2014 Vuelta a Espana, stage 13: Belorado-Obrégon (188.7 km)

[Piti4Podiums]

Contador looked strong marking Valverde and Purito

He might have "looked" strong but that is about all that you can indicate from today, Purito and Piti didn't even try anything.

 

[SKSemtex]

Bouhanni WTF ...

Yes. Just waw.

 

[Escarabajo]

What'd they do?

They worked hard to bring the breakaway back for Bouhanni. But it was a difficult stage for Bouhanni to win. He tried but it was realistically hard for him.

 

[DFA123]

Good result for Contador. Surprised that Movistar didn't really hammer the last climb and try to launch Valverde - he's running out of stages to pick up bonus seconds and he's not going to gain on Contador in the high mountains.

 

[Rollthedice]

Froome attacked in the presence of familiar animals from his African home.

 

[cineteq]

Good to see especially Orica fail hard, together with Fdj.

Nice win from Dani.

Orica failed, but FDJ with Bouhanni 5th?

 

[Roude Leiw]

They worked hard to bring the breakaway back for Bouhanni. But it was a difficult stage for Bouhanni to win. He tried but it was realistically hard for him.

I prefer someone ambitious racing and ultimately failing than being a sheep in the field doing nothing

 

[Carols]

Nacer 5th on that finale! Wow totally impressed!

Chapeau Navarro, finally gets a big win.

Nice covering by Saxo at the intermediate sprint but Alberto isolated early again. It's going to be a rough next 3 days for him.

 

[escheator]

Purito and Valverde, you lazy, timid *******s...

What a boring stage :yawn:

 

[King Boonen]

How the hell did Bouhanni get 5th?!?!?! Brilliant riding!

 

[Arnout]

They worked hard to bring the breakaway back for Bouhanni. But it was a difficult stage for Bouhanni to win. He tried but it was realistically hard for him.

True. Its the Sagan position. A sprinter who is awesome over climbs (and I didn't expect this from Bouhanni, he was going well this Vuelta but this is something else) will always have to deal with riders that he can beat one on one, but not one versus many.

It also illustrates how ridiculously easy flat sprints are once you are fast.

 

[Arredondo]

Once again Katusha has absolutely blown it.

Instead of keeping the bunch together for JRod they make Moreno attack totally senseless and way too late.

Disappointing finish today.

What else could they do? Purito attacked on that final hill, but Contador and Valverde were on his wheel. Quite logical, because on that moment, the climb was too short and easy to make any differences.

If they kept the bunch together, Valverde would have beat him in the sprint. And he doesn't want to give Valverde a second win. So they could better attack Moreno, in the hope he would catch Navarro. They did what they had to do.

Tomorrow is the finish of the Vuelta for Purito. There he has to do it. I doubt he can.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

How the hell did Bouhanni get 5th?!?!?! Brilliant riding!

All that boxing training: he was bound to become a puncheur.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Good result for Contador. Surprised that Movistar didn't really hammer the last climb and try to launch Valverde - he's running out of stages to pick up bonus seconds and he's not going to gain on Contador in the high mountains.

He can gain 4 to 10 seconds on every summit finish just from the bonus seconds and we've still got a few MTFs left....

 

[Jack_89]

What else could they do? Purito attacked on that final hill, but Contador and Valverde were on his wheel. Quite logical, because on that moment, the climb was too short and easy to make any differences.

If they kept the bunch together, Valverde would have beat him in the sprint. And he doesn't want to give Valverde a second win.

Tomorrow is the finish of the Vuelta for Purito. There he has to do it. I doubt he can.

I agree .despite the attack, i don't see a great Purito.Tomorrow i'm not sure he can win

 

[jens_attacks]

finally a win for dani navarro ! still remember him almost dead on his bike in the tdf abandoning

now time for that ridiculous camperona wall

 

[wirral]

I am not sure Bouhanni will ride the Worlds.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I am not sure Bouhanni will ride the Worlds.

Selection issue?

 

[Roude Leiw]

I am not sure Bouhanni will ride the Worlds.

AFAIK he is part of frances pre selection (as opposed to Demare most ntably)

EDIT: there we go

Les 16 présélectionnés pour la course en ligne:
Sylvain Chavanel (Iam), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol), Romain Bardet (Ag2r la Mondiale), Jean-Christophe Péraud (Ag2r la Mondiale), Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r la Mondiale), Blel Kadri (Ag2r la Mondiale), Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Bryan Coquard (Europcar), Kévin Réza (Europcar), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr), Geoffrey Soupe (FDJ.fr), Arthur Vichot (FDJ.fr), Warren Barguil (Giant Shimano), Julian Alaphilippe (Omega Pharma Quickstep), Arnaud Gérard (Bretagne Séché environnement)

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

All that boxing training: he was bound to become a puncheur.

 

[roundabout]

How the hell did Bouhanni get 5th?!?!?! Brilliant riding!

Move over Bardet/Pinot, France has a new GC contender

 

[ILovecycling]

Congrats Dani,what an attack,so happy for him!

 

[arvc40]

**** sake, Sundays stage looks like highlights because of Tour of Britain.

 

[RedheadDane]

Let's have a look at how the people in top-10 were placed in the GC before today's stage:

12
15
14
2
142
10
1
9
11
45

 

[indianfanboy]

If valverde thinks he can win the Vuelta by getting the time bonuses...he is very wrong he is gonna get dropped by Contador big time in Farrapona or Ancares for sure