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

[Forunculo]

@sergi_lopezegea
Atencion me cuenta @chemadelolmo que Christian Prudhomme esta haciendo en pie los km finales de La Gallina PENSANDO EN TRAER EL TOUR


Prudhomme fall in love with this climb

 

[maxmartin]

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.

who knows? maybe alien CF will improve too? Maybe AC will get tired? I am not putting my money on that. So far there is no fatigue sign from CF what so ever. Let's see how ITT goes.

 

[icefire]

@sergi_lopezegea
Atencion me cuenta @chemadelolmo que Christian Prudhomme esta haciendo en pie los km finales de La Gallina PENSANDO EN TRAER EL TOUR


Prudhomme fall in love with this climb

Please, someone tell him about La Rabassa as well!

 

[maxmartin]

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

Uran all alone chased hard yesterday due to puncture at 8km, while SKY train is going hard to lead Ben Swift. Swift clearly doesn't have it, looking back maybe it is a good idea to send one or two teammates back to help Uran

And why on earth alien CF is on P1 to lead out Ben while knowing a hard MTF is next day? A showing of dominance??

 

[roundabout]

@sergi_lopezegea
Atencion me cuenta @chemadelolmo que Christian Prudhomme esta haciendo en pie los km finales de La Gallina PENSANDO EN TRAER EL TOUR


Prudhomme fall in love with this climb

Seemed like there was a bit of a traffic jam at the finish as riders were coming in.

I am still impressed that the organization managed to squeeze a finish in there. Shows that there doesn't have to be a parking lot the size of a football field.

 

[airstream]

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

and yet we should hope gianetti and matxin will find another sponsor to start a team. unlike unzue, grande bisonte will never let down these guys.

 

[ggusta]

Seemed like there was a bit of a traffic jam at the finish as riders were coming in.

I am still impressed that the organization managed to squeeze a finish in there. Shows that there doesn't have to be a parking lot the size of a football field.

I don't think it's realistic to make a comparison to the crowd size at the tdf versus the vuelta. But the smaller crowd make it much more flexible for the organizers to determine where stages will end. It definitely would be nice, though.

 

[ggusta]

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.

he reminds more of Rasmussen but with excellent TT.

 

[Afrank]

After seeing the attacks on today's stage I am confident that this Vuelta will make up for a boring Tour. Finally we get to see a real attacking GC battle on the hills.

Also very impressed by Valverde, I didn't expect him to do as well as he has been doing. He might have a chance of a podium if he keeps going like he has been.

 

[The Sheep]

https://twitter.com/Phil_Gilbert1/status/239451081464242176

@alejanvalverde @movistar_team I also participat a little cause valverde took me by the hips and came back to the group! Not nice...

anyone that can decipher this?

 

[ferryman]

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.

Ridiculous statement. Not even sure of the context you are meaning. There is only one rider in the world that can go with Bertie on top form when he goes and that ain't any of the other 3 here.

 

[El Pistolero]

https://twitter.com/Phil_Gilbert1/status/239451081464242176



anyone that can decipher this?

He helped in Valverde's victory because Valverde grabbed him by the hip to get back to the group when he was at the back.

That or he has a soft spot for Gilbert.

 

[Netserk]

He helped in Valverde's victory because Valverde grabbed him by the hip to get back to the group when he was at the back.

Is that the only good use Gilbert is these days?

 

[ferryman]

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.

Couldn't agree more

 

[Afrank]

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.

Yes your right Andy wasn't trying at all on stage 18 in the 2011 tour, or on the Tourmalet in the 2010 tour, or on stage 15 when he had too chase back on after dropping his chain, or when he won stage 8 of the 2010 tour.

 

[airstream]

[/B]

Ridiculous statement. Not even sure of the context you are meaning. There is only one rider in the world that can go with Bertie on top form when he goes and that ain't any of the other 3 here.

im sure froome is already on their level. though while reading this thread i catch myself thinking that many are willing to treat any circumstance in contador's favour.

 

[theyoungest]

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

The Kerrison program has failed, usually there isn't any swimming in August.

 

[hrotha]

I got the distinct feeling that Urán couldn't be bothered. Might be wrong though.

 

[No_Balls]

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.

I agree. It could be like Conta vs chicken in 2007. I was very relived Froome seemed human today as well. This could only get better.

 

[issoisso]

Maybe I phrased it incorrectly. Previous races harden you against the fatigue of a three week GT. Too little and you won't have staying power. Too much and you will die out in week 3. A mini version of that is the fact that he attacked 7 or 8 times in the high heat, and seemed to pay for the effort later in the week.

Your point is that Alberto will have trained hard enough to handle the stress of a GT, and still improve into week 3. He has shown that to be the case in the past, so it does seem likely. Will that be enough to overcome a potential minute by Froome? I hope so, if only for the counterweight against Sky's dominance this year.

Actually it's often quoted by coaches and managers that one of the golden rules of a grand tour is that anyone not in great shape going in is going to get worse in the 2nd week, then massively better in the third

 

[veganrob]

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.

You said it. Valverde, Purito and Alberto will work together to defeat Froome/Sky and then they will sort it out at the end.
I too wish AC would have won the stage but it will prove to be not all that important in the end.

 

[greenedge]

I thought that was a great stage. Congrats to Valverde. Froome proved he was human and Contador seems to have recovered from his cramps.

Meyer did a great ride, if he had won though all the hype about him being a GT star of the future would have started again though.

 

[draexem]

Wheelsucking is tactically acceptable if you like the rider that's wheelsucking. If you don't like them it's cowardly and boring, and a major contribution to the death of cycling as we know and love it.

Too true.

 

[movingtarget]

I thought that was a great stage. Congrats to Valverde. Froome proved he was human and Contador seems to have recovered from his cramps.

Meyer did a great ride, if he had won though all the hype about him being a GT star of the future would have started again though.

Yes very entertaining. Best first week of any of the grand tours this year.

 

[movingtarget]

After seeing the attacks on today's stage I am confident that this Vuelta will make up for a boring Tour. Finally we get to see a real attacking GC battle on the hills.

Also very impressed by Valverde, I didn't expect him to do as well as he has been doing. He might have a chance of a podium if he keeps going like he has been.

Will be even more interesting if Rodriguez and Valverde can do good rides in the TT.