Hello you beautiful cycling fans, we've done stage 21, we're in…
Hello you beautiful cycling fans, we've done stage 21, we're in Madrid, thank you very much for joining me for the last three weeks of this Vuelta daily podcast, it's been an emotional rollercoaster, I'm glad I was able to share with you some of the crazy stages from the tragically bad weather in Andorra to Madrosos, wind, looking at pogger car, coming of age. It's been an epic three weeks, it's been an emotional three weeks and it's been a test in so many different ways to bring you this podcast but it's not something that I would change at all. So for one last time for the Vuelta, let's jump right into us. Before we get started, a massive heartfelt thank you to our show sponsor, MissingPeace.org. MissingPeace, they've been with us all through the Vuelta. They've been phenomenal supporters, they've sent on sweet swag for us, they've set up competitions, they've dealt with your inquiries and inquiries across their Twitter, Instagram, and they've been, you know, as much a part of the Vuelta as all you have, I suppose, for this podcast in the last three weeks. It's been brilliant to see a small little brand like them that are on their way up and have all the attributes that I think are worthy of praise, like independent handcraft, that little touch of class about them. So, the light of the guys around board and do for one last time, check them out. And although their shell sponsorship of us is ending, I would encourage if you've heard of it, it's raining like that, coming up in the next few months to check the mountains, tell them I want to mention it, and you never know, they might kick you a little bit of free swagger, not give you a quid off, you never know, ask nicely. Okay, so here we go, stage 21, and it was epic. Everyone attacked the leader, and we had all sorts of drama on the road, were crashes, and we had infighting, and Not that we didn't have any of that. As expected for anyone who's avid follower of grand tours, we had an absolute parade. We had a procession for 106km into Madrid, where we had Roglic, Boveredy, Poggaker, the front of the bunch, posing for photos, drinking champagne, guys down the back drinking beers, rolling along, real carnival atmosphere. Very hard for somebody who's not a cycling fan to really understand what's going on, It's tradition on the last stage of Grantors that they call a ceasefire. They've had 20 days where they've been sworn enemies, they've attacked each other, they've tried to outmaneuver each other, they've tried to out position each other, they've tried to make life hard for each other and for the last day they just call a ceasefire. And say, you know what, we've had 20 hard days of killing each other, let's just have one day of mutual respect and have a little parade, priority atmosphere as we roll into Madrid and just say you know that's our lot it's been a good vuelta this year and you can see the spirits were high the camaraderie was brilliant and yeah it was really a joy to see pogacare and Roglage on the front of the bunch just chatting the two Slovenians a country we're only a population of two million and it's I think the head of stage for Slovenia came out and said it's a greatest day in their sporting history. So that goes to show you it's not just our annual achievement in sport, it's the greatest day in their sporting history to have the two guys on the podium. Brilliant atmosphere, it's really enjoyable to watch and Sean Kelly and Carleton Kirby have done a great job on Euro Sport, just keeping it flown because it's a difficult day for commentators at times because there's not much going on apart from posing for pictures and there's no real race going on. So as tradition dictates we start racing once we get to the small circuits around, you know, whether it's Rome, Paris or this case Madrid. So when we got to Madrid, we started racing. Tight little circuit was talked, maybe the stage could be neutralized on the circuit because of rain and there's a lot of showers and white lines and they just didn't want Reuters crashing on the last day.
