Vuelta 2012, Stage 17: Santander > Fuente Dé (187 km)

[Cimber]

What would have made this interesting would have been a proper cat 1 climb right before the Fuente climb

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador will attack the penultimate.

Are you crazy

 

[greenedge]

I think a breakaway will take this. Could there be a chance Degenkolb goes in the break to try win the stage???

OGE to try help Clarke retain his KOM lead.

 

[Lexman]

One has to hope of Purito having a bad day after the rest day, maybe not to lose the jersey but at least some seconds to make the Bola del mundo stage more interesting.

otherwise, the breakaway will go till the end, Moncoutie for the win

De Gendt will get a go at Bola del Mundo, at least that's what he said after his second place

 

[3wheeler]

J Rod to rain on Contadors parade again.. Whats the odd of Contador winning Zilch this Season

 

[Pharazon]

another boring mountain top finish no doubt... break wins... purito and contador stay together..

sigh..

never thought i'd be sick of mtf's

 

[SafeBet]

Well the last 5 km are a bit like a proper climb.

Break. Cunego (whoa, why not).

It's about time he shows something.


I wouldn't discard an attack by Berto in the final kms if the break stays away.

 

[barmaher]

another boring mountain top finish no doubt... break wins... purito and contador stay together..

sigh..

never thought i'd be sick of mtf's

There has been a lot of complaints about the parcours this year, and I haven't read them all, but one issue I haven't seen raised is the lack of a chance for ace descenders to showcase their skills.

Sure, sometimes they end up like the stage to Bagneres du Luchon in this year's Tour, but sometimes they end up like the stages to Gap and Pinerolo in last year's Tour.

 

[Eshnar]

one issue I haven't seen raised is the lack of a chance for ace descenders to showcase their skills.

You just missed. It was raised somewhere.

 

[SafeBet]

You just missed. It was raised somewhere.

By Descender, who else

 

[Miburo]

I think a breakaway will take this. Could there be a chance Degenkolb goes in the break to try win the stage???

OGE to try help Clarke retain his KOM lead.

No way, who would try and ride with Degenkolb to the finish?

He's way more than a sprinter, he might survive. It's not that steep after all and there are some flat parts in the climb.

 

[Ferminal]

Meersman would be a better pick.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

If I was in a break today I'd rather see Degenkolb there than Meersman

 

[Asturiano]

There has been a lot of complaints about the parcours this year, and I haven't read them all, but one issue I haven't seen raised is the lack of a chance for ace descenders to showcase their skills.

Well, there was a stage with a finish desceding a hill on this Vuelta and Purito won it.

 

[Pulpstar]

Seems the race has started out at the traditional fast pace with no (very) early breaks as yet. Which means they'll probably slow to around 35km/hr about an hour and a half in

 

[cineteq]

Seems the race has started out at the traditional fast pace with no (very) early breaks as yet. Which means they'll probably slow to around 35km/hr about an hour and a half in

RAB and SKY in the front, interesting...

 

[Pulpstar]

The spanish words for escapees are truly brilliant additions to their language:

"dos aventureros"

Yesterday it was "dos fugados"

Really gives the impression of two guys riding off into the spanish sunset..

 

[Pulpstar]

RAB and SKY in the front, interesting...

Uran tried to jump off the front, now that IS interesting. Means Froome has either pretty much thrown in the towel , or....

Well the obvious answer is it means Sky want a stage win, given they probably won't podium and Degenkolb has the legs of Swifty in the sprint.

 

[cineteq]

Uran tried to jump off the front, now that IS interesting. Means Froome has either pretty much thrown in the towel , or....

Well the obvious answer is it means Sky want a stage win, given they probably won't podium and Degenkolb has the legs of Swifty in the sprint.

He did throw the towel with some good sense of humor.

"I don’t think he [Valverde] really needs to be worried, he’s riding away from me on every climb. Maybe [Juanjo] Cobo has been telling him some horror stories from last year, how I chased him all the way to Madrid!” he joked."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-tips-rodriguez-for-final-vuelta-victory

 

[Pulpstar]

If this Vuelta carries on the way i think it probably will, Contador will have to become a vampire because every time he will look at his shadow he will see a little catalonian rider in red haunting him.
.

 

[Pulpstar]

19 away, no clue as to composition yet but 19 non GC contenders could well stick.

Edit: Seems it has been caught, must be some good honest riding still.

 

[Pulpstar]

The platoon is broken
He advances a group with Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (009) and Alberto Contador (201) . There is no leader Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER (101) , while the advantage is minimal.

 

[Pulpstar]

14 seconds, Katusha driving to catch Bertie and Piti. I don't think this will work, but my god is this good for the race. Meanwhile Eurosport (And everyone else I assume) no live feed when you need one.

Guys, live feeds earlier, things might happen when Berite is racing as opposed to the boring sky freight train in the TdF !

Edit: Caught, but a nice signal of early intent from Contador and Valverde there.

 

[Mellow Velo]

14 seconds, Katusha driving to catch Bertie and Piti. I don't think this will work, but my god is this good for the race. Meanwhile Eurosport (And everyone else I assume) no live feed when you need one.

Guys, live feeds earlier, things might happen when Berite is racing as opposed to the boring sky freight train in the TdF !

Edit: Caught, but a nice signal of early intent from Contador and Valverde there.

You are joking, surely?
Nothing live until about 16-05CET.
At this rate, race over by 17-00CET, at the latest.

We need a Basque protest or something, to slow things down.

 

[Pulpstar]

What would I be joking about, I'm just relaying from the Vuelta website with my own comments !