2011 Vuelta a Espana Stage 14:Astorga → La Farrapona. Lagos de Somiedo, 173km

[Zoncolan]

One thing I'm rather pleased with today's stage finish is that Purito failed to score points.
This means Sagan could easily win his first of many GT points jerseys.
At 21!!!

Points standings:

1 81 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT 81
2 157 MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB 78
3 7 SAGAN, Peter LIQ 75
4 85 MORENO, Daniel KAT 65
5 217 POELS, Wouter VCD 51
6 115 LASTRAS, Pablo MOV 48
7 196 MARTIN, Daniel GRM 48
8 188 WIGGINS, Bradley SKY 48
9 183 FROOME, Christopher SKY 46
10 127 VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen OLO 44
11 103 FUGLSANG, Jakob LEO 42
12 11 ROCHE, Nicolas ALM 42
13 61 COBO, Juan José GEO 41
14 91 SCARPONI, Michele LAM 40
15 101 BENNATI, Daniele LEO 40
16 1 NIBALI, Vincenzo LIQ 38
17 44 MONCOUTIE, David COF 37
18 47 TAARAMAE, Rein COF 36
19 63 DE LA FUENTE, David GEO 34
20 2 CAPECCHI, Eros LIQ 33
21 143 CHAVANEL, Sylvain QST 32
22 17 MONDORY, Lloyd ALM 31
23 71 ALBASINI, Michael THR 30
24 77 MARTIN, Tony THR 30
25 65 MENCHOV, Denis GEO 29
26 131 KESSIAKOFF, Fredrik AST 28
27 54 NIEVE, Mikel EUS 27
28 73 DEGENKOLB, John THR 26
29 125 REYNES, Vicente OLO 26
30 187 SUTTON, Christopher SKY 25

 

[hrotha]

Yo Hitch, Majka is doing very well, don't you think? And he's not even 22 yet.

 

[The Hitch]

The guy had 6 weeks, of which he lost the first two weeks due to a collapsed lung in which he could do virtually nothing. He's in the top 10 and lost his 2 minutes in the TT. If you would make up a classification based on the mountains, he would still be within seconds. I'm not sure what people expect.

Did VDB have a mechanical in the tt? The way you keep playing the "if there was no tt he would be at the top" card as if tts shouldnt count leads me to think so.

Otherwise, why shouldnt tts count?

 

[zapata]

Unzue being asked on TDP about bringing The Great One to Movistar.

Well, what did he answer? I always felt Contador belongs with Unzue, not astana or saxo.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I criticized his attitude, not his performance.

So his attitude has nothing to do with his absent form? He should attack more and end up losing 5 minutes in the process? Not sure i follow you or what attitude exactly you are criticizing. Being realistic?

Anyway, I'm liking Poels more every day. Curious to see him in the future. I wonder if we can expect Mollema tomorrow, or if Nibali just had a bad day and can take time back tomorrow. It seems unlikely, but so does Wiggins' form.

 

[Damiano]

Damn, I want Cobo to win this now!

Anyone saw Zubeldia today?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Funny how just when you declare yourself to be in the Neebs camp, his performance lives down to all the negative words you said about it before.

I'm just stating facts here.

He has never gotten stronger as a GT progresses. It's an observation. Nothing negative about the way he has ridden here. He has shown a lot of heart but I don't think he is in the right shape to win this Vuelta

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I haven't forgotten at all, hence the comment about his form not being that good. But he's good enough to be top 10, good enough to follow wheels when someone attacks (often before anyone else responds), but not good enough to try ANYTHING on his own?

He did loose time today, you are aware of that? Why on earth should he be so stupid to attack if he knew he'd struggel to hang on till the end?
All this "attack attack attack" stuff is ********.
Of course it's very courages if someone tries, and maybe even succeeds. But very often those riders just completly blow their chances to win anything at all.
True it might be that this is the more spectacular attitude, but to really criticize someone just because he is not positivly insane is a standpoint which has it's grounds far beyond the realms of reality.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Did VDB have a mechanical in the tt? The way you keep playing the "if there was no tt he would be at the top" card as if tts shouldnt count leads me to think so.

Otherwise, why shouldnt tts count?

