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

[Moondance]

Wow... 8 mins. Duarte in virtual red. Sanchez and Moncoutie up there now as well.

This could get messy.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Duarte in virtual red.
41kms to go and 8-11 up the road.

 

[Moondance]

breakaway will win if karpets won't start the engine soon,no one will chase except katusha

Why won't Sky chase?

 

[maltiv]

I don't think it's a good idea to let Duarte get a lot of free time. He will only get better as the race goes on, I think.

 

[salixcycling]

ITV4 started with the usual studio chat. Brailsford on.

ITV4 again starting early, before live pictures, so that they can get the studio chat done and move to live pictures as soon as they are available. Nothing wrong with that

 

[Moondance]

Sky assembling a train now.

But someone from the break will win.

 

[Ferminal]

Break has this, should be an interesting battle - enough quality there to challenge Moncoutie I think.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Go Duarte!

 

[LukeSchmid]

Gap out 2 minutes 30 in 17 kilometers of flat road.

 

[roundabout]

That interactive stage profile was pretty retro.

If Duarte is on a super day then it migh get a bit messy but I think the break will only be losing time from here

 

[Sasquatch]

8 minutes now. Someone from the break will take the stage;

Moncoutie, Duarte, Intxuasti, Sanchez or Txurruka

Moncoutie has shown more promise in this vuelta than all of them. This is the stage he takes the KOM jersey, get his stage win and then defend it over the stages where breakaways survive such as Friday's stage and then stages after the last MTF. He may not defend it on Friday. He will send Taaramae up the road to defend it.

 

[luckyboy]

Why won't Sky chase?

What's the point in bringing the break back and then losing the time bonuses?

 

[Zoncolan]

This is probably the 3rd time this Vuelta Harmon said Mosquera is 38-39.

 

[Moondance]

What's the point in bringing the break back and then losing the time bonuses?

What's the point of letting Duarte gain lots of time over Wigans & Froome?

They've got not one but two men up the GC. Also, they have noone in the break.

EDIT: Anyway it's moot now, since the gap is coming down hard.

 

[Kwibus]

Sky assembling a train now.

But someone from the break will win.

Sky is sure that the break stays away atm so they start riding to reduce the gap to 2-3 minutes at the finish line.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

very dangerous.

 

[roundabout]

very dangerous.

who? what is?

 

[Jamsque]

Sky obviously don't think Duarte is as much of a GC threat as you guys do.

 

[luckyboy]

What's the point of letting Duarte gain lots of time over Wigans & Froome?

As long as he doesn't get the jersey he's not a threat.

 

[Sasquatch]

Duarte is a few years off being a threat.

With that said, assume he pegs back time and they have Cobo, Menchov and Duarte all within striking distance then it's Geox's race to lose. 3 riders under 3 minutes of the leader with two closer than that is very dangerous.

 

[hrotha]

Sky obviously don't think Duarte is as much of a GC threat as you guys do.

Sky might be wrong.

Duarte will keep improving. He already looked better in La Covatilla.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Personally I think Sky are making a mistake in making this stage too easy. Might keep them the jersey for a few days but if they've got any serious intention of winning the Vuelta they need to be riding more aggressively on a stage that suits them

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

What's the point of letting Duarte gain lots of time over Wigans & Froome?

They've got not one but two men up the GC. Also, they have noone in the break.

EDIT: Anyway it's moot now, since the gap is coming down hard.

a massive 20 seconds yes. on the final clibm good luck taking back minutes on that group, 19 guys with very strong climbers that aren't tired at all.clearly the gc teams don't take duarte serious. we will see

 

[Kwibus]

What's the point in bringing the break back and then losing the time bonuses?

Froome and Wiggins ain't fast at the finish line. They know guys like Mollema and Nibali will likely take boni seconds at the finish line.
So they rather have the break to stay away. They probably expect to lose 2-3 minutes on the winner at the line which secures their red jersey.

It's risky with riders like Duarte in the break.

 

[Swede1]

I think Paulhino could fight for the win.