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

[Netserk]

Another meh stage Nothing happens until the last 5 km

 

[LaFlorecita]

Is lithium over the counter in the netherlands?

What, you do think Alberto's gonna have a good day?

 

[luckyboy]

Where have I argued with that climb?

If anything, I've been known to argue for that climb.

"I guess we have very different definitions of "epic"."

What was wrong with this stage then?
When does any real excitement happen before a final MTF nowadays?

 

[Lexman]

Purito is from a different planet or Contador lost it definitely...

Good fight by Froome, love him more and more will be tight between him and Valverde for 3rd.

Big Rabo fail

Bart De Clerck improving day by day

 

[marioni]

I don't see how Purito can be beat. He's just looking most comfortable out of all 4 and he's in form of his life.

Epic Vuelta, all 4 top riders are great.

 

[Eshnar]

Another meh stage Nothing happens until the last 5 km

sssshhhhh don't say it, haven't you read The Hitch? It was epic!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Rodriguez is playing to his strenghts, but his advantage is so small that he only needs one difficult moment and Contador can pass him. If Contador is serious about winning this race he should attack sooner when possible, Rodriguez biggest weakness are long efforts, you should break him before the final kilometer. But I'm not sure Contador is good enough for that now.

What a shame to see Gesink like this. The last two years he has shown a slight improvement in time trials, with the cost of becoming an above average climber.

I think that's fairly obvious. He can't even attack from 2 km out, if he attacks from further out he'll lose minutes.

 

[Publicus]

I'm REALLY looking forward to Contador's post-stage comments. He looked absolutely pi$$ed as he was walking to that trailer.

 

[El Pistolero]

Rodriguez is playing to his strenghts, but his advantage is so small that he only needs one difficult moment and Contador can pass him. If Contador is serious about winning this race he should attack sooner when possible, Rodriguez biggest weakness are long efforts, you should break him before the final kilometer. But I'm not sure Contador is good enough for that now.

What a shame to see Gesink like this. The last two years he has shown a slight improvement in time trials, with the cost of becoming an above average climber.

Rodriguez weakness was his time trial, but he can top ten in time trials these days, so I don't think he has a weakness anymore.

 

[SafeBet]

Rodriguez is playing to his strenghts, but his advantage is so small that he only needs one difficult moment and Contador can pass him. If Contador is serious about winning this race he should attack sooner when possible, Rodriguez biggest weakness are long efforts, you should break him before the final kilometer. But I'm not sure Contador is good enough for that now.

He needs to try. And Saxo needs to make it harder from the start. 50 riders left at the bottom of last climb won't make it.

Seems like nobody learnt anything from the Giro.

 

[ggusta]

WOW.. Purito!!! Vuelta win seems to be more and more a reality for him. Great ride by Alberto. Oooooohhhhhh..... so closeee …... yet it's still few second a tad to far…… *I was on the edge of my seat!!!* Still, amazing attack he did, unfortunately he didn't seem to have a necessary form to sustain it. I'm now rooting for Valverde as well. The podium dog fight with Froome should be another entertainment besides Purito and Alberto

Looks like it could be an all spanish podium, of course every day is another story but Froome doesn't look invincible like july. Seems to be fading. Great effort by him, he won the stage for jRod by dragging them back and then popping when they attacked.

I would have thought AC would know these stages frontwards and backwards and he seems not to.

 

[cineteq]

Froome is obviously tired from the TDF. I was happy to see him fight at the end.

It wasn't fight, he was just bluffing, as he's speeding up his podium exit.

 

[Parrot23]

Gratuitous insults aside, Froome's a fighter, esp. for guy whose legs have obviously been going the last few days.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

To follow the Tour de l'Avenir instead seems to have been a good decision.

 

[vcampbell]

He's the race leader. That's his right should it be his wish.

He has done it when he wasn't the race leader. As I can see, he has got no other choice. Ha can't attack from 3-4-5 km from the finish, he can't go with a serious attack, he can only hold someones wheel, then sprinting in the last km. I don't like it.

 

[Forunculo]

Contador should order Navarro and Hernandez to do the first turns and have Majka in reserve. From 6 km to 2,5 km the pace was lower and Purito could hold the wheels easy

 

[LaFlorecita]

I would have thought AC would know these stages frontwards and backwards and he seems not to.

What do you mean? He's just not good enough to gain time but that doesn't mean he doesn't know the stages

 

[zapata]

Purito collected more than a minute of time bonuses...this Vuelta seems to be taylor made for his combination of climbing ability and explosive sprint.

It is. in the most literal sense.

 

[hfer07]

I think Contador put himself in trouble for the coming stages, by "burning" his team today & not achieving a lot. Purito OTOH is riding very wisely indeed-not panicking at any attacks & measuring properly all the efforts. Also the fact that Moreno is acting as a decoy to force Froome & Valverde to use their troops to catch him-is just leaning in favor to Joaquim..

still a lot of racing, but to me the battle for the GC is a duel...

 

[Altitude]

J-Rod too fast. His to lose.

 

[Eshnar]

He has done it when he wasn't the race leader. As I can see, he has got no other choice. Ha can't attack from 3-4-5 km from the finish, he can't go with a serious attack, he can only hold someones wheel, then sprinting in the last km. I don't like it.

You should tell Unipublic that they can avoid putting 15 uphill sprints in the race then.

 

[Publicus]

Looks like it could be an all spanish podium, of course every day is another story but Froome doesn't look invincible like july. Seems to be fading. Great effort by him, he won the stage for jRod by dragging them back and then popping when they attacked.

I would have thought AC would know these stages frontwards and backwards and he seems not to.

I don't think this was a lack of knowledge. This was a lack of stamina. When he made the final attack, he didn't look strong/confident once he stuck it. Purito has figured out that Contador's attacks are not as lethal (yet) and he can sit it out and reel him at the finish. His tactical riding is simply brilliant and we shouldn't do him the disservice of suggesting it is simply ignorance of the course that is keeping Contador from winning.

 

[Parrot23]

I'm REALLY looking forward to Contador's post-stage comments. He looked absolutely pi$$ed as he was walking to that trailer.

Noticed that too. Eursport commentator commented on it. Purito really has his number right now. Bertie not used to this.

 

[gilbertador]

He needs to try. And Saxo needs to make it harder from the start. 50 riders left at the bottom of last climb won't make it.

Seems like nobody learnt anything from the Giro.

This is actually wrong, what he really needs is an easy pace and a large peloton then attack from 7 or 8 km. The Giro was all ridiculously hard stages where no one could make a difference except JRod with his sprint. Can J Rod match Contador over 6 or 7 kms that is what is left unanswered

Time to stop pansying around when clear and ride an 8 km mtt

 

[hrotha]

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.