2010 Vuelta al Pais Vasco

[ferryman]

My tuppence worth if that's ok.

On first viewing it's a def DSQ. Then, the behind the sprint slow mos come on and it's Hmmmm! Freire does an irregular sprint no doubt. Valverde chooses the same line as Oscar as he is boxed in by his teamate. I think the fairly violent switch of line when he does this makes it look worse than it was, given Freire's chosen line (wind pushed or not).

BUT it did look like the speed he had he was going to make the win.

So, in conclusion and in my op, I'm glad I didn't have to call it, but correct decision!!

 

[michaeld]

The rule is deviation in the final 200m of the line. It doesn't matter what side of you the riders behind were on.

 

[Ferminal]

Wiggins, Sanchez, Lövkvist at 1:39
Klöden, Mosquera at 2:40
Rogers, Zabriske at 9:08

 

[Anonymous]

Full disclosure: I don't think Valvpiti should be racing because he is a doping cheat who needs to serve his time. Therefore nothing that happens to him in a race should advance his cause or placing. Dirtbag needs to be suspended, and this win should be taken away.

 

[auscyclefan94]

You must have watched a different video, how I saw it Valverde was on Oscar's wheel then moved to the left of freire then Oscar moved left and blocked Valverde thus relegating him

Freire deserves a medal for doing that to valverde!!!! Shame valverde didn't crash. On a serious note freire was in the wrong, but he still would of won. Ferminal, rogers said he is going here for km's in the legs.

Interesting that valverde doesn't like it when others "cheat" like freire did. Kettle black in my opinion.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Must be honest, it looks worse on watching it again.
Valverde does switch from right to left, just as Freire goes left.
He does so because Uran appeared to be moving towards the left hand barrier, leaving no room, then, he straightens up.
Freire keeps going left and doesn't straighten.


Whatever, time to move on to stage 2...........

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Besides the sprint, what a dangerous final descent, and winding through the city streets... wow,some highly skilled bike riders.

The way the camara moved around in the descent I could tell the moto and camaraman were concerned.

Yup, and Intxausti, Velasco, Horner and Vandenbroeck even lost contact in the downhill.
Now hopefully people will stop saying Gesink or F.Schleck can't do a downhill, because they followed easily in this technical descent.

Some riders get the 'can't do this or that' label too quickly after a fall or 1 bad downhill.

 

[Mellow Velo]

It was noticeable that none of the 4 tailed off were taking any risks.
I think calling Frank Schleck a good downhiller is pushing the envelope.

 

[Aguirre]

hello everybody

today's stage finish is uphill, 1 km, and tricky, time for revenge? I predict i tight sprint in between Valverde, freire, sammy and Kolobnev

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yup, and Intxausti, Velasco, Horner and Vandenbroeck even lost contact in the downhill.
Now hopefully people will stop saying Gesink or F.Schleck can't do a downhill, because they followed easily in this technical descent.

Some riders get the 'can't do this or that' label too quickly after a fall or 1 bad downhill.

I've seen gesink be aggressive on downhills many times before, this false rumor all comes down to paris-nice.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

there goes my gc pick in a prediction game on another forum.

not sure how seriously wiggo is taking this, but to lose time to lots of contenders cant be great?

Other then the tour wiggo really hasn't shown a whole lot in hilly/mountainous stage races. Kinda guy who has to peak to be good i think.

 

[Bala Verde]

Freire deserves a medal for doing that to valverde!!!! Shame valverde didn't crash. On a serious note freire was in the wrong, but he still would of won. Ferminal, rogers said he is going here for km's in the legs.

Interesting that valverde doesn't like it when others "cheat" like freire did. Kettle black in my opinion.

Really, as a cycling fan you wished Valverde crashed in the barriers? Let me remind you what what that looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pya6ZVW-oKg&feature=related

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBtCaLYFKjo&feature=related

 

[Angliru]

For those who no hablan español:

Freire complains he wasn't even told the win had been taken from him.
He does, however, concede the sprint was irregular. He blames the wind for it.

Not many sprinters would admit their error like that. Oscar's a class act. I would hope that this puts an end to the debate.

 

[issoisso]

It was noticeable that none of the 4 tailed off were taking any risks.
I think calling Frank Schleck a good downhiller is pushing the envelope.

It's not like he crashed once. He's done it quite a bit.
Plus, at the Tour when the peloton was asked to vote for the worst and best downhiller among them, Frank was the only one who got anywhere close to Moncoutié. For worst, obviously.

 

[Angliru]

Edit:

Freire deserves a medal for doing that to valverde!!!! Shame valverde didn't crash. On a serious note freire was in the wrong, but he still would of won. Ferminal, rogers said he is going here for km's in the legs.

Odd statement considering the unwarranted drama from Evans at Gesink in the Vuelta last year after a sprint for the line. Wishing harm on a rider regardless of your personal feelings for him is over the top even if you imply that you weren't really serious.

