2014 Vuelta al País Vasco, Stage 1: Ordizia → Ordizia, 153.4 km

[Bushman]

Contador should really ride the Ardennes, he pick up a win if everything goes right.

 

[Publicus]

Having watched the clip, I don't see where Contador was on the limit. He was turning a big gear, which for me at least (and contrary to the Eurosport commentator), indicated he was feeling really strong. Perhaps I missed the part where he was struggling to stay on Piti's wheel... In any event, strong riding for Contador. I'm looking forward to the Movistar, Sky and Tinkoff battle in July

 

[metaCYCLE]

Contador should really ride the Ardennes, he pick up a win if everything goes right.

i strongly disagree. the only classic that has climbs that suit his style is Il Lombardia.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Then again, a Settimana Coppi e Bartali winner should do more than beat the bus home by 2 minutes regardless of a crappy route and field in Italy.

Or maybe he's not here to 'race'.

Great ride by Simon Yates, but interesting to see Adam in the Kennaugh bus after riding very strong in Catalunya (for a neo-pro)

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I don't understand sky. Why won't they give the leadership to Nieve? This terrain suits him better than Kenaugh? Is this just because it's british team therefore let's pick british leader?? I know he won copi but PV terrain is too hilly and step and seems to suit Nieve better.

Great ride by Nieve. Stomp your foot, Nieve!!

Anyone else completely baffled by the two contradictory halves of this post?

Which bit of Kennaugh 15 mins back and Nieve top 10 gives you the slightest reason to believe your first paragraph is not moaning about something which never happened?

Did you not see Nieve given the team leader number?

While I'm here, anyone else hear Carlton welcome back Henao after his recent troubles? ****ing tool.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Valverde: “No esperaba el ataque de Contador, pensaba que iba jodido”

 

[Libertine Seguros]

i strongly disagree. the only classic that has climbs that suit his style is Il Lombardia.

2010: 3rd, Flèche Wallonne, 9th, Liège-Bastogne-Liège
2012: 1st, Milano-Torino

Plus he was 2nd in the nationals on this course in 2011:

While I'm here, anyone else hear Carlton welcome back Henao after his recent troubles? ****ing tool.

Ahahahaha that's brilliant.

 

[T-Nielsen]

Valverde: “No esperaba el ataque de Contador, pensaba que iba jodido”

Valverde: "I did not expect the attack of Contador thought I would ****ing"

God bless Google translate.

 

[Hugo87]

Valverde: "I did not expect the attack of Contador thought I would ****ing"

God bless Google translate.

"I didn't expect the attack from Contador, I thought he was struggling"

 

[The Hitch]

Meh, I'm done with this. All this people. Imagine if it was Froome.

well it was a nice stage Big Mac; and good win for Alberto, better him than Valverde
but I agree with the last sentence

Yeah, imagine if it was froome. The last 8 pages would be filled with like implicit and explicit doping talk, opposing fans would be personally insulting eachother, several posters would openly accuse him of doping...

Hey, wait a minute

 

[Jelantik]

I don't understand sky. Why won't they give the leadership to Nieve? This terrain suits him (Nieve) better than Kenaugh? Is this just because it's british team therefore let's pick british leader?? (mean Kennaugh is British that's why british leader? just a question) I know he (Kennaugh) won copi but PV terrain is too hilly and step and seems to suit Nieve better. (means that sky should pick Nieve for leader not Kennaugh)

Great ride by Nieve. Stomp your foot, Nieve!! (means I'm rooting for the underdog if Nieve is not actually the original leader for sky)

Anyone else completely baffled by the two contradictory halves of this post?

Which bit of Kennaugh 15 mins back and Nieve top 10 gives you the slightest reason to believe your first paragraph is not moaning about something which never happened?

Did you not see Nieve given the team leader number?

While I'm here, anyone else hear Carlton welcome back Henao after his recent troubles? ****ing tool.

I read somewhere (I don't remember because I like googling stuff and read all kinds of news about cycling before sleep). that the leader for SKY at PV was Kennaugh. That's why I'm puzzled. That's what my post is asking the reasoning behind it? . And looks like I'm wrong to assume, because from the results, Nieve is the leader for sky.

and second pardon my english mate. see my blue.

 

[Angliru]

Valverde: “No esperaba el ataque de Contador, pensaba que iba jodido”

Google translate must be incorrect. It translates "jodido" as "f--k--g"!!

 

[Hugo87]

Google translate must be incorrect. It translates "jodido" as "f--k--g"!!

It's "almost" right, in Portugal when we say "fodido" means ****ed and in Spain "jodido" it's almost the same but less expletive, they use it all the time.

 

[The Hitch]

Google translate must be incorrect. It translates "jodido" as "f--k--g"!!

That's what it means. That's what he said. I think in spain on tv though they may be slightly more liberal on things like that.