Rain held off and we hit the small little circuit and started racing…
But the rain held off and we hit the small little circuit and started racing and that's where the show happened, sort of, all that stuff once we get to the circuit. Rob Litch is only job is to stay safe. Nobody's moving up positions or losing positions on GC on the last day It's just all about saying safe but a consideration you do have to think about is the worlds are coming up and the worlds are over in Leeds and We've writers like you know, Valverde, Gilbert who are gonna be up there contesting for the world So there's a consideration from those guys about just not taking any crazy risks Because you're always risking when you're a sprinter and you're always risking in the final as well So it's a consideration there definitely and the final itself it was scrappy you know, we had Jakobsen win the stage from Benus and Such such knock from CCC. I didn't know that lot, but he mixed it up there in the sprint But Bennett was very crowded out He had to you know, it's one of the things without not Bennett doesn't have the super polish lead out trying like quick step to And Jakobsen so he's a he's a soldier of fortune a lot of the time and he has to wait for gaps to open and be opportunistic. And the gap just didn't really open for Benas today. And he was definitely the quickest, but the quick step were the smartest, I would say. Quick step dropped, the yachubs in perfect. All he had to do was sprint. Bora didn't drop Benas perfectly, and he had to pick his way through gaps and wait for stalls. And he was definitely the fastest, but he never really got to sprint, which was, I think, Benas disappointment afterwards. He said, it was messy, legs were there, and I but I didn't really get a chance to go. I didn't know what side to go on. It was too late. There was nothing I could do. He was definitely disappointed but I think in this welter he should hold his head up and he's shown himself out to be a really all-round sprinter. Like he's won those uphill stage but he didn't win the stage. I'm gonna give you a second. It was at the stage Kavanya won on the uphill cobbled finish where Ben beat the jail bearing Steve are like, he's marked himself out as a very versatile sprinter who can win those tough uphill kick finishes as well Like, you know, it's a tough finish when Gilbert is contesting a Bennett's mark himself out of someone who could do those so He stepped up a notch and he's shown that he's a lot more than a sprinter He's has almost all sagant type properties You know, I could see Bennett later in his career transition into more of a classics guy But I think there's a very specific classic on a suit him next year. It's gonna be your mainland San Ramos I'd be surprised if he's not gone into San Remo's the favourite next year. He seems to be able to get over them climbs quite well now and he's just so, so fast in the finish. He's so consistently fast in the finish. And who knows, maybe he's a quick step next year with Jakobsson as a lead out man and the full wolfpack lead in the mill because quick step are unbelievable. They've won a quarter of all the stages in the world or something this year. It's been insane. And you've coupled that with Alif Leib in the Tour de France and they're a truly magical outfit less Philip Gilbert next year because Philip Gilbert is gone full circle and finishing off his career at Lotto so that is nice to see but it'd be a big loss to the Wolfpack. We had obviously Roglage winning the Vuelta España and Vavar the second to 2-16 with Pogakar at 2-48. Quintana had to settle for Ford at 3-29 with Lopez at 4-31. Some of the standout riders I think for me were Obviously, Poggaker has been an absolute phenomenon. James Knox, out on the 11th, he gave a really good account of himself. He was saying half the stage, actually the world that goes on for so long, he said the back of the start of it in Calpe, it feels like a different race.
He said at times he just wanted to be at home on the sofa that he…
He said at times he just wanted to be at home on the sofa that he gave absolutely everything for the race. But what I know with this as well is EuroSport have such a platform like Knox was 11th but T.O. Gagan Hart and now great well to the speak of you know I'm sure those unknown Spanish Reuters that I've barely mentioned on this podcast that's had results that are comparable to T.O. Gagan Hart but EuroSport gives such a platform to the Brits that they're turning into you know little mini stars like Knox and T.O. Gagan Hart were regulars on the Breakaway show after on EuroSport and it's such a big audience on it that we automatically assume the TO and Noxie are these world stars when you know they're not really at the moment they're still open commerce and they're both good Reuters but yeah it just got me there's no real takeaway from that I was just kind of pondering the power of that the power of EuroSport and you know there's some Reuters like you know the Yates brothers who are better Reuters I would say than both TO and Nox but they don't get that EuroSport coverage and it really just it shapes public perception and almost it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy I think