57th Vuelta al Pais Vasco 3-8 April 2017

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

I saw Nicolas Roche and Roman Kreuziger attack....Their attacks didnt stick but they opened the race ...not only Bennettt attacking on the climbs

Generous use of the word 'attack' there.

I dont see why....its an attack whether it stuck or not ...they went out front faster than the peloton and tried to get away

So Mr smarty pants an atatck is only one the sticks ...I dont think so

An attack usually gets more of a gap than 10 metres.

Is that an offical defintion or just some rubbish you made up
Both today had more than 10 metres and you keep you mocking to yourself

 

[The Barb]

This stage is perfect for Valverde and should be the dominating favourite. I thought he would be priced at about $2.50 but has opened at $4.50. No way that price lasts.

I'd love to see Roglic further confirm his potential by hanging with the true climbers then blasting them in the time trial.

 

[Arredondo]

Do you guys really think the gaps will be that big on Arrate? In the past editions, the differences were quite small between the GC guys.

I'll go with something like this:

1. Yates
2. Valverde + 10 s
3. Henao + 13 s
4. Izagire s.t.
5. Contador + 17 s
6. Roglic + 25 s

 

[Alexandre B.]

Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/850048478675955713

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I saw Nicolas Roche and Roman Kreuziger attack....Their attacks didnt stick but they opened the race ...not only Bennettt attacking on the climbs

Generous use of the word 'attack' there.

I dont see why....its an attack whether it stuck or not ...they went out front faster than the peloton and tried to get away

So Mr smarty pants an atatck is only one the sticks ...I dont think so

An attack usually gets more of a gap than 10 metres.

Is that an offical defintion or just some rubbish you made up
Both today had more than 10 metres and you keep you mocking to yourself

You claimed Kreuziger's attack opened the race. It clearly didn't.

He opened up a very small gap, which was easily controlled and reeled in by one domestique. It was the kind of move by a rider told to try to set something up for a team-mate, but who didn't have either the legs or the conviction to do it properly.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/850048478675955713

Yeah, Cummings looked like he was in a lot more bother than just a collarbone fracture. This confirms it..

Too bad, I was looking for him to light it up today.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/850048478675955713

Yeah, Cummings looked like he was in a lot more bother than just a collarbone fracture. This confirms it..

Too bad, I was looking for him to light it up today.

Horrible stuff. I fear that may be the last we see of him at the highest level, with his contract up at the end of the year. Hope he proves me wrong, but it'll take some real courage and motivation to come back from that at his age.

 

[Irondan]

Re: Re:

Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/850048478675955713

Yeah, Cummings looked like he was in a lot more bother than just a collarbone fracture. This confirms it..

Too bad, I was looking for him to light it up today.

Horrible stuff. I fear that may be the last we see of him at the highest level, with his contract up at the end of the year. Hope he proves me wrong, but it'll take some real courage and motivation to come back from that at his age.

I hope it's not his last WT contract, that would be a bummer. He's seemed to hit his stride in the past couple seasons, if he can come back this year and ride at a high level I think he'll get resigned or an offer from another WT team. If he can't make it back this season to WT form I'm afraid you might be right..

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re:

https://twitter.com/Endika_/status/850009672971153408

He surely didn't change his jersey mid-race did he? Because the shoulders look intact in this video, but were clearly shown as ripped earlier.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/850048478675955713

Yeah, Cummings looked like he was in a lot more bother than just a collarbone fracture. This confirms it..

Too bad, I was looking for him to light it up today.

Horrible stuff. I fear that may be the last we see of him at the highest level, with his contract up at the end of the year. Hope he proves me wrong, but it'll take some real courage and motivation to come back from that at his age.

I hope it's not his last WT contract, that would be a bummer. He's seemed to hit his stride in the past couple seasons, if he can come back this year and ride at a high level I think he'll get resigned or an offer from another WT team. If he can't make it back this season to WT form I'm afraid you might be right..

Agreed. Have to say I wasn't initially a fan of his sitting at the back all week and then winning a stage, felt something a bit unjust about it. But, on the other hand, you have to really respect a rider who finds a niche like that after almost 10 years of racing. And his two stage wins in the Tour were both very memorable for different reasons.

Perhaps, if recovery all goes well, he could still make the Vuelta and get signed up for another year. If it's all upper body injuries, he might be able to get back on the trainer relatively quickly and not to have build all his fitness up from scratch again.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

Do you guys really think the gaps will be that big on Arrate? In the past editions, the differences were quite small between the GC guys.

I'll go with something like this:

1. Yates
2. Valverde + 10 s
3. Henao + 13 s
4. Izagire s.t.
5. Contador + 17 s
6. Roglic + 25 s

It's the steeper side of Arrate, with 15-20% gradients, and we have 5 climbs before that, I think there will be gaps. Movistar will ride hard for sure, Trek will ride too if Contador is good. Sky is enigma, will they allow Henao to strike early, or will they protect Kwiatkowski

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

https://twitter.com/Endika_/status/850009672971153408

He surely didn't change his jersey mid-race did he? Because the shoulders look intact in this video, but were clearly shown as ripped earlier.

I think it just isn't as obvious, in this screenshot you can see a tear on his left shoulder, you see some skin

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Well spotted: I thought I had busted some conspiracy for a moment...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Well spotted: I thought I had busted some conspiracy for a moment...

He uses a doppelganger during the race?

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

Do you guys really think the gaps will be that big on Arrate? In the past editions, the differences were quite small between the GC guys.

I'll go with something like this:

1. Yates
2. Valverde + 10 s
3. Henao + 13 s
4. Izagire s.t.
5. Contador + 17 s
6. Roglic + 25 s

Trust me, the gaps will be way bigger. Think the Llucena stage in Valenciana or Lo Port in Catalunya. 6 hard climbs and a much more brutal version of Arrate.

 

[LaFlorecita]

1. Yates
2. Valverde +6"
3. Henao +6"
4. Spilak +22"
5. De la Cruz +22"
6. Ion Izagirre +22"
7. Roglic +22"
8. Uran +29"
9. Contador +29"
10. Mas +37"

 

[WheelofGear]

Funny how we all are expecting Yates to win.

He is explosive, hungry for a stage win and is no GC threat.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Its cause Yates wiped his ass in Movistar and Sky in Indurain. Well, most of all Henao, Valverde was down the road.

 

[johnymax]

On the other hand Yates didn't look too good when he couldn't close the gap to the main group yesterday on the final climb after the puncture. With the help of his team I think he was there at 15-20s but couldn't bridge. Tomorrow is a completely different beast of a climb though.

How does tomorrow's Arrate climb compare to the one to Llucena from Valenciana?

 

[glassmoon]

Re:

Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/850048478675955713

he must have hit that green post which was shown bent after...

 

[Beech Mtn]

Re: Re:

Well spotted: I thought I had busted some conspiracy for a moment...

He uses a doppelganger during the race?

 

[movingtarget]

Impressive win by Roglic helped by the fact that no one wanted to lead out the sprint !

 

[TourOfSardinia]

News elsewhere in the Basque Country
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39512637

 

[Robert5091]

"Alberto Contador, after a crash, a mechanical, and a puncture on yesterday's stage, has punctured inside the neutralised zone..." beter there then near the finish!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

"Alberto Contador, after a crash, a mechanical, and a puncture on yesterday's stage, has punctured inside the neutralised zone..." beter there then near the finish!