Pais Vasco Stage 4 - Amurrio - Eibar (Arrate)

[hrotha]

Haha, I love the Canal Vasco commentators, they're subtly bashing Samu nonstop (and they're right).

edit: also I'm starting to worry about Gesink's climbing.

 

[Ney the Viking]

oh and CAS didn't have the legs today Ah well, he has done decent so far.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Never seen before that the group is so big in Eibar..

I wonder why Sammy Sanchez didn't ride on after that big attack?

 

[therhodeo]

So who is this Samuel Sancheth guy?

 

[Jamsque]

SamSan
Klodi
Vino
J-Rod
Hes-Jay
Tondo
Horner
Gesink
Intxausti
Lopez
Andy Schleck
Sorensen +32

I thought there was a gap of a second between Hesjedal and Tondo, we'll see if they change it.

On GC the first 11 are separated by 18 seconds, any of them could win if they do well in the ITT.

 

[Arnout]

sammy apparently had done his recon on that finish

It's the same finish now for what, two, three years? And the same stage also figured in the Euskal Bizikleta at some point,

Haha, I love the Canal Vasco commentators, they're subtly bashing Samu nonstop (and they're right).

edit: also I'm starting to worry about Gesink's climbing.

What 're they saying? That he should've attacked earlier to gain time?

 

[The Sheep]

where did Frank disappear to?

 

[Ferminal]

SamSan


I thought there was a gap of a second between Hesjedal and Tondo, we'll see if they change it.

There was daylight between quite a few of them... T-A queen stage style timing.

 

[Ildabaoth]

So Sánchez won the stage and lost the GC today.

 

[Havetts]

edit: also I'm starting to worry about Gesink's climbing.

This, I know hes there for practice but ..

 

[jaylew]

Haha, I love the Canal Vasco commentators, they're subtly bashing Samu nonstop (and they're right).

Bashing him for what?

 

[Ney the Viking]

where did Frank disappear to?

he lost about 1:10

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

where did Frank disappear to?

He blew up and then hung on for dear life in the second group, just like Gesink btw.

I'm starting to worry about Gesinks climbing as well. Or maybe he is really peaking for the Ardennes and doing it right. Who knows.

Next weeks AGR will tell us more

 

[Ney the Viking]

It's the same finish now for what, two, three years? And the same stage also figured in the Euskal Bizikleta at some point,

then why the hell did the others let him get that corner so easily... there was what about 99% chance of whoever enterered the barricaded area first would win.

edit: what I mean is, it looked like the rest thought there was a bit more to go*shrugs*

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

LUIS LEON WORKING FOR GESINK

I was shocked too

 

[Cobblestoned]

Haha, I love the Canal Vasco commentators, they're subtly bashing Samu nonstop (and they're right).

edit: also I'm starting to worry about Gesink's climbing.

They seem to like Klöden since they were saying his name nearly 1000 times during stage, as if something spectacular happened

Didn't understand anything and always thought Klöden attacked, crashed, flatted or....whatever, when not in picture.

And they freak out as soon as Samu turns the pedal.

 

[hrotha]

What 're they saying? That he should've attacked earlier to gain time?

Bashing him for what?

They've been saying the whole week that he's too conservative. Today they even said "you can't ride like that" when he was hanging out at the back of the group in the final climb. They knew he was going to attack exactly where he did, so they knew he had the strength, just not the will to move. They reckon he's throwing the Itzulia

 

[Escarabajo]

Results

Brief Results
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4:42:37
2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack
3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana
4 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
5 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo
6 Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Movistar Team
7 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack
8 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
9 Beñat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team
10 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team
11 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
12 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard

General classification after stage 4
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack
3 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
4 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack
5 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo
6 Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Movistar Team
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
8 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team
9 Beñat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team
10 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana
11 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
12 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

WHERE WAS URAN? Dammit, Ryo.

he isn't acquiredf for these races, rogers and lovkvist are for the short stage races

 

[Ferminal]

then why the hell did the others let him get that corner so easily... there was what about 99% chance of whoever enterered the barricaded area first would win.

edit: what I mean is, it looked like the rest thought there was a bit more to go*shrugs*

He countered once they caught Vino and Andy. They couldn't respond. Klöden was probably the only one who could have gone with him but was too slow to react.

 

[SpannerBender]

Tuned in v late, just before the finish. First thing i heard was "Schleck attacks on the decent"

Got whiplash, nearly choked and nearly fell off my seat!!

 

[thirteen]

There was daylight between quite a few of them... T-A queen stage style timing.

yeah, wtf was that???

(sorry i wasn't online if anybody missed me screaming VINO -- i was doing out loud, i swear! my old computer gets cranky when it plays video...)

 

[theyoungest]

he isn't acquiredf for these races, rogers and lovkvist are for the short stage races

Uran obviously was their leader for this race.

 

[The Sheep]

He blew up and then hung on for dear life in the second group, just like Gesink btw.

I'm starting to worry about Gesinks climbing as well. Or maybe he is really peaking for the Ardennes and doing it right. Who knows.

Next weeks AGR will tell us more

Maybe Gesink has a lot of confidence in his TT

 

[Escarabajo]

Somebody needs to have a serious talk with Duarte about dosing his efforts or attacks.