2015 Vuelta stage 18: Roa > Riaza 204km

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Astana will ride like race leaders and agree they will have better opportunities to grab the handful of seconds needed. What could make this race a classic is the number of riders still within 5 minutes and in some cases with a teammate - things could get very difficult to control

Yeah, Moreno/Purito with the one-two assault. The only question is have Movistar given up and will fight to get on the podium thus helping Dumoulin chase down attacks.

But Stage 20 is going to be crazy. It will be similar to the final stage of the Dauphine last year.

Movistar will go with everything today.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

Carnage! High pace and crosswind split the peloton.

Edit: Giant brought the 2nd group back. Dumoulin was caught out.

Damn! Is Astana leading the peloton?

No idea. It has been a big fight to be in the break so far.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

aru will take 20-30 sec on dumoulin today
i expect astana to destroy the peloton in the last 40 kms

It' been nearly three weeks since we expect that.

 

[Jagartrott]

Big group (25 riders) now finally away it seems?
1:05

 

[RedheadDane]

Names in the break:

DE CLERCQ
CARDOSO MARTINS
ZUBELDIA AGIRRE
ROCHE N.
GONCALVES J.
POLJANSKI P.
MADRAZO RUIZ
VORGANOV E.
ROJAS GIL J.
VAN DER SANDE T.
ATAPUMA HURTADO J.
GAUTIER C.
HANSEN A.
SERRY P.
DE KORT K.
LEMOINE C.
DURASEK K.
REYNES MIMO V
ROOSEN T.
MINARD S.
COURTEILLE A.
ROLLIN D.
PELLAUD S.
SONGEZO J.
BENNATI D.

 

[Sasquatch]

No one is a threat to Fraile's jersey so that is one jersey that is all but wrapped up assuming he finishes the race.

 

[Velolover2]

Breakaway riders:

Team Sky : Nicolas Roche
AG2R - La Mondiale : Sébastien Minard
BMC : Darwin Atapuma
Caja Rural : Jose Gonçalves, Angel Madrazo
Cofidis : Cyril Lemoine, Dominique Rollin
Etixx - Quick Step : Pieter Serry
FDJ : Arnaud Courteille
IAM Cycling : Simon Pellaud, Vicente Reynes
Lampre - Merida : Kristijan Durasek
Lotto Soudal : Bart De Clercq, Adam Hansen, Tosh Van der Sande
Movistar : José Joaquiin Rojas
MTN - Qhubeka : Songezo Jim
Cannondale - Garmin : Andre Cardoso
Europcar : Jérôme Cousin, Cyril Gautier
Katusha : Eduard Vorganov
Lotto NL - Jumbo : Timo Roosen
Tinkoff - Saxo : Daniele Bennati, Pawel Poljanski
Trek Factory : Haimar Zubeldia

Saxo and Katusha have to be up for something.

 

[Sasquatch]

I'm rooting for Zubeldia.

 

[Sasquatch]

Actually no. Goncalves deserves the victory most. Rooting for him.

 

[Winnen]

De Clerq for the win!

 

[StannisBaratheon]

If the Spaniards have a Super Combativity award, it should go to Goncalves

 

[martyfulu]

Think it could be Roches turm

 

[seldon71]

DeClercq will soon be a threat for Meintjes' Top Ten -spot. Will Qhubeka start to chase?

 

[Walter Morgan]

Re:

DeClercq will soon be a threat for Meintjes' Top Ten -spot. Will Qhubeka start to chase?

Already is.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

DeClercq will soon be a threat for Meintjes' Top Ten -spot. Will Qhubeka start to chase?

They're on the front.

 

[seldon71]

and they just apparently did

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

DeClercq will soon be a threat for Meintjes' Top Ten -spot. Will Qhubeka start to chase?

 

[liamito]

If they keep it at 5 minutes, any chance Astana might take over?

 

[classicomano]

Martinelli said that Astana will put all their eggs in the basket for Saturday's stage. So expect no fireworks before then.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Re:

Martinelli said that Astana will put all their eggs in the basket for Saturday's stage. So expect no fireworks before then.

Of course the natural question here is, why would they announce this??

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

Martinelli said that Astana will put all their eggs in the basket for Saturday's stage. So expect no fireworks before then.

Of course the natural question here is, why would they announce this??

He must be onto something. I just have to recall last Giro to see what a tactical genius he is.

 

[Stilletto]

I assume that Movistar will try today well every darn day and maybe the likes of Saxo and Astana are playing the waiting game.
The attacks will come, it will be CARNAGE

 

[greenedge]

I'd have loved to see Katusha put Dani Moreno in the breakaway, but I'll hold out for any attacks from the GC riders.

 

[Stilletto]

i reckon Moreno is being saved for stage 20 ?

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

i reckon Moreno is being saved for stage 20 ?

That'd be brilliant. I still recall last time the 3rd classified in a close Vuelta sent up the road a teammate in the last mountain stage. So does Robert Millar.