2014 Vuelta a España, Stage 14: Santander → La Camperona. (201 Km)

[trevim]

How often do you see the team with the leader's jersey sending two men into the break?

Often, specially if the team is weak

 

[icefire]

How often do you see the team with the leader's jersey sending two men into the break?

I don't know. But it was the clever thing to do in case stronger teams try to leave Contador without teammates setting a high pace in San Glorio.

 

[JRTK73]

I also think that the Vuelta is trying to find its own identity. The Tour is the big, important GT with the long, regular climbs everyone has heard of, cause they use them way too often. The Giro is the GT with the hardes mountains, the longest and most brutal mountain stages. Meanwhile, the Vuelta is trying to be the GT that's always close, lots of stages where small gaps are possible, lots of stages with 2km of spectacle.

Ofcourse it would be best if all the GT's got one of the forum members for a parcours designer, in the race design thread, every GT is better than the real life version

I think people ignore the commercial realities. The organisers obviously have their reasons for creating the routes they do. The Vuelta is the after thought of GT's. Cyclists focus on the Giro or Tour and then wait and see whether they will do the Vuelta. I'm just glad we still have 3 GTs.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Saxo, Movistar, Sky, Katusha all represented, no team has the incentive to chase this break unless they find Zaugg and Paulinho too threatening.

They all have incentive if they are interested in winning the stage (which could mean Katusha)

 

[The Barb]

Decent looking break. They have a chance. If so, I'll say Louis Meintjes to get a break through win.

 

[cineteq]

The break and the beautiful landscape. It reminds me 2012 Contador's ambush to Rodriguez.

23 riders on a break with 1m45s on the peloton:

Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ (9), Carlos VERONA (179), Tom BOONEN (171), Romain SICARD (81), Ryder HESJEDAL (101), Imanol ERVITI (154), Bart DE CLERCQ (144), Przemyslaw NIEMIEC (6), Jaco VENTER (169), Oliver ZAUGG (209), Adam HANSEN (146), Robert WAGNER (39), Luke ROWE (198), David ARROYO (53), Fabio FELLINE (213), Louis MEINTJES (164), Yannick MARTINEZ (87), Jacques VAN RENSBURG (168), Johannes FRÖHLINGER (116), Guillaume LEVARLET (76), Sergio Miguel PAULINHO (205), Luis León SÁNCHEZ (51) y Alexandr KOLOBNEV (134)

 

[l.Harm]

Martinelli:

Hace balance de lo que va de Vuelta el director de Astana, Giuseppe Martinelli: "Desde que ganó su etapa, Fabio ARU (21) está sereno. El objetivo inicial de acabar en el top 10 se puede convertir en un top 5 pero no veo cómo puede batir a Alberto CONTADOR (201), Alejandro VALVERDE (151), Joaquin RODRÍGUEZ OLIVER (131) y Christopher FROOME (191). Fabio cuenta con grandes compañeros para ayudar en montaña: Paolo TIRALONGO (28), Tanel KANGERT (25) y Mikel LANDA (26). Se encuentra más fresco que los que se han preparado para el Tour de Francia. Hoy y mañana, habrá que tener cuidado. La Farrapona es una etapa increíble. No sabemos de lo que será capaz allí. Ayer visteis en acción a Alexey LUTSENKO (27). No fue campeón del mundo sub 23 por casualidad. Es el nuevo Vinokourov".

 

[Miburo]

LOL @Purito saying he's planning some big offensive

 

[sultanofhyd]

LOL @Purito saying he's planning some big offensive

He's going to attack at 2.5k to go instead of 1.5k, Contador better watch out...

 

[cineteq]

LOL @Purito saying he's planning some big offensive

Are you sure it wasn't Froome who said this?

 

[icefire]

He's going to attack at 2.5k to go instead of 1.5k, Contador better watch out...

They'll need almost 10 minutes to ride those 2.5km. There's no way Purito attacks that far away.

 

[cineteq]

San Glorio 21Km

 

[the sceptic]

Are you sure it wasn't Froome who said this?

Froome is planning some vintage sideways climbing

 

[sultanofhyd]

Eurosport is on air

 

[l.Harm]

Hopefully we'll see some action on this mountain. Probably not.

 

[thehog]

They'll need almost 10 minutes to ride those 2.5km. There's no way Purito attacks that far away.

"...attacks that far out"

Rather than "away".

 

[roundabout]

Never thought I'd say it, but go Caja Rural TTT

Oh, and Van Rensburg

Bah.

 

[l.Harm]

Caja making it hard

 

[sultanofhyd]

"...attacks that far out"

Rather than "away".

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Caja making it hard

van Rensburg dropping

 

[No_Balls]

I think people ignore the commercial realities. The organisers obviously have their reasons for creating the routes they do. The Vuelta is the after thought of GT's. Cyclists focus on the Giro or Tour and then wait and see whether they will do the Vuelta. I'm just glad we still have 3 GTs.

Not really. They focus on the Tour and to some they use Giro to prepare for the Tour (widely assumed too hard for real GC contenders) as many are using the Vuelta as build up for the worlds.

But why would the organizers care with a starting field like this? All they see is names on the list and it could only be counted as a bonus if some of them are active. I assume that this Vuelta will be a success despite a terrible route. Sadly i wouldnt hope for a change anytime soon.

 

[sultanofhyd]

We have seen far too often that it's the riders that make the race, not the route. On paper, the Fuente De stage is a dreadful transition stage after a rest day. But Contador's move made it the best stage of the year.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Could Dave Brailsford please explain the reasons for having Luke Rowe in the break? No wonder Sky are finished with tactics like that.

 

[Roude Leiw]

Sultan, i consider your post of very bad taste

 

[l.Harm]

Cmonn peloton taking it very easy on the climb. Purito, Valverde, do something.