Vuelta 2012, Stage 8: Lleida - Andorra, Coll de la Gallina (174.7 kms)

[icefire]

Route map:

Profile with weather forecast:

There'll be rain... and the descent of La Comella is technical.

As usual, climb profiles from la Vuelta web site are not very accurate. This one will do:

Based on the stage finish altitude, the finish line will be placed just after the church some 4 kms before the summit, allegedly due to space constraints for the race infrastructure.

And now, for your viewing pleasure :

(the church near the stage finish is pointed to by the arrow)

 

[airstream]

Is it a genuine profile? Looks a bit hard for the Vuelta climb.
I expect Froome to be defending. He intends to wait for TT now and he will go only feeling he can gain on Contador. Alberto may attack, but not earlier than 3k to go. My prediction:
Valverde 0
Contador
Froome
Joaquim, Gesink +0'20

 

[masking_agent]

icefire - thanks for this. Looks like a killer end to the day

 

[Kwibus]

Is it a genuine profile? Looks a bit hard for the Vuelta climb.
I expect Froome to be defending. He intends to wait for TT now and he will go only feeling he can gain on Contador. Alberto may attack, but not earlier than 3k to go. My prediction:
Valverde 0
Contador
Froome
Joaquim, Gesink +0'20

Vuelta has a lot more steep climbs compared to the TdF. Not sure what you mean that it looks hard for the Vuelta climb?

 

[Kwibus]

Well rain expected during the last 2 climbs. Curious if Contador will attack on the penultimate climbs descent.
That could seriously mean problems for Froome who has shown to be a rather weak descender and Contador has shown in the 2011 TdF he doesn't scare from a downhill attack.

p.s. Nice picture of that final climb!

 

[icefire]

Is it a genuine profile? Looks a bit hard for the Vuelta climb.
I expect Froome to be defending. He intends to wait for TT now and he will go only feeling he can gain on Contador. Alberto may attack, but not earlier than 3k to go. My prediction:
Valverde 0
Contador
Froome
Joaquim, Gesink +0'20

It is the hardest climb of the day, just preceded by a Cat2 climb, so it follows literally Unipublic's handbook of mountain stage design

 

[will10]

Rodriguez
Froome s.t.
Contador 20s
Valverde 30s
the rest

 

[airstream]

Vuelta has a lot more steep climbs compared to the TdF. Not sure what you mean that it looks hard for the Vuelta climb?

To me, the Vuelta is associated mostly with 5-6% av. climbs: Arcalis, Abantos, Velefique, Pandera, Sierra Nevada, Cabertoria. Yes, it has Angliru, Monachil and Cavadonga that is often passed with no action. But anyways 7k at 8% is hard by the Vuelta standarts I think. Without the first 'falso piano' kilometer, it's similar to Planche des Belles Filles, by the way!

 

[The Hitch]

Froome to take 20 s from Contador who declares after the stage that he is feeling better and hopes to come into form for Asturias.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Froome
Purito +12"
Piti +28"
Alberto +46"

That is just the big four there will be others up there too of course.

 

[nvpacchi]

Rain dramatically increases odds of Antón DNF

 

[vcampbell]

Froome
Purito +12"
Piti +28"
Alberto +46"

That is just the big four there will be others up there too of course.

I think you should still be banned until the end of the Vuelta.

 

[airstream]

Froome
Purito +12"
Piti +28"
Alberto +46"

That is just the big four there will be others up there too of course.

you really need ' my shoes '. at least youll never be depressed

 

[Miburo]

Froome to take 20 s from Contador who declares after the stage that he is feeling better and hopes to come into form for Asturias.

You're taking too many conclusions from that one day, 2 days before that he looked so good.

I believe Contador will attack but even if he loses time which I don't believe it doesn't matter that much cause when he's 100 % next friday he can be 3 minuted behind he'll make it all up

 

[Miburo]

Froome
Purito +12"
Piti +28"
Alberto +46"

That is just the big four there will be others up there too of course.

I wonder if you legit believe this. Stop reverse jinxing him lol

 

[Afrank]

I expect Contador to attack and try to gain some time on Froome. Hopefully the attacks start on Alto De La Commella and we get to see a GC battle on both climbs and the downhill between them. Also hoping someone can derail the Sky train. Froome or Contador ftw or someone who has already lost a fair amount of time to break away for the win, maybe Quintana or De Gendt.

 

[SafeBet]

Berto is going to attack on the final steep section of Cat. 2 climb and ride away on the following descent. Gap won't be huge in the end, I'd say around 40 seconds on Froome. Capecchi for a surprise third. Purito and Valverde to lose more than a minute.

