2014 Vuelta a España, Stage 15: Oviedo → Lagos de Covadonga (152Km)

[BYOP88]

So Piti and J-Rod are fighting it out for the 'Levi Leipheimer wheel sucker title' At the moment I'd give it to Piti by a hair!

 

[DFA123]

A shame Valverde and Rodriguez didn't want to ride but I'm still unconvinced by Alberto: he seeems far from his Spring/Dauphine shape.
If Valverde and Rodriguez keep riding like this, Froome is the biggest threat for red. Even Contador might hang on to them.

Froome doesn't have the legs - he rode it like a time trial and still lost time to three riders that were basically doing intervals up the climb.

 

[Donkey]

Exactly, once I meet the stupid short red Purito in person I'll slap him into his face!

or worse_ i¨ll force him to go to track to compete in sprint when he's such a sprinter

 

[Richeypen]

The fault is with the organisers. Any race that uses bonus seconds encourages this kind of racing.

 

[SeriousSam]

The Valverde hate is ridiculous. Smart riding today and a nice result. He isn't anyone's domestique. If Contador blinks first in this game of chicken and sets the pace, so much better for Valverde.

 

[saunaking]

Froome looking at his stem = Contador looking behind

very annoying.

That last 'ramp' to the finish? what a joke that was 17.5% yeah right

 

[cineteq]

Why are you guys whining? Purito attacked 2/3 times. Valverde was the only one wo didn't do a single attack.

And based on his sprint, Purito was on his max.

Exactly. Valverde is such a tool, he had a lot in the tank, yet all he thinks is 2nd place in a podium.

 

[SafeBet]

The fault is with the organisers. Any race that uses bonus seconds encourages this kind of racing.

Valverde and Purito would be doing this nonetheless.

 

[sir fly]

The discrepancy between the impressions that Contador and Froome are leaving and the finishing gaps is unbelievable.
Valverde and Rodriguez really are cowards.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Well, Valverde certainly has more success wheelsucking than attacking like yesterday. If we take away 20 seconds Valv lost yesterday, he would be quite close to Contador.....


Predictable ride by Rodriguez and Valverde
Weird ride by Froome
Awesome ride by Barguil.

 

[Jelantik]

A shame Valverde and Rodriguez didn't want to ride but I'm still unconvinced by Alberto: he seeems far from his Spring/Dauphine shape.
If Valverde and Rodriguez keep riding like this, Froome is the biggest threat for red. Even Contador might hang on to them.

well what do you expect from contador. He crashed and off his bike for 10 days. Only got 6 days training. So far he is doing great. But valverde and purito.. duh.. i have no word to describe them today. I hope froome leapfrog them, seriously.

 

[go crazy]

Contador has a real problem now, Froome clearly is the main threat, but these 2 other Spaniards are jerking around with Contador, so he is afraid to really attack hard, because even if he did put more time into Froome, Valverde will wheelsuck right up to the line. I don't know what he can do at this point, other than just sticking with Froome and just marking Valverde and Purito.

 

[the sceptic]

Valverde rode smart today.

 

[gthx_gthx_]

IMO contador is too worried about Froome , he should have let Froome come back. Froome is impressive but I highly doubt that he is strong enough to drop Contador. In fact I think he should allow Froome to come back as he is the biggest threat to Valverde and Purito.

Barguil is great , he should stop looking back though.

 

[Hugo87]

Actually not. If they would ride Froome would be distanced and they would be riding for podium. But they know that after such an effort Contador will drop them, and winning the Vuelta would become impossible.

Now they're not riding, they can outsprint Contador and take some boni's and they actually have a chance of winning. A small one yes.

Like this they don't have any chance to win, only if they extend Vuelta to 35 stages to have enough bonus seconds to reach Contador.

 

[Afrank]

Have we reached a point now where we can officially state that Valverde is dumb???

We reached that point already at last years world champs, this is just reaffirmation of it.

 

[hfer07]

So what is Froome's plan? He has to attack at some point.

Don't worry- he will when nobody is expecting it. Just wait until last stage when he somehow "summons" his 2012 TDF accelerations and steal the Vuelta title from Contador- mark my words

 

[roundabout]

The Valverde hate is ridiculous. Smart riding today and a nice result. He isn't anyone's domestique. If Contador blinks first in this game of chicken and sets the pace, so much better for Valverde.

Yes. Valverde is a noted wheelsucker, but if Contador acts like it's his duty alone to distance Froome, Valverde has every reason to let him.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Stage

GC

JRod == Froome

 

[Arredondo]

The discrepancy between the impressions that Contador and Froome are leaving and the finishing gaps is unbelievable.
Valverde and Rodriguez really are cowards.

You are a disgrace by naming then cowards. Purito was clearly on his max when Contador attacked. And Purito even attacked 2/3 times himself.

The hate towards some guys really goes to far sometimes. First Froome, now Purito and Valverde. Who's next?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

so anyoed, thet sent a replay of 2012 Vuelta on my TV today

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Finally a MTF/uphill stage worth watching at the Vuelta.
Some very interesting tactics playing out.

Congrats to Niemiec with the stage win. Good ride.

 

[Broth3r]

I knew this forum was toxic, but sheesh, enough is enough.

Valverde did plenty of pushes yesterday and failed, so it's no wonder he was more cautious today. Purito attacked a couple of times today. Even if they hadn't, I simply can't bring myself to call "wheelsucking" enduring - matching, even - Contador's signature 500m pushes off the saddle.

Contador is my favorite of the 3, but bloody hell, I can't read this ****. This is what happens when you care more about the result than the show. And I'm pretty sure Contador leaving everyone behind at 10K would not be nearly as entertaining as this.

If you want a wheelsucker to hate today, slam Niemiec.

 

[Miburo]

Valverde and Purito would be doing this nonetheless.

But then it wouldn't have the same effect though.

Anyway there was nothing contador could do, he was gonna lose seconds in the sprint anyways, maybe not 5 though.

 

[classicomano]

Highlight of the stage, Froome semi-crashing into Moreno because he was looking down.