Ruta del Sol - Vuelta ciclista a Andalucia 2014 2.1 (19th - 23rd Feb)

[theyoungest]

Obviously that wont work, Looking at his Porte towards the end there it seemed like he was suffering so maybe didn't have the legs to go long.

Yeah, so all Sky did with their famed tactic was kill their own rider...

 

[Pricey_sky]

Yeah, so all Sky did with their famed tactic was kill their own rider...

Not really, just damage limitation as it was obvious Valverde would be happy to take the sprint and Porte would then not lose any time bar time bonuses.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Not really, just damage limitation as it was obvious Valverde would be happy to take the sprint and Porte would then not lose any time bar time bonuses.

the fanboy is strong with this one

 

[Beech Mtn]

he is gone from rabo. usually riders get a lot better then. ll sanchez no exception

Well-played

 

[willbick]

There's so little between the top riders that realistically there's nothing you can do tactically to get an advantage on a climb. Even if its 8 strong teammates against 1 rival, if the rival is as strong as yr strongest climber then you cant do much. I guess on the big climbs u just have to hope that he bonks or has a mech and has no teammates to help him out

Maybe they should have a rule that yr only allowed to draft on a climb from a teammate!

 

[JRanton]

Yeah, so all Sky did with their famed tactic was kill their own rider...

So if Porte didn't quite have the legs anyway what good would an early attack have done? He'd have killed himself and dropped off the podium.

I think they should have been far more aggressive on the Cat 2 climbs yesterday inside the last 50km when they had several guys high up on GC. Although having said that Astana tried with a couple of guys and got absolutely nowhere against a very strong Movistar team. If you have the best rider and best team in the race then more often than not you're going to win the stage race irrespective of the tactics of other teams.

 

[The Hitch]

Is there a top 10 stage result?

 

[Netserk]

Is there a top 10 stage result?

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2014_Stage_2_Cabra

Without gaps though

edit: CQ has it with gaps!
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=25634

 

[Pricey_sky]

the fanboy is strong with this one

Not really, im not the biggest fan of Porte to be honest would rather have someone like Arredondo win today. Just giving my own opinion If Porte didn't have the legs then how could he attack? common sense really.

 

[JRanton]

The fact that the likes of Degand were still in the group and that nobody else was able to attack off the pace Sky were setting is also a pretty good indicator that the climb wasn't hard enough to do any damage on.

 

[Peter von]

So if Porte didn't quite have the legs anyway what good would an early attack have done? He'd have killed himself and dropped off the podium.

I think they should have been far more aggressive on the Cat 2 climbs yesterday inside the last 50km when they had several guys high up on GC. Although having said that Astana tried with a couple of guys and got absolutely nowhere against a very strong Movistar team. If you have the best rider and best team in the race then more often than not you're going to win the stage race irrespective of the tactics of other teams.

Early attacks could have put some pressure on Movistar, forcing them to kill their guys early on the climb and leave Valverde alone with a few km remaining, this could just as easily have been advantageous for Astana, Belkin or Lulu, but it would give Porte a small chance of winning the overall and SKY would have a chance of winning the stage( if Movistar desided Kennough/Thomas wasn't worth chasing).

It's all about priorities, if this was the Giro and Valverde was Quintana, then SKY did the right thing, a podium in the Giro for a first time GT leader(sort of) is always a good result, but for how long are anyone going to remember the podium of Andalucia 2014?

I'm not sure what SKY should have done here, you could just see it as a chance for them to get some SKY-Train-ing done before the season kicks of in earnest, so SKY might even feel they had a good day despite loosing time in the overall. On the other hand as a spectator i would have liked them to go gung ho and fight to win this stage as if it was a WC.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The fact that the likes of Degand were still in the group and that nobody else was able to attack off the pace Sky were setting is also a pretty good indicator that the climb wasn't hard enough to do any damage on.

degand has been climbing and riding tremendously for some time. that's not surprising.

 

[Jelantik]

I have to say.. again and again.. Moviestar shows that they can hold off sky. Sky rode very good race, but Valverde finished it off brilliantly. I noticed that since last year the collective moviestar team fitness kinda match the collective strength of sky. I guess, they seems to be able to catch up with sky's training regime. Porte shows some early good form in Australia, but valverde is simply showing his impressive early form.

