2015 Vuelta stage 9: Torrevieja > Cumbre del Sol 168.3km

[BrentonOfTheNorth]

Apparently, the short but sharp descent before the final "climb" is quite tricky.

Expect some of the big names to start Cumbre del Sol bad positioned.

It doesn't look to tricky, unfortunately: Google Maps.

That's great, thanks Stelvio. This climb looks really hard and the GC riders may all spread out with real gaps. Though it looks like the GC riders are more in the mood to mark each other than try to win right now. Will they all just stare at Chaves? But then again, it's hard to believe that nobody will be tempted to attack on an extended 20% so close to the finish.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Will be interesting to see if Aru goes for it again.

 

[HelloDolly]

Well it won't be Sagan as he has abandoned

 

[manafana]

So Sagan is out thats sad, spoke to Brammier on this, its not easy driving motorbikes cars etc in a pack and trying pass them, but there is an ethic rather than rules, you should only past cyclists on the left, a beep to alert or even something else with a noise and maybe more.

 

[ILovecycling]

I hope for Murito win,hopefuly Henao will try something as he looked better yesterday.

Sad about Sagz

 

[Squirbos_19]

Hoping for Rodriguez to win or at least take time on the other contenders. If he can't then he's got little to no chance of winning the Vuelta or even finishing on the podium.

Hopefully Pozzovivo rides good as well, I wouldn't mind seeing him climbing up the GC.

 

[DFA123]

Presumably Sagan was going to pull out on the rest day anyway? Don't think he would have a chance today and a breakaway should win tomorrow, so it probably hasn't really cost him or the race much leaving a couple of days early.

The big shame was that he was a massive favourite to take the win yesterday.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Presumably Sagan was going to pull out on the rest day anyway? Don't think he would have a chance today and a breakaway should win tomorrow, so it probably hasn't really cost him or the race much leaving a couple of days early.

The big shame was that he was a massive favourite to take the win yesterday.

I think till the stage of Moncayo, not the rest day.

Nice breakaway today... will Kathousa control this, any other?

I think that of coure the Vuelta is going to be won by get well at the end, in Cantabria, Asturias, and in the ITT, and Purito in andorra is like to race at home in a stage he designed.. if he today dont put time and take some bonus, I think would be a bad signal. He need to take advantage of these stages and later we will see.

For me there are 2 sstages that people dont talk a lot, 2 long stages that surely will be very important:

Fuente del Chivo: Long, with tha hard mitic for la Vuelta Escudo, and after some km of moreor les flat road, a long climb, the s tage will be very demanding. Andbefore ome climbs, estacas de trueba with a nasty descent.

Riaza: just after the ITT, nobody talk about it, it looks a medium mountain stage for a break, no more...maybe some second for a GC rider, but no more.. and it is a stage where you can lo a lot of time, there are a lot of Km up and down, with 20 % roads, without asfalt, and finally is the 1 st categorized climb, and just the decent to the finish. I)f a rider and his team fells string and there are after the ITT at 1 minute, they can blow uo all in this stage.

With wind will be one of the hardest stages of la Vuelta.

 

[Arredondo]

Crash in the peloton. Aru, Landa, Pozzo, Degenkolb, Dumoulin, De Marchi and Valverde amongst the victims.

Bala already went to the doctor.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

G.Thomas in the break

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Degand abandon. IAM is really unlucky this Vuelta.

 

[TommyPlus]

Carnage so far with crashes. Break pretty much doomed as Katusha will aim to make the day as uncomfortable as possible with so many GC/stage contenders feeling the effects of that crash

 

[Flamin]

Great, another crash fest.

 

[l.Harm]

Katusha chasing.

 

[Flamin]

Re:

Katusha chasing.

They'll need help sooner or later though.

 

[ILovecycling]

I dont remember Vuelta with so many crashes

How is Piti doing?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I suspect the road surfaces have taken a dive in recent year in rural Spain.
A hole in the road was what took out TJvG & Co yesterday.

 

[roundabout]

There really should be a warning onscreen before showing Benidorm from the air.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Great, another crash fest.

Fabio Aru, Mikel Landa, Samuel Sánchez, Domenico Pozzovivo , Chaves, and John Degenkolb afected, but all of them come back without problem, I think.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Katusha chasing.

They'll need help sooner or later though.

It reminds me of Mirador de Ezaro stage. They didn't need any help back then

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

Great, another crash fest.

Fabio Aru, Mikel Landa, Samuel Sánchez, Domenico Pozzovivo , Chaves, and John Degenkolb afected, but all of them come back without problem, I think.

Yeah but they could still be in pain and feel the effects on the final climb. I sure hope not.

Katusha chasing.

They'll need help sooner or later though.

It reminds me of Mirador de Ezaro stage. They didn't need any help back then

Help me out here

 

[Carols]

It sounds as if every contender except Quintana and Froome have been on the floor this Vuelta!

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Great, another crash fest.

Fabio Aru, Mikel Landa, Samuel Sánchez, Domenico Pozzovivo , Chaves, and John Degenkolb afected, but all of them come back without problem, I think.

Yeah but they could still be in pain and feel the effects on the final climb. I sure hope not.

Katusha chasing.

They'll need help sooner or later though.

It reminds me of Mirador de Ezaro stage. They didn't need any help back then

Help me out here

I think with Kathouse is enough, there i jut 4 minutes, both in the first climb, but epecially beforre the final, all the important teams willl work to put his captains there, and just that is 1 minute everytime.

 

[staubsauger]

Ain't Aru always in pain anyway? If he's right now already, he should snarl his teeth and bite like a mad dog.

 

[Taxus4a]

Ezaro anyway is just 2 Km, crazy step but 2, you can win with 2 minutes.

This is 4 Km and you need more than 2 minutes to win, We will see now who riders remain after the first climb in the break, and to see if Ettix has his 3 riders...

But anyway the stage will be for a GC contender and 80 % Purito.