2013 Vuelta a España, Stage 15: Andorra → Peyragudes (224.9 Km)

[Netserk]

Caja Rural and Sky holding the pace high in the break.

 

[icefire]

Seeing Nieve in the break in horrible weather on a long stage with multiple mountains makes me think of this:

Seeing Arroyo ten minutes down yet able to get into a large and fairly cohesive group on a long stage with multiple mountains and bad weather makes me think of this:

Come on Vuelta, don't let me down. We have DNFs back in the main group, tired contenders, cold weather... shame the break haven't got to ten minutes by now for the L'Aquila comparisons to REALLY be valid.

We need Astana's leader not bothering about the race leadership for that to happen. I'm sorry, but Nibali isn't Vino

 

[Netserk]

Gilbert (BMC) DNF.

 

[Descender]

Don't dare to compare Zomegnan masterpieces with Vuelta stages

I'm known as one of the biggest bashers of Vuelta stage designs on this forum, but honestly, on days like today with stages like this one, this kind of remarks make little sense...

 

[Netserk]

The gap is stable around 2'30".

 

[Netserk]

I'm known as one of the biggest bashers of Vuelta stage designs on this forum, but honestly, on days like today with stages like this one, this kind of remarks make little sense...

That's because this stage is anti-Unipublic

 

[burning]

Baden Cooke (174) withdraws from the race. The fourth Caja Rural rider to do so.

lol

 

[Red Rick]

I'm known as one of the biggest bashers of Vuelta stage designs on this forum, but honestly, on days like today with stages like this one, this kind of remarks make little sense...

This stage has very lettle chance of getting GC action 60km from the finish, which I think is mostly due the steepness of the climbs. They could've made something similar in asturias however, but they decided to **** that up

It's still one of the best Vuelta stage designs in recent years though

 

[CycloAndy]

You left out the part of his statements that I was criticising: where he said that, if conditions were the same on today's stage, organisers would have to "consider doing something about it", otherwise they'd be left with 50 riders.

That is where the half-assed weakness comes along. To follow up on my analogy, it would be like me saying "look boss, I was so knackered on Sunday I had to spend the whole day in bed... I mean, if you don't want us to stay home, you'd consider doing something about night shifts...".

For goodness sake, he is a professional cyclist. He gets paid loads of money to ride a bicycle. And last time I checked, his contract doesn't include a clause that states he'd race "except when the weather is dodgy".

Come on Alejandro, man up, put on a jacket and some gloves and ride.

As much as I hate how excessive some riders wages are, the amount someone is paid doesn't affect their ability to deal with the cold. Also whilst you claim temperatures above 5 degrees are safe to ride in, the conditions combined with the wind chill at the speed they were going and their low body fat percentages obviously wasn't safe as a number of riders got hypothermia! If they were just whingeing about being a bit cold I'd see your point but the fact some got hypothermia shows it was something more serious.

Your analogy of the night shift and tiredness underplays it too much, a true analogy would be a night shift where some people were so tired they fell asleep on the job and were seriously injured by machinery! Something people are well within their rights to moan about.

 

[Netserk]

It's still one of the best Vuelta stage designs in recent years though

And the sad part is that it's a Tour gimmick stage

 

[infeXio]

Baden Cooke (174) withdraws from the race. The fourth Caja Rural rider to do so.

lol

Since when does Baden Cooke ride for Caja Rural..

 

[pastronef]

Having ridden my bike in Northern Europe winter days with temperatures down to -18ºC I don't get all the fuss about the weather. Honestly. Get proper clothing and gloves FFS.

the problem is they went from 35 deg of the previous stages to 5 deg (on top of the climbs, and wet downhills)
and during the race you haven't all that time to dress and undress. when it's wet it's even worse.

 

[Descender]

Come on, yesterday's stage was pretty well-designed as well.

 

[all_in]

Astana doesn't let them go.The gap now is just 1:50.

 

[Red Rick]

And the sad part is that it's a Tour gimmick stage

I didn't say they chose a good climb to finish on

 

[Red Rick]

Come on, yesterday's stage was pretty well-designed as well.

I never said it wasn't, it was a pretty good stage design, although it was alway's gonna be a 30-50 man group at the bottom of the final climb

 

[roundabout]

Come on, yesterday's stage was pretty well-designed as well.

They missed out on the one remaining climb in Andorra that has 2 sides completely paved

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

the problem is they went from 35 deg of the previous stages to 5 deg (on top of the climbs, and wet downhills)
and during the race you haven't all that time to dress and undress. when it's wet it's even worse.

If it were me, I'd ask the organisers to cancel the stage if it's 35 degrees. I don't understand how people can live at such tempratures, let alone race.

 

[Descender]

As much as I hate how excessive some riders wages are, the amount someone is paid doesn't affect their ability to deal with the cold. Also whilst you claim temperatures above 5 degrees are safe to ride in, the conditions combined with the wind chill at the speed they were going and their low body fat percentages obviously wasn't safe as a number of riders got hypothermia! If they were just whingeing about being a bit cold I'd see your point but the fact some got hypothermia shows it was something more serious.

Your analogy of the night shift and tiredness underplays it too much, a true analogy would be a night shift where some people were so tired they fell asleep on the job and were seriously injured by machinery! Something people are well within their rights to moan about.

Read my previous posts... the problem was riders were unprepared and not properly dressed. If you wore a proper jacket and gloves, the stage was perfectly doable. Garate said it after the stage, he said he had to stop and go to his team car to warm up and put a jacket on, then he could continue. He said " if you didn't put clothes on it was very hard... for instance, I saw Zubeldia suffering from the cold, and he had to abandon."

And that's a distortion of my analogy. A responsible, well-prepared worker in a regular company that complies with the norms will not fall asleep and be injured at work. Just like a responsible, well-prepared rider in a stage like yesterday's will not fall from his bike with hypothermia.

 

[Descender]

They missed out on the one remaining climb in Andorra that has 2 sides completely paved

They miss out on so much stuff... over the years, I've learned to lower my expectations. Survival strategy.

 

[The Hitch]

Seeing Arroyo ten minutes down yet able to get into a large and fairly cohesive group on a long stage with multiple mountains and bad weather makes me think of this:
.

Don't think he was 10 minutes down. More like 4 and still on course for the top 10.

 

[Descender]

If it were me, I'd ask the organisers to cancel the stage if it's 35 degrees. I don't understand how people can live at such tempratures, let alone race.

When was it 35º in this Vuelta? Certainly not in this week's stages.

 

[icefire]

Astana doesn't let them go.The gap now is just 1:50.

I don't get it. Astana could even give the red jersey to Arroyo or Nieve and they would lose it in Peña Cabarga or Angliru given the climbing form they've shown in the race.

 

[pastronef]

Horner hopes for dry weather

http://www.steephill.tv/players/720...horner-wet-conditions-tough-172801392&yr=2013

 

[icefire]

the problem is they went from 35 deg of the previous stages to 5 deg (on top of the climbs, and wet downhills)
and during the race you haven't all that time to dress and undress. when it's wet it's even worse.

Their choice was stop and dress or stop and go home. The weather forecast was accurate enough the help them make that choice and plan in advance all necessary support from the team cars of from staff at the road side.