Vuelta 2015

It's not long now!

Have any teams announced yet who they're taking?

Froome, Quintana, Valverde, Rodriguez, Nibali and Van Garderen have all announced (or are in provisional squads). Quite looking forward to this!

So Quintana and Valverde again. Is Quintana leader again, or are they doing the dual-leader thing?

I'm off to Malaga to see the end of the third stage. I am hoping to have my photo taken with either Gary Imlach or Caja Rural, either will do. Wish me luck!

A bit of controversy going on over stage 1 and the ttt now not counting towards overall time as it runs through sand and pontoons near a beach.

The first week is loaded with a shed load of mountains.

Might have to be Caja Rural, I don't think ITV send people to Spain, it's all studio based. (Or certainly is usually.)

1 hour post race coverage on itv 4 using a previous drugged up tall mule as commentator (not paula)

Yes, it was last year, but I'm hoping Froome's participation as reigning Tour de France winner might encourage them to splash out a bit.

Sagan talks like Borat

I really like Sagan, seems like a real underdog. Bridesmaid complex

That's a new development in his career. But like Cav, it's made him a much more likable person. He was on form during the post race Eurosport interview.

Ivan Basso will be at LMNH later during Vuelta coverage

I'm loving this start to the race. I've ridden a lot of the roads on today's stage, and tomorrow's stage features the first big mountain I ever rode up. It's not huge - think it scrapes in as a Strava HC, but it's called a cat 1 tomorrow. 15km at 6%, not the most taxing - but I reckon it'll think the peloton out a lot. Not exactly a sprinter's dream stage, even though it's flat for the second half.

Nibali disqualified for big dose of sticky bottle
http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/08/news/nibali-faces-race-jury-over-chase-back-to-bunch-following-crash_382368

Was surprised by the harshness of that...until I watched the vid.

Video was bonkers. Surely they didn't think that they had any chance of avoiding being caught?!

I'm rooting for Landa this Vuelta. I want him to beat Froome in the mountains, and then rock up at Sky next year and demand leadership for the tour :-)

He was found lacking yesterday, got dropped on the climb.

I'm watching the itv4 highlights a day behind so haven't seen that yet :-)

What a nibali

The watts zap of all the crashes.... D:

Good for Sagan. Was hoping for Bouhanni.

what do you like about Bouhanni?

He's on my fantasy team.

Don't have any reason to like or dislike him. There was that stuff bad mouthing him in the Secret Pro, but that just made the author look like a cunt and had zero impact on my feelings about Bouhanni.

I just realised Nibbles was in my fantasy team :( I don't even like him