2013 Vuelta a España, Stage 6: Guijuelo → Cáceres (175 km)

[postmanhat]

Good ride by Martin, seemingly elevated into greatness by some (Were Kirby and Kelly on the sauce?), by the peleton's ineptness. They had him at 15 seconds with 8k to go, then faffed about like a 100 man breakaway. Bit of a rubbish GT stage really?

 

[barmaher]

Maltiv is right about TM taking a breather and then going balls out for 10km. smart move.

cancellara was clearly trying to win. Riding everyone off his wheel is his best bet to win a flat stage. The youtube link showed him do it in yellow in similar circumstances, with a breakaway about to be caught and confusion in the peloton.

he was perfectly entitled to go for it, especially with such weak sprinters in the race.

 

[willbick]

Good ride by Martin, seemingly elevated into greatness by some (Were Kirby and Kelly on the sauce?), by the peleton's ineptness. They had him at 15 seconds with 8k to go, then faffed about like a 100 man breakaway. Bit of a rubbish GT stage really?

what a pathetic statement. how can u say that wasnt a great ride by martin? he attacked solo at flagfall and rode solo for 100+ miles and got caught 25 metres from the line. obviously a solo rider can never beat a dedicated peleton but because of circumstances , mainly a lack of strong dedicated sprint trains in this vuelta, he was able to stay away and nearly win. i guess u think its only possible to do a 'great ride' when riding a motorbike

 

[Carols]

Just finished watching the recording.....wow nail biting to the very finish.

Brave, Brave ride by Martin, shame he was caught, but that is cycling. It's a brutal and cruel sport, always has been always will be. Still great ride Tony!

Chapeau Morkov and Saxo!!!!

Must say what a strange sprinter stage that was. Are there any real sprinters there? Totally disorganized chase in final 10km. What the heck were they thinking?

 

[rantanplan]

what a pathetic statement. how can u say that wasnt a great ride by martin? he attacked solo at flagfall and rode solo for 100+ miles and got caught 25 metres from the line. obviously a solo rider can never beat a dedicated peleton but because of circumstances , mainly a lack of strong dedicated sprint trains in this vuelta, he was able to stay away and nearly win. i guess u think its only possible to do a 'great ride' when riding a motorbike

175 Km solo ride, 45 Km/h average, is no a great ride?

 

[rantanplan]

Tony Martin afterwards:

“At the end, it was bitter-sweet. On the one hand I lost but on the other I also felt like a winner, because at the finish everyone wanted to speak to me. I had the feeling that I had done something great.

There (20 km out) I thought to give up on my break, but then I pushed myself again and after a while, when they (the peloton) hadn’t closed the gap, I thought, well perhaps it’ll work.

I think it was a good breakaway. I managed very well, although I must say the following wind helped. Without it I wouldn’t have had any chance of getting through to the finish.

Five kms before the finish I was very tired. Towards the end, the route didn’t play into my hands, because there were a couple of small rises, and by then the peloton was at full speed.

It was a strange feeling, because I could see the finish line and at the same time hear the peloton behind me. My legs gave everything they could. I just couldn’t go any quicker in the last 200 m. Unfortunately, they caught me.

It was an unusually long time-trial over 4 hours, but I never lost control and the whole time I had my energy expenditure in check. If one wants to see it positively, then one can consider that it was good training for the World Championships.”