2016 Vuelta a España, stage 14: Urdax > Col d'Aubisque 196km

[TomLPC]

Valverde currently Ivan basso-Ing all over the mountain

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Hello haters...

 

[Red Rick]

Valverde on his way to Helsinki for the remainder of the Vuelta

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Agree, Quintana is no push over in the TT; certainly not when riding for Movistar in Spain. I think he'd do well to take a minute out of him; especially as Quintana has looked the stronger so far this race.

Froome is at least 2 minutes better than Quintana in this TT.

In Tour de France form probably. On Vuelta form, from what we have seen so far, I doubt it.

 

[laurensde+]

Re: Re:

Anyone know when did Konig escape?

When Chaves attacked

No, it was long before that. It was when the whole 20 man GC group started messing about. Just after Quintana did his first mini-attack when Froome was at the back of the pack.

Thanks. I thought I'd got that wrong as soon as I wrote it!

 

[Sykes]

Froome played with Quintana...he has the Vuelta in his pocket

 

[benzwire]

Good to see Quintana trying to gain time and disappointed to see Froome just set to follow. He's definitely waiting for the TT. I hope Quintana can gain some time tomorrow and maybe the day following the TT. Props to Yates, nice move. Big future for him. Sad to see Contador fade away.

 

[Asero831]

valverde 9 minutes back

 

[Gloin22]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Agree, Quintana is no push over in the TT; certainly not when riding for Movistar in Spain. I think he'd do well to take a minute out of him; especially as Quintana has looked the stronger so far this race.

Froome is at least 2 minutes better than Quintana in this TT.

lol no. Froome was only 2 min faster in TdF TT where Quintana was much worse as Froome climbing wise. Here they Quintana is better climbing wise so Quintana's form here is better compared to Froome at the Tour.

plus Quintana always does better in Vuelta timetrials while Froome always does worse

This is practically a flat TT, changes things a lot. 2 min is a lot ,but defnitely not ''lol no'' possibility

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Agree, Quintana is no push over in the TT; certainly not when riding for Movistar in Spain. I think he'd do well to take a minute out of him; especially as Quintana has looked the stronger so far this race.

But in the end you were wrong about Valverde. You thought his podium was quite safe. But in the end, he's out of the top-10.

Any comments on that?

Firstly, he's not out of the top 10. And secondly, I never once thought it was safe; cracking on this stage was always a decent possibility. Anyway, despite the result today, he still certainly has a chance at top 5, maybe even podium.

He finished at 11 minutes. What are you talking about?

 

[TI-Raleigh]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Do you really think that if he could drop Quintana that he wouldn't do that? Froome would never let an opportunity like that go. He was on the limit as well, obviously.

I think today was more of Quintana's day to drop Froome, rather than the other way 'round.

If, Quintana's (supposed) greatest advantage against Froome is multiple-climb, high mountain stages, then this is the best stage for that in the Vuelta. Therefore, the burden is on Quintana to capitalize on his strength.Froome needed to do no more than simply hold Quintana's wheel and attack if Quintana was uncharacteristically weak.

The remaining summit finishes, because of their relative lack of climbing before, suit Froome. And the ITT obviously favors Froome as well.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

wow!! i havent seen a gt stage like that, with the best in it, for a while.. too many things at once...
well deserved Gesink!! to me Orica were the big winners today. they bet long and short and both payed well..

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Agree, Quintana is no push over in the TT; certainly not when riding for Movistar in Spain. I think he'd do well to take a minute out of him; especially as Quintana has looked the stronger so far this race.

But in the end you were wrong about Valverde. You thought his podium was quite safe. But in the end, he's out of the top-10.

Any comments on that?

Firstly, he's not out of the top 10. And secondly, I never once thought it was safe; cracking on this stage was always a decent possibility. Anyway, despite the result today, he still certainly has a chance at top 5, maybe even podium.

He's finished at 11 minutes. What are you talking about?

He still has a decent chance at top 10, I think that and the points jersey is his goal for the race.

