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

[Big Doopie]

talansky is quietly doing well.

despite garmin's disastrous first stage, he will likely be top ten after the ITT.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

talansky is quietly doing well.

despite garmin's disastrous first stage, he will likely be top ten after the ITT.

He'd be in the top 10 now if he hadn't lost time yesterday.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I tend to agree with you.
Having a hill doesn't seem to make much of a difference to Purito's ITT chances.
He's just unable to sustain output, regardless of terrain.

Piti is a bit more difficult to call. He's capable of anything in the pretty poor to pretty good range.

Gesink could well jump either or both and will perhaps find the later, longer climbs more to his taste.

Gesink said on the teams website he felt pretty good and he had good legs. He said he stayed close to the leaders until the final kilometer when they all accelerated.
I think he could do better on the longer climbs. But we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Panda Claws]

Froome's first defeat... Contador truly is the king.


(Yeah yeah I know, first defeat since Vuelta 2011)

 

[LaFlorecita]

Some people on other forums noted that Alberto seemed to ride with a way too small gear in the last few hundred meters

 

[TomekA]

Some people on other forums noted that Alberto seemed to ride with a way too small gear in the last few hundred meters

How they explained that? Something wrong with the bike or he was just too weak for higher gear?

 

[peacefultribe]

Some people on other forums noted that Alberto seemed to ride with a way too small gear in the last few hundred meters

It's just a little ring rust.

 

[LaFlorecita]

How they explained that? Something wrong with the bike or he was just too weak for higher gear?

Something wrong I guess. It sure looked that way, he was pedalling like a mad man.

 

[airstream]

watched the final 4-5km newly. froome seriously lacks a leader experience. He rarely wheelsucked, preferred to catch the wind, made plentyof unrequired moves. The stage was lost by him firstly due to inexperience. who knows probably froome overrated 15 sec gained on alberto on thursday and decided to smash him today at any price. spaniards rode way smarter. generally it wouldnt have been a disaster to froome to build tactics defensively as say purito did, but he wanted to act differently.it will be very intriguing race!

 

[Miburo]

Something wrong I guess. It sure looked that way, he was pedalling like a mad man.

That's what he usually does lol

 

[LaFlorecita]

That's what he usually does lol

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/19271/valverde-wint-pyreneeënrit-naar-andorra-.html

Look how many spm and he's barely going forward.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

That's what he usually does lol

In eariler days yes, but in races like Giro 11, when he was at presumably top shape he did use higher gears it looked like

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also noticed Sky train ran out of fuel a bit early. Porte/Uran/Henao all blew out too soon

 

[jilbiker]

Some people on other forums noted that Alberto seemed to ride with a way too small gear in the last few hundred meters

Yes, I noticed that he went to the way too small small ring. It was almost as if he was crawling, I said either too tired for the bigger ring or there is some issue, cramps, or mechanical, it didn't add up...

 

[TomekA]

probably froome overrated 15 sec gained on alberto on thursday and decided to smash him today at any price. s

I think the same.

 

[icefire]

Some people on other forums noted that Alberto seemed to ride with a way too small gear in the last few hundred meters

Thank God he didn't play with his gear-shift dropping his chain

 

[Cimber]

watched the final 4-5km newly. froome seriously lacks a leader experience. He rarely wheelsucked, preferred to catch the wind, made plentyof unrequired moves. The stage was lost by him firstly due to inexperience. who knows probably froome overrated 15 sec gained on alberto on thursday and decided to smash him today at any price. spaniards rode way smarter. generally it wouldnt have been a disaster to froome to build tactics defensively as say purito did, but he wanted to act differently.it will be very intriguing race!

Well u cant blame Froome for that tactic imo. He knows its now he needs to put time in to Bertie, since Froome will getting more tired and Contador will improve.

 

[ILovecycling]

Anyone but me that finds it extremely awesome that Valverde is back in his good old awesome shape?

Me,I'm looking forward to Ardennes.

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

Delicious!

What a classless act he is.

Who cares?,its fun

what about this steal from Alejandro? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgrX7D0mRqo (3:00 forward) Vino Jugo vs Alejandro Ferrari!

