Vuelta a Andalucia

I love a good Spanish race with lots of Spanish names like Valverde and Wiggins Who doesn't?....

So why not another Forum Competition?

It's enough to drive you crazy, but here goes!

The Vuelta a Andalucia runs from Wednesday February 19 to Sunday February 23 2014

And who doesn't like a hilly, mountainous route? I do. So, yep, in the middle of the chaos of Premium players playing the Volta Algarve on top of the Tour of Oman, I offer the forum diehards the opportunity to burn their brains following yet another stage race - the Vuelta a Andalucia! Crazy, right?

Here's what it looks like *rubbing my hands with anticipation*

7.3 Km Prologue
Stage 1 Cat 1 Cat 3 Cat 3 Cat 2 Cat 2 Cat 3 Hilltop Finish
Stage 2 Cat 3 Cat 3 Cat 1 Summit Finish
Stage 3 Cat 3 Cat 3 Flat Finish
Stage 4 Cat 1 Cat 3 Cat 3 Flat Finish

Check out the profiles here:

http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/

Just click on the Stage you want to see to see the profiles.

Obviously, it's got a start list with some pretty good names that are not going to Oman or the Volta Algarve - Valverde, Wiggins, Porte, Fuglsang, Scarponi, Mollema, Kittel, and Boassen Hagen. Pretty good names!

So, who's in? Anybody? I won't blame you if you bow out! I know it's a lot of racing, but if you want to join the fun, you're welcome to give it a cursory shot! At stake is nothing more than the pride and honor of winning a Forum Based Competition on a very prestigious cycling website (this one, namely Road.cc, of course!) Happy Hunting!

