Jason_Mercier said:The question is: Is Rui Costa better climber than Quintana? I dont remember Rui Costa climbing at Contador or Purito level. Nairo did it in the past Vuelta. In Lagos de Covadonga he was up there instead of attacked twice in the foot of the climb and worked hard for Valverde. In Cuitu Negru he did it again. Even dropping Valverde in the final kilometres of the ascent. Then he crashed and couldnt stay with the favourites in the Bola del Mundo day. But in the stages i have mentioned he had the legs of Contador, Purito or Valverde which is awesome with only 22 years. If this is not enough the 2013 Quintana should be better than the guy of the past season. That's progression. I cant understand why some people put the portuguese guy above Nairo. There is a flat ITT in the route and i havent seen it yet? In which terrain will Rui Costa take time to Quintana?
The question is, does he have to? Luís León Sánchez outclimbed Evans and Samu on this terrain before. It's a tempo grinder's climb, and if it's not raced too aggressively then Costa could easily survive without much time loss on this. Quintana is obviously the better climber, but the Montagne de la Lure stage is pretty much a one-climb stage, the Col d'Èze ITT isn't outside Costa's remit at all and the route doesn't really have anything stupendously hard elsewhere to drop him.