2012 Tour Down Under Stage 5: McLaren Vale - Old Willunga Hill 151.5km

[auscyclefan94]

Supposedly there have been some real nuttersout on the road getting far too close to the riders.

 

[craig1985]

Bauer came 9th.

 

[PCutter]

EBH will save himself to try for the stage win. He is too good to worry about minor places at Tour down under

He's probably not going to beat Andre, so it might be worth securing the greater jump in WT points by chasing GC placing.

I look forward to seeing the Movistar sprint train...the Spanish HTC

 

[Parrulo]

Not if Greenedge use their other sprinters to take away the bonus seconds.

he doesn't need bonus seconds tho. he just needs to finish enough places ahead of gerrans so his average placing is lower then gerrans's

 

[Trev_S]

P & P seem to forget there's a guy called Andre who might contest the sprint tomorrow, not sure Piti and Gerrans are quite in that league.

No they haven't, just that who ever wins (or finishes in front of the other) between Gerrans and Valverde wil lwin the TDU.

I thought a countback of stage wins but then Valverde should be wearing the jersey in that case so they must go back to actual on the road finish places/time.

 

[jens_attacks]

Not if Greenedge use their other sprinters to take away the bonus seconds.

yep you're right and a stage win on willunga should be enough for valverde.i think the gc is done.

 

[auscyclefan94]

well that's also true. curse you javi moreno



oh this has potential to be a hilarious season with piti owning evans again and you going completely mental watching it

If you really think that Valverde would have beaten Evans on Wilunga hill you are really kidding yourself. The pace wasn't that high compared to Evans' big attack in 2010.

valverde is faster anyway than gerrans so if he wants to,he can take it tomorrow

I disagree. Gerrans beat him at Stirling and Gerrans also lead out in the finish from a long way out and Valverde could only just come round him.

 

[Parrulo]

If you really think that Valverde would have beaten Evans on Wilunga hill you are really kidding yourself. The pace wasn't that high compared to Evans' big attack in 2010.

like i said this season will be hilarious. let me guess you timed both ascents and already calculated the W/Kg of both rides

 

[wirral]

UCI stage race regulation 2.6.015

When the riders are still tied.......the placings obtained in each stage shall be added.....

[Bits about time trials omitted]

 

[Ryaguas]

yep you're right and a stage win on willunga should be enough for valverde.i think the gc is done.

Dont talk too soon! there is still the possibility that ACF goes to the race tomorrow and tackles Valverde before the finish line!

 

[skidmark]

Supposedly there have been some real nuttersout on the road getting far too close to the riders.

How can you be out on the road while you're typing here?

 

[BillytheKid]

Supposedly there have been some real nuttersout on the road getting far too close to the riders.

They are everywhere. I like this version of the TdU. Great racing. Go Gerrans!

 

[Squire]

he doesn't need bonus seconds tho. he just needs to finish enough places ahead of gerrans so his average placing is lower then gerrans's

I don't think that's possible. I think Gerrans is too far ahead on that count. Valverde would probably need bonus seconds, unfortunately.

 

[auscyclefan94]

like i said this season will be hilarious. let me guess you timed both ascents and already calculated the W/Kg of both rides

no i didn't and to be fair to both riders it is hard to compare But the fact that a group of riders were bunched up together and Gerrans and EBH were still with the leaders says that they weren't going as hard as other eyars when the race has really split up.

 

[jens_attacks]

I disagree. Gerrans beat him at Stirling and Gerrans also lead out in the finish from a long way out and Valverde could only just come round him.

watch the stirling stage again.valverde stopped sprinting way before the line.
nothing is 100% sure in cycling but usually valverde is indeed faster than gerrans.and stronger.

 

[skidmark]

I disagree. Gerrans beat him at Stirling and Gerrans also lead out in the finish from a long way out and Valverde could only just come round him.

I have to contest this. Gerrans beat him at Stirling because he stopped pedalling. Watch the video. Gerrans led out on Willunga because he knew he couldn't beat him straight up, in my opinion. I know you don't like Valverde and want an Aussie to win, but that doesn't make Gerrans an objectively better sprinter than Valv.

 

[BroDeal]

If you really think that Valverde would have beaten Evans on Wilunga hill you are really kidding yourself. The pace wasn't that high compared to Evans' big attack in 2010.

Yeah, there is no way Valverde could compete with Evans HUGE number of race wins. How many was that? Three? Four? If there is anyone who knows how to close the deal in a one day race or a stage it's Evans. Valverde would not had a chance. It's not like he's ever won a classic or something.

 

[Squire]

no i didn't and to be fair to both riders it is hard to compare But the fact that a group of riders were bunched up together and Gerrans and EBH were still with the leaders says that they weren't going as hard as other eyars when the race has really split up.

Head... wind?

 

[Random Direction]

Bonus marks to whoever figures out the count first

 

[Elminutobueno]

So, what is the World Tour points difference between first and second overall. More importantly, what is the $value of the difference between first and second...

1: 100 points.
2: 80 points.

Money, I don't know, sorry

 

[auscyclefan94]

How can you be out on the road while you're typing here?

Twitter messages from other people

They are everywhere. I like this version of the TdU. Great racing. Go Gerrans!

What I was saying was they they were getting dangerously close.

Jens_attacks, Gerrans was much further back on stirling and also Valverde still probably isn't quite what he use to be in the sprints or the climbs yet so you can not use the pre 2010 sprint speed of AV compared to Gerrans.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

I don't think that's possible. I think Gerrans is too far ahead on that count. Valverde would probably need bonus seconds, unfortunately.

I make it that Valverde will have to finish 74 places ahead of Gerrans to beat him on countback.

 

[Ragerod]

Enjoyable stage that. If it is sorted by average finishing position then Valverde needs a bonus second or he needs to finish 73 places ahead of Gerrans and that isn't going to happen.

 

[badboyberty]

Now, that the stage is over, I'm wondering how the big split happened in the first place. They all seemed to go over the top more or less together, and then all of the sudden - big gap.
Was there a crash or something?

Just a decent crosswind across the top. There's a few nice rollers so it's easy to create a small gap and then the wind would have finished it off.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yeah, there is no way Valverde could compete with Evans HUGE number of race wins. How many was that? Three? Four? If there is anyone who knows how to close the deal in a one day race or a stage it's Evans. Valverde would not had a chance. It's not like he's ever won a classic or something.

Because race wins comes into how fast you can go uphill on Wilunga? Good joke.