Vuelta 2017, Stage 5: Benicassin-Ermita Santa Lucia,175.7 km

[PlanZ]

Re:

Where was Bardet???

Awful TV realization...

Think we're rather spoiled by TV coverage of the TdF, which generally is fantastic.
Pretty sure there are less cameras deployed.

 

[Velolover2]

Woods is really, really good on these sorts of climbs. He is specialized in 2-3k climbs with double digit gradients.

What do you call his rider type? I wouldn't call him a hilly rider. The Ardennes are almost too easy for him. And unlike the Henao/Purito-type, he isn't good on longer climbs.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

Woods is really, really good on these sorts of climbs. He is specialized in 2-3k climbs with double digit gradients.

What do you call his rider type? I wouldn't call him a hilly rider. The Ardennes are almost too easy for him. And unlike the Henao/Purito-type, he isn't good on longer climbs.

He's a murito-ist.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I think there's plenty of time for Froome to falter. Just look at the course ahead.

CN's sub headline said Nibali cracked, but he really didn't lose much time.

Does anybody believe that Nibali at 36 seconds is already eliminated?

Does Froome wants a fitted Contador @ 3:10 seconds attacking medium range in the mountains?
Stages 15, 17 and 20?

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

It also seems like Angel Lopez has become much more of a diesel climber these days, he is always going at his own pace judging by his latest performances in Suisse and Burgos. I reckon he will do great on some of the MTFs in week 2 and ride himself into top-10. He could also do with some more race days. How is he going in heat - quite well I assume?

I expect Lopez to get better over time.

I didn't expect "anything" from him at this moment. His first real GT, with almost no racing kilometers, after a big injury. No way I expected more. Chaves took almost 2 years to come to terms.

 

[Tank Engine]

Re: Re:

Moscon can probably chase a week 3 united front of Bahrain, Trek and Katyusha plus half a dozen Abarcá mercenaries on his own on the form he's on though, Jesus wept. Moscón is a very apt name for him.

Mos cón - do not weep. I'd be weeping if I was told to follow his wheel. Even Froome has problems in that field.

My intention was to be read as moscón, one word. Basically, a large mosca, or fly. Colloquially, an annoyance or irritating person.

I'll stick with my interpretation. Of course, Moscon is a type of rider that I like, but it would be better for cycling if guys like G, Flowers and "Don't Weep" were in different teams

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re: Vuelta 2017, Stage 5: Benicassin-Ermita Santa Lucia,175.

Meintjes said he isn't too far off TDF level and says everyone else is just going faster..

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Vuelta 2017, Stage 5: Benicassin-Ermita Santa Lucia,175.

Meintjes said he isn't too far off TDF level and says everyone else is just going faster..

Yes a few riders saying the stages have been super hard and fast so far
THis is SKY putting the pressure down

How long can they keep it up .....if they do continue at thsi rate everyone will be crawling up the Angliru

 

[rick james]

Re:

Soler is coming faster into form than what I'd expected, thats good to see. I didnt catch the stage unfortunately, but that camera work on the last climb was horrible and gosh Moscon is a beast.

This looks the by far best form Froome has come to the Vuelta in, if he can sustain it that is. I don't know if he can and if he can't especially Chaves will be ready to strike. The question is whether the two Yates' brothers actually want to sacrifice their utterly uninteresting wheel following strategy and help Chaves break up the race in week 2, for now its good to just follow on tho.

and what makes you think Chaves won't fade? he's done the tour as well

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Moscon can probably chase a week 3 united front of Bahrain, Trek and Katyusha plus half a dozen Abarcá mercenaries on his own on the form he's on though, Jesus wept. Moscón is a very apt name for him.

Mos cón - do not weep. I'd be weeping if I was told to follow his wheel. Even Froome has problems in that field.

My intention was to be read as moscón, one word. Basically, a large mosca, or fly. Colloquially, an annoyance or irritating person.

Yeah I'd imagine he wasn't your cup of tea. I understand that.

Imagine Thomas, Kwito and Moscon just deleting the field in every terrain imaginable next year's Tour with Froome struggling to hold onto the wheels, gosh.

Or when between Moscon and Kwiat and Poels and Henao they sweep the Ardennes, with two podiums in every race.

Maybe when Valverde retires, in about 10-15 years

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Re: Re:

Froome has faded at the Vuelta in the past when peaking well at the Tour...He has historically gone strong at the start of the Tour then faded, though, whereas this year he got the form so he raced the Tour like he did the Vuelta in 2016, having a weaker stretch in the middle but coming strong again at the end. If he does the same he'll probably be fine, but he may also be thinking that since Contador and Nibali are both riders who tend to finish a GT strongly (Zakarin does as well, too) he will capitalize on his having form while they're still searching for theirs in this early phase of the race, and then worry about whether he can ship the red jersey to a breakaway at some point...

I agree with this analysis.

Lots of racing left. The third week of this tour is going to determine who wins.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Vuelta 2017, Stage 5: Benicassin-Ermita Santa Lucia,175.

Meintjes said he isn't too far off TDF level and says everyone else is just going faster..

Riders sometimes make mistakes about the predictions of their fitness. Many times. The fact the these are the initial stages does not help the cause. Everybody is mostly fresh. look at the first mountain stage. The first places at the top of the mountains were filled with riders that at the Tour de France. A carry over of their fitness. maybe they will fade a little.

 

[Durden93]

Let me start off by saying I believe Froome is the favourite to win the Vuelta. With that in mind, I don't buy the rhetoric that Froome wasn't peaking early in the Tour so he could still be in form for the Vuelta. Froome and Sky know the deal. They know if they prepared the same way they did from 2013-2016, they would win another Tour. So why would they change their prep so that they could go for the Tour/Vuelta double? I don't think Sky would be willing to take any risk if it meant possibly losing the Tour. The Tour is their singular goal.