Holy ****,I dont remember this.It's pretty awesome

I'm a huge Contador fan, but I kind of like Froome. Soooooo much better than Alberto against the Schlecks. I don't like SKY, or Wiggans, but Froome is likable. This Vuelta could be a classic, like the Vuelta of years past.

Subscribed.

 

[airstream]

Well u cant blame Froome for that tactic imo. He knows its now he needs to put time in to Bertie, since Froome will getting more tired and Contador will improve.

no, i never criticize riders for any moves. its very brutal sport and you never know how you'll feel in a minute. i just tend to think it wasnt a good day for froome too but he should ride more providently otherwise spaniards will trumple him

 

[Museeuw]

Well u cant blame Froome for that tactic imo. He knows its now he needs to put time in to Bertie, since Froome will getting more tired and Contador will improve.

Amen to that.

I think it's obvious that Froome has no chance to win this Vuelta. Actually he never had.

 

[the asian]

Also noticed Sky train ran out of fuel a bit early. Porte/Uran/Henao all blew out too soon

Doesn't augur well for SKY in the mountain stages!

I think the same.

Me too. Froome must have naively thought that Alberto is still weak, and the stage will be good for him to gain some time.
The Spaniards were way too smart for that
Pity Bertie didn't win the stage. If he won he would have been second overall.

 

[jens_attacks]

the finale was good but not really what i was expecting
the insane average speed of the stage had an impact on the final climb no doubt

alberto-remembers me of his 2008 giro form.i hope he will improve later because i won't like him to win like that.i think on bola del mundo we'll see the real contador,one that can sustain an attack for more than 2 minutes

froome-over-confidence?blew his team very fast on the penultimate climb going full-gas and also very early on la gallina.it sounds impossible but he might fade away slowly,feeling the effects of riding the second gt....nah...who am i kidding?he will probably destroy any sign of life in the time trial

purito-pretty awesome form just like in giro.definitely good for the podium

alejandro-definitely the most impressive for me right now,he still has that magnificent uphill kick,hell he even attacked.if alberto and froome will stay only at this level,valverde might overtake both of them.i think he will do well on the timetrial too.

still a very good vuelta

 

[Alpehue]

Im deffinetly cheering for Alberto, but i love the fact that there 3 other riders up there creating a really interesting race.

I must also say, i like Froome more and more, he tries, and he fights, not like good old Andy.

 

[ggusta]

Just watched the end, I can't add much to either of you two.

Froome, major b-slap to reality for him, and now Contador must have had a little doubt himself before this stage and that's pretty much erased. I called AC ftw and wish he had just a couple more seconds attack in him. Bummed about that but life goes on. It likely will serve as some motivation for him.

This is so much better than this year's tdf. AC is GT cycling.

Doesn't augur well for SKY in the mountain stages!


Me too. Froome must have naively thought that Alberto is still weak, and the stage will be good for him to gain some time.
The Spaniards were way too smart for that
Pity Bertie didn't win the stage. If he won he would have been second overall.

the finale was good but not really what i was expecting
the insane average speed of the stage had an impact on the final climb no doubt

alberto-remembers me of his 2008 giro form.i hope he will improve later because i won't like him to win like that.i think on bola del mundo we'll see the real contador,one that can sustain an attack for more than 2 minutes

froome-over-confidence?blew his team very fast on the penultimate climb going full-gas and also very early on la gallina.it sounds impossible but he might fade away slowly,feeling the effects of riding the second gt....nah...who am i kidding?he will probably destroy any sign of life in the time trial

purito-pretty awesome form just like in giro.definitely good for the podium

alejandro-definitely the most impressive for me right now,he still has that magnificent uphill kick,hell he even attacked.if alberto and froome will stay only at this level,valverde might overtake both of them.i think he will do well on the timetrial too.

still a very good vuelta

 

[King Riis!]

Im deffinetly cheering for Alberto, but i love the fact that there 3 other riders up there creating a really interesting race.

I must also say, i like Froome more and more, he tries, and he fights, not like good old Andy.

I guess Andy wouldn´t make top 3 in this Vuelta.

I really dont like the Sky domination, but seeing froome on tv, he seems to be an ok guy. I hope he will ride for another team in the near future.