 

[cadence]

Maybe Froome didn't attack because Konig was up the road and didn't want to drag anyone to him? Could be a possibility with Sky trying to get another rider high in GC because Vuelta

 

[Pantani Attacks]

To think Valverde held on for so long in this Vuelta is incredible. One of the most impressive seasons in Cycling history.

 

[AlexNYC]

Re:

Froome played with Quintana...he has the Vuelta in his pocket

Interesting interpretation, but I'm pretty sure the haters would have called Quintana a wheelsucker had he been the one trying to stay with Froome.

 

[SafeBet]

Superb team effort from Orica, now 3rd and 4th in GC. I know Froome and Quintana look untouchable at the moment but they're playing too many games and their shape could go down come next week.
Orica in a position to even steal the roja with some luck.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Do you really think that if he could drop Quintana that he wouldn't do that? Froome would never let an opportunity like that go. He was on the limit as well, obviously.

I think today was more of Quintana's day to drop Froome, rather than the other way 'round.

If, Quintana's (supposed) greatest advantage against Froome is multiple-climb, high mountain stages, then this is the best stage for that in the Vuelta. Therefore, the burden is on Quintana to capitalize on his strength.Froome needed to do no more than simply hold Quintana's wheel and attack if Quintana was uncharacteristically weak.

The remaining summit finishes, because of their relative lack of climbing before, suit Froome. And the ITT obviously favors Froome as well.

Eh? He's lost a minute to Quintana on these type of finishes already in the race. They are the climbs Quintana has been capitalising on so far, and there are plenty more to come.

 

[roundabout]

Re: Re:

Eh? Valverde should be about 4 minutes behind 10th now. I wouldn't say that he has a decent chance unless he manages to make the right breakaway.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Re: Re:

Where is Chaves? He attacked and then wasn't seen since.

Bala gone too. Yates replaces Chaves as Orica's challenger. I think it's tending towards Froome if the TT guess well. He held Nairo perfectly today. Contador losing a bit of steam again today. He's challenging for the podium atm.

I think you're dreaming for Contador, he lost a place and is now behind Yates & Konig as well...

bye bye podium

He's a minute and a half back. He'll be up there challenging. Don't think he'll do it though

 

[Bogotano]

Re:

Nairo doesn't commit the extra 50-100m to his attacks he is doing the andy

This! No attacks from Froome means he was probably close to his limit, still, Quintana and Froome were only as fast as Samu and slower than Chaves. If Quintana had attacked harder maybe he gets away

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

He still has a decent chance at top 10, I think that and the points jersey is his goal for the race.

Shouldn't be his goal working for Quintana now? There's no room for any personal ambition anymore. Not for a stupid top-10 place.

Bala already has got way too much freedom in this race. It's time to work 100%

 

[roundabout]

Bennett 12th on GC, Molard 20th.

WTF?

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

He still has a decent chance at top 10, I think that and the points jersey is his goal for the race.
Shouldn't be his goal working for Quintana now? There's no room for any personal ambition anymore. Not for a stupid top-10 place.

Bala already has got way too much freedom in this race. It's time to work 100%

Sure, he should work for Quintana. But now he's not so high in the GC there is only so much he can do; he was much more useful sitting in 3rd. Froome isn't going to bother chasing him down now, so he's not such a powerful card to play.

 

[Ataraxus]

Re: Re:

I hope Froome isn't relying on his ITT. Otherwise today might be a missed opportunity for him.

Agree, Quintana is no push over in the TT; certainly not when riding for Movistar in Spain. I think he'd do well to take a minute out of him; especially as Quintana has looked the stronger so far this race.

Froome is at least 2 minutes better than Quintana in this TT.

lol no. Froome was only 2 min faster in TdF TT where Quintana was much worse as Froome climbing wise. Here they Quintana is better climbing wise so Quintana's form here is better compared to Froome at the Tour.

plus Quintana always does better in Vuelta timetrials while Froome always does worse

There is a high chance for the Xabia-Calp TT to be wind-affected. Right now it is ~15km/h from SSW which means it is headwind for the second part of the TT and side wind for the first.