Pais Vasco Stage 6: Zalla-Zalla 24 KM (ITT)

[theyoungest]

Yes it's really mind boggling how they did that. It was headwind, it was very hot, and nobody had the power to really accelerate. Yet they rode the climb up faster than ever before.

How is that even possible? Not meant clinic-wise btw. Just wondering.
Mass levelling at the top? Lot of good climbers in good form make eachother stronger?
I don't know

There's a lot of good climbers approaching top form in this race, that's for sure. And when they all reach the final 2 kms of the climb in single file, that's a big advantage, because I suppose it's always windy there, not just this year. Those final kms aren't very steep, so the wind really has an influence.

 

[peloton]

How late does the TT start ?

first rider starts 14.25 local time

start times

 

[Havetts]

first rider starts 14.25 local time

start times

Thank you! . Live feed I assume starts around 15;00?

 

[jens_attacks]

Sanchez, Rodriguez, Gesink... they all said they felt like **** on the climb to Arrate and just couldn't accelerate. This has just been a very hard race, mainly due to the heat. The times of supernatural performances seem to be over. And considering the circumstances, I think we've seen a fairly attacking race.

headwind?fatigue?i don't buy it.i think they were riding so fast an no one(not even vino with an attack,which normally splits any favourites group in the world) could drop the other guys.most of the guys ride and are at the same level.i still think that arrate climb this year saw a pretty big performance.

and the records of the climbs usually are broke when the attacks start from the beginning.just like this time:leopard storming,duarte,frank-tondo,then tondo all the way,then vino,sammy,andy,vino again and finally sammy.yes it was an attacking race.


for today,i hope klodi or vino will win the overall.
in the itt i see something like this:
1.vino
2.martin
3.klodi
4.horner
5.sammy

if it's still very hot,expect vino to win by a pretty big margine.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

And yet, they beat the record for the Arrate climb, same for RVV. I don't know anymore.

because the favorites went from the start. duarte attacked then came schleck and tondo, never helpers that were working. they just kept at full pace because there were guys in front.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

how is the weather today?? still veyr hot and sunny?? wind?

 

[Frosty]

I don't think Kloden does it. He has looked like he's struggled all week on the climbs.

Maybe, but he lost a minute on the big climb in the Crit International yet he still won the TT.

 

[The Hitch]

Vino to win tt but lose race. Klodi on top step, Horner on bottom, and Samu in 4th once again.

At 4,8% Martin is still among the best and 1km@9,5% isnt gonna shake things up that much. For the GC, I'm going with Gesink to "surprise" again, the guy didnt look as sharp as others on the 10% slopes but so was it at T-A and he beat all the other GC guys at the ITT (except Pinotti). Gesink is probably over 70kg now, cant expect too much on the really steep stuff right now.

I think most of the gc guys here werent at TA.

 

[ferryman]

how is the weather today?? still veyr hot and sunny?? wind?

Here in North Queensferry we are having one of our 5 days of the year of hot(ish), sunny and NO WIND

And yeah GO VINO!!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Vino to win tt but lose race. Klodi on top step, Horner on bottom, and Samu in 4th once again.


I think most of the gc guys here werent at TA.

Not to mention that the TA ITT was a quarter of the length and pancake flat.

 

[Havetts]

Would be time to see if Gesink can hold his new TT-position for 24km's and to see how it works out. Cant wait for it to start .

 

[Spine Concept]

Would be time to see if Gesink can hold his new TT-position for 24km's and to see how it works out. Cant wait for it to start .

I wonder what he can show as well. I didn't see yesterday's stage but I heard he had to work for Freire? Hope he didn't work too hard and saved some energy for today.

 

[Havetts]

He sacrificed himself to get the breakaway back in yes, did a hugeeee turn the last 2 km's. Don't think he'll mind it seeing he's training there, but I hope he saved something aswell .

 

[Descender]

Vino for the overall.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I wonder what he can show as well. I didn't see yesterday's stage but I heard he had to work for Freire? Hope he didn't work too hard and saved some energy for today.

Only the final 2,5km. He did a huge pull from there till 1km before the line. It was actually pretty impressive as he pulled Pinotti back.

Hope he can confirm his Tirreno and Oman TT. Top 5 in the TT would be really good. Top 10 good, anything lower would be dissapointing. He was already 5th in 2008 and 8th in 2009 in the Vasco TT

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Only the final 2,5km. He did a huge pull from there till 1km before the line. It was actually pretty impressive as he pulled Pinotti back.

Hope he can confirm his Tirreno and Oman TT. Top 5 in the TT would be really good. Top 10 good, anything lower would be dissapointing. He was already 5th in 2008 and 8th in 2009 in the Vasco TT

I might be wrong, but I was under the impression those tt's were a little harder tho?

 

[Havetts]

11/4/2009
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=10970

Zalla to Zalla, I assume it is the same TT.

1. [ESP] CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto AST 31'59" 40
2. [ESP] SANCHEZ GONZALEZ Samuel EUS 45" 25
3. [AUS] ROGERS Michael THR 01'09" 15
4. [ESP] SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon GCE 01'13" 10
5. [ITA] PINOTTI Marco THR 01'18" 5
6. [USA] VANDE VELDE Christian GRM 01'22" 3
7. [AUS] EVANS Cadel SIL 01'25" 2
8. [NED] GESINK Robert RAB 01'25" 1
9. [ITA] CUNEGO Damiano LAM 01'26" 0
10. [ITA] NIBALI Vincenzo LIQ 01'36" 0

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I might be wrong, but I was under the impression those tt's were a little harder tho?

The 2009 ITT was exactly the same one as this year

And back then you had Contador, Evans and Nibali competing

 

[El Pistolero]

11/4/2009
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=10970

Zalla to Zalla, I assume it is the same TT.

45 seconds on the second, that's a mighty big gap for such a time trial. That's the time trial Colom got disqualified though, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[luckyboy]

Yeah he did, and it is exactly the same.

Sanchez, Kloden, Horner on the overall after this. Hopefully.

 

[Grzdylu]

1. intermediate

1. Porte (Saxo Bank) 20:10
2. Boaro (Saxo Bank) 21:29

 

[Cobblestoned]

Big Euskaltel and Samy fan - conflict of interest in da house today

I think if he cheers to loud and Samy wins, I will just refuse to give him food.

 

[hrotha]

because the favorites went from the start. duarte attacked then came schleck and tondo, never helpers that were working. they just kept at full pace because there were guys in front.

And they never ever went from the start in previous years? Not even in the golden age of EPO? Arrate is a traditional climb, back from the Euskal Bizikleta days and even before. It has a long history, and without a proper analysis I wouldn't say this year's climb was anything extraordinary from a tactical point of view. The fact remains that they climbed faster than anytime before. Same for those muren at RVV.

It's not alright to claim that slower times and lower wattages are proof of a cleaner sport, but then look the other way when the times are faster.

 

[Parrulo]

thats a very cute cat cobbles

i am hoping for samu today either him or kloden.

i also want to see if gesink can hold his position for a long time trial. i hope he can ^_^

 

[jens_attacks]

ok....helluva time by panzerwagen

1. Martin (HTC) 32:15
2. Porte (Saxo Bank) a 53
3. Rogers (Sky) a 1:42
4. Pate (HTC) a 2:03
5. Montaguti (AG2R) a 2:21
6. Moinard (BMC) a 2:45
7. Boaro (Saco Bank) a A 3:00
8. McCartney (RadioShack) a 3.03
9. Vermote (Quick Step) a 3:30
10. Jufre (Astana) a 3:35


huge time gaps