Vuelta 2017, Stage 6 :Villareal to Sagunto 204.4 km

[Anderis]

I doubt the favourites will risk controlling for bonus seconds. None of them has the sprinting speed of Valverde and they may as well lose instead of gain in a flat sprint over 30kms after the top of the last climb.

 

[Climbing]

Re:

I doubt the favourites will risk controlling for bonus seconds. None of them has the sprinting speed of Valverde and they may as well lose instead of gain in a flat sprint over 30kms after the top of the last climb.

And certainly not Nibali, that I guess is looking to stay well hidden and recover after the mediocre finish of yesterday.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Nice stage, should keep people guessing for the outcome. All the hilly days don't necessarily have to be super hard and, then this Vuelta will be too much, so I like that they have made this more of a 'classics' stage than a real GC one. Not that the would have used it anyways with a 20 km descent.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

I like this stage, but the medium mountains in this Vuelta seem largely not hard enough for real carnage.

Alberto Contador will win this bike race?

No question about that. Alberto Contador will win this bike race

And I actually think Contador will try on that steepest 2km, he only needs 1 or 2 guys up front. He was one of the strongest yesterday, and has a big deficit, so why not try?

 

[Catwhoorg]

Break for the win.

Sky will keep the race lead, by keeping the break in decent check, but they will get a good 5-10 min cushion depending on the exact composition.

 

[Laplaz]

And if Sky would let someone take the red jersey?

 

[Winnen]

Hoping for Contador. Would be great to see him on the podium in Madrid!

BTW, just read that Bobridge has been caught dealing drugs (XTC). Wow!

 

[Jagartrott]

Massive group up the road - ca. 35 in total.
Jungels is there.

 

[axl]

LL Sanchez is the better placed in GC, 3'24'' back. So there is no one dangerous in there, and Sky could let him take the red jersey.

 

[Brullnux]

Is that three days out of five for Villella? Impressive

 

[wirral]

Re:

LL Sanchez is the better placed in GC, 3'24'' back. So there is no one dangerous in there, and Sky could let him take the red jersey.

If that happens, Jan Polanc also has a very good chance at only 4'18" back.

 

[Jagartrott]

Is the peloton pulling hard (and who is pulling in that case), or is the cooperation in the breakaway failing?

 

[Escarabajo]

If the sprinters survive the last climb, like some have suggested here, I'll be shocked!!!.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Hoping for Contador. Would be great to see him on the podium in Madrid!

BTW, just read that Bobridge has been caught dealing drugs (XTC). Wow!

I think they call it Molly these days.

 

[Robert5091]

Sky not letting them get too far away.

 

[jfazendeiro]

Re: Re:

This last climb is being underestimated a lot I think. It's really, really hard in that middle section - with quite long stretches over 20% interspersed with flat, which brings the average down.

It's much harder than the final climb yesteday though - I think we'll see really carnage on it with the last 40km being good fun with several riders and small groups all chasing each other.

This. 2km of more than 15% average coupled with total of 9km climbing is no joke. If someone drops more than a minute on that, it will be pretty to clav it back in the last 36km or so.

Froome will be vulnerable if he gets isolated of Gianni Moscon. This is a good oportunaty for Orica or a contender with teammates (Contador, Aru, Nibali) ahead to provoke it.

 

[axl]

I don't get why Sky does not want to let the break go away. They won't be able to chase the break on every stage !
Or is it that the break don't go very fast (too many guys) and the peloton comes back without pushing ?

 

[Gigs_98]

Wouldn't be surprised if Contador attacks on the last climb. Wouldn't be the first time he tries something like that and he basically already has nothing to lose.
Nibali has to be careful. I don't think there will be carnage between gc contenders on that last climb. Contador is the only one I can see attacking. However if the pace is like on the last climb yesterday Nibali could lose minutes here. If he gets dropped and the pace of the front group stays high after the climb this stage could mean game over for nibali considering how weak his team is.

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

I don't get why Sky does not want to let the break go away. They won't be able to chase the break on every stage !
Or is it that the break don't go very fast (too many guys) and the peloton comes back without pushing ?

"The attackers have ridden at an average speed of 42.8km/h in the first two hours of racing."

 

[Jagartrott]

Including 2 climbs, 43 km/h is certainly not slow.

 

[Robert5091]

If there's a quite a few guys left in the break on the last climb, I could see Aru or the Yateses having a go.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

I don't get why Sky does not want to let the break go away. They won't be able to chase the break on every stage !
Or is it that the break don't go very fast (too many guys) and the peloton comes back without pushing ?

I agree, let Astana take the jersey with Sanchez. He's no threat to overall with the big climbs to come and they'd get a couple of days off.

 

[staubsauger]

Leaning away the leaders jersey like other teams always used to do is simply where Froome's fake friendliness ends!

 

[portugal11]

Perfect stage to tire the sky's train

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

If you give away favours such as the jersey, it could be repaid in the form of help later on in the race. But Sky feel they are good enough to ride every single day without help. Another reason why Sky might not be liked. Even when its totally pointless like today. I miss the days when someone like Tommy V would try to hold onto yellow as long as possible. It's not like Sky need the exposure.