2011 Vuelta a España Stage 20: Bilbao → Vitoria, 185km

[auscyclefan94]

2011 Vuelta a España Stage 20: Bilbao → Vitoria, 185km

2011 Vuelta a España Stage 20: Bilbao → Vitoria, 185km

Who will win this Vuelta? Froome or Cobo?

Who will take the final podium spot? Mollema or Wiggins?

We have a four way battle today which will make the stage aggressive.

 

[zapata]

That's a weird profile. Txurruka for the win.

 

[jordan5000]

Why would they make the final climb so far from the finish, it makes it less decisive. Either way I`m cheering for Froome but Cobo should win.

 

[Swede1]

IS that final climb more than 40k away from the line? Its actually a pretty hard climb that could be exciting to watch if people attack. If they race hard in the beginning then possibly Sky could try to make a hard race with lofkvist/possoni, and then launch Wiggins on that climb. Maybe he stays away for 15 k and then gets pulled back by Geox, which is followed by a Froome suprise attack on a small hill! For the record I still want Cobo to win, he definitely deserves it after how he has ridden.

 

[Mambo95]

I can't tell you how much I want Amets Txurruka to win a race - and this would be a fantastic one for him to break his duck.

 

[cineteq]

I can't tell you how much I want Amets Txurruka to win a race - and this would be a fantastic one for him to break his duck.

A little bit of forshadowing here:
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/...011/analisis-20-etapa-bilbao-vitoria/1193400/

 

[greenedge]

I really want Froome to win if just for the fact he has worked so hard every stage.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I really want Froome to win if just for the fact he has worked so hard every stage.

cobo hasn't?

Cobo had to attack more to win back the time lost from the tt.

 

[craig1985]

What a lame stage profile. Surely they must have a steep little hill or something to make it interesting in the last km or two.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

What a lame stage profile. Surely they must have a steep little hill or something to make it interesting in the last km or two.

dunno if there is suitable town near the climb, but it could have been a pretty sweet finish to the vuelta if the finish was close to Urkiola

 

[The Hitch]

What a lame stage profile. Surely they must have a steep little hill or something to make it interesting in the last km or two.

Well to be fair not every stage can be an mtf, and as long as its not a pan flat, im willing to give it a try.

Im intrigued as to who can win.

It would be better if the climb was a bit closer as no one expects Froome to do a 40k tt but what the Vuelta have done is moved the mountain stages (eg Frapona, Sierra Nevada) earlier and put the other stages into the 3rd week. An interesting tactic as it allows more use of the secondary stages. If this stage was in week 1 it would not look out of place.

Also someone said Vuelta didnt want Pais Vasco to host any major stages in case they had to be cancelled.

If i were sky i would pace it hard up all climbs so that the group at the finish is small enough that Froome can try for a stage win.

It wont work but you can get a lot of fans by trying stuff like that.

 

[dlwssonic]

They really know how to misuse the basque terrain

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

To be fair just being I'n the basque region is a significance I'n itself.

 

[mewmewmew13]

I don't know quite what to make of this stage...
it looks hard but is the profile misleading? and the long flat final k's.
I think Cobo will hold his lead but I guess anything can happen in this stage?!
we'll see!!

 

[Swede1]

Well to be fair not every stage can be an mtf, and as long as its not a pan flat, im willing to give it a try.

Im intrigued as to who can win.

It would be better if the climb was a bit closer as no one expects Froome to do a 40k tt but what the Vuelta have done is moved the mountain stages (eg Frapona, Sierra Nevada) earlier and put the other stages into the 3rd week. An interesting tactic as it allows more use of the secondary stages. If this stage was in week 1 it would not look out of place.

Also someone said Vuelta didnt want Pais Vasco to host any major stages in case they had to be cancelled.

If i were sky i would pace it hard up all climbs so that the group at the finish is small enough that Froome can try for a stage win.

It wont work but you can get a lot of fans by trying stuff like that.

Its just that sky doesnt have a strong enough team to keep up the pace for that long and Geox will not help at all. People like sagan will catch back on with the help of liqui which is stronger than sky.

 

[auscyclefan94]

sky need to split things up early. Set a real hard tempo and Froome/Wiggins need to put in an early attack. They need to go from a long way out imo to get rid of Cobo's team mates and then they can work over Wiggins. If Cobo has some team mates with him over the top of the Urikiola then they have no hope of staying away.

 

[craig1985]

Well to be fair not every stage can be an mtf, and as long as its not a pan flat, im willing to give it a try.

Im intrigued as to who can win.

It would be better if the climb was a bit closer as no one expects Froome to do a 40k tt but what the Vuelta have done is moved the mountain stages (eg Frapona, Sierra Nevada) earlier and put the other stages into the 3rd week. An interesting tactic as it allows more use of the secondary stages. If this stage was in week 1 it would not look out of place.

Also someone said Vuelta didnt want Pais Vasco to host any major stages in case they had to be cancelled.

If i were sky i would pace it hard up all climbs so that the group at the finish is small enough that Froome can try for a stage win.

It wont work but you can get a lot of fans by trying stuff like that.

No of course not, but something like the San Lorenzo finish that J-Rod won is pretty cool.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

If i were sky i would pace it hard up all climbs so that the group at the finish is small enough that Froome can try for a stage win.

It wont work but you can get a lot of fans by trying stuff like that.

Froome trying for a stage win this way may be the best Sky can hope for, because I don't think Sky is going to be able to shed Cobo even if Cobo has no team with him.

 

[Sasquatch]

Benat Intxausti takes this from a breakaway ahead of Txurruka and Paulinho.

 

[3wheeler]

Pity Sky have the second String Team Here... GT would of been a Big Asset on this Tour... Could of put in some more damaging Attacks etc etc and not got shelled... Think Cobo is still Beatable if Attacked properly.. Not sure Sky have enough ammo in the team though..

 

[El Pistolero]

Should have made a finish in San Sebastian.

 

[Tank Engine]

sky need to split things up early. Set a real hard tempo and Froome/Wiggins need to put in an early attack. They need to go from a long way out imo to get rid of Cobo's team mates and then they can work over Wiggins. If Cobo has some team mates with him over the top of the Urikiola then they have no hope of staying away.

To be honest, Sky will burn themselves out before getting rid of Geox (when Lokvist pulled over yesterday there were still 3 Geox guys with Cobo). However, I guess their only real chance is to try a give Froome a chance of winning the stage (i.e. they have to ride hard), but I reckon it's going to end like yesterday. Sylvain ftw.

 

[Tank Engine]

Pity Sky have the second String Team Here... GT would of been a Big Asset on this Tour... Could of put in some more damaging Attacks etc etc and not got shelled... Think Cobo is still Beatable if Attacked properly.. Not sure Sky have enough ammo in the team though..

Maybe, but GT definitely peaked for the Tour and would not have been so good for the Vuelta.. After watching yesterday's stage, I agree (unfortunately) that they don't have the ammo.

 

[roundabout]

Cobo has to blow up himself for Sky/Froome to have any chance. Anything else is going into wishful thinking territory.

 

[Descender]

The finish had to be in Vitoria (the capital of the Basque Country) because that's what the Basque authorities wanted: finishes in Bilbao and Vitoria.

And there is no single climb close to Vitoria, it's panflat down there.

Also, there was a significant risk (I guess there still is) that these two stages had to be cancelled like the last ones in the area in 1978, so the organisers didn't want to make any important stage for the GC since that would adulterate the race a lot should they have to be cancelled.

Now about the stage, I honestly think Sky should forget about the finish line and concentrate on Froome attacking on the small climbs right before the intermediate sprints.