La Vuelta '17 stage 3:Prades Conflent>Andorra la Vella 158km

[hfer07]

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the intermediate time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

Contador took a few seconds from intermediate sprints in 2015 Giro, 2008 and 2012 Vuelta.

 

[deValtos]

Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

Could be, but on the other hand sometimes when Froome's in good form he just can't help himself. 2016 TDF people had the same concerns and it was fine. Either way I just like that someones willing to go full gas on stage 3.

 

[Baldinger]

That insane acceleration was a Froome classic. He does that when he's feeling good like up the Mont Ventoux in 2013. Todays climb was obviously shorter though.

 

[bigcog]

Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the intermediate time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

If he can't hold his form he could lose a packet on the Angliru. Don't make sense to me to be spending energy like that this early.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

That insane acceleration was a Froome classic. He does that when he's feeling good like up the Mont Ventoux in 2013. Todays climb was obviously shorter though.

Dauphine 2014 was more similar... on ventoux froome wasn't out of the saddle

 

[Vasilis]

Re:

Froome is strong but I think (or hope, don't know) he will fade in the third week

I think Bardet and Aru are much more likely to than Froome.

 

[Rollthedice]

Froome looks thinner than Froome.

 

[GraftPunk]

Re: Re:

Great stage! Nibbles pick-pocketing a win was nice, but I am sad that Contie did so poorly. Maybe an illness or is it just bad form?

I think it's just his level these days

Probably, I was just hoping for a better last effort, but it is a long three weeks, so I suppose we'll we see what we see.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re:

Froome looks thinner than Froome.

Intresting observation.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

Could be, but on the other hand sometimes when Froome's in good form he just can't help himself. 2016 TDF people had the same concerns and it was fine. Either way I just like that someones willing to go full gas on stage 3.

Pretty much this, he's obviously come out the Tour in much better shape than he has done in previous years, if you feel good then attack. It didn't work out today, but there are more short and sharp climbs to come this week and with no descent for others to pull back time.

 

[Breh]

Alaphilippe dropping was no surprise tbh. I don't think he expected otherwise.

Mas lost about 9minutes on that last climb it seems.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Chaves looks great but I am not sure about his base for the last week

Froome showing off and going balsitic....and for what ...hubris ...and in the end he gave his biggest rival Nibali an advantge

The Vuelta will be won by conssitency and Nibali has that ...slowly and surely ...he is the one to watch
(BTW owes Nico Roche who did alot of the chasing on the flat, was going for Red...would have been better to hold on for the sprint rather than late attack )

He rode Le Tour, that's a pretty good base if you ask me. And he's the freshest of them all, that could be an advantage in the 3rd week

 

[hfer07]

Re: Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the intermediate time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

If he can't hold his form he could lose a packet on the Angliru. Don't make sense to me to be spending energy like that this early.

exactly my thoughts. Froome still holds the upper hand due to the long ITT, but to waste energy so early in the race indicates too much caution on his behalf....
we'll see

 

[arvc40]

Think I will be strict and stick to last hour of stage coverage in this race. I once longed for more but not anymore.

 

[Rollthedice]

Chaves is good, can win the whole thing.

 

[oldcrank]

Re: Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

Could be, but on the other hand sometimes when Froome's in good form he just can't help himself. 2016 TDF people had the same concerns and it was fine. Either way I just like that someones willing to go full gas on stage 3.

Exactly, it's hard not to love his attacking style of racing.
What panache! As always, Froomey is the rider animating
the race and he never waits until the third week to do so.

 

[yaco]

I learnt two things from today's stage.

The two strongest riders in the stage didn't get full value for their form - These downhill finishes - Froome can't drop the whole peleton in the mountains as there is also one or two riders who can keep his pace.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

This isn't the giro nibali... here you face the best gt man of the planet. Overachiever little bastard!

LOL

That's what you get by overestimating lo squalo!

Nibali is a clown. And yes he is overachiever, can't even know how he won today. I will wait for angliru, that climb never lies!

He's a magician. He won, but you don't know how he did that Angliru might surprise you, I don't think it's a Froome's cup of tea

 

[Rollthedice]

Just remembered that Keldermerckx was hyped around here as a potential candidate. He vanished at some point. Where did he finish?

 

[Baldinger]

Re: Re:

on Froome:
The fact that he sprinted for the time bonuses, the fact that he attacked viciously to gain the most advantage possible to his competitors so early in the race -those facts signal to me he feels in desperate need to make huge chunks of of time before he starts to fade towards the last week ....?

Could be, but on the other hand sometimes when Froome's in good form he just can't help himself. 2016 TDF people had the same concerns and it was fine. Either way I just like that someones willing to go full gas on stage 3.

Exactly, it's hard not to love his attacking style of racing.
What panache! As always, Froomey is the rider animating
the race and he never waits until the third week to do so.

Agree. He would be even more likeable if he was riding for a smaller team.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

Chaves is good, can win the whole thing.

Considering the ITT, he will need to gain more than 3 minutes on Froome and 2 minutes on Nibali.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

I learnt two things from today's stage.

The two strongest riders in the stage didn't get full value for their form - These downhill finishes - Froome can't drop the whole peleton in the mountains as there is also one or two riders who can keep his pace.

Well, they weren't strongest downhill, otherwise they would've won

 

[Ricco']

Fernandez and Soler disappointing, to say the least.

 

[Inquitus]

Re: Re:

Chaves is good, can win the whole thing.

Considering the ITT, he will need to gain more than 3 minutes on Froome and 2 minutes on Nibali.

I think 3 minutes is generous, he could ship 5 mins over 40km+ to Froome