This might be how the Giro scenario will look like at the end of the mountain stage. Same cast for Sky (Porte), different cast for moviestar, same result. Bring Quintana!!

 

[Marco Pantani]

That pace would be way too slow for Nairo.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Ok we got the Choo Choos out of the way, well at least the ones specializing in transporting large groups in the mountains.

Moving to stage 3:

Looks ok for a flat stage. Maybe Mezgec or a break.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I have to say.. again and again.. Moviestar shows that they can hold off sky. Sky rode very good race, but Valverde finished it off brilliantly. I noticed that since last year the collective moviestar team fitness kinda match the collective strength of sky. I guess, they seems to be able to catch up with sky's training regime. Porte shows some early good form in Australia, but valverde is simply showing his impressive early form.

This might be how the Giro scenario will look like at the end of the mountain stage. Same cast for Sky (Porte), different cast for moviestar, same result. Bring Quintana!!

it has nothing to do with that. movistar simply have better riders/climbers

 

[willbick]

it has nothing to do with that. movistar simply have better riders/climbers

i dont know how you can say that for sure. it may be the case but you cant take the result of one race (in spain) to conclude that, say, valverde is a better climber than Porte. Im sure this race was a big goal for valverde to win but probably less so for porte so maybe isnt at peak strength. I dont know for certain but its very possible.

you make a lot of very definite statements. the real world is not so simple

 

[Netserk]

i dont know how you can say that for sure. it may be the case but you cant take the result of one race (in spain) to conclude that, say, valverde is a better climber than Porte. Im sure this race was a big goal for valverde to win but probably less so for porte so maybe isnt at peak strength. I dont know for certain but its very possible.

you make a lot of very definite statements. the real world is not so simple

You don't think this is a definite statement?

I think you guys need to accept that post epo and stuff climbing is very different. There's so little between the top riders that realistically there's nothing you can do tactically to get an advantage on a climb. Even if its 8 strong teammates against 1 rival, if the rival is as strong as yr strongest climber then you cant do much.

 

[willbick]

Valverde will 100% NOT win stage 2

No. THIS is a definite statement

 

[postmanhat]

Fantastic performance from the Sky doms today. Blew Astana and Movistar away.

Odd bit of racing from Porte at the end. Not expecting to him to have too much form yet, but why not just go for it with 500m to go? Even a knackered-looking LuLu caught him up.

Maybe not race-savvy enough?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Scarponi on his way to his giro podum form
Valverde is a freakin beast though. Gonna crush LBL for 2nd after Nibbles

 

[ILovecycling]

Fantastic performance from the Sky doms today. Blew Astana and Movistar away.

Odd bit of racing from Porte at the end. Not expecting to him to have too much form yet, but why not just go for it with 500m to go? Even a knackered-looking LuLu caught him up.

Maybe not race-savvy enough?

Yeah what a performance,...really impressive preparation for Valverde's victory

 

[forkboy84]

Yeah what a performance,...really impressive preparation for Valverde's victory

Some of the fanboying you get from Sky fans makes me look like a hater, and I'm mildly sympathetic to them. But all they did was lead out Valverde to win. So yes, there were some good shifts put in along the way, it still failed so calling it "fantastic" is just incredible hyperbole.

 

[EnacheV]

This reminds me of Contador/Saxo tactics hater's in TdF. Now Froome is represented by Valverde and Contador by Porte.

When you are the most powerful man around , like Valverde is now, theres very little opposition can do. At sensible equal strengths tactics play a bigger role.

Maybe Porte is protecting his 2nd place and the train did exactly that, kept Porte in 2nd.

 

[postmanhat]

Some of the fanboying you get from Sky fans makes me look like a hater, and I'm mildly sympathetic to them. But all they did was lead out Valverde to win. So yes, there were some good shifts put in along the way, it still failed so calling it "fantastic" is just incredible hyperbole.

Try reading it again with both eyes. The performance of Sky's doms cannot be disputed on the stage.

Porte let them down, but isn't whether it matters at this part of the season, or whether he's got enough enough race nous the more interesting question?