this ends up leading the bigger moves for somebody guys who are more in favor like there was Brits on the race that I didn't even know where they're like Ian Stanard was there for team Inio so I seen him on the last day in about 10th position I was like I literally haven't seen him he's been the most anonymous writer in the race he hasn't been out the back or up the road I don't know where he's been for the three weeks I think he just showed up in Madrid for the after-party and they let him do a few laps. Bizarre, bizarre, well that's banya for team Inyos. The balance power to me looks like it shifted towards Jumbovizma, next season that we have Tom Dumelan joining up with Roglich and two amazing testers, two amazing climbers. That's gonna be really interesting. So before I rattle on any further and finish debriefing this year's Vuelta España, let's give another quick mention to our show sponsor. ClickFunnels. ClickFunnels will be with us beyond Vuelta because they are legends. Thank you ClickFunnels. ClickFunnels is an amazing piece of software. It's a piece of software that enables me to have so much free time because it's automating so many of our processes. It's amazing for everything from building websites to build in sales, point lines. If you have a small business or you know anyone with a small business, it's definitely worth checking out. It'll add, it'll pay for itself and you also have a 14 day free trial so it's no risk. So I'm going to pop a link to that in the show notes and go and check it out because that is a piece of software I truly believe in. So actually before I get on to talking about Roglitch and what an amazing achievement he has transitioning from skiing, Brian's misk really started working on me in commentary on EuroSport for his dare every day but I'm not sure how is everyone else finding them I'm finding them absolutely difficult to look at at this stage he's not funny his jokes are completely crap Wigens looks disinterested every time he talks but also the the anchor the girl or I find brilliant when she's asking very good and insightful questions he's dismissed system which stupid crap jokes that no one wants to hear and completely avoids the question. Like you know she'll put something to him about something that Adam Floyd said earlier in the race and I'm like just ask a cool question I can't wait to hear the answer to that and he'll go well you know Adam Floyd's more about the crazy shorts and that's why we have him on the show and he's like you're a fucking tool me. On the other end of that, I find Matt Stevens absolutely brilliant. His answers are like he talked about movie star winning the team prize and she put a difficult question to him like why are movie stars so focused on the team and I just thought his answer was brilliant, one of the best they've given in the Vuelta and he said he thinks it's cultural that it's coming from the Spanish attitude that the collective and their focus on family and social and like a lot of the stuff we talk about around blue zones and the Wolfpack and it was a very just informed and so useful answer so on the opposite end of that I found him super hyperactive after the stage just put his answers very considered and well informed and put all in all the coverage on your sport it's been absolutely brilliant all season for the Grand Tour totally enjoyed Wiggins he's been an amazing addition all has been a brilliant host and I thought Matt's been brilliant stepping in from GCN into the Royal and Broidsman needs to go, shocking, shocking.
We have Roglich, 29 year old, he's only been riding the bike for six…
Right, we have Roglich, 29 year old, he's only been riding the bike for six years and he's only not won two races that he's entered this season. He obviously pretty publicly fell apart in the last week of the Jiro, but I think he learned a lot from that because we had Yates fall in the part last year and the last week of Jiro with a huge lead and then going on the wind of Welter. And we had the same Roglich again this year. So I actually see this is a real step in stone up. He's 29, you know, he could have, like look, if I've already started, you know, he could have potentially 10 years here of real domination. It's 10 years since I've already won the Vuelta and he's pushing for the win again this year with second on GC. I think this could be the start of a really dominant Roglic and Yum Bohezma with Tom Dumland coming in. Like you look at the challengers, we've Carapaz, we Bernal, we've obviously Frim and Grant Thomas, But you need to be able to time trial like frame and Thomas can time trial but Roggutch and Tom doom like a time trial just as well. You've your burnout and your carapazas difficult difficult for them like we've seen with cantana that it is difficult to be just an out-and-out Climber and give away that two three minutes because I put you on the back foot and these riders like you know your frames They're rugglices they can climb so well that even for someone born and bred without the jude like cantana or burnout You know to take back two three minutes into high-mounds. It's a difficult difficult task So I'm totally looking forward to seeing Tom Dumlin coming in next year. It's going to be