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

[Pricey_sky]

PS the 1s gap between Contador and Froome has disappeared, ASO at it again like on stage 7?

That is wrong from them, there is surely a second between Contador and Froome at the finish?

 

[Coat-O]

PS the 1s gap between Contador and Froome has disappeared, ASO at it again like on stage 7?

Why don't you ask them about it?

 

[LaFlorecita]

That is wrong from them, there is surely a second between Contador and Froome at the finish?

Yeah...

Why don't you ask them about it?

Err... how?

 

[Coat-O]

Yeah...



Err... how?

Don't they have a Twitter profile or something?

 

[No_Balls]

I agree, even I can admit the 'tactics' were awful. That was not my point, Froome always gets labelled as mentally weak by many on here. Today he could have just bowed and admitted defeat when he dropped with 6k to go like lots of riders would have but he kept fighting. I admire him for showing heart today.

I can agree with that.

 

[Escarabajo]

Every time Contador doesn't trash everyone, he must be injured.

He is injured!

 

[Zam_Olyas]

For

and for Coats who suggested that she contacts Aso

cyclisme@aso.fr

or

+34 91 2301431


info@unipublic.es

 

[Coat-O]

cyclisme@aso.fr

or

+34 91 2301431


info@unipublic.es

Thank you. But is really it worth it? That's an old fashioned way of doing it. You can just tweet https://twitter.com/lavuelta

If they get enough responses, they'll react.

But again we're talking about one silly second, it's not that important unless you are extremely principled person like Flo )).

 

[Piti4Podiums]

Valverde winning the Vuelta on bonus seconds would make this forum break down entirely i suppose, but i'd love it

Anyway Alejandro looked good today and never disappointed on home soil.

Purito and Contador to share the podium with him, Lil Vincenzo a close 4th.

 

[Ryongsyong]

Get with the times. Attacking with 2 km to go is now supposed to be epic.

People attack where it's the steepest. Today it was at 2k to go. Not the rider's fault.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Is really it worth it? That's an old fashioned way of doing it. You can just tweet https://twitter.com/lavuelta

If they get enough responses, they'll react.

But again we're talking about one silly second, it's not that important unless you are extremely principled.

I don't know whether it is worth it or not..either way i don't care...if i had my way Contador would be penalised 30 seconds just like that ....i was trying to be helpful since i am bored.

 

[Ryongsyong]

I was just reading the comments during the climb. Holy crap, there is a LOT of hate for Froome on these forums

There's a 30 page thread in the clinic of people who think someone had a motor in their bike at this Vuelta because they're too stupid/young to understand physics and momentum. This forum is good for laughing, at the people who post here that is, but not much else.

 

[Fzotrlool]

Papy not pleased with today's pace.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

People attack where it's the steepest. Today it was at 2k to go. Not the rider's fault.

Make the stage harder elsewhere, and people will be more tired so there will be more attacks from further out.

Attacks at 5km to go are now considered "going from afar". Unipublic saw that their mountain stages were only creating small gaps; in order to create bigger gaps, they decided that rather than make harder mountain stages, or balance them out differently to make them more aggressively raced, the best way would be to just repeat those mountain stages over and over so the small gaps would eventually become big ones.

The Vuelta basically got very lucky in 2012. They put out a crappy route full of short one-climb stages that suited the strongest Spanish riders of the time, who are climbers with good punch where it's absurdly steep. Due to Contador's ban, Rodríguez's race schedule and Valverde's crash in Le Tour, they got all three of Spain's biggest-name cyclists racing. On a course where nearly every finish would be a battle between the three. What's more, the 2012 Giro was embarrassingly badly raced, and the 2012 Tour was a monotonous bore where one team was so much stronger than the rest there was little spectacle. And they had one stage which, despite a pretty lame design, was turned into an epic slugfest.