Rider values
Alejandro Valverde Movistar Team 31.5
Richie Porte Team Sky 25.7
Bradley Wiggins Team Sky 24.3
Bauke Mollema Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 22.9
Michele Scarponi Astana Pro Team 22.7
Marcel Kittel Team Giant-Shimano 22.7
Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Sky 22.6
Julian David Arredondo Trek Factory Racing 19.0
Gerald Ciolek MTN - Qhubeka 18.6
Geraint Thomas Team Sky 17.8
Daniel Navarro Cofidis, Solutions Créd 17.2
Jose Herrada Movistar Team 16.8
Tanel Kangert Astana Pro Team 16.6
Luka Mezgec Team Giant-Shimano 16.6
Julien Simon Cofidis, Solutions Créd 16.4
Amets Txurruka Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 15.8
Tom Dumoulin Team Giant-Shimano 15.7
Laurens Ten DaM Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 15.5
Jakob Fuglsang Astana Pro Team 15.4
Jon Izagirre Movistar Team 15.3
Kevin Seeldraeyers Wanty - Groupe Gobert 15.3
Bart De Clercq Lotto Belisol 15.1
Simon Geschke Team Giant-Shimano 14.5
Javier Moreno Movistar Team 14.2
Eros Capecchi Movistar Team 13.6
Greg Henderson Lotto Belisol 13.1
Sergio Pardilla MTN - Qhubeka 12.8
Jens Debusschere Lotto Belisol 12.7
Vasil Kiryienka Team Sky 12.6
Moreno Hofland Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 12.5
Haimar Zubeldia Trek Factory Racing 11.5
David Arroyo Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 11.3
Davide Rebellin CCC Polsat Polkowice 11.3
Jens Voigt Trek Factory Racing 11.3
Maxime Monfort Lotto Belisol 11.2
Nikias Arndt Team Giant-Shimano 11.2
Alexey Lutsenko Astana Pro Team 11.0
Imanol Erviti Movistar Team 11.0
Luis Leon Sanchez Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 10.9
Kristof Vandewalle Trek Factory Racing 10.8
Philip Deignan Team Sky 10.5
Jose Ivan Gutierrez Movistar Team 10.4
Fredrik Kessiakoff Astana Pro Team 9.9
Tom Veelers Team Giant-Shimano 9.1
Markel Irizar Trek Factory Racing 9.1
Peter Kennaugh Team Sky 9.0
Antonio Piedra Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 8.6
Stephane Poulhies Cofidis, Solutions Créd 8.4
Danilo Hondo Trek Factory Racing 8.4
Maciej Paterski CCC Polsat Polkowice 8.3
Laurent Didier Trek Factory Racing 8.2
Andrea Peron Team Novo Nordisk 8.1
Ruben Plaza Movistar Team 7.7
Davide Vigano Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 7.1
David Tanner Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 7.0
Bartlomiej Matysiak CCC Polsat Polkowice 7.0
Luis Angel Mate Cofidis, Solutions Créd 7.0
Yoann Bagot Cofidis, Solutions Créd 6.8
Dmitriy Gruzdev Astana Pro Team 6.7
Andrey Zeits Astana Pro Team 6.6
Lars Petter Nordhaug Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 6.5
Tim Declercq Topsport Vlaanderen - B 6.5
Frederik Willems Lotto Belisol 6.4
Tim Wellens Lotto Belisol 5.8
Nico Sijmens Wanty - Groupe Gobert 5.8
Martijn Verschoor Team Novo Nordisk 5.6
Kenneth Vanbilsen Topsport Vlaanderen - B 5.5
Jacek Morajko CCC Polsat Polkowice 5.3
Thomas Degand Wanty - Groupe Gobert 4.8
Jonathan Hivert Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 4.7
Tom Van Asbroeck Topsport Vlaanderen - B 4.3
Francis De Greef Wanty - Groupe Gobert 4.2
Marcos Garcia Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 4.0
Andreas Stauff MTN - Qhubeka 4.0
Jaco Venter MTN - Qhubeka 4.0
Romain Zingle Cofidis, Solutions Créd 3.7
Mateusz Taciak CCC Polsat Polkowice 3.4
Jelle Vanendert Lotto Belisol 3.4
Pawel Franczak ActiveJet Team 3.3
Gregory Habeaux Wanty - Groupe Gobert 3.1
Jesus Ezquerra ActiveJet Team 3.0
Mario Gonzalez ActiveJet Team 3.0
David Muntaner ActiveJet Team 3.0
Lukasz Bodnar ActiveJet Team 3.0
Emanuel Piaskowy ActiveJet Team 3.0
Michal Podlaski ActiveJet Team 3.0
Nick Van Der Lijke Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 3.0
Lluís Guillermo Mas Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 3.0
Adrian Honkisz CCC Polsat Polkowice 3.0
Branislau Samoilau CCC Polsat Polkowice 3.0
Edwig Cammaerts Cofidis, Solutions Créd 3.0
Alvaro Cuadros Etixx 3.0
Lukasz Wisniowski Etixx 3.0
Alexis Guerin Etixx 3.0
Daniel Hoelgaard Etixx 3.0
Markus Hoelgaard Etixx 3.0
Tim Kerkhof Etixx 3.0
Samuel Spokes Etixx 3.0
Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez Euskadi 3.0
Jon Aberasturi Euskadi 3.0
Carlos Barbero Euskadi 3.0
Jon Larrinaga Euskadi 3.0
Miguel Minguez Euskadi 3.0
Haritz Orbe Euskadi 3.0
Beñat Txoperena Euskadi 3.0
Linus Gerdemann MTN - Qhubeka 3.0
Ignatas Konovalovas MTN - Qhubeka 3.0
Daniel Teklehaimanot MTN - Qhubeka 3.0
Merijn Korevaar Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Emiel Dolfsma Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Piotr Havik Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Lennard Hofstede Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Bert-Jan Lindeman Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Ivar Slik Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Martijn Tusveld Rabobank Development Team 3.0
Byron Patricio Guama Team Ecuador 3.0
Jose Ragonessi Team Ecuador 3.0
Segundo Navarrete Team Ecuador 3.0
Jaume Rovira Pous Team Ecuador 3.0
Jordi Simon Team Ecuador 3.0
Pablo Hidalgo Team Ecuador 3.0
Isaac Carbonell Team Ecuador 3.0
Daan Olivier Team Giant-Shimano 3.0
Javier Megias Leal Team Novo Nordisk 3.0
David Lozano Riba Team Novo Nordisk 3.0
Joonas Henttala Team Novo Nordisk 3.0
Kevin De Mesmaeker Team Novo Nordisk 3.0
Christopher Williams Team Novo Nordisk 3.0
Stijn Steels Topsport Vlaanderen - B 3.0
Victor Campenaerts Topsport Vlaanderen - B 3.0
Yves Lampaert Topsport Vlaanderen - B 3.0
Edward Theuns Topsport Vlaanderen - B 3.0
Roy Jans Wanty - Groupe Gobert 3.0
Kevin Van Melsen Wanty - Groupe Gobert 3.0

The budget will be the always lovely 150.00 credits.

The deadline to enter a team will be the start of the Prologue (TBA)

Scoring this might be crazy, but I hope Cyclingnews.com and/or http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/ will provide all the Intermediate Sprint and KOM info!

Here's cyclingnews.com coverage of the race last year, won by Valverde:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-so...

Thanks!