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

[sartoris]

According to Dutch commentators, Valverde was waving at Sky riders and staff after the finish. Nice touch

Have the link? Would be great to watch!

 

[LaFlorecita]

How big of a lead does froome need to have after the time-trial?

To be completely sure I'd say 2-3 minutes on Alberto and no that's not gonna happen. Of course Alberto can still crack but the same can happen to Froome.

 

[cineteq]

Uran blew too fast

As faith will have it, he had an off day...

 

[hrotha]

Perhaps he should have been smarter, but I also think that he wasn't that good today.

Probably. At the beginning of the climb it looked like he wasn't too comfortable with Henao's rhythm - but then again, he might have yelled at him to slow down because he was 1 watt above his allowed quota.

 

[Parrot23]

Sky only have plan A. Proven again, just like Olympics (which was GB, but still I call them Sky).

Absolutely. One thing Froome has gotta learn fast, now that he's been burnt, is to stop towing the others uphill when he's one of the best TT'ers (other than Alberto). Julich says his weakness in the past has been in not allocating his efforts.

Gotta get smarter fast. Also a team car issue--maybe even more.

Valverde was the complete opposite here = being flexible: early attack, backed off when it didn't work, then rode the wheels to jump at the end. Very canny ride by him.

 

[Leadbelly]

I thought Froome rode pretty badly. All those pointless accelerations, halting and then going again for like 3 seconds. Killing his own legs for nothing. Thinking he should automatically take responsibility despite being the strongest time-trialist on paper.

Overconfident?

Could be.

Although we didn't see much of the stage on TV, the impression I got was that Sky too it up too early and that meant when Henao pulled over it was still about 4km to go I think. On stages like this it would seem much better to leave the chasing of breaks to Katusha/Movistar who have the guys who are more likely to get/need the bonifications.

So maybe yeah, they were too confident in Froome's abilities on this type of climb.

 

[The Hitch]

Lovely how wheelsucking is now tactical wisdom, but other people who ride to their strengths are not smart

you are talking about Valverde right? He attacked first of the gc guys didnt he.

 

[Mellow Velo]

1 minute on Bertie? We're still 4 days away from that and Contador will only get better.

Mmmm, give or take.
I said assuming it's Froome form from the Tour etc.
Meanwhile, Bertie hasn't been quite as sharp, for a while, against the clock.
50 seconds under those circumstances is reasonable.
If either one is better/worse, could be closer to 30 seconds, either way, that is.

 

[sartoris]

Probably. At the beginning of the climb it looked like he wasn't too comfortable with Henao's rhythm - but then again, he might have yelled at him to slow down because he was 1 watt above his allowed quota.

Or they're rationig his petrol and waiting for the last week to fill up his tank.

 

[Arnout]

Have the link? Would be great to watch!

No, they were at the finish, naming riders coming in that we couldn't see (because of other pictures being transmitted by Vuelta), so I assume they were seeing it live (as one of the commentators, Ducrot, famously does during most stages) instead of on their monitor.

So I cannot confirm nor deny it, but evidence suggests he might be right.

 

[The Cobra]

Wow so Contador is now happy to wheelsuck Froome? Never thought I'd see that he must really fear him. It seems the Spanish are going to give Froome the old 1, 2, 3. Froome should go in full defense mode now, not going to ride away from 3 guys working together against him.

 

[DominicDecoco]

No one should talk about fecking 'wheelsucking' on this epic finish. Nonsense.

 

[search]

Froome got it wrong today, too aggressive. From now on he should either sit on Contadors wheel or ride is own pace up, hopefully dropping them (if you're a froome fan). Will be interesting to see how the ITT goes. Wonder how Valverde got his form back

it's more or less a mountain time trial, so it's not like someone like Rodriguez will lose 5 minutes as usual...

 

[Arnout]

Isn't this just what we expect from Froome? Being strong in the first week, taking his form from past events, but after a while fatigue takes over.

Or alternatively he doesn't know fatigue and this was just an example of poor tactics. We'll see.

 

[sartoris]

No, they were at the finish, naming riders coming in that we couldn't see (because of other pictures being transmitted by Vuelta), so I assume they were seeing it live (as one of the commentators, Ducrot, famously does during most stages) instead of on their monitor.

So I cannot confirm nor deny it, but evidence suggests he might be right.

Thanks anyway, Arnout

 

[Descender]

it's more or less a mountain time trial, so it's not like someone like Rodriguez will lose 5 minutes as usual...

Nah it has 10kms at 4% in the middle, but it's 39 kms long. Nothing like a MTT.

 

[airstream]

very dense mountain rivalry awaits us. are thereanycomments from the guys?

 

[The Hitch]

Mmmm, give or take.
I said assuming it's Froome form from the Tour etc.
Meanwhile, Bertie hasn't been quite as sharp, for a while, against the clock.
50 seconds under those circumstances is reasonable.
If either one is better/worse, could be closer to 30 seconds, either way, that is.

How long is a while? He hasnt been able to show anything this year for obvious reasons but last 2 tts before san luis as i recall, were him finishing 3rd in tour and him finishing 3rd in GIro.

 

[jilbiker]

Contador did not want the stage. He wouldnt know what to do with it. For his comeback win he wants an Etna, an Angliru a Verbier. Somwhere where he breaks the field and solos in for a bang bang, after earning the victory.

Wheelsucking Froome for 5k then finding oneself in front with 600 to go and crawling in to a stage victory 5s ahead of chasers, that was not the way to do it.

Hitch i totally agree. I do not recall any such win from AC. At least not in a GT in the last 4-5yrs. If he is wheelsucking till say 3km you know he is not interested in a Win. If he attacks at that stage its to break someone. besides when I saw the gradient in the last 1km I said this is a Purito mountain. I think he was looking back because he expected something from Purito at the end. The bonus was Froome was broken. it was smart riding. Which is what differentiates the very good from the greats.

 

[Publicus]

He was in good form at Eneco - I wouldn't be surprised if it is later in the race when the total lack of race base hits.

He was in good form, but not great form. You could see it in his inability to hold the high pace on one stage (ended up losing ~5" IIRC), his (for him) average TT and then his (for him) average showing on the Muur stage. He's not 100% and I think he will get better over the course of the remaining stages. The question (IMO) is whether that improvement will be enough to win the race.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Wow so Contador is now happy to wheelsuck Froome? Never thought I'd see that he must really fear him. It seems the Spanish are going to give Froome the old 1, 2, 3. Froome should go in full defense mode now, not going to ride away from 3 guys working together against him.

........

 

[woodenswan]

Nocentini still going strong

Anacona Gomez and Valverde the winners!

..
had to

 

[ggusta]

Everyone was proclaiming an obvious Contador victory though ?

Well I'm not sure who you both are referring to but I was one of very few picking AC. Ftw.

 

[hfer07]

I thought Froome rode pretty badly. All those pointless accelerations, making a track stand and then going again for like 3 seconds. Killing his own legs for nothing. Thinking he should automatically take responsibility despite being the strongest time-trialist on paper.

Overconfident?

could be-but as you pointed out- he rode so badly-with no tactical sense at all- there was a moment where Froome & Contador were ahead & he stopped to try track standing-WTF? he should have kept going & distanced the others to make the GC battle against one man instead of 3. He will regret those 15 secs he lost today for sure..

 

[Publicus]

Lovely how wheelsucking is now tactical wisdom, but other people who ride to their strengths are not smart

+1000000 eye of the beholder and all that.