La Vuelta a España, in Holland?
La Vuelta a España in Holland!
So, La Vuelta a España started on Saturday in the Dutch town of Assen, joining in with the other Grand Tour by starting outside its borders. The Spanish Tour has done this once before, but it was still on the Iberian Peninsula; Lisbon in Portugal.
Anyway, here are my (rhetorical) questions: Why did it start in Assen? And why have an opening TT on the motor racing circuit?
After the motos (MotoGP bikes).
OK, I understand that money had a lot to do with it as I’m sure Assen paid well for the privilege of having the world press converge on this northern Dutch town, giving it the opportunity express its existence.
But in this time of crisis would the good Burgers of Assen maybe have been better to give hand-out to the poor, unemployed and other wise disenfranchised people, or does Assen not have any?
Yes, La Vuelta will bring in money to the hotels, shops and other services and it will put Assen on the map for a couple of days, the money could have gone more directly to where it could be used differently.
This brings me to my second question; why the Moto GP circuit? If Assen wanted to improve its tourism trade would it not have been a good idea to have the TT round it’s (probably, I don’t know) quaint, flower lined streets?
Think about it; The Tour de France decides to start in Edinburgh, the prologue could be along Princes Street and up The Mound, or from the Parliament up the Royal Mile to finish at the Castle, or Arthur’s Seat, the list is enormous. But Edinburgh council decides to have it out at Ingliston!
That is basically what it was like in Assen, I guess it was easy as there would be no road closures, policing and parking would be simple and they may have charges the 50,000 spectators entrance, but it’s not the same as a town centre course.
Now we have three flat stages in Holland, Germany and Belgium, at least Viktor will be happy till next week!
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Moto GP circuit was an odd choice indeed. Why piggy back onto another sport? It's not as if the Dutch haven't got any experience of managing ProTour races on the open road either! Road cycling prides itself as a sport of the people where 'the people' get to see it up close and personal at the roadsides - not stuck up in the stands behind Armco barriers and tyre walls. It all reminded me of when the Milk Race took a couple of laps around Brands Hatch one year. It smacked of doing it because they could - rather than because it was a good idea.