I'm worried for Anton and Rabo guys.

 

[sulgpallur]

I don't understand why he would attack on Cat 2, when there is still long way to go (20k with one more hard climb) and he's form is far from 100%

 

[Descender]

To me, the Vuelta is associated mostly with 5-6% av. climbs: Arcalis, Abantos, Velefique, Pandera, Sierra Nevada, Cabertoria. Yes, it has Angliru, Monachil and Cavadonga that is often passed with no action. But anyways 7k at 8% is hard by the Vuelta standarts I think. Without the first 'falso piano' kilometer, it's similar to Planche des Belles Filles, by the way!

I don't think La Pandera can be considered a "5-6%" climb despite what the average gradient says. It's mainly known for the steep final part, with full kms at 11, 12, 9% etc.

La Cobertoria W which is the side they always climb (too bad, since the E side is harder) is 8 kms at 8,5%.

And apart from Angliru, Monachil and Lagos, there's Bola, San Lorenzo, Xorret de Cati, plus the whole myriad of short murs like Valdepeñas de Jaen etc. ... I think it's odd to link the Vuelta to 5-6% climbs. I'd associate the TdF with that, but not the Vuelta.

 

[airstream]

I expect Contador to attack and try to gain some time on Froome. Hopefully the attacks start on Alto De La Commella and we get to see a GC battle on both climbs and the downhill between them.

Isn't too early to take such a big risk? I think it would be pretty foolish surely unless Contador feels he's way stronger than the rest.

 

[ILovecycling]

Can anyone translate this in detail please?Purito says something about tomorrows stage and the contenders,pero yo hablo espanol solamente un poco

La etapa de mañana la conozco bien porque he subido muchas veces y vivo en Andorra. El principio de la subida es sencillo, la carretera es ancha incluso hay alguna bajada. Lo complicado son los últimos kilómetros, que son más estrechos y con rampas del 15-20%. Va a ser bonito para verlo. Quiero mantener el maillot rojo pero no tengo la misma mentalidad que en 2010 cuando vine a luchar por etapas y tenía la desesperación de llegar a casa con el rojo de líder. Esta vez vengo con la ilusión de luchar por la general. Mis tres rivales son muy diferentes unos de otros. Contador es el que te ahoga con cambios de ritmo, Valverde el que más se parece a mi porque se guarda para el final y luego ataca y Froome es el machacante desde abajo con su ritmo y te va dejando”.

 

[Miburo]

Isn't too early to take such a big risk? I think it would be pretty foolish surely unless Contador feels he's way stronger than the rest.

I agree, there's still a flat part of 3 km orso before the final climb starts. If sky is there with uran and henao then Contador is screwed.

Maybe put some pressure on froome in the descent with some teammates, navarro and majka for example.

 

[Descender]

Can anyone translate this in detail please?Purito says something about tomorrows stage and the contenders,pero yo hablo espanol solamente un poco

Sure, as if I had nothing better to do!

I know tomorrow's stage well since I've climbed it many times and I live in Andorra [money laundering much Purito?? cheeky ******* hehe]. The start of the climb is easy, the road is wide and there's even some descending sections. The hardest bit are the last kms, with ramps up to 15-20% and where the road narrows. It's going to be good to watch [oh yeah SAY IT BABY!]. I want to keep the red jersey but I'm not addressing this like I did in 2010 when I felt desperate [or maybe he means he felt insecure or anxious...] every day when I came home with the red jersey [I don't even know what he means... it's odd someone would say that]. This time I want to fight for GC. My three rivals are very different from one another. Contador saps the energy out of you with his sudden tempo changes, Valverde is the one that's most similar to me, since he waits till the end then attacks and Froome wears you down and drops you with his pace from the bottom.

 

[infeXio]

- He knows tomorrow's stage well, as he lives in Andorra

- The beginning of the climb is easy - the tricky part is the last part, as there are ramps of up to 15-20%

- This year hes trying to fight for the overall standings, whereas he in 2010 fought to get to the finish with the race leader

- His 3 rivals are very different; Contador is "drowning" you with his fast changes of pace, Valverde is the most similar to himself - saves energy for the finish, and Froome relying on high pace at the bottom and then attacking as they go further up.


Thats how i understood google translate anyways

 

[Descender]

You guys are talking about people attacking on the penultimate climb... if that happens the Vuelta organisers are going to need heart surgery. They've gone through such pains to keep precisely that from happening...