2011 Vuelta a España, Stage 19: Noja - Bilbao (158,5km)

[Descender]

2011 Vuelta a España, Stage 19: Noja - Bilbao (158,5km)

I'll just go ahead and open the thread for what's likely to be the last shot at the GC.

This is the last climb, the Alto del Vivero (climbed until "Vivero" on the profile).

Not the Mortirolo, but it's certainly feasible to get 13 seconds back on that climb.

The riders will then tackle the descent (I likes) and finish in the town of Bilbao, in a stage that will mark the return of the Vuelta to the Basque country after 33 years.

 

[luckyboy]

Can't see Froome breaking away and staying away for 14kms.

 

[roundabout]

Too far from the finish. Unless Froome will be himself, Nibali and Cancellara all in 1 package.

 

[hrotha]

Too far from the finish. Unless Froome will be himself, Nibali and Cancellara all in 1 package.

But we can't rule that out anymore, can we?

Regardless, it's 14 km, but it's a tricky finish. I wish Nibali was climbing better.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

hoping that wiggans cracks, mollema needs to take some risks if he wants podium.

 

[roundabout]

Yeah, I was just going to post that. it's only 24 seconds and Wiggins has been descending like a baby giraffe since his crash.

Maybe those naff (sorry!) stages turn out ok in the end.

 

[Merckx index]

Not the Mortirolo, but it's certainly feasible to get 13 seconds back on that climb.

Someone please explain to me:

After Angliru, Fromme trailed Cobo by 20 seconds. He picked up 2 seconds on an intermediate sprint on stage 16, but then lost two at the finish. So how does he go into today’s stage trailing by 22 instead of 20?

From the CN story:

Although he was thwarted in his hunt for the full six bonus seconds by the quick thinking of Cobo's teammate David De La Fuente, Froome did manage to pick up the two seconds on offer for third place behind Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervélo).

By the time the stage was done, however, Froome's hypothetical advantage would be wiped out. The Briton and his teammate Bradley Wiggins were caught behind when the peloton split on the high-speed run-in to the finishing line, and Froome handed back his short-lived two second gain to Cobo before it even registered with the time keepers.

If he handed back his gain, he should have been trailing by 20s going into today’s stage, and by 11s now, not 13s.

 

[hrotha]

Someone please explain to me:

After Angliru, Fromme trailed Cobo by 20 seconds. He picked up 2 seconds on an intermediate sprint on stage 16, but then lost two at the finish. So how does he go into today’s stage trailing by 22 instead of 20?

From the CN story:



If he handed back his gain, he should have been trailing by 20s going into today’s stage, and by 11s now, not 13s.

Froome didn't get those 2 seconds. Monfort did. And yesterday there were splits in the finish.

 

[roundabout]

Monfort was 3rd in that sprint not Froome. IIRC Froome was 4th.

Edit: Echo again

 

[eric_vv]

Geox protested the sprint result nad the jury decided it was Monfort in 3th so no bonus for Froome.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema please crack Wiggo (sorry Brits, but you already have Froome as certainty on the podium anyway)

 

[El Pistolero]

Geox complained and said it was Monfort who got third instead of Froome. The jury rewatched the video footage and Geox was right. Lot of fuss about nothing.

 

[El Pistolero]

Mollema please crack Wiggo (sorry Brits, but you already have Froome as certainty on the podium anyway)

Rather have Mollema or Menchov on the podium as well

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It seems to me Wiggins is 'fried' anyway. He is looking worse every mt stage.

 

[ParfaitAmour]

Aye, Wiggo looks done in.

 

[El Pistolero]

Going a little off topic, but I wonder who Bomans will pick now for the Belgian team at the Worlds.

Vansummeren, Monfort and Gilbert are the obvious choices here. Probably Greg van Avermaet as well. But Nick Nuyens and Stijn Devolder aren't doing a good Vuelta. So, still 4 people to pick. Thomas Degendt isn't good in one day races and he's already doing the time trial, so don't count on him.

Leukemans seems a reasonable guess as Gilbert will probably insist on him being there(and he's showing decent form of course). I would also take Vanendert even if it's a flat WC.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Take some good helpers.

Maarten Wynants is having a good season at Rabobank actually. Plus a guy like Kaisen

 

[El Pistolero]

Take some good helpers.

Maarten Wynants is having a good season at Rabobank actually. Plus a guy like Kaisen

Vansummeren, Monfort and Leukemans are good helpers though

 

[Nielsa]

Take some good helpers.

Maarten Wynants is having a good season at Rabobank actually. Plus a guy like Kaisen

Vanmarcke (aka Van Market) has been taking some turns at the front for Garmin, so at least it he looks like he has legs.

Wrong thread though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Vansummeren, Monfort and Leukemans are good helpers though

Vansummeren and Monfort maybe. Leukemans is another one of those guys like Nuyens who wants to be captain anyway and would ignore team orders in the end. That happened a lot with Belgium in the recent past. Too many think of their own result.

 

[El Pistolero]

Vansummeren and Monfort maybe. Leukemans is another one of those guys like Nuyens who wants to be captain anyway and would ignore team orders in the end. That happened a lot with Belgium in the recent past. Too many think of their own result.

Nah, Leukemans doesn't mind working for Gilbert. Even when he's on a different team.

 

[William H]

It seems to me Wiggins is 'fried' anyway. He is looking worse every mt stage.

He wasn't doing very well on the steep explosive finishes at the start of the race, either.

 

[Poursuivant]

I think Mollema will lodium, he will go over the mountain before Wiggins and certainly descend better. He has been great Mollema, but I hope Wiggins holds on, been a tough few months for him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lombardia will be interesting with Poels and Mollema coming out of a good Vuelta. Let's see how much they've improved. I also hope Europcar is invited with Thomas Voeckler.

Oh, and Pablo Lastras. Came third last year and is now riding an incredible Vuelta.

 

[Swede1]

I hope Cobo defends the red tomorrow. I think he really deserves this one. Although I hope Froome tries multiple times to win! Also, i'd like to see Menchov take a stage win. Maybe if its a group of 10 coming to the line, Cobo will project Menchov off the front and mess up a chase