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

[burning]

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

11 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:04:22

 

[roundabout]

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

True. Credit where it's due on the use of the Envalira Tunnel though.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

when does the TV coverage start today?

 

[The Hitch]

Samu was losing 40sec in the summit of Cantó, but Astana isn't chasing the break so he'll bridge the gap

Lets get this straight. There are 200km left well 180 by the descent.

Astana is 2 minutes down on a break that contains about 3 riders at 11 minutes.

This break contains someone from all their rival teams so their rival teams wont help out the chase.

The 180k stage also contains 3 cat 1 climbs.

Astana isn't chasing.

So?

Whats stopping Arroyo and co having a 15 minute advantage by the time the peloton reaches col de chaingate 2 and a half hours from now?

 

[roundabout]

when does the TV coverage start today?

In 3 hours, I think

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

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

Oh I don't know, the post I quoted said it was 35 degrees he day before they went into the cold. Just trying to make the point that from people from northern countries 35 degrees would be a wheather challenge as much as 5 degrees for people from warmer countries. It's all relative and it's all part of the game when racing outdoor.

Cavendish can't win a race with an HC MTF, Teklehaimot can't win a race in the cold and Spilak can't win a race when it's warm - it's all part of the game when racing outdoor.

 

[CycloAndy]

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.

I agree being well dressed would help but it's not always easy to go back to get clothes when racing at their speed without risking losing serious time to your rivals. He should be better prepared to do that now he has witnessed the events of yesterday. A reasonable company that complies with norms should risk assess whether the temperatures would put riders at risk, which is precisely what Valverde was asking the Vuelta organisers to do for todays stage after the dangers he saw on yesterday's stage. He wasn't saying yesterday's stage shouldn't have happened, as I think the cold shocked both riders an organisers, just that given the dangers seen that today's stage should be risk assessed in light of it.

 

[icefire]

Lets get this straight. There are 200km left well 180 by the descent.

Astana is 2 minutes down on a break that contains about 3 riders at 11 minutes.

This break contains someone from all their rival teams so their rival teams wont help out the chase.

The 180k stage also contains 3 cat 1 climbs.

Astana isn't chasing.

So?

Whats stopping Arroyo and co having a 15 minute advantage by the time the peloton reaches col de chaingate 2 and a half hours from now?

Beakfast time?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

In 3 hours, I think

ok, no early coverage today then
thanks anyways

 

[JRanton]

Graeme Brown Abandons.

155 riders left.

 

[icefire]

Lets get this straight. There are 200km left well 180 by the descent.

Astana is 2 minutes down on a break that contains about 3 riders at 11 minutes.

This break contains someone from all their rival teams so their rival teams wont help out the chase.

The 180k stage also contains 3 cat 1 climbs.

Astana isn't chasing.

So?

Whats stopping Arroyo and co having a 15 minute advantage by the time the peloton reaches col de chaingate 2 and a half hours from now?

Astana's change of mind

 

[ToreBear]

Ratto is the only one left in the race from yesterdays break.

Lulu gone dnf stage 14
Chainel gone dnf stage 14
Phil gone today
Brown gone today


Will Ratto make it?

 

[roundabout]

Looks like a lack of unity ahead

 

[Popchu]

Did Samuel Sanchez drop on the first climb or was it a mechanical or something like that?

 

[Descender]

I agree being well dressed would help but it's not always easy to go back to get clothes when racing at their speed without risking losing serious time to your rivals.

This problem is literally more than a hundred years old. Stop and dress. Get a teammate to do it. Wear the jacket from the start, or folded in your pocket. Place a team assistant on a strategic spot to hand you the jacket. Plenty of alternatives, all well-known and tested.

He should be better prepared to do that now he has witnessed the events of yesterday. A reasonable company that complies with norms should risk assess whether the temperatures would put riders at risk, which is precisely what Valverde was asking the Vuelta organisers to do for todays stage after the dangers he saw on yesterday's stage. He wasn't saying yesterday's stage shouldn't have happened, as I think the cold shocked both riders an organisers, just that given the dangers seen that today's stage should be risk assessed in light of it.

I'm a native Spanish speaker. Valverde was suggesting the organisers neutralise the stage (or cancel it altogether). "Otherwise, they'll be left with 50 riders". Wrong, no need for that. But if that'd be the case, so what?

 

[Descender]

Riders going fast and no coverage before 1600CET. We're not going to see jack****.

 

[jens_attacks]

port de bales out the window it seems...at least the start

no early broadcast on teledeporte either?

 

[icefire]

port de bales out the window it seems...at least the start

no early broadcast on teledeporte either?

2Nope. They're showing sailing at 14:00 and handball at 15:20

 

[manafana]

this is mad, astana in for hard day so

 

[TommyPlus]

2Nope. They're showing sailing at 14:00 and handball at 15:20

Sailing, handball.......

 

[Netserk]

Mechanical for Purito.

 

[Netserk]

@km 94:

Warren Barguil (22), Mikael Cherel (15), Alexandre Geniez (104), Francis De Greef (142), Andre Cardoso (63) y Nicolas Edet (84)

The rest of the breakaway (minus Bling and Popo who have dropped) +1'42.

Peloton 4'31.

 

[Netserk]

Riders continue to drop from the 2nd group. (Dario Cataldo (193), Yannick Eijssen (52), Juan Antonio Flecha (214) y Gorka Verdugo (99))

The gap between the two front groups is down to 1'23.

 

[Frosty]

Dario Cataldo (193),
Yannick Eijssen (52),
Juan Antonio Flecha (214)
Gorka Verdugo (99)

also seem to have been dropped off the second group which contains Arroyo, Nieve, Scarponi, Henao among others.

 

[Flamin]

I expected a bit more from Eijssen.