an interesting dynamic there and I think they will push team in EOS for dominance in the Peloton next year. We don't know the Reuters kind of caught my eye. I suppose you caught everyone's eye and that terrible white and blue polka dots shorts in Jersey. It was Jeffrey Bouchert who won the mountains jersey from AG2R. Great performance from them and I suppose maybe it's a tradition in AG2R where they do target us. Mountain series we'd birthday obviously win in the tour so that was interesting but I think without the doubt Pogakar has been the star Pogakar win the white jersey win tree stages he's been on the podium on the towards step Pogakar is getting my roadman of the Vuelta award Lopez for me was the disappointment that of Vuelta he came in with the favor tag a tough tactics from Astana were questionable hitting the race so hard and then Lopez getting you know feeling that pressure to attack early and just clearly not having the legs to carry that off. He's gone with the early attack but he's getting dropped down on the final climbs. Maybe without that pressure there he can follow on the final climbs and you let movies start to take it up and he's not feeling that pressure to split the race himself and take the whole race on. He's still a young kid, seems like a nice guy, maybe a little bit immature after the movie star road and the way he could have crashed that we talked about you know he's taking the Twitter and you know Rob was just just he's still focused on the task and he doesn't bother with that or as Lopez is getting kind of caught up on that stuff. In movie star one the team prize in the zero to tour and of Wilte that tells you how much it means to them. They're a team that's they've a long history they've been around like the same management there since the 80s with movie star and you know that same team they've won the tour back in 88 with Delgado and it's they're a proud tradition there you know you just need to see how popular Vavirte is among the Spanish fans and how much of a mainstream celebrity is rather thanishi celebrity you know here in Ireland we were obviously lucky to have some of the best writers in the world with Sam Bennett, Dan Martin, Nicholas Roch, but they're not mainstream celebrity you know like a soccer player would be over here you know, when you were near the fame or Roy Keane would have had when he was playing football or even somebody gay like footballers, but in Spain, Vavarde is his mainstream, you know, he's an institution himself and yeah, heading into worlds now, like who's to say Vavarde is not going to retain those rainbow-stroip season super form at the moment.
For me, worlds, it's Vavarde, Shilhbert, Saigon, Vanderpaul it's got…
For me, worlds, it's Vavarde, Shilhbert, Saigon, Vanderpaul it's got to be epic I can't wait for it. Tempted to go over is anyone going over? Let me know Performance outright just one stage that really stood out for me was Madrato from Borgoz win the stage Been in the break to get the mountains points getting dropped coming back getting dropped coming back trying to lead his teammate out And then just riding away it was absolutely brilliant TV and I think it's one that You know hopefully people make cool YouTube clips out of it and it serves as a bit of motivation for people going forward. A to the other trend we we kind of touched on the other day is you know Vanderpo win into the Britain, Pogakaro and so strong the two cyclocross boys so we are heading into cyclocrosses and now so I will do my best to keep you abreast as we transition back to the longer form podcasts. I'm probably gonna go Wednesday I think on the podcast for this week and we'll get back into the longer form ones and we will be keeping the abreast of the cycle across season as it goes and more so we'll be keeping the abreast of you know health, happiness, longevity and productivity style tips and how we can use cycling as a tool to achieve that stuff and I think once we start plugging into these tools for mindfulness, happiness, ideal ways, you know cycling performance becomes a very nice boy product. We don't set out to achieve just winning races because I think when we set out to achieve just winning races are going fast on a bike, it's often at the neglect of our health. It's often, you know, especially go to intestinal health, mental health oftentimes as well, resulting in poor sleep. But if we start the other way and we have as our focus, health, happiness and longevity that feeds into cycling and we can pull out some amazing performances as we're seeing with lines this year so it's it's flipping the paradigm and it's something I'm really gonna push heavy over the winter months so I hope you guys will join me on that journey and next from me you will hear is this week in the meantime I'm gonna get out our cycle across plan this week I'll be working away in the background even though you won't be hearing me every day like you're used to so I'd like to thank you for listening for the last three weeks It's been an enjoyable three weeks. It's been a rollercoaster and who knows we might be back for the 0 next year But until then I'll be back from the weekly podcast starting this Wednesday Thanks for listening and enjoy the ride