2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Formigal

[DanielSong39]

Looks like the perfect stage to try a suicidal long-range attack. Stay tuned...

 

[Sykes]

Im going with Brambilla for this one

 

[movingtarget]

Waste of a stage. It needed to be a lot harder to have any impact with the distance involved.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

Looks like the perfect stage to try a suicidal long-range attack. Stay tuned...

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

The hype train is still alive and well!

 

[Der Effe]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Form

Thought this could be a nice stage until I just saw the gradients. Absolute joke.

 

[HelloDolly]

THis is stage for Chaves

 

[bassano]

Re:

The day with the shitty climbs. Not much will happen.

I am quite disappointed from entire vuelta so far, not much did not happend during whole race, today stage will not be better I think

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Form

Thought this could be a nice stage until I just saw the gradients. Absolute joke.

Tell you what, I'd have been happier with the race going the opposite way around and having yesterday's stage finish with Pourtalet then a drop then a cat.3 finish of the last 4km of today's stage (because essentially this MTF is Pourtalet S until around 4km to go), then Sabiñánigo to Aubisque today - the biggest problem would be that that would mean using some of my absolute least favourite climbs as the logical way would be Fanlo-Túnel de Bielsa-Hourquette d'Ancizan-Tourmalet-Aubisque via Soulor, and that it would probably also neuter the Formigal stage because Pourtalet isn't very steep even from the tougher north side.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Form

I know that Formigal is an important climb for the history of the Vuelta, but there is a point where a stage can't even be so historic that it can justify such mtf. Formigal is a bad climb. I don't have a problem with flat mtf's, but if the hardest climb you can put before it is even flatter, no thanks. Fuente De worked, but that was a miracle.

HOWEVER, actually I think it would make sense for a few teams to try to use this stage Fuente De style. Orica has 2 riders in the top 4 of the current gc, Sky has 2 in the top 5, and then there is Contador who is currently on 6th place and also has nothing to lose. I honestly don't think Sky wants to take any risks, it would be very untypical for Sky to not try to control everything. However if they would send König into a break, and Contador and Chaves attack too, well good luck Movistar controlling that break. The thing is, Orica has to play its cards as quickly as possible, since there are only 2 mtf's left after today and one of them is a _______/ stage, where the 2 riders in the top 4 don't give you any advantage. So I know it's incredibly unlikely but pleeeeeaaaaase let this stage be good.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Today will be mayhem.

 

[klintE]

Strong breakaway with Brambi, de Gent, Hermans etc. Yates and Orica moves to be controlled by giants.

 

[DBotero]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Form

Yates or Chavez could sneak away again today while Quintana and Froome stare at each other.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Today will be mayhem.

I think so aswell, i think something crazy will happen

 

[roundabout]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Form

I know that Formigal is an important climb for the history of the Vuelta, but there is a point where a stage can't even be so historic that it can justify such mtf.

Doing Formigal twice in 4 editions and Valdelinares in 2014 would suggest Aramón money as the main justification.

 

[MacBAir]

After looking at the profile I just can't stop thinking about that Lance Armstrong attack in 1999 where he went for it on a climb like this one and had to brake on every single turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6jdNsjUtt8
Sestriere. 99. yellow. Big ring.

Froome has this.

 

[wirral]

Unleash the Konig dog.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Unleash the Konig dog.

Epic König vs Keizer vs King showdown coming up today. Too bad Küng isn't here.

 

[ice&fire]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Sabiñánigo > Aramón Form

I know that Formigal is an important climb for the history of the Vuelta, but there is a point where a stage can't even be so historic that it can justify such mtf.

Doing Formigal twice in 4 editions and Valdelinares in 2014 would suggest Aramón money as the main justification.

And doing Formigal instead of Cerler would suggest that the stage going around Escartín home roads is the main justification.

 

[jens_attacks]

Re:

After looking at the profile I just can't stop thinking about that Lance Armstrong attack in 1999 where he went for it on a climb like this one and had to brake on every single turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6jdNsjUtt8
Sestriere. 99. yellow. Big ring.

Froome has this.

sestriere from cesana torinese is much more serious climb than this flat highway.

only last 3 km are serious. you can gain 5 seconds there.

 

[Matt92]

Re:

After looking at the profile I just can't stop thinking about that Lance Armstrong attack in 1999 where he went for it on a climb like this one and had to brake on every single turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6jdNsjUtt8
Sestriere. 99. yellow. Big ring.

Froome has this.

I think Sestriere is a harder climb than Formigal. More importantly, that stage was raced in awful weather conditions, was over 200 kms and featured Tamié, Télégraphe, Galibier and Montgenevre before Sestriere.

 

[MacBAir]

Re: Re:

After looking at the profile I just can't stop thinking about that Lance Armstrong attack in 1999 where he went for it on a climb like this one and had to brake on every single turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6jdNsjUtt8
Sestriere. 99. yellow. Big ring.

Froome has this.

I think Sestriere is a harder climb than Formigal. More importantly, that stage was raced in awful weather conditions, was over 200 kms and featured Tamié, Télégraphe, Galibier and Montgenevre before Sestriere.

Both of you are right, but doesn't this climb have a smallish 19 per cent section?

Froome can put 10s on Quintana there and win the stage (bonuses?).

 

[Brullnux]

9%, not 19%

 

[Poursuivant]

Bertie to attack today

 

[Amnes2015]

to many Tinkoff riders trying to get in the break obvious Contador attack is obvious

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

Today will be mayhem.

I think so aswell, i think something crazy will happen

Same here. Pure gut feeling, not rational. Well maybe nothing crazy, but more than all the pessimists here think will happen.