2016 Vuelta a España, Stage 20: Benidorm → Alto de Aitana

[wirral]

Today is the day Dog completes the journey from Bilharzia-Barlofroome to the greatest GC rider of his generation.

 

[Miburo]

If Froome wins the vuelta, i think he's a better GC rider than Contador ever was. Sorry but Contador never did this, maybe he could, maybe he couldnt but facts are facts.

 

[ontheroad]

If Froome wins the Vuelta from here then I'm a china man. I'm really looking forward to the stage in itself though as Froome will have to try something and its not too often that Froome is in a position where he has to attack. Normally he is riding off power meters and defending a lead or riding on the wheels of the train. Then you have the sub plot of Contador or Chaves possibly trying something themselves. I think there will be carnage on this stage, could be the most exciting dust up of the year. I do get the feeling that Froome will go on the attack and then blow up completely.

 

[Miburo]

Today is the day though where Contador can really show to the people he doesn't care about the podium.

He showed that in the tour of 2011, but that's 5 years ago and then he was the best. Now he's not anymore, does that change his attidude? We'll see

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Froome needs to gain here (roughly) what Quintana would need to gain if there wasn't Formigal failure (or success, as you wish).
Last chance for Contador to take a stage and for Orica to take a podium spot.
Enough for spectacle.

That would be amazing! Contador and Chaves duking it out with the podium on the line. If it happens I hope Froome and Quintana have the good sense to sit back and watch the fireworks.

 

[movingtarget]

Froome won't go on a long range attack. That is not the way Sky do things. Contador is the obvious one to try something or maybe Orica with two riders in the top 10. Hopefully Sky are awake this time. Quintana has looked good on the climbs and I can't see Froome putting much time into him even if he wins the stage.

 

[Poursuivant]

Froome will probably try and put teammates in the break, Movi will shut it down, Froome will decide to wait for Aitana, which will be a fatal mistake, imo.

 

[Red Rick]

What time does it start? When does the broadcast start

 

[sir fly]

Re:

What time does it start? When does the broadcast start

Broadcast in 20, race in less than an hour.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

What time does it start? When does the broadcast start

Broadcast in 20, race in less than an hour.

tyvm

 

[spiritualride]

Top 15 GC before today:

1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 75:18:52
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:21
3 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team 0:03:43
4 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-BikeExchange 0:04:54
5 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac 0:07:12
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange 0:07:32
7 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:10:01
8 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Movistar Team 0:10:07
9 David De La Cruz (Spa) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:10:11
10 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac 0:11:14
11 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:12:04
12 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team 0:12:25
13 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:12:30
14 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:13:18
15 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:14:22

Point classification
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 93 pts
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 91
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 87
4 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 83

Mountian classification
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ 56 pts
2 Omar Fraile (Spa) Dimension Data 53
3 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 34
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ 28

(taken from http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-19/results/ )

 

[Amnes2015]

if Froome wins today he gets the green jersey?

i would love that to spank Valverde's for cocky overconfidence , every day he declares that Quintana has won this Vuelta easily

 

[Red Rick]

Should be a huge fight among all climbers not in top 15 and not on GC leader sit duty to get in breakaway

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

if Froome wins today he gets the green jersey?

i would love that to spank Valverde's for cocky overconfidence , every day he declares that Quintana has won this Vuelta easily

Well, if he doesn't win the Vuelta doing it he doesn't exactly prove Valverde wrong

 

[Robert5091]

Do we see a return of "Froome the Descender"? Will Yates bury himself for Chaves? Froome to TT/Yo yo the final climb, if he has help (with OBE?), can be close to catching Quintana.

 

[Amnes2015]

Re: Re:

if Froome wins today he gets the green jersey?

i would love that to spank Valverde's for cocky overconfidence , every day he declares that Quintana has won this Vuelta easily

Well, if he doesn't win the Vuelta doing it he doesn't exactly prove Valverde wrong

yeah but i think Valverde's attitude is inappropiate

it's hard to take red from Quintana so taking green from Valverde will be a good consolation prize

and everyone knows Valverde cares for top 10's and jerseys

 

[samhocking]

Re:

Froome will probably try and put teammates in the break, Movi will shut it down, Froome will decide to wait for Aitana, which will be a fatal mistake, imo.

I don't think the early break is what Froome will want at all. I think his only option if he wants to win is to make the first climb so hard for the other teams, it pulls Chaves, Quintana & Contador out very early. Quintana & Contador have a mutual interest to simply stay in Froome & Chaves's wheels, but Contador's fighting talk seems to suggest he thinks he can profit from Froome blowing himself up and leapfrogging everyone. To do that, Contador has to isolate Quintana even if he's with Froome initially. The deciding factor will be how Chaves feels and I think Cannondale could offer the weight to either Froome or Contador to gain big time.

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

Do we see a return of "Froome the Descender"? Will Yates bury himself for Chaves? Froome to TT/Yo yo the final climb, if he has help (with OBE?), can be close to catching Quintana.

Going off his interview with Flecha, "I won't try anything crazy on a descent."

 

[KyoGrey]

Re: 2016 Vuelta a España, Stage 20: Benidorm → Alto de Aitan

I assume that the universal consensus in the peloton is that for Froome to win the Vuelta, he needs to make a move before Aitana.

Thus, it shall be a great day of cycling.

(As people here say, maybe he can benefit of Orica/Contador hardening the stage, then Froome attacking in Tudons to gain 15-20 seg, stretching them in the descent to be able to start Aitana with a 40-50 seg margin over Quintana?)

 

[Swiss Tony]

Quintana to drop out at 50km due to a night with his Movistar teammates watching Sticky Vicky

 

[Poursuivant]

Re: Re:

Froome will probably try and put teammates in the break, Movi will shut it down, Froome will decide to wait for Aitana, which will be a fatal mistake, imo.

I don't think the early break is what Froome will want at all. I think his only option if he wants to win is to make the first climb so hard for the other teams, it pulls Chaves, Quintana & Contador out very early. Quintana & Contador have a mutual interest to simply stay in Froome & Chaves's wheels, but Contador's fighting talk seems to suggest he thinks he can profit from Froome blowing himself up and leapfrogging everyone. To do that, Contador has to isolate Quintana even if he's with Froome initially. The deciding factor will be how Chaves feels and I think Cannondale could offer the weight to either Froome or Contador to gain big time.

I hope I am wrong but I think you are expecting too much, I don't see Froome initiating any early attacks.

 

[ontheroad]

Re: Re:

Do we see a return of "Froome the Descender"? Will Yates bury himself for Chaves? Froome to TT/Yo yo the final climb, if he has help (with OBE?), can be close to catching Quintana.

Going off his interview with Flecha, "I won't try anything crazy on a descent."

I'd take anything Froome said with a large pinch of salt.

 

[KyoGrey]

In TVE we are already live.

 

[Arredondo]

It would be quite funny if Quintana could steal the points jersey from Alejandro. Would be good too, because the winner of the points jersey should be more then 15th place on GC + no stage win.

Froome to go full ***, but Quintana to hold on. He's the slightly better climber in the race, and Movistar is way stronger then Sky. The only chance for Froome is when he gets clear in the descent of the penultimate climb and Konig drops from the break and does a tremendous job for his team leader.

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Quintana to drop out at 50km due to a night with his Movistar teammates watching Sticky Vicky

And who would be the one that talked them into?