GreenWightRed

Countdown to Utrecht

Map of the first three stages of the 2022 Vuelta (taken from the official website)
  • 7 mountain stages
  • 6 flat stages
  • 5 former champions
  • 4 hilly stages
  • 3 rest days
  • 2 flat stages with high-altitude finales
  • 1 team trial in Utrecht!

The 2022 edition begins far from home again – a theme of all the Grand Tours this year – with 3 days in The Netherlands.

Sign on to the Velogames Vuelta a España GreenWightRed minileague

I hope no-one is suffering from Sports Fatigue after an amazing Summer (the Tour, the Athletics World Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the wonderful Women’s Euros, Test Matches, The Hundred, the Chess Olympiad … or was that just me?) and now the Football Season has started in August?!? Well anyway, you are invited to take part in the third Grand Tour fantasy cycling game of the year. This is your opportunity to shine – your next bid for immortality or at least bragging rights at the water-cooler: the 2022 Vuelta a España in the GreenWightRed minileague.

The race starts FRIDAY 19th AUGUST with a deadline of 18:15 CEST (that’s 17:15 BST) for team entry at Velogames Spain 2022 | Velogames Fantasy Cycling | when the Spanish race gets underway in Nederland. PS don’t mention that the Spanish Habsburgs used to rule the Low Countries – but I think that’s nearly patched up now after just four and a half centuries.

Joining the game is free. It is low maintenance – just pick a team and trust that some of them don’t fall off before Madrid! If you took part in the GreenWightRed minileague for the Giro d’Italia or the Tour de France then your team should automatically be entered again. Otherwise, once you’ve got a team (choose a good name and select a nice jumper for them all to wear) then please enter your team of heroes using the details below.

Minileague details:

You can choose and change the riders in your fantasy team until the deadline above. Only then will they be revealed to anyone else.

Feel free to forward this invitation to friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, distant relatives, everyone on the beach, stamp club (OK, just me again…) 

Enjoy!

Team entries to date…

  • Velo Espana (DS Paul) – of the many and varied Pauls of our mutual acquaintance, I confidently predict that this is Mr M (a.k.a. “Goldie”). I look forward to seeing what alliterative or otherwise alphabetically themed rider selection he has used this time.
  • The Pain in Spain (DS me) – “The Rain in Spain stays invariably over the hills on the North coast – the Cantabrian highlands and the Picos de Europa in Asturias” (hence the “Costa Verde”). And speaking of rain, are these rumoured thunderstorms going to come to anything this week? My arms are 2 inches longer now from watering the courgettes.
  • ThinFatBoys (DS David) – welcome back to the TFB’s fresh from their triumph at the Tour mini-league.
  • ¡Llama a la llama en llamas! (DS Dale) – if I understand this name aright, then it’s a very useful phrase if you need to get help because you llama has burst into flames. There are many hazards in a Grand Tour but this not usually one of them.
  • Team Ciclominaccia (DS Stephen) – Classic. Strong. Always thereabouts.
  • Vuelta Siesta (DS Bendey) – well, it looks like Matt’s got some restful afternoons planned. Better schedule any meetings before lunch, folks!
  • posiblemente el último (DS Callan) – I do love the team names designed to deflect the cycling demons. Good luck, Callan!
  • It’s all downhill from here (DS Philippa) – tell me, Philippa, does the team name mean it’s all getting better or worse? Or deliciously ambiguous, perhaps?!
  • Engranajes para los miedos (DS Martin) – top points for ingenious team name, Mr Edge: inspiration from a 90’s synth-pop band…
  • Cuchara de Madera aqui (DS Linda) – … likewise “Wooden Spoon here” sounds so much more exotic in Spanish! Hmmm perhaps a real wooden spoon should be awarded again this time.
  • Just eat the dam porridge (DS Dr James) – The innovative approaches to alternative lubrication technology has been abandoned this time for a new nutrition plan for Dr James’ riders. If it doesn’t work, there might be a wooden spoon to stir the porridge with.
  • Dream Catcher (DS David E) – welcome, Dave! Your team was the last to appear in the mini-league before the Stage 1 points were in. The Team of Dreams looks packed with stars, and I admire someone with conviction to use only 98 of their 100 points. Bravo!

Thanks everyone for joining in. (I do love a good spreadsheet…)

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