2011 Vuelta a Espana Stage 10: Salamanca ITT, 47km (28/9)

[canyonball]

Portugal's TT Champion.

Also has an interisting palmares at the espoirs. Worth a check.

 

[Moondance]

Hey it's the Panzerwagen.

 

[Fetisoff]

Purito only gives 3 minutes to Nibali, could have been a lot worse. Would have taken that two days ago but obviously yesterday makes this all rather irrelevant.

Well, tbh I'm still somewhat hopeful. He's gotten his one stage meltdown, and his TT meltdown out of the way, and three minutes is still somewhat manageable, especially considering Nibali has shown weakness too.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema can still win the Vuelta

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Mollema only 47 seconds behind wiggo = very good for him .

Lot of climbing to happen, who ever wins it at this point, is going to be a worthy winner in regards to all areas of the race.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Absolutely I am surprised, but this hasn't come out of nowhere. Froome has always been a good climber and a good TT rider, he's clearly made a step up this Vuelta but it is nothing 'extra-terrestrial'.

Certainly not anything more crazy than Velits' win last year. The Vuelta does seem to produce some unusual results as you have some specialists in Worlds prep mode and some others peaking. This is just in that tradition I guess. I mean, in 2008 Sylvain Chavanel was only a couple of seconds off Leipheimer in a 42km ITT in week 1, and in 2009 David Herrero got in the top 10 of all 3 ITTs.

Anyway, Nibali was my favourite for the win now, and he's even more of my favourite now that he's only 11 seconds behind Wiggins after the ITT.

I said he wouldn't lose 2 minutes, and some (not you) rubbished me. Wiggins is going to have to work REALLY hard on La Manzaneda to push Nibali back, definitely.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Sky will presumably now be forced to give the two of them equal billing until someone cracks. They'll have to hope the situation spurs both of them on.

 

[Lexman]

Now for the best part of the Vuelta:


Podium girls

I fully agree!!

 

[Jamsque]

Discounting the Spanish?

Ahaahhahaha. Good one.

 

[spalco]

Discounting the Spanish?

What?

....

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Let us hope for some crazy attacks from jrod

 

[trevim]

Good ride from Chris Anker Sorensen.

3.35 minutes down on Martin.

Sitting now 20th place overall. I hope he can post a solid top20 by the time we get to Madrid. Ah and a stage win

 

[auscyclefan94]

Froome
Fuglsang 12
Wiggins 20
Nibali 31
Kessiakoff 34
Monfort 59
Mollema 1'07

Very close race at the top. Still looks like Nibali's to lose, especially with all the time bonuses to be had at the MTFs.

Mollema will bash the Sky brothers like baby seals once they hit the real mountains.

 

[Climbing]

Not sure if that was good enough by Wiggins. Nibali looks awfully dangerous to him there jsut 10 seconds down...

Dangerous? Man he has it in the bag...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Certainly not anything more crazy than Velits' win last year. The Vuelta does seem to produce some unusual results as you have some specialists in Worlds prep mode and some others peaking. This is just in that tradition I guess. I mean, in 2008 Sylvain Chavanel was only a couple of seconds off Leipheimer in a 42km ITT in week 1, and in 2009 David Herrero got in the top 10 of all 3 ITTs.

Anyway, Nibali was my favourite for the win now, and he's even more of my favourite now that he's only 11 seconds behind Wiggins after the ITT.

I said he wouldn't lose 2 minutes, and some (not you) rubbished me. Wiggins is going to have to work REALLY hard on La Manzaneda to push Nibali back, definitely.

I agree, nibbles has to be favorite at this point.

I'd like to see him defend to be honest.

 

[hrotha]

i wonder what some brits would be saying if instead of froome some dirty unkown spaniard was pulling this kind of performance . . .

You got a good glimpse of what would happen when Purito refused to let Mollema go for like half a minute, like any rider in his situation would have done, and he got called a cheater and scum.

 

[Bala Verde]

Mollema only 47 seconds behind wiggo = very good for him .

Lot of climbing to happen, who ever wins it at this point, is going to be a worthy winner in regards to all areas of the race.

Especially with the Bonis

 

[Jamsque]

In retrospect, Wiggins' ride was pretty disappointing. He was never going to contest the stage win given how hard he worked yesterday, but he needed to take a lot more time on Nibali to have enough buffer for the mountains to come.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

nooooooooooooooooooooo germany lead in hockey

 

[canyonball]

Rodriguez Just pityfull at the TT. Wiggins fails the first big test (IMO). Everything within the plan for Nibali, as of now.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Purito did what he could to not lose even more time. Pretty low act imo.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nibbles still the obvious favourite, but you know what, unless he cracks again on La Manzaneda (which doesn't suit him), J-Rod could well fancy his chances if he gives it a go early on Anglirú and Peña Cabarga, with time bonuses available.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Especially with the Bonis

Think Mollema might get the best result a dutchman has in a GT in a long time. Only has to come 4th really

 

[Jamsque]

Purito did what he could to not lose even more time. Pretty low act imo.

He cheated (a bit) but it's not as though it doesn't happen at every single major ITT the world around. Until the UCI and the race organisers start cracking down on it riders will keep doing it.

 

[hrotha]

Purito did what he could to not lose even more time. Pretty low act imo.

Seriously, he didn't do anything. He wasn't really on Mollema's wheel except for the tiniest length of time. Oh wait, Spanish cheater.