Pais Vasco Stage 4 - Amurrio - Eibar (Arrate)

[Cobblestoned]

I wonder if Jens is ****ed at the end of the day after efforts like that.

No, he loves all the pain, even if he or teammate do not win.

Day without a lot of pain is a wasted day for Jens and he cannot sleep then.

 

[therhodeo]

No, he loves all the pain, even if he or teammate do not win.

Day without a lot of pain is a wasted day for Jens and he cannot sleep then.

He probably just loves the thought of people popping out the back in pain while he's on the front.

 

[jens_attacks]

Manolo Saiz: "El gran beneficiado de la etapa es Vinokourov".

this.at one point klodi was almost dropped.vino wants the overall so bad.he will smoke the itt.he countered at least 5 attacks and he attacked at least twice.in this form he can win one of the ardennes easily.

it was a terrific stage.and guys where were the 12% ramps?they were storming the climb faster than in tour de france.i didn't see such a full-speed on a climb since a long time.

about duarte,please don't tell "hey,i think he should wait for the sprint" because i'm gonna hate you for life.i need riders who attack at the beginning of the climb

and chapeau to jensy and sammy.

 

[theyoungest]

it was a terrific stage.and guys where were the 12% ramps?they were storming the climb faster than in tour de france.i didn't see such a full-speed on a climb since a long time.

If you look at the profile, the final k for instance, there's an altitude difference of 40 m. And they give an 11% slope. Uhm... isn't it supposed to be 4%?

 

[Cobblestoned]

He probably just loves the thought of people popping out the back in pain while he's on the front.

Even when it's his teammates

 

[thirteen]

even when it's his teammates :d

(why does my smiley not work?)

 

[lejarreta]

I think it was Arsenio González.

Can't blame him, though. He was spot on both on Samu and on Antón.

Time will prove him right or wrong with Anton (although I still hope the latter).
On Samu?, it's ok if he doesn´t like riders that don't attack from the very beggining of the ascent, but I think that Samu knows his weaknesses. If I had to regret something from him today was not trying at the end to take some seconds and win the yellow, but I think the team didn't want it (or so I guess from his interview at the end of the stage).

 

[hfer07]

about duarte,please don't tell "hey,i think he should wait for the sprint" because i'm gonna hate you for life.i need riders who attack at the beginning of the climb

He's young and needs to learn how to control his efforts - but I'm with you- Last thing we want to have is a Colombian Leipheimer
He'll be all right

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Anyway, the Hitch thinking Porte did well during the stage; he didn't

112º 161 PORTE, Richie AUS SBS a 16:59
so.

 

[ingsve]

Uran also lost 16 minutes today.

 

[CatsNK]

OK so everyone was sort of writing Vino off for today, before today happened that is.

So what does tomorrow hold?? He's 10 seconds behind. What do you think?

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Nordhaug is certainly the most consistent of the Sky riders. Too bad his TT is so poor, he could make top 20 overall.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He can definately win now. I would say, it's a long time since he has done a decent ITT.

But after writing him off for today, I surely won't make the same mistake again for tomorrow. He's definately in for the fight for overall victory

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

OK so everyone was sort of writing Vino off for today, before today happened that is.

So what does tomorrow hold?? He's 10 seconds behind. What do you think?

I;m starting to believe more and more in final podium tour 2011 _O_

will be interesting to watch tomorrow as vino hasn't done a good itt this year but he also didn't do a good "mountain"stage yet and did well today, very well and his shape has increased tremendously over criteirum

 

[Squire]

Well, there is one more stage before the TT in case anyone has forgotten. Don't see any of the GC guys making a move there though.

 

[Jamsque]

I love that Duarte attacks from the bottom of climbs, but there isn't much point in doing it if he's just going to get caught within a kilometre and then crack and end up minutes down.

As for the GC, I think it will be between Klodi, Vino and maybe Gesink if he can pull out another TT like the one he did in Oman. He hasn't looked like he has the form for that, though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well, there is one more stage before the TT in case anyone has forgotten. Don't see any of the GC guys making a move there though.

That's a 60 maybe even 80 man sprint tomorrow.

Freire or Ligthart to win that one

 

[Flamin]

Hm, pretty disappointing that an ITT will completely decide how the entire top 10 is going to look like at the end.

 

[Carl0880]

I love that Duarte attacks from the bottom of climbs, but there isn't much point in doing it if he's just going to get caught within a kilometre and then crack and end up minutes down.

As for the GC, I think it will be between Klodi, Vino and maybe Gesink if he can pull out another TT like the one he did in Oman. He hasn't looked like he has the form for that, though.

I am actually thinking Tondo has a good chance also. I think Gesink is not quite at his best form at the moment and I am not as confidence in Kloden TT with the hills, eventhough The Shack every years seems to have riders in great form for the TT in this event. Tondo is looking better and better to me.

Vino's form is improving and i think he really would love to take the overall because this is one of the few week long hillier stage races he hasn't won in his career. Unlike the others, who will be saving form or training for the classics, I think he wil chase a victory anytime he can.

I just have this feeling about Tondo, not for any specific reason.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hm, pretty disappointing that an ITT will completely decide how the entire top 10 is going to look like at the end.

Suprising i'd say..

Many of the stages where good enough to completely obliterate the field in the past.

levelling at the top? Headwind on all climbs? Too nice weather this time?
Who knows...

 

[Jamsque]

I think it's a combination of the favourites all being roughly level on form and having one eye on the Ardennes already.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

As I said, if this goes down to the TT then the TT guys deserve it. I'll still be disappointed if Horner gets it, but he has honoured the #1 jersey, being among the first to attack in the first two stages.

Maybe they really did need something like Aia or Urkiola to break up the field; Arrate has always seemed to be good enough in the past. Maybe it's a testament to the strength of the field, however - just too many good riders either already in good form (Klöden), something close to peaking (Horner, Intxausti) or close to top form ready for the Ardennes (Sánchez, Vinokourov, Rodríguez), for any proper major gaps to open up.

 

[thirteen]

OK so everyone was sort of writing Vino off for today, before today happened that is.

So what does tomorrow hold?? He's 10 seconds behind. What do you think?

i *never* write Vino off... ever!

if he wants it, i think he can take it... but i'm not sure he wants to get it this early...

 

[Flamin]

And probably some second tier climbers being in very good form, while the big guns still lack something extra (Purito certainly does after his injury) to make the difference.

 

[theyoungest]

As I said, if this goes down to the TT then the TT guys deserve it. I'll still be disappointed if Horner gets it, but he has honoured the #1 jersey, being among the first to attack in the first two stages.

Maybe they really did need something like Aia or Urkiola to break up the field; Arrate has always seemed to be good enough in the past. Maybe it's a testament to the strength of the field, however - just too many good riders either already in good form (Klöden), something close to peaking (Horner, Intxausti) or close to top form ready for the Ardennes (Sánchez, Vinokourov, Rodríguez), for any proper major gaps to open up.

Intxausti is definitely peaking right now. He has never been better. And I reckon Sanchez and Horner have Pais Vasco as their main goal as well.

And probably some second tier climbers being in very good form, while the big guns still lack something extra (Purito certainly does after his injury) to make the difference.

I think Rodriguez is surprisingly strong. He did well on the climbs that suit him. Today's climb didn't, not steep enough.