Vuelta 2012, Stage 14: Palas de Rei > Puerto de Ancares (149,2 kms)

[luckyboy]

Mikel Nieve has done it twice. Can you see that no GC contender cared about Nieve or De Gent in any of these occasions?

I don't know what you are arguing, but it is possible for an exciting attack from distance by someone in the Vuelta whether they're a GC contender or not.

Unless GC riders are desperate (Schleck, Contador Tour 2011) then generally no GC rider attacks before the final mountain.


Anyway I don't care, the Vuelta is designed differently from the Tour and Giro, and normally (not including Tour 2012) they're each exciting in their different way.

 

[Jelantik]

+1
Contador knows he needs to make his move in asturias mountain and gain time. He also said that Bola Del Mundo might be the other option if the 3 doesn't work.

 

[El Pistolero]

Wow, Dani Moreno is 31 years old? I though he was much much younger.

 

[veganrob]

Part 1 of AC mission is accomplished. Break Froome. He was seen as the greatest threat for Vuelta
Now he needs to focus on Purito. This may be a bit harder since Rodriguez is very strong and AC not at 100%. Still can though.

Flo. You're killing me. C'mon, keep the faith baby

 

[Eshnar]

What has Montalcino got to do with mountain stages?
Sad that Zomegnan has gone, no GT will come near that Giro.

So we were talking about mountains only?
Anyway, what if I tell you the Aprica stage was used long before Zomegnan came.
Sestriere 2005? Didn't it work? It was the last mountain stage too.
Pontechianale 2003?

 

[Descender]

Zomegnan's gone, nobody designs races like him.

But they could.

So you do agree that it is not true that when organisers design stages to have as much action as possible nothing happens before the final climb.

De Gendt on the Stelvio this year... That stage isn't a whole lot different in profile to Cuitu Negru.

If De Gendt can attack on Mortirolo and hang on then someone can surely attack on Cobertoria..
Possible on the Bola Del Mundo stage too, however crazy that would be

Cobertoria is not the Mortirolo, neither is Pajares the Stelvio... but I'm optimistic and I think a bold move on Cobertoria could have some chances of succeeding.

Now about the Bola stage, not even Merckx 2.0 could pull that one out.

 

[ferryman]

I'm starting to think that I'm the only Contador fan on here who is still very confident that he has this race. Keep calm folks. It's not over until next Saturday. Not that I would be upset by a JRod win.

 

[casati]

Hello, Apologies, I am not a lurker, I have been following this site for some time , I have not been able to get into this site until now.yes, I ride a steel casati, been riding and following cycling for over 30 years, may not be a big deal but i actually shook hinaults hand at the coors classic years ago and I would say I am a contador fan

 

[Descender]

Look at the impact on GC of dirt roads 2011

Exactly my point. Look at the design of the sterrato stages of 2010 and 2011.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Part 1 of AC mission is accomplished. Break Froome. He was seen as the greatest threat for Vuelta
Now he needs to focus on Purito. This may be a bit harder since Rodriguez is very strong and AC not at 100%. Still can though.

Flo. You're killing me. C'mon, keep the faith baby

No, why would I I can see Alberto is not good enough, why should I keep on thinking he can win? I will only end up more disappointed.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'm starting to think that I'm the only Contador fan on here who is still very confident that he has this race. Keep calm folks. It's not over until next Saturday. Not that I would be upset by a JRod win.

But you know, the thing is he hasn't improved since the start of this Vuelta or at least not by much. And Purito seems very comfortable, while Alberto is absolutely at his limit.

 

[Descender]

Mikel Nieve has done it twice. Can you see that no GC contender cared about Nieve or De Gent in any of these occasions?

Of course De Gendt had some leverage (I never mentioned Nieve), but he was a GC man who did threaten the top favourites and who did get into the podium thanks to that move.

There are plenty of examples of other GC men successfully attacking before the last kms anyway.

 

[cineteq]

Part 1 of AC mission is accomplished. Break Froome. He was seen as the greatest threat for Vuelta
Now he needs to focus on Purito. This may be a bit harder since Rodriguez is very strong and AC not at 100%. Still can though.

Contador is at 100%. But he's not the same rider of yesteryears, as he already started to show signs of it in 2011's TdF. He clearly can't sustain long attacks for now, but I think he can win La Vuelta if he plays it smart. I'm not going to tell you how, because I don't want my rider, the red jersey, to lose.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador is at 100%. But he's not the same rider of yesteryears, as he already started to show signs of it in 2011's TdF. He clearly can't sustain long attacks for now, but I think he can win La Vuelta if he plays it smart. I'm not going to tell you how, because I don't want my rider, the red jersey, to lose.

So you're saying he's lost it. I don't necessarily disagree.

 

[jens_attacks]

definitely i was expecting more from this one.let's not forget though that we have three in a row,they have to be careful to keep energy for tomorrow and monday too

purito right now is the strongest,he's clever enough though to know that this can change,especially at alberto's home,on bola del mundo.better grab all those seconds you can take.
alberto still has a chance to take the win,he has a strong team it looks like,majka was incredible today.

both valverde and froome can come back in the game if on cuitu negru,purito or alberto will suffer a "pajara".that will be the decisive stage i guess

still an interesting vuelta.
let's hope tomorrow will be better although recently, lagos didn't make big gaps

 

[airstream]

I adore the argument "Contador is not at 100%". Apparently, time when Contador's 100% gets equal to someone's 100% can't come in this life.

