jens_attacks said:
He didn't lose time because he was bad positioned, he was empty.
he was empty, but why?
He was ok in the first days and he was good as well in Andorra, for pure climber a flat day that finished in a hard shor climb is not the best. All the leader always want people to work in thoe days, team is important to that, becouse other way yoy waste strenth fighteen agin the wind, the diferente to have people to work for you in days like that or not to have is huge. it is a misture of things, of course, hot, stress some days, but those kind of stages are always bad for him. But with a team helping he can save those days or even shine in the final climb.
if you think other way, you will learn more about cycling with time, cycling is not cycling manager. i have seen cycling for more that 30 years and I realized some years ago I didnt know a lot about cycling, when I though that yes.
He wanst in his best potencial shape in all the Vuelta, maybe nobody except Dumoulin or Chaves, but he wanst bad.
Landa was in Burgos 10Th first day in Clunia, that is not a really bad shape, but after to be at a hight speed in the ITT in Burgos, I was there an was really windy (in la Vuelta ITT was not windy), and he suffered to follow Luis León, Taraaamae s whell in the plain and he couldnt follow their wheels in the castle.
You can think what you want, but the Landa of Andorra or Madrid is the same or similar, becouse hot afected, that the Landa who losed time in Cumbre del Sol or another days.
Landa was so strong in Andorra becouse he losed lot of time in cumbre del sol and in Madrid becouse in Avila he losed 20 minutes. With a team prrotected him things are different. That is important and Giant did that for Dumoulin. The other part to be a leader is toi have mates in the mountains, but he dont need much team for that. If you hacve twocard like in the Giro, is the best situation, but they didnt want to take advantage of that, just to help Aru to be second, but, seriously, Amador is strong, but no so strong to be second.