Vuelta 2012, Stage 12: Vilagarcía de Arousa > Mirador de Ézaro (190,5 kms)

[Publicus]

Dont agree with Harmon here that AC didnt have it in his legs. Obviously he couldnt topple Rodriguez but it looks to me that AC eases off in the end clearly thinking about Saturday.

Yeah. I think Contador was content to push the gap on Froome. He does not consider JRod a threat yet. I guess we'll see if he's right on Saturday (this weekend has the potential to be epic).

 

[The Hitch]

Agreed. We get it. There are some relatively short but steep climbs in Spain that favor explosive climbers. Let's move on.

I agree, that its been too much, though i think,2 of these in the first week is a good thing, Though prefer if like Valdapenas they have a climb or 2 before it.

 

[DominicDecoco]

His team mate has no chance regardless of the attack, he simply isn't that good here

Of course not but there's no reason to basically pace them up to his teammate, is there?

 

[Parrulo]

and this is why purito will never win a GT. . . . attacked forced a gap on 2 of his 3 main rivals and decided to sit up to save himself for the stage win risking to see all of them crawling their way back losing only a couple seconds on the sprint.

he doesn't think about the bigger picture imo

 

[No_Balls]

Yeah. I think Contador was content to push the gap on Froome. He does not consider JRod a threat yet. I guess we'll see if he's right on Saturday (this weekend has the potential to be epic).

Cant wait.

 

[Alpehue]

I must admit that i really enjoy these small steap hills, its much much more ejoyable for me then a flat sprint finish.

 

[icefire]

I agree, that its been too much, though i think,2 of these in the first week is a good thing, Though prefer if like Valdapenas they have a climb or 2 before it.

Unfortunately the wind is blowing from the wrong direction, but echelons + 2kms long garage ramp could have been great.

 

[The Hitch]

Of course not but there's no reason to basically pace them up to his teammate, is there?

Is it pacing if its 15 % and he is 3 bike lengths in front of them?

 

[search]

I have no idea what Igor Anton had planned with that attack. Halfhearted and with a teammate in front..

he was in ~30th position a couple of seconds before, so he just used the momentum of speed he had anyway from having to sprint to the front of the bunch

 

[spalco]

Dont agree with Harmon here that AC didnt have it in his legs. Obviously he couldnt topple Rodriguez but it looks to me that AC eases off in the end clearly thinking about Saturday.

No way, Contador was completely on the edge giving it all. There was literally no softpedalling on this climb by anyone in the peloton I think.

 

[Big Doopie]

and this is why purito will never win a GT. . . . attacked forced a gap on 2 of his 3 main rivals and decided to sit up to save himself for the stage win risking to see all of them crawling their way back losing only a couple seconds on the sprint.

he doesn't think about the bigger picture imo

oh, i think he sees the big picture very well. once he broke free of all but contador, he needed to gain as much as possible on contador. he wouldn't achieve that by dragging contador to the line and losing the bonus.

he maximized his gain on contador. excellent tactics.

 

[Kwibus]

No way, Contador was completely on the edge giving it all. There was literally no softpedalling on this climb by anyone in the peloton I think.

Indeed. It would be silly to softpedal and it isn't even possible to soft pedal on a climb like this.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Dont agree with Harmon here that AC didnt have it in his legs. Obviously he couldnt topple Rodriguez but it looks to me that AC eases off in the end clearly thinking about Saturday.

Nobody was expecting him to beat Purito anyway

 

[DominicDecoco]

Is it pacing if its 15 % and he is 3 bike lengths in front of them?

Perhaps not pacing but he attacked, the pace increased in the peloton and the attacks started. Astarloza obviously wouldn't have won anyway but it was still a wierd signal by Anton as he had nothing to shoot with himself.

 

[Kwibus]

Gesink surprisingly strong. I really hope he can show some of his glory days climbing on the longer upcoming climbs.

Another nice finnish, but as been pointed out before it's a bit over the top. Not the finish, but the amount of flat stage and punchy climb at the end. Breakaways are having a hard time this Vuelta, allthough 1 did succeed so far.

 

[DominicDecoco]

he was in ~30th position a couple of seconds before, so he just used the momentum of speed he had anyway from having to sprint to the front of the bunch

Ah, come on.. That was an attack from Anton. It really was.

 

[hrotha]

No way, Contador was completely on the edge giving it all. There was literally no softpedalling on this climb by anyone in the peloton I think.

I disagree. Purito and AC were clearly softpedalling once Purito decided he wasn't going to drop AC and before AC saw Froome wasn't there.

 

[No_Balls]

No way, Contador was completely on the edge giving it all. There was literally no softpedalling on this climb by anyone in the peloton I think.

Disagree. I dont think he tried to win the stage. I saw he even looked back a couple of times when Purito attacked. He was clearly more concerned about Froomes whereabouts today.

 

[webvan]

I must admit that i really enjoy these small steap hills, its much much more ejoyable for me then a flat sprint finish.

Agreed, Purito has to be the most explosive rider ever!

 

[Kwibus]

I disagree. Purito and AC were clearly softpedalling once Purito decided he wasn't going to drop AC and before AC saw Froome wasn't there.

I think softpedaling isn't the right word. Not going all out anymore. The others were able to get closer until Contador decided to keep the pace up which wasn't soft pedalling either, but just maintaining a high enough pace to keep the others at distance. Which he did since the gap grew bigger with Valverde and I'm sure to do that he wasn't soft pedalling

It was just a brief moment after Puritos first punch.

 

[Parrulo]

oh, i think he sees the big picture very well. once he broke free of all but contador, he needed to gain as much as possible on contador. he wouldn't achieve that by dragging contador to the line and losing the bonus.

he maximized his gain on contador. excellent tactics.

you got it totally wrong, hadn't contador decided to take the chance and increase the gap on piti and froome (which he needs even less then purito does) they would have been caught because purito wouldn't have pushed one bit.

 

[glassmoon]

Disagree. I dont think he tried to win the stage. I saw he even looked back a couple of times when Purito attacked.

+1
few seconds behind the race leader before the long climbs come is ideal position. saving your team from hard almost 2 weeks long work when you need them to pul the long climbs later seems like right and smart tactics.

 

[No_Balls]

Nobody was expecting him to beat Purito anyway

Probably even himself and thats why i think he didnt even tried to follow him. For Contador it starts on Saturday and 13 seconds is nothing.

 

[Escarabajo]

Agreed. We get it. There are some relatively short but steep climbs in Spain that favor explosive climbers. Let's move on.

+1.

we need longer climbs and bigger gaps.

 

[jilbiker]

Purito won? NO WAI

Apparently, Contador doesn't think Purito is a threat yet, or at least as much of a threat as Froome. He only pushed ahead when he saw the Sky rider getting close wasn't Froome, but Henao.

I agree, he was on Purito's wheel and was ready to stay there till the end but saw Froome and Sky getting closer. He wanted some distance, I think he turned to Purito and told him lets work together to put some distance.