Stage 9, Sunday August 31 | Carboneras de Guadazaón - Aramón Valdelinares, 185km

[Miburo]

Stage 9, Sunday August 31 | Carboneras de Guadazaón - Aramón Valdelinares, 185km

Well who got this? Climb isn't that long at all but i'm pretty sure a team will already go hard on that 2nd category climb.

Final climb

 

[Red Rick]

Lame stage with a lame finish which will probably produce lame action and a lame breakaway winner

 

[Netserk]

Where's the 'no poll, thanks' option?

 

[Miburo]

Lame stage with a lame finish which will probably produce lame action and a lame breakaway winner

I disagree, for vuelta standards the second part of the stage is pretty good.

 

[SafeBet]

I disagree, for vuelta standards the second part of the stage is pretty good.

Anything more than a murito is good for Vuelta standards

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Adam Yates.

 

[jens_attacks]

it's an underrated climb. also the altitude here becomes a factor

the results from 2005, when robertito flew away from menchov.

1 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 5.27.20 (39.78 km/h)
2 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.13
3 David Blanco Rodiguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.28
4 Carlos Garcia Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.42
5 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Quick Step - Innergetic 0.49
6 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
7 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC
8 Jakob Piil (Den) Team CSC 0.52
9 Marcos Antonio Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 1.15
10 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
11 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 1.22



it was a savage pace back then though. only movistar can do the same and they got no reason to do it. maybe sky with kennaugh can explode it.

i'm pretty sure that alberto will attack tomorrow and he will take the win. he's getting better. valverde to survive in red

 

[icefire]

Lame stage with a lame finish which will probably produce lame action and a lame breakaway winner

You might change your mind when you see the weather forecast

 

[sir fly]

Lame stage with a lame finish which will probably produce lame action and a lame breakaway winner

And an apt comment.

I wouldn't underestimate this stage.
It's a high tempo profile before a rest day followed by the tt. Starting order and time reserves are on the table.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Don't expect drilling it on San Rafael to be too effective. Here's a more detailed profile of the climbs:

San Rafael doesn't really offer too much, but for a Vuelta mountain stage, they have done about as well as they can approaching Valdelinares from the direction they're approaching it - from southeast we could have seen Puerto Mingalvo which could descend via another smaller climb to the base of San Rafael...

 

[Arredondo]

I'll pick Froome as the winner. I hope they race really hard on that final climb, because otherwise Valverde will be the man to beat.

Contador and Purito will finish near the two. Quintana little bit the unknown factor.

 

[jens_attacks]

looking at that weather forecast, scratch valverde for red, nairo will love the weather. and alberto too of course

 

[VeloHuman]

This climb is long enough that we should get a better idea of where Contador really is in terms of form.

 

[Coat-O]

1. Chaves
.
2. Dawg and Contador
.
.
3. Purito
.
4. Group with Valverde pulling Quintana, Aru, Uran, Pardilla, Ten Dam, Yates and Kelderman

 

[Arredondo]

It's a good sign btw that is will be around 17 degrees at the top with likely chance of rain. Especially for Quintana, Contador and Purito.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Barely raceable, but the finale should be ok.

Hopefully it will remove a couple more wannabees, I hate to concentrate on more than 4 or 5 riders for GC so deep into a GT.

 

[Stromeon]

Hopefully the weather forecast is correct and we have a thunderstorm, with Nairito and Contador gaining a minute on Froome because the poor little dawg gets scared by the lightning and has to count until he hears the thunder before he can move on again

Seriously though, is that a fairly strong tailwind I see? Heras' time of 21'04'', which isn't exactly mutant, could be well surpassed.

 

[Fzotrlool]

For the sake of the race, I hope Contador will finish ahead of Froome. I don't care about the rest of the outcome. Contador needs to start behind Froome in the TT.

If Froome has all the temporary results (Contador's included), he's going to destroy all of them, even Tony Martin.

 

[SeriousSam]

I'm told that this isn't a REAL MOUNTAIN. Quintana to lose another 10 seconds.

Dawg to go semi alien.

 

[Bushman]

Valverde 2nd stage win.

 

[Descender]

I disagree, for vuelta standards the second part of the stage is pretty good.

Which means it's still a turgid turd for overall standards.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Hopefully the weather forecast is correct and we have a thunderstorm, with Nairito and Contador gaining a minute on Froome because the poor little dawg gets scared by the lightning and has to count until he hears the thunder before he can move on again

Seriously though, is that a fairly strong tailwind I see? Heras' time of 21'04'', which isn't exactly mutant, could be well surpassed.

Taking away the cobbled Tour stage Froome's results in bad weather over the past couple of seasons are quite good.

Interesting to see how Movistar will play this one. Can Quintana hold onto Contadors wheel this time?

 

[Red Rick]

I really dislike that the final k is flat. If someone attacks a small group can still reel him in in the last k. I only see Froome or maybe Contador attacking.

 

[hfer07]

The Alien to pull a "purito" on Contador...
Nairito & Chavito there 5 secs behind

 

[Red Rick]

Alright, I didn't know that they hardly could do any better with this finish. Any chance for cancellation due to thunderstorms?