For major stage racing in 2012, it was a great tonic, to see top names in a close battle. For racing going forward, it could hardly have been worse. Because the race was seen as a mighty success, so Unipublic have repeated the formula, and will likely continue to do so. Absurdly steep ramps and riders who only need to attack with 2km to go because there's no time trial mileage to disadvantage them, will results in riders who only attack with 2km to go and know no other way.

 

[Escarabajo]

This is funny. The Vuelta and the Tour fight for first place have come down to Valverde attacking the leader.

LOL

 

[mr. tibbs]

I have no idea why Sky was drilling while Froome was yo-yoing. Meanwhile the man's sheer will power moved him way up in my estimation. He showed the heart of a true bike racer, multiple times. I will never again see him as mentally weak, instead as a real fighter!

[...]

Yeah, I was impressed by Froome today. He did something I've never seen him do: overcome apparent weakness on the road when it really mattered.

I must say, if he keeps this up, I'm in danger of becoming a fan.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Can we sticky this image for avatar bets? At the very least, I think LaFlo owes it to the forum as long as Contador's in red.

 

[Coat-O]

Have you written/tweeted to ASO/Vuelta organizers, Flo?

 

[hrotha]

He is injured!

He's very fond of saying that, yes.

 

[bigcog]

He's very fond of saying that, yes.

Very true

 

[Miburo]

This is funny. The Vuelta and the Tour fight for first place have come down to Valverde attacking the leader.

LOL

Attacking? What race are you watching? You mean sprinting against the leader?

This stage sucked, you could see no differences were possible, that's how it at least felt for me. i guess you've stage 16 and 20.

Rest will be like this and even stage 16 and 20 will be most likely a borefest unless froome gets shape and contador wants to gain way more time.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Can we sticky this image for avatar bets? At the very least, I think LaFlo owes it to the forum as long as Contador's in red.

Haha

Have you written/tweeted to ASO/Vuelta organizers, Flo?

Nope

 

[trevim]

I'm amazed with Purito's tactics:
1) Katusha doesn't let a break of 20 go away - I assume they wanted the stage considering this wasn't Contador's break.
2) They do all the chasing of the break of the day.
3) Storm the first km's of Aralar.
4) Keep 3 guys behind Izaguirre.
5) Instead of trying and distance Froome with that guys he does nothing.
6) Oh yeah he got that sprint thing almost right. Congrats

(I like Purito and that's why his tactics p*** me off more and more everyday. He won't win any GT like this.)

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I'm amazed with Purito's tactics:
1) Katusha doesn't let a break of 20 go away - I assume they wanted the stage considering this wasn't Contador's break.
2) They do all the chasing of the break of the day.
3) Storm the first km's of Aralar.
4) Keep 3 guys behind Izaguirre.
5) Instead of trying and distance Froome with that guys he does nothing.
6) Oh yeah he got that sprint thing almost right. Congrats

(I like Purito and that's why his tactics p*** me off more and more everyday. He won't win any GT like this.)

Two mountain stages in a row they instantly started pulling as soon as Dan Martin attacked. It's like Purito keeps forgetting he is in a GT not a hilly classic. I can understand them wanting to keep bonus seconds in play, but bonus seconds aren't enough to catch Contador. When someone like Martin goes he needs to either join the attack or ignore it. Let Movistar work to keep bonus seconds in play.

 

[Arredondo]

I'm amazed with Purito's tactics:
1) Katusha doesn't let a break of 20 go away - I assume they wanted the stage considering this wasn't Contador's break.
2) They do all the chasing of the break of the day.
3) Storm the first km's of Aralar.
4) Keep 3 guys behind Izaguirre.
5) Instead of trying and distance Froome with that guys he does nothing.
6) Oh yeah he got that sprint thing almost right. Congrats

(I like Purito and that's why his tactics p*** me off more and more everyday. He won't win any GT like this.)

Totally agree with this.

But the question remains: If the legs are not there to attack, what else can you do?