2014 Vuelta al País Vasco, Stage 3: Urdazabi-Urdax → Vitoria-Gasteiz, 194.5 km

[icefire]

Sorry its off topic but still,
Do you know what is the biggest thread here? (i mean most posts in one stage or a classic)

Edit:to not to be completely offtopic.I was really expecting BS to win this,bit surprised with this.

I recall that the thread of the 2009 TDF stage to Le Grand Bornand was at the front page of the forum for many months.

 

[Netserk]

Congrats to Matthews. Nice to see him win. Man if there were time bonuses Kwiatkowski would probably would be in the leaders jersey.

Even if the time bonuses were 20-12-8, it'd only give Kwia 4 more seconds than Contador.....

 

[LaFlorecita]

Man if there were time bonuses Kwiatkowski would probably would be in the leaders jersey.

Uhm, not really. Time bonuses are usually 10", 6" and 4". Contador is 34" ahead and would have gotten 10" for his 1st place. Kwiatkowski's three 3rd place would have cut a massive 2" from Contador's 34" lead.

 

[Red Rick]

Come on guys, this thread needs to have more replies than Scheldeprijs. It's a matter of forum pride. I'm starting this

Alright, I'll post

Wat a **** stage

 

[Jspear]

Uhm, not really. Time bonuses are usually 10", 6" and 4". Contador is 34" ahead and would have gotten 10" for his 1st place. Kwiatkowski's three 3rd place would have cut a massive 2" from Contador's 34" lead.

Ya, you're right. But he would be much more of a threat to Contador, because he packs a faster sprint for the next and upcoming stages, plus we know he is real strong in the tt. Sometimes a few seconds can mean a lot in 1 week stage race.

 

[kingjr]

Kwiatkowski, Tejay van Garderen, Tom Dumoulin, Fredrik Kessiakoff, Vasil Kiryienka, Contador (esp. on the hills) and Kreuziger, Stef Clement, Lieuwe Westra probably the best TTists here not named Tony Martin. Some severe hill-age in the final TT could shake things up a fair bit.

Valverde can do well too in these sort of TT's.

 

[Publicus]

Ya, you're right. But he would be much more of a threat to Contador, because he packs a faster sprint for the next and upcoming stages, plus we know he is real strong in the tt. Sometimes a few seconds can mean a lot in 1 week stage race.

It's fair to say if there were bonifications here, Valverde and Contador would be contesting EVERY finale.

 

[VeloHuman]

Valverde can do well too in these sort of TT's.

Indeed. Profile looks similar to last year with some major hills + descents along the way. That year's ITT here was whacky. Apparently it was both flat enough for Tony Martin to win, and hilly enough for Nairo Quintana to come in 2nd. I'd bet that never happens again.

 

[dicanio_michael]

Uhm, not really. Time bonuses are usually 10", 6" and 4". Contador is 34" ahead and would have gotten 10" for his 1st place. Kwiatkowski's three 3rd place would have cut a massive 2" from Contador's 34" lead.

Yes, probably the same,
but Kwaito is gonna win the point jersey I bet
No sprinter beat him in the mountains, no climber beat him in the sprint

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yes, probably the same,
but Kwaito is gonna win the point jersey I bet
No sprinter beat him in the mountains, no climber beat him in the sprint

And he'll probably place really well in the ITT.

Curse the Caisse d'Epargne pull-out/Movistar transition. Unzué had been after him for ages, back when he was at Caja Rural when they were just a Continental team they were almost an Abarcá feeder.

 

[BYOP88]

That steak must have given Pate the 'splats' or something. Almost tail-end charlie today, although Peter 'Future GT winner' Kennaugh crossed the line last.