This is the home page of a fantasy cycling blog for the GreenWightRed velogames minileague for the 2022 Spanish Grand Tour (based on the Vuelta a España).
INDEX (to this page)
Daily Updates
Preamble and entering the mini-league
- Sign on to the GreenWightRed Velogames mini-league for the 2022 Vuelta (Countdown to Utrecht) – includes a welcome to all participating mini-league teams
Opening weekend (In The Netherlands): Stages 1-3
- Stage 1: Utrecht to Utrecht – Team Time Trial
- Stage 2: ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Utrecht – Flat
- Stage 3: Breda to Breda – Flat
Week 1 (FROM THE BASQUE COUNTRY TO ASTURIAS): Stages 4-9
- Stage 4: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia – Medium Mountains
- Stage 5: Irun to Bilbao – More Medium Mountains
- Stage 6: Bilbao to Pico Jano (San Miguel de Aguayo) – Proper Mountains
- Stage 7: Camargo to Cistierna – Medium Mountains
- Stage 8: La Pola Llaviana to Colláu Fancuaya – More Proper Mountains
- Stage 9: Villaviciosa to Les Praeres – Oh No Not More Mountains, Surely!
WEek 2 – Stages 10-15
- Stage 10: Elche to Alicante – Individual Time Trial
- Stage 11: ElPozo Alimentación to Cabo de Gata – Flat (at last!)
- Stage 12: Salobreña to Peñas Blancas – Medium Mountains
- Stage 13: Ronda to Montilla – Flat (c’mon, Sam! – oops: Sam’s gone home)
- Stage 14: Montoro to Sierra de La Pandera – Mountains
- Stage 15: Martos to Sierra Nevada – Mountains (the “Queen Stage”)
Week 3 – Stages 16-21
- Stage 16: Sanlúcar de Barrameda to Tomares – Flat
- Stage 17: Aracena to Monasterio de Tentudía – Flat
- Stage 18: Trujillo to Alto del Piornal – Mountains
- Stage 19: Talavera de la Reina to Talavera de la Reina – Medium Mountains
- Stage 20: Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada – Mountains
- Stage 21: Las Rozas to Madrid – Flat
External Links
- Velogames (how to enter your team): Velogames Fantasy Cycling 2022 | Fantasy Cycling 2022 Season
- La Vuelta – the official website of the Vuelta a España
- Preview statistics for La Vuelta ciclista a España 2022 (procyclingstats.com)
- Vuelta a España 2022 start list: All the riders expected to line up at the Spanish Grand Tour | Cycling Weekly
- 2022 Vuelta a España – Wikipedia
Mini-League History
My records go back to 2015 for la Vuelta a España and the mini-league has adopted several names over the years until settling as Green Wight Red in 2020 when Velogames retained the same leagues through the season. Here are the winners from the Archives:
- 2015 Bring on the Sangria (DS Helen) was the top team, demonstrating the importance of re-hydration in hot weather. This was in the Pequeña Oficina Política mini-league, when the league name was inspired by a chair-related emergency in the Systems Test Department(!)
- 2016 Chapeau el Cerveza (DS Bendey) won the following year, confirming that alcohol-inspired team names had a clear advantage [NOTE we do not endorse the consumption of alcohol and bike-riding and offer as evidence the unfortunate incident of Mr Dan Smith and a bollard on the Newport-Cowes cycle track.]
- 2017 Comfortably Mid-Table (DS Martin) triumphed with a different team name approach, much favoured by the Edge household, trying to distract the Fates with low expectations.
- 2018 Ciclominaccia (DS Stephen) was the best performing team in The Pain in Spain mini-league.
- 2019 Wooden Spoon Entry (DS Linda) also dodged the bad luck by employing nominative anti-determinism.
- 2020 It’s All Downhill From Here (DS Philippa) made it Team Brownlow 2 – Team Edge 2 in the year that the Vuelta was truncated by Covid-19, with only 18 stages.
- 2021 Thin Fat Boys (DS David) took the top spot. David is clearly the DS in form, holding the title for 2 out of the last 3 Grand Tour mini-leagues!
- 2022 …
A Word from the (Imaginary!) Sponsors
Those of us in awe of the astonishing achievements of these professional athletes over a 3 week race may appreciate a book I recently reviewed: Faster Higher Stronger – Welcome (grandpops-bookshelf.co.uk). And please feel free to browse my other book-based blog: Welcome to Grandpops’ Bookshelf – Welcome (grandpops-bookshelf.co.uk).