 

[Rollthedice]

"I didn't expect the attack from Contador, I thought he was struggling"

More precisely, translated by Movistar page:

I jumped away, felt strong, and Alberto was the only one who could folow me. Initially I felt confident, because I was seeing he wasn't doing so well, but he attacked in the end of the climb and it was kind of unexpected for me. There was a strong headwind and I couldn't close the gap. I wasn't thinking he would open such a big gap,

As usual, Valverde reading the race a bit wrong. Must admit I'm not in the over-excited Contador camp, there's still a long way until TdF and I think the only way to defeat Froome is if Froome somehow doesn't respond as well as last year to his scientific training. Nevertheless, clever and powerful performance by Contador today.

 

[Jelantik]

"I didn't expect the attack from Contador, I thought he was struggling"

then well done contador! Never thought you could poker face Valverde

 

[The Hitch]

I think maybe contador made a risk attacking Valverde like that after following him for 2 minutes. If I were contador I wouldn't want to risk alienating Valverde further, as he could be a good ally to have in July.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Dutch google translate is even better

http://translate.google.nl/translat...s/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=70711&edit-text=

It says something like "I did not expect that Contador's attack would think I would ****"

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Holy crap. I just watched the final 9k Eurosport clip. Did Kirby seriously just say at the top of the climb that the fans will love it because they love to see a Spaniard win?

Edit:

And who's this mug with him? Kirby's talking about Cunego's descending ability and if he can bridge to Contador or Valverde (Contador's pretty good downhill, Valverde's typically excellent), and the co-commentator then says "you don't win the Giro d'Italia without being a very good descender".

Ivan Basso thanks him for the compliment.

 

[arvc40]

Holy crap. I just watched the final 9k Eurosport clip. Did Kirby seriously just say at the top of the climb that the fans will love it because they love to see a Spaniard win?

Edit:

And who's this mug with him? Kirby's talking about Cunego's descending ability and if he can bridge to Contador or Valverde (Contador's pretty good downhill, Valverde's typically excellent), and the co-commentator then says "you don't win the Giro d'Italia without being a very good descender".

Ivan Basso thanks him for the compliment.

Kirbys Co is Matt Stephens. Ex Pro. Rode the Giro. British road champ late 90s. No mug. Very good rider indeed !.

 

[l.Harm]

Belkin explanation

The first day of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco did not finish how the Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM wanted. Leaders Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema lost time in the 153-km hilly stage with start and finish in Ordizia. Alberto Contador took the win.

Gesink arrived at the line in 16th position at 58 seconds back. The loss, however, could have been bigger as the Varssevelder suffered a mechanical problem on a steep climb, which forced him to change bikes twice.

“When it happened our team car was behind and besides that, the road was very narrow,” said Sports Director Merijn Zeeman. “Fortunately, Stef Clement was nearby so Robert could continue on his bike. Of course, that wasn’t ideal, but Robert was able to stay close to the front. A little later, we were able to give him his spare bike.

“We are not satisfied with today, but I think we limited the damage. It could have been worse. We still believe a top ten in the overall is possible. It was good to see that Robert himself is fine.”

Robert Gesink
Gesink was very disappointed afterwards. “Today was a hard stage and normally that suits me. The misfortune, however, cost me a lot of time and energy. It took a lot of strength to chase twice, especially as I was on Stef’s bike.

“I feel good, however, and there are still possibilities. I hope to climb in the overall. Contador and Valverde are far away, but the guys behind them are all very close to each other.”

Bauke Mollema
Bauke Mollema had a bad day today in the saddle and lost nine minutes. “We have no explanation for that,” said Zeeman. “Bauke was feeling good and he doesn’t know where this is coming from. It’s important that he keeps fighting and that he improves with the Ardennes Classics approaching.”

Tuesday
Zeeman said that tomorrow’s stage is one for the sprinters. “Although it’s still a hard stage. We have Paul Martens, who’s fast, but as a team we will not work to make it a sprint. Paul has been ill last week and is still recovering. If it comes to down a sprint, however, he will get his chance.”

 

[ferryman]

Holy crap. I just watched the final 9k Eurosport clip. Did Kirby seriously just say at the top of the climb that the fans will love it because they love to see a Spaniard win?

Edit:

And who's this mug with him? Kirby's talking about Cunego's descending ability and if he can bridge to Contador or Valverde (Contador's pretty good downhill, Valverde's typically excellent), and the co-commentator then says "you don't win the Giro d'Italia without being a very good descender".

Ivan Basso thanks him for the compliment.

I hear you on that one but Matt Stephens is probably the best analyst out there IMHO.

 

[kingjr]

Holy crap. I just watched the final 9k Eurosport clip. Did Kirby seriously just say at the top of the climb that the fans will love it because they love to see a Spaniard win?

German ESP said sth similar coincidentally

 

[The Hitch]

the co-commentator then says "you don't win the Giro d'Italia without being a very good descender".

Ivan Basso thanks him for the compliment.

That's exactly what I thought when I heard that.

Also kirby said on whether Valverde could catch contador on the descent - contador descends like no on else.

 

[Rollthedice]

That's exactly what I thought when I heard that.

Also kirby said on whether Valverde could catch contador on the descent - contador descends like no on else.

OK, let's not forget Nibali. The fact that he is somewhere in Tenerife right now trying to catch up does not make him a worse descender.