 

[Publicus]

No Astana in the front groups

I suspect Astana is riding this race SOLELY for training purposes. David DLF is just now back on the bike after a serious knee problem and they really don't have anyone for the general classification. These same folks will likely ride with AC at Castilla y Leon in a couple of weeks.

I wouldn't expect much, if anything, from them this week.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Edit:


Odd statement considering the unwarranted drama from Evans at Gesink in the Vuelta last year after a sprint for the line. Wishing harm on a rider regardless of your personal feelings for him is over the top even if you imply that you weren't really serious.

Really, as a cycling fan you wished Valverde crashed in the barriers? Let me remind you what what that looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pya6ZVW-oKg&feature=related

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBtCaLYFKjo&feature=related

Sorry, should of put joke in brackets but i find it hard to stand and watch this guy win. I wear my heart on my sleeves and sometimes that comes across as aggressive.

Sorry to drag evans in this but I have had people say the same things about evans and say they have nothing nice to say about him and the same people who are critical of me now standby and say nothing about that. Double standards depending on the rider and the poster because it is easier to have a go at me because I put out a strong feeling for a rider I like which others may not like. Seems fair? I think not...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't wish harm on Evans, and I haven't seen anyone else do so either. I've seen a couple wish failure on him, but wishing failure on somebody is different from wishing great pain and injury on them. If you want Valverde to fail and fail miserably? I can understand and respect that. He's certainly a character that inspires a lot of antipathy. But to wish pain on him is rather over the top.

So don't play the "people are ganging up on me" card. If you didn't make yourself so easy to wind up, maybe people wouldn't do it so much. After all, the way you write it, Evans is some kind of superhuman supergod who has been deliberately screwed out of winning every race ever by the UCI, ASO, his teammates, team manager, Spain, and the concept of bicycle racing, just for the love of screwing Evans over. It's a loyalty that verges on the obsessive devotion, and it seems to have blurred your distinction of what is a criticism of Evans and what is a criticism of you yourself - worse, it's blurred the lines on the boards and I dare say that your doe-eyed devotion has helped cause some of that antipathy towards Evans.

But anybody who's a bike racing fan shouldn't be wishing crashes and pain on other competitors. Not even Riccò.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I don't wish harm on Evans, and I haven't seen anyone else do so either. I've seen a couple wish failure on him, but wishing failure on somebody is different from wishing great pain and injury on them. If you want Valverde to fail and fail miserably? I can understand and respect that. He's certainly a character that inspires a lot of antipathy. But to wish pain on him is rather over the top.

But anybody who's a bike racing fan shouldn't be wishing crashes and pain on other competitors. Not even Riccò.

wasn't reffering to you. two certain posters wished physical injury. i only post about evans on appropriate threads or when it is appropriate to refer to him in response to someone. you can' tell me there aren't double standards in this forum for me and then for others.

 

[No_Balls]

I don't wish harm on Evans, and I haven't seen anyone else do so either. I've seen a couple wish failure on him, but wishing failure on somebody is different from wishing great pain and injury on them. If you want Valverde to fail and fail miserably? I can understand and respect that. He's certainly a character that inspires a lot of antipathy. But to wish pain on him is rather over the top.

So don't play the "people are ganging up on me" card. If you didn't make yourself so easy to wind up, maybe people wouldn't do it so much. After all, the way you write it, Evans is some kind of superhuman supergod who has been deliberately screwed out of winning every race ever by the UCI, ASO, his teammates, team manager, Spain, and the concept of bicycle racing, just for the love of screwing Evans over. It's a loyalty that verges on the obsessive devotion, and it seems to have blurred your distinction of what is a criticism of Evans and what is a criticism of you yourself - worse, it's blurred the lines on the boards and I dare say that your doe-eyed devotion has helped cause some of that antipathy towards Evans.

But anybody who's a bike racing fan shouldn't be wishing crashes and pain on other competitors. Not even Riccò.

You nailed it. While this aussie-freak "wears his hearts on the sleeves" his only hope could be crashes and pain against Evans contenders given this world-wide spanish cycling-conspiracy. Poor Evans.

 

[auscyclefan94]

You nailed it. While this aussie-freak "wears his hearts on the sleeves" his only hope could be crashes and pain against Evans contenders given this world-wide spanish cycling-conspiracy.

No you tool, it wouldn't feel that prestigious or fufilling if everyone crashed and evans won. I want him to win by being the best.

valverde again for the win tonight!

 

[Moondance]

No you tool, it wouldn't feel that prestigious or fufilling if everyone crashed and evans won. I want him to win by being the best.

valverde again for the win tonight!

You mean this afternoon, right?

 

[auscyclefan94]

You mean this afternoon, right?

in my timezone it is tonight as it is 11:26pm

 

[Jamsque]

Mick Rodgers, Amets Txurruka and Jose Benitez are the break of the day, they've got seven and a half minutes.

 

[Moondance]

in my timezone it is tonight as it is 11:26pm

I know; was teasing....

It really must be a ***** to watch the European races. My sympathies.