Why do you keep bringing this up? Where have i ever claimed this? I am merely stating that given the circumstances he isn't performing that badly and showing where he lost the time in the GC and that it wasn't in the mountains. He just can't do a decent timetrial. Unlike Rodriguez, Nibali... he lost about 20 seconds uphill, and he isn't in top form.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Why is Sastre up on the Geox team podium rather than Fuente?

De La Fuente is probably doing a Barredo on the team manager right now, and so unavailable for the podium.

 

[Frosty]

Zubeldia and Machado at 20.23

 

[paperbackwriter]

Well, what did he answer? I always felt Contador belongs with Unzue, not astana or saxo.

But Contador said yesterday he'd like to extend with Saxo.

 

[The Hitch]

Yo Hitch, Majka is doing very well, don't you think? And he's not even 22 yet.

You wont like him so much when he becomes Contador's Szmyd next July

Never looked that far down but now that i see it, not bad. Hopefully hes not another Popovych.

Als your guy is doing well after you told him to do so on Foro de Ciclismo.

Anda!!!

 

[Descender]

You wont like him so much when he becomes Contador's Szmyd next July

Never looked that far down but now that i see it, not bad. Hopefully hes not another Popovych.

Als your guy is doing well after you told him to do so on Foro de Ciclismo.

Anda!!!

Who? Herrada?

 

[roundabout]

Probably . I'm not Contador's biggest fan, but that makes his fifth place even more remarkable.

Dupont would have killed them all today. Stupid team made him do the Tour.

 

[TeoSheva]

Tomorrow should be great. That San Lorenzo climb looks a beast.

Wiggins will lose the leaders jersey tomorrow, Im sure of it. Steep enough for the pure climbers to take time off him and a decent on which Nibali and co could take some time out of him.

Big, big day for Wiggins and Sky. Too big in my opinion.

This race is Nibali's to lose.

sure how much?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Mollema could easily win the points jersey too. Though J-Rod will probably still fancy the win on Peña Cabarga even if his hope for tomorrow fails.

 

[hrotha]

He did loose time today, you are aware of that? Why on earth should he be so stupid to attack if he knew he'd struggel to hang on till the end?
All this "attack attack attack" stuff is ********.
Of course it's very courages if someone tries, and maybe even succeeds. But very often those riders just completly blow their chances.
True it might be that this is the more spectacular attitude, but to really criticize someone just because he is not positivly insane is a standpoint which has is grounds far beyond the realms of reality.

There's a thing called tactics. Bruseghin tried from far away because he knew he couldn't do it in the melee. He's not been climbing better than Van den Broeck. What bugs me is that Van den Broeck is often the FIRST ONE to respond to attacks, but never tries anything himself. If you're on the verge of getting dropped all the time, just follow wheels. Also, Van den Broeck is not some random schmuck. He has a top 10 in the Giro and a top 5 in the Tour. He has a status. Is riding for a completely anonymous top 10 really what he should be doing? Last year Fränk's form wasn't that good either, but he's too good a rider to just be there without even trying.

So his attitude has nothing to do with his absent form? He should attack more and end up losing 5 minutes in the process? Not sure i follow you or what attitude exactly you are criticizing. Being realistic?

No, I don't think his attitude has much to do with his form.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Anyone saw Zubeldia today?

55th @ 20'23"
30th overall

 

[killswitch]

Dupont would have killed them all today. Stupid team made him do the Tour.

And TeamGadret tomorrow on the Angliru.

 

[zapata]

I'm just stating facts here.

He has never gotten stronger as a GT progresses. It's an observation. Nothing negative about the way he has ridden here. He has shown a lot of heart but I don't think he is in the right shape to win this Vuelta

Yeah, I'm rooting for Nibali, and I honestly expected him to be ahead of Wiggins today, but after this performance, I don't see him winning. Hard to imagine Wiggins climbing the angliru well enough to win, though. This race is not really predictable..

 

[Broth3r]

Zubeldia and Machado at 20.23

Horrible.

Well, at least they have open road tomorrow.

 

[User Guide]

Wigans/Mollema/Froome/Menchov... the day of the dieselif one of the first 3 win to go along with evans win ..the year of the diesel?

 

[hrotha]

Als your guy is doing well after you told him to do so on Foro de Ciclismo.

I swear to god, when I saw Cobo riding everybody off his wheel I started laughing hysterically.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Good to see Vanmarcke finished after his offroad adventure.