2011 Vuelta a Espana Stage 11: Verín - Estación de Montaña Manzaneda 167,0 km (31/8)

[Zinoviev Letter]

double post.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

No. That mountain was nowhere near hard enough to do any damage. JRod eventually tried 1-2 kms before the finish line and got like 7 seconds.. It was windy and easier to sit behind wheels. And it really was not that strong, steady pace. The drama first started when Wiggins paced it up a bit. I could undestand it if Froome just hammered the peloton into pieces but it was just this halfhearted work that never justified the importance of the red shirt. They are not really in a hurry are they? It's not really up to Sky to gain time at this moment.

If you believe that Froome burned himself up doing "half hearted work" on an easy mountain, then there is no reason to believe that he was capable of being any kind of longer term GC threat. Froome was going as hard as he was capable of. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been dropped.

 

[stetre76]

B

On Anglirú, the only people whose attacks Nibali really needs to respond to are Wiggins and maybe Mollema. The only really explosive, attacking climbers who will tear things apart are far enough down that Nibbles can afford to just ride them back to him. Wiggins isn't explosive at all, and so he simply needs to ride Nibali off his wheel or come in together with him. That suits Nibali down to the ground.

you forget Kessiakoff - so far he hasn't been really active and just sitting in the back, watching what the others do.

But he really likes the steep climbs and there he can be quite explosive - so I'd say that he would be someone to watch out for as well.

the big "?" is how he can handle a 3 weeks tour, this we'll probably see on saturday and sunday (same goes for Mollema though)
But this aside, Kessiakoff could be a threat on the very steep climbs

 

[movingtarget]

No one is really looking much stronger than the others. Wiggins is obviously riding well but Fulsgang was the only rider near the top of the GC to lose time. The race is far from over but I think it's going to come down to small losses on individual stages like Fulsgang had yesterday than all out attacks because it seems the riders are pretty evenly matched except for Rodriguez who can steal time here and there without threatening the overall.

More a war of attrition and fatigue than daring attacks over the next week I think unless Nibali tries something on a downhill. So far it is looking good for Wiggins and Nibali as the better climbers have dropped too much time already.

 

[auscyclefan94]

you forget Kessiakoff - so far he hasn't been really active and just sitting in the back, watching what the others do.

But he really likes the steep climbs and there he can be quite explosive - so I'd say that he would be someone to watch out for as well.

the big "?" is how he can handle a 3 weeks tour, this we'll probably see on saturday and sunday (same goes for Mollema though)
But this aside, Kessiakoff could be a threat on the very steep climbs

Agreed. Remember the Osterreich Tour this year. Kessiakoff was very strong on the Kitzbuheler Horn this year.

 

[Maxiton]

Great to see Moncoutie take it. Meanwhile, j-rod puts a stake in Wiggins' heart.

yeah, if he can take that much time each day, he'll catch him by Christmas.

Lol! We can always hope.

That's what I get for not paying attention. I was doing something else while the race was on and allowing my mild dislike for Wiggins to inform my commentary. Stupid of me. I'll still take Nibali for the win, though.