Pais Vasco Stage 4 - Amurrio - Eibar (Arrate)

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm pretty sure Intxausti is peaking, and I think Horner is peaking too to defend his crown. Samu will be thinking of the Ardennes, but will certainly be at something very close to peak because of the importance of this race for his team... I am pretty sure that an absolutely on-peak Samu would be able to drop both Horner and Intxausti. Then again, he may need longer climbs than these to do it.

 

[El Pistolero]

Good to see another win for Samu. He could do well at the TT, but probably another win for Klöden. I find his sudden refound power a little bit weird, but meh...

 

[Flamin]

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.


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

Yes he is strong, but I can't imagine he is really close to his best. GP Miguel Indurain was his first race since T-A (which you could hardly call a great success to build up form either, because of that injury).

I think a great Purito would've made a difference, even on today's climb.

 

[will10]

anyone got a link to the current GC?

 

[theyoungest]

Yes he is strong, but I can't imagine he is really close to his best. GP Miguel Indurain was his first race since T-A (which you could hardly call a great success to build up form either, because of that injury).

I think a great Purito would've made a difference, even on today's climb.

Rodriguez just isn't stronger than guys like Samu or Gesink on any slope below 10%.

 

[Escarabajo]

Overall Standings:

http://vueltapaisvasco.diariovasco....tapa-4-amurrio-eibar-arrate/general-etapa.php

Stage:

http://vueltapaisvasco.diariovasco....-amurrio-eibar-arrate/clasificacion-etapa.php

 

[roundabout]

Yes he is strong, but I can't imagine he is really close to his best. GP Miguel Indurain was his first race since T-A (which you could hardly call a great success to build up form either, because of that injury).

I think a great Purito would've made a difference, even on today's climb.

You can't help but marvel at his swift return to form especially compared to Cunego who also missed a race and was in much better form before his health problem.

 

[Flamin]

Rodriguez just isn't stronger than guys like Samu or Gesink on any slope below 10%.

I didn't mean he would've on them. But on guys like David Lopez. Thin the field a bit...

 

[jaylew]

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.

No pain, no pain.

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.

I just don't see Horner winning. Last year's TT was a bit of an aberration for him. He's certainly not bad, but I think he was just on smoking form last year when he won it. The TT is a bit hilly, no? Should be interesting.

 

[Flamin]

You can't help but marvel at his swift return to form especially compared to Cunego who also missed a race and was in much better form before his health problem.

Yep. Kinda like Gilbert. Strong a whole year long.

 

[hrotha]

You can't help but marvel at his swift return to form especially compared to Cunego who also missed a race and was in much better form before his health problem.

Take it to the Clinic already

 

[maltiv]

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

Fantastic to finish in the top 20 on such a hard stage actually. He got dropped early but did a great last part of the climb, almost catching up with Frank Schleck.

Uran has been disappointing all week and so Sky might just have to figure out a plan B if Uran can't get some form before the ardennes...

 

[taiwan]

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?

He can prolly take that out of Sanchez in the chrono.

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.

I don't see the tactical sense in these early attacks in such a strong field. Seems like he's out for TV time if anything, which is fair enough, really.

 

[therhodeo]

I don't see the tactical sense in these early attacks in such a strong field. Seems like he's out for TV time if anything, which is fair enough, really.

Or he knows he wouldn't be in the group at the top and figures he might as well go for it at the bottom.

 

[hrotha]

Apparently Matxín was pretty mad at him when he spoke on ETB, but I missed it. Supposedly he said he had told Duarte to wait a few kilometers before attacking.

 

[theyoungest]

Fantastic to finish in the top 20 on such a hard stage actually. He got dropped early but did a great last part of the climb, almost catching up with Frank Schleck.

Uran has been disappointing all week and so Sky might just have to figure out a plan B if Uran can't get some form before the ardennes...

I think Fränk Schleck crashed or something like that, he went over the top with the favourites and at the finish he was 1.16 back

 

[taiwan]

Apparently Matxín was pretty mad at him when he spoke on ETB, but I missed it. Supposedly he said he had told Duarte to wait a few kilometers before attacking.

Interesting. So it's just the way he likes to ride, maybe.

 

[CatsNK]

From Astana website, Vino explains what happened - why he didn't take the stage win:

Last km, Frank Schleck lanches an ultimate attack, Alexandre goes immeditaly in his wheel "At this moment, I thought of the stage victory, but Samuel Sanchez arrived very quickly and I should have followed him immediately but I was not familiar with this finish, Sanchez, knows this place so he took correctly the left turn just before the finish. "

 

[theyoungest]

From Astana website, Vino explains what happened - why he didn't take the stage win:

Last km, Frank Schleck lanches an ultimate attack, Alexandre goes immeditaly in his wheel "At this moment, I thought of the stage victory, but Samuel Sanchez arrived very quickly and I should have followed him immediately but I was not familiar with this finish, Sanchez, knows this place so he took correctly the left turn just before the finish. "

Yes, that was clear, Samu won last year in exactly the same fashion.

 

[jens_attacks]

Apparently Matxín was pretty mad at him when he spoke on ETB, but I missed it. Supposedly he said he had told Duarte to wait a few kilometers before attacking.

from what i understood matxin said he should have attacked with 4-3 km to go.but fabio doesn't get it,he has fire in the legs when any climb starts.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink admits he is not at his best here, or at least not feeling as good as last year. But he thinks its good because last year he was too good here and bad in the ardennes.

Pretty much what we figured out already, he hopes to peak later. But I'm a bit worried his peak might come too late. Ah well. We'll see... plenty of others also had problems (F.Schleck, Cunego, Vino in the 1st stage...)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Did you notice the CN report btw?

Not only Gesink, also Sanchez and Rodriguez said they didn't have any power to make a 'jump'. Appearently the heat had quite an impact.

 

[Sophistic]

The only guys who might have been capable of getting away on the climb were Klöden and Horner, Klöden doesnt have to attack and Horner cant get Klöden into trouble.
However, Fabian Gesink is gonna take this now.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

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.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Apparently Matxín was pretty mad at him when he spoke on ETB, but I missed it. Supposedly he said he had told Duarte to wait a few kilometers before attacking.

yeah indeed but duarte didn't listen. duarte is very simple, his goal is giro and nothing else after this week in pais vasco everone knows who duarte is, while a guys up front in gc are in front of gc but we haven't seen them basically the whole week. if you never watched cycling after this week you know who duarte is and probably never forget him and don't know who gesink is for instance