 

[Carols]

Hello, Apologies, I am not a lurker, I have been following this site for some time , I have not been able to get into this site until now.yes, I ride a steel casati, been riding and following cycling for over 30 years, may not be a big deal but i actually shook hinaults hand at the coors classic years ago and I would say I am a contador fan

Welcome!!!

What an honor to met the Badger

Re: Today

Froome fried
Talansky Wow Go Kid!!!!
Valverde poised for podium
Alberto doesn't have the stamina yet
Purito looking STRONG

Still 3 high mountain stages to go...either Alberto will find the form or he won't. If he doesn't Purito is the Man!!!

My preferred podium:

Alberto
Purito
Valverde

But if Purito wins I will be smiling also. He's come a long way in the last year; learned to ITT, good tactics.

Berti will go down Fighting if he goes down....it will be epic

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

I adore the argument "Contador is not at 100%". Apparently, time when Contador's 100% gets equal to someone's 100% can't come in this life.

I think what it measn it that he is clearly not at his tour 09/giro 11 level. If he does not reach that level this Vuelta the 6 months suspension is an obvious choice for explaining that. If he does not reach that level next tour I can agree that he has lost abit thought...

 

[LaFlorecita]

I adore the argument "Contador is not at 100%". Apparently, time when Contador's 100% gets equal to someone's 100% can't come in this life.

So he's done you say. It's possible but most think it's not very likely. We'll have to wait till next year's Tour I guess.

 

[Carols]

I adore the argument "Contador is not at 100%". Apparently, time when Contador's 100% gets equal to someone's 100% can't come in this life.

Please stop your baiting...

You think Andy's gonna come back after 2 months off and win a race? Any race, much less 3 week race? I sure don't!

Yet you think Alberto should be 100% after not riding since January in 2 weeks???? It's obvious Alberto is riding himself into shape; not there yet....

Get Real

 

[icefire]

Of course De Gendt had some leverage (I never mentioned Nieve), but he was a GC man who did threaten the top favourites and who did get into the podium thanks to that move.

There are plenty of examples of other GC men successfully attacking before the last kms anyway.

I know we can find many examples of that, but these kind of attacks only succeed unders two circumstances. Either the attacker is allowed to go and then the chasers miscalculate or the attacker is significantly stronger than the chasers. Well, there's also the Vino option, L'Aquila 2010.

I agree that the Vuelta parcourse has a lot of things that can be improved. But Purito will not let Contador go (or will keep it under distance with the priceless help of Dani Moreno). And Contador doesn't look stronger than Purito. So we are doomed for late attacks no matter the parcourse.

 

[airstream]

I think what it measn it that he is clearly not at his tour 09/giro 11 level. If he does not reach that level this Vuelta the 6 months suspension is an obvious choice for explaining that. If he does not reach that level next tour I can agree that he has lost abit thought...

glass half full or half empty. so called 'level' is purely visual impression. probably, the opponents doesn't let him be at that level? i don't say that purito is better than schleck '09 but nonetheless everything can not boil down to contador.

 

[3wheeler]

Ride of the day: Majka. No doubt.
Froome was hilarious.

Contador is obviously not at his best, and he's not going to beat Purito with this kind of 3 km efforts. He's going to have to make the race much harder and attack from the base of a big climb.

Tag along for a Training Spin with the Froome Dog & Say that to his Face lol

 

[No_Balls]

Some notion:

*Excellent work from Saxo Bank. Totally according to plan. Working their socks off til the very few kilometers left and reeling in the break rider after rider. El Capitan waved with his arms and totally wanted to have this. Rafa Majka is a unpolished diamond.

**Contador is not there yet. Still lacking stamina and gives an overall impression that he is not that confident. Drifting back a lot, grimaces all over, looking more on his back then Andy. His last attack was brutal but the old Alberto would have bagged that. He seems very concerned about Froome when the guy he should focus on is the guy in red. Still just 22 seconds adrift.

***Froome. He is done and beginning to drop now. Will probably struggle to hold Piti back. He drops and comes back and drops again and that is a clear sign he is ready to give in any minute. Still massive respect that he tried today but clearly he lost more then he gained on that attack.

****Purito. Wow. Im am impressed. As i said before this stage i feared it will be tough to shake that man off and he paid back my fears. He is like a diesel and a mountain sprinter combined and looks comfortable for all his efforts. This man will be hard to beat. Still we are awaiting his one bad day and he cant go on forever and sprinting for victories (i think).

I'm starting to think that I'm the only Contador fan on here who is still very confident that he has this race. Keep calm folks. It's not over until next Saturday. Not that I would be upset by a JRod win.

Who says anything of fans? Posting Alberto-pictures during rest days doesnt count. I think we have to live with some bordeline-writers spamming all over the place when he doesnt win and get the crowds sympathy because it is "charming".

 

[JimPanzen]

Seriously, it's always the same...as soon as Contador doesn't crush the competition, some people start doubting him in general.