts getting dark an hour after sunset? You must not go outside much. BTW we are much closer to the equinox than we are to the lighest days of summer.
Viva La Vuelta Espana 2023
Viva Lanterne Rouge
What the hell is this shit. While I am biased as a Jumbo Visma fan, this is a pathetic way to start a grand tour, how do you have a premier stage race start off with this absolute travesty. With the variable conditions and up to 30 secs up for grabs for the gc leaders its a wonder we didn't see more crashes. Ineos being down a rider for the rest of the tour is a shame, and for what gain? Really pathetic display from the race organizers.
Anyways great to see you guys covering the vuelta and I'm hoping to see a solidly exciting tour going forwards :)
I see Jumbo has Primoz with the 21 bib and Jonas with 28. Seems right to me.
Seen riders in the snow, mud, cobbles, 70mph descents, 45mph bunch sprints. But a bit of low visibility and they all cry. Shut up and ride.
I used to commute by bike in the city on 2 inch wide Kevlar slicks in all types of weather and never had a problem, except once while rolling over a large patch of ice. Of course, I wasn't riding at pro TTT speeds, either (only 12-18 mph).
I wonder how much tire compound and tread design would affect speed and traction on bikes. Because auto racing teams change tires constantly, depending on the weather and track surface.
You probably don't drive your tires to the limit. Those guys ride right on the limit on what sticks and what doesn't and if there is a patch that is slightly less sticky, they crash out. It is mostly about risk management. Those that manage risk well, they cannot win the stage...
With how much time he's spent on the ground the last few years, I can't believe Roglic stayed on his bike this entire stage.
🤣 I love how the helicopter shot of SQS was just an almost pitch black road.
Why would they do it so late? I don't get that?
so ridiculous these aren’t the conditions for bicycle racing. This is like NASCAR racing on a road course in Chicago.
Most of the crashes were not in the dark. Get some wet weather tyres or something or use normal road bikes if a TT bike can't go brake and go around corners in the wet when ridden by pro's.
At least if you have the red jersey, they won't notice you are bleeding
Why was the TTT held on a cyclocross course?
Why start that late? Even without the rain, there is no reason to start that late in the day. This was so dangerous for the riders, the last several teams were racing in the dark. They couldn't even see where they were going. I don't know how involved the UCI is in these races, but lately the race organizers are confusing danger with excitement. Watching riders crash and get injured, does not make a race more exciting.
BUT... what is the protocol for postponement? what is the precedent?
This stage was a joke.
Keep youre eyes on Cian in this vuelta !!!!!!!! Still verry young but so talented ! And most importand a extremely nice guy ....
They should divide the time gaps by at least a factor of 3 to lesson the impact of this travesty on the race. Brutal call to run it so late in these conditions.
The track conditions were completely different from start to finish, so the fair thing to do would be to cancel any time differences and for the organisers to accept responsability and learn from their mistake here.
Just walked the final climb of Stage 2, definitely under estimated… it’s very wet with leaves on the ground making it very slippery. Wasn’t fun walking can’t imagine it on a bike.
I just can’t believe the fact that they didn’t turn on the street lights - it’s unbelievable
Riding a ttt with 9 riders is sketchy enough as it is. Riding in the rain and dark is just stupid. When making money and getting tv coverage is more important than rider safety! Rain could work but in the dark is just plain stupid. Surely they understand when the sun goes down?
TV coverage was appalling, just glare of motorbike lights and watching barely racing bike trains who were just trying to avoid falling.
Nice of the organizers to put lifeguards on the course
Rain happens. So does bloody nighttime and some of those streets didn’t even have lighting. Bad decision to have guaranteed uneven conditions for later starters.
Jonas said they were glad to get through in what they thought was an okay time given the conditions and Jonas' puncture
How come Remco wasn’t in his world champs ITT jersey, do they consider TTT as a different discipline so he doesn’t get to wear it?
Having some broken glass strewn about would really make this exciting.
UCI and la Vuelta organisers Racing in thunder & Lightning whilst it’s getting dark is not on. Very dangerous.
Only the Vuelta....watching racers navigate in the dark in a ttt. Guess better than a bunch sprint😮😮
Remco is right. This is bullshit, unbelievable that they made the riders to ride in these conditions, specially the group of favorites.
do they run grooved tires?
My first thought back when I heard they were going to have this at twilight.
Should have adapted and added lights to the bike and cyclocross tires and maybe even some NVGs
On the TV you could barely see anything for the glare of motorbike lights through the rain. It was a truly disappointing start to La Vuelta, especially when compared to the first day of the TdF this year. As it was a TTT, there was little at stake, other than rider safety of course and spectator enjoyment. The normal excitement of speed and control skills through the city streets was a non-starter really. It was more about keeping the bikes vertical and staying off the white lines and somehow avoiding puddles. Maybe they should have had "nobbly tyres" for grip and a bit of old school interest...
Obviously, the weather is what it is. This was the first day of rain for many weeks and prior to that it would have been very hot. Anyway, the main issue seems to have been insufficient light level for rider safety. On that point, the "race" was shambolic and hopefully it may serve to not repeat such stupidity in the future.