Vuelta 2012, Stage 16: Gijón > Cuitu Nigru (183,5 kms)

[Parrulo]

Col de Manse style

exactly, i think on an easier climb with no super steep gradients is where he can do it. let's not forget the only time he dropped purito this vuelta was on the stage after arrate on the difficult part of the climb which was like 7% at most.

He won't and you will ban me for saying why in this section of the forum. JR is not cracking. I wish he would.

well there is a thread in clinic, vent your frustrations there like i do

 

[LaFlorecita]

Situation is even worse for me.

Only way Phil can save this season is by winning Worlds and Lombardia.
Only way Contador can save this season is by winning the Vuelta.

Seems like everything will go to the Spanish(bar Contador) though, too ****ing strong.

I guess Contador could go for the time trial title, but that's a longshot in my opinion. Der Tony is better. Kessiakoff as well apparently.

Well Phil winning Worlds and Lombardia isn't impossible, far from that actually.

 

[meat puppet]

If Rodriguez finishes the job and really wins the Vuelta, I think you'd have to be a completely partisan Contador fan or an idiot to dispute that he deserved it.

Exactly. I really dont get the whining that's going on. For crying out loud, if it's attacking racing you want, here we have it. Big time too.

JRod has been better thus far, deal with it, and this simple fact has generated good racing. AC himself appears to be no candy a$$ diva, and does not give up even when the likelihood of pulling it off is very small, simple as that. which I find respectable. It's the difference between him and many others, after all.

Also, if you fangirls and boys want some consolation, PR wise he is winning big time precisely because he is not winning the race but puts on a helluva show nonetheless.

To conclude: JRod has been better and it is good for the sport that AC loses fair and square on the road, dammit.

 

[Parrot23]

Of course he deserves it. Doesn't change the fact I am completely ****ed off and think Alberto deserved it much more.

One thing for folks to keep in mind is that Purito is STILL winning AFTER losing a full minute in a TT.

Alberto a great champion still.

 

[El Pistolero]

Purito if he does win.
Surely rider of year.

Nah, Boonen still twice the rider Jrod is.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

IMO this super steep climbs gig is getting old pretty fast. They should be something special, but the Vuelta is overdoing them.

More of the same at the Bola.

Short n steep I agree, I love myself a long climb with varying gradients tho.

 

[Publicus]

Purito if he does win.
Surely rider of year.

I'm sure the British contingent will lobby for Wiggins, but I agree with you at this point.

 

[LaFlorecita]

exactly, i think on an easier climb with no super steep gradients is where he can do it. let's not forget the only time he dropped purito this vuelta was on the stage after arrate on the difficult part of the climb which was like 7% at most.

He dropped Purito there?

 

[Ildabaoth]

It's called an uphill sprint and it's what Purito excels at.

You are the same one who said all was over for Contador after the first road bump of La Vuelta. I'm a man of principle, sorry, I'm not taking your bait.

 

[Arnout]

IMO this super steep climbs gig is getting old pretty fast. They should be something special, but the Vuelta is overdoing them.

More of the same at the Bola.

Yes. I think climbs with 7-10 gradient, with occasionally somewhat above that are a lot more fun. On this kind of gradient any kind of attack, of going above rhythm, backfires too much, 100 meters later. I appreciate the endurance part of it, but the racing part is lacking a bit.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Nah, Boonen still twice the rider Jrod is.

Sorry but for me giro 2nd, vuelta win, 6 gt stage wins, flèche wallone and 2nd at basque is pretty friggin good season, better then boonens.

Still the worlds to come too.

 

[LaFlorecita]

One thing for folks to keep in mind is that Purito is STILL winning AFTER losing a full minute in a TT.

Alberto a great champion still.

One thing you should keep in mind is that he is only ahead because of the bonus seconds.

 

[The Hitch]

IMO this super steep climbs gig is getting old pretty fast. They should be something special, but the Vuelta is overdoing them.

More of the same at the Bola.

having the 20% at the end of a 20k mountain is different to a escortial or jen or mirror whatever. Riders go into this on their limit already.

 

[cineteq]

One thing you should keep in mind is that he is only ahead because of the bonus seconds.

Purito seemed to be the only rider who knew this.

 

[Parrot23]

One thing you should keep in mind is that he is only ahead because of the bonus seconds.

How many in total? Anyone have the bonus seconds totals by rider?

Guess one has to get to the line first. Just the rules.

 

[LaFlorecita]

You are the same one who said all was over for Contador after the first road bump of La Vuelta. I'm a man of principle, sorry, I'm not taking your bait.

Well seems like I was right eh?

Anyway, I don't know what "bait" you are talking about. You say it's not a sprint and I say it is an uphill sprint. And we're both right.

 

[doperhopper]

We'll have to hope with the ASO, esp. after this year's snorefest.

Hope the Spanish riders can reproduce this form at the Tour. Wish they could.

they should rather start to ignore TdF and go for Giro+Vuelta (together with italians and others) - maybe after few boring years without the best riders the tour's "fame" is gone

 

[DominicDecoco]

To say Rodríguez just sucked wheel and outsprinted Contador is outrageous. For the very first time in La Vuelta Contador was able to do long attacks, specially from relatively far away from the top of the climb, and Purito himself did the job to bring him back. It isn't sucking wheels if you are one of the very few climbers in the world capable to effectively react to Contador's attacks. And to call a +15% gradient finish a sprint is quite funny.

Welcome to CN logic. Completely agree with you.

 

[palmerq]

One thing you should keep in mind is that he is only ahead because of the bonus seconds.

:S he is following contadors tacctics from when he beat levi in the vuelta then ... it seems to work well

 

[Ildabaoth]

Well seems like I was right eh?

Anyway, I don't know what "bait" you are talking about. You say it's not a sprint and I say it is an uphill sprint. And we're both right.

Sure, but I'm under the impression that had Contador done a Purito style attack at 300 meters from the finish line and managed to take some seconds from Purito, you wouldn't have called it an "uphill sprint", but the best attack ever in cycling history.

 

[cineteq]

Purito if he does win.
Surely rider of year.

I'm sure the British contingent will lobby for Wiggins, but I agree with you at this point.

1st and 2nd in same year GT (3 wins La Vuelta) >>>>>> 1st in GT (0 wins TdF)

 

[Publicus]

Well seems like I was right eh?

Anyway, I don't know what "bait" you are talking about. You say it's not a sprint and I say it is an uphill sprint. And we're both right.

I think what he is saying is that just because JRod "sprinted" away at the end, does not transform this final climb into an uphill sprint.

 

[Parrulo]

He dropped Purito there?

yes, he said in an interview he couldn't follow the attack so decided to sit up because the group was still large and the climb would ease off anyway. but the fact is, on that day, on that easy climb, he couldn't follow

 

[Pulpstar]

I think at 15%+ gradients when riders are knackered, then how much of a physical effect can drafting really have. They are going 10- 11 km/hr which is a moderate running pace. The drafting effect is very small, though the psychological component remains perhaps larger than ever.

 

[hrotha]

having the 20% at the end of a 20k mountain is different to a escortial or jen or mirror whatever. Riders go into this on their limit already.

Yes, but the effect of having that wall at the end is that it neutralizes the rest of the climb. They went before because Contador knew he couldn't wait, but under normal circumstances no one would have moved at all. We saw everyone else saving themselves for the steep part, and the pace of the front group wasn't that high until Jesús Hernández went - plenty of people in that group.