2014 Vuelta a Espana, Stage 11: Pamplona - Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar 153.4KM

[Parrulo]

Amazing analysis. You should be a writer or something. And I do mean "something".

But is he wrong?

Absolutely not. This is youtube cycling at it's best. . .

 

[dduff442]

Yes it's why Gesink did the right thing, while Martin was a bit rash. Gesink maximised his chance to win. Martin would have been better off waiting.

Martin's problem is that Gesink was up the road alone, Navarro was going and all the indications were that the main GC contenders were content to let them go as they watched each other. Attacking may have cost him stage position but gained him GC time -- it's hard to tell.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Given all this alien crap the fanboys are spitting out from time to time one would think that he´ve done something unheard of in the name of the sport. What we got? Jo-joing, and barely kept on with the leaders - as was the case in stage 6.

Go and read back through all the drivel wrote when he first cracked on the climb then you can understand the joy, if people can't take it dont give it.

 

[TANK91]

Why should he even have an incentive to give up? There is nothing extraordinary in what he is doing. Afterall this was his goal ever since quitting the Tour in start July. I guess after your logic, we should all feel the same admiration for whoever finishes the Vuelta

Wow Cance i just think he is not in great shape he is showing more fight than most who are not init. I dint see AC attack Froome last July. It was like your analogy that this is a diff Contador to last year, the same could also be said about Froome? Please go watch stage 6 and judge for yourself you just hate the guy, every climbing stage he as drifted then a poor itt yet is still saving time.

 

[arvc40]

Not sure about being impressed by Froome !. Riding pretty crap compared to what he has in recent past

 

[Netserk]

Great win for Aru

Bala and Purito are exactly the same, yet one get's called a wheelsucker and the other an attacker lol

Which of the two cowards are called an attacker?

 

[Walkman]

Thanks, I thought it was pretty good myself, especially compared to "this is a great race and a great route".

I am inclined to agree with you.

The route is crap if you ask me and I had much higher expectations than this but then again, the race isn't over.

If Froome just can recover and start to smash out the watts left and right we can have a nice battle. Froome "the destroyer" vs the spanish armada.

 

[Rollthedice]

I was very impressed by Froome. But I just don't see how he could get a podium. I do see this race becoming like 2012.

I wasn't. He just hang on alright. A proper attack from the Spanish trio who were busy watching each other today would have finished him when he was riding with Anaconda. Where's Horner when you need him for the show?

 

[Piz Buin]

Why the **** did no one attack when froome was struggling?

They had the chance to eliminate him but no he still has the chance to fight back if he finds form in 3rd week

 

[TANK91]

Not sure about being impressed by Froome !. Riding pretty crap compared to what he has in recent past

But that is why im impressed because we know he can be strong he is at his peak yet he don't have it all race he as been in trouble on climbs at diff points. You telling me we see this stage every day? He could not even follow Cataldo's pace at one point.

 

[arvc40]

Another rest day for Contador. Rivals will regret it

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Most of the exciting stuff happened in the early part of the stage today.
The business end was a typical MTF sprint for the line.
Gesink, Navarro and Martin gave it a try, but does the "bigs" even have balls in this race?

Anyway congrats to Aru who timed it right.

 

[damian13ster]

Nice win for Aru. So who is better? Aru? Majka? Whos is going to be next top star? I know that answer is Quintana . But from these two?

Imho, Aru has more punch and is slightly better pure climber. Majka is better in TT though, and by quite a bit so if it was a standard GT with 30k flat or 40k hilly TT, it would be pretty damn even.

Of course both have room for improvement.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Why the **** did no one attack when froome was struggling?

They had the chance to eliminate him but no he still has the chance to fight back if he finds form in 3rd week

Does anyone really have to form to attack hard though? Valverde and Purito love a sprint, Contador is still not in top shape and guys like Samu , Uran and Martin were dropped and couldn't follow Froome's wheel at the end. Although at least Martin gave it a go.

 

[Poursuivant]

It is not 100% Contador, but looking at his rivals, he doesn't need to be. I am sure he will attack somewhere to finish the job in the final week.

Great heart from Froome: sheer willpower today, it's obvious that he doesn't have the legs, but who honestly thought with 6km to go he would finish within a Second of the big boys. As someone else said, the likes of Valverde and Rodriguez may regret not finishing him off.

 

[Walkman]

Another rest day for Contador. Rivals will regret it

Not so sure. If he was feeling great, why not blow the race apart like he used to do in the past?

More like he was scared of cracking and played it safe.

 

[roundabout]

Most of the exciting stuff happened in the early part of the stage today.
The business end was a typical MTF sprint for the line.
Gesink, Navarro and Martin gave it a try, but does the "bigs" even have balls in this race?

Anyway congrats to Aru who timed it right.

Navarro far too good.

Looks like Cofidis no longer wants to be the laughing stock of the peloton.

 

[sir fly]

Some of the GC/podium candidates will regret that they didn't step on when Froome had the crisis.

 

[No_Balls]

Go and read back through all the drivel wrote when he first cracked on the climb then you can understand the joy, if people can't take it dont give it.

Why? It was a ****ty "tactic" from Sky driving off their captain for the second time running. Seeing him jo-joing uphill was admirable but did not justify the closest thing to a forum crash we´ve been since Ventoux.

 

[Netserk]

Nice win for Aru. So who is better? Aru? Majka? Whos is going to be next top star? I know that answer is Quintana . But from these two?

Aru hands down.

 

[cineteq]

Some of the GC/podium candidates will regret that they didn't step on when Froome had the crisis.

You might be right, we just found out Froome's radioactivity levels are now increasing. http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=1564110&postcount=3209

 

[ILovecycling]

I have no idea how Froome did that, what heart from the guy.

Credit to Aru on the win.

This.



But pretty meh climbing here, I regret quintana abandon sooner than I expected

 

[LaFlorecita]

LOL the Tour SUCKED in comparison to this race! Much better racing, and a wholly better route. I'm glad Froome and Contador are battling it out in this far superior race!

The GC battle is a thousand times more interesting.

 

[Coat-O]

1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:20
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:01:08
4 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:21
5 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha 0:01:35
6 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team 0:01:52
7 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:02:13
8 Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida 0:02:22
9 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:02:55
10 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale 0:03:51

Samu is alive again! But the top 3 Spaniards were playing the waiting game for too long. Had a golden opportunity to put Froome out of the race with 5 k to go, but did not.

I also think they underestimated Aru when he attacked. Considered him to be nothing serious, but now they now about him.

 

[Piz Buin]

This.



But pretty meh climbing here, I regret quintana abandon sooner than I expected

This.

Quintana wouldnt allow contador to take it easy like that