Vuelta 2018 stage 19: Lleida - Col de la Rabassa 154.4 km

[Valv.Piti]

I agree about Lopez, guy is pretty frustrating to watch many times since he absolutely doesn't want to cooperate in almost any group. At other stages, he makes the race and is pretty aggressive tho.

 

[Cookster15]

Congrats to Simon Yates and Michelton-Scott. Today we saw the 2018 Vuelta winners stamp their authority. Movistar burned all their matches and now will be too tired to ambush the race tomorrow. Jack Haig continues to impress. Obviously altitude is Valverde's kryptonite. Also happy to see SK get back on the podium, hopefully he can make that stick tomorrow. Mas's time will come. Also agree that these types of climbs are better for exciting racing than impossibly steep gradients.

 

[SafeBet]

Vertry entertaining stage, bold moves by Yates and Kruijswijk, excellent win for Tibopino.

Mas and Lopez lost an opportunity to bury Valverde.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

I think tomorrow we will see Valverde do all he can to defend his podium position and not go after the win. This podium, if he can hold on, will be a LOT to him.

And it shouldn't be. He has a tons of podiums, and this one, even if some kind of a record, shouldn't mean anything to rider of his caliber!

Maybe not, but podiums have always meant something to him and if he gets a podium here it will set the all-time Vuelta podium record. It will also break his own record of longest time between first and most recent podiums.

If valverde cared a bit less about placings and more about winning, he wouldve won more.

Don't get me wrong I like him and also his humility that causes this behaviour. He has it all to be an arrogant big winner, but he's a humble guy that still wins an crazy amount of races despite not having a winners mentality.

No, but he would've probably won more big races.

 

[Andy262]

Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

 

[Escarabajo]

Can somebody answer me the following:

1- What was Astana doing?
2- What was Pello Bilbao doing?
3- And most of all what was Lopez doing?

I know Lopez is Colombian and I cheer for them but come on, you have to cooperate with someone!!!

Sometimes I feel like he has some strength left at the end of stages. It is weird. Maybe a Vino memo would help!!

 

[oldcrank]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

Despite the fact that the Froome Dawg has never ridden the track, his success, and
the successes of the other British Grand Tour winners past, present and future point
back to the wisdom of opening the Manchester Velodrome, 24 years ago this month.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

Yes, I agree entirely. I said on one of the previous threads that if he was Colombian he would be treated like the second coming of Christ on this forum. Britain has its good points but there’s absolutely nothing glamorous about it. Even Belgium, which in other contexts is often considered pretty unglamorous has a kind of cycling specific mystique. On top of that general issue there’s now a certain amount of Brit fatigue among fans from everywhere else when it comes to GT winners. Judged on his own merits, Yates is about as exciting as GT racers get.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

Despite the fact that the Froome Dawg has never ridden the track, his success, and
the successes of the other British Grand Tour winners past, present and future point
back to the wisdom of opening the Manchester Velodrome, 24 years ago this month.

White elephant once we were cruelly robbed of the Olympics.

Where the hell is Sydney anyway?

 

[samhocking]

That and several hundred million ££ spent on sports science for well over 10 years before turning up in World Tour. People scoff, but you don't spend that amount of money if all you need is a TUE and a blue inhaler to win the sports biggest races and get results. Is it a coincidence Simon Yates went through such science at BC, but Adam Yates went through Dave Raynor fund and French Amateur system instead? Who knows.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Re:

That and several hundred million ££ spent on sports science for well over 10 years before turning up in World Tour. People scoff, but you don't spend that amount of money if all you need is a TUE and a blue inhaler to win the sports biggest races and get results. Is it a coincidence Simon Yates went through such science, Adam Yates went through Dave Raynor fund and French Amateur system instead? Who knows.

Adam's year has been ruined by a broken leg right when his brother has gone over the top, but to try and claim British cycling as a key differentiator when Adam had slightly better results for 2 or 3 years before this, and they've had the same support system that whole time, is pretty out there.

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

oh my f*cking god, is this for real?

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Pinot, Kruijsswijk & Yates!

Having Adam sit on Valverde's wheel was the winning move. No one wanted to drag him along. Quintana's 2 GTs a year is too much it seems.

If Valverde comes second overall, it'll say a lot about the state of the competition. Mas & Superman should s**t in what the DS says and just go the f**k for it!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

oh my f*cking god, is this for real?

You don’t think that Brit riders get a somewhat tougher reception here than say Basques or Colombians? Really?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

oh my f*cking god, is this for real?

You don’t think that Brit riders get a somewhat tougher reception here than say Basques or Colombians? Really?

I have to say, I also think thats somewhat true. To be fair, Simon has gained a lot more fans for his style of winning this past year.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Uff.
I can't express how happy I am Valverde has finally lost it. It was one of two most marvellous stages in this year (second, of course Finestre).
The third is Fleche, but it lasted too short, to be ranked higher. Today we had reeaallyy plenty of minutes full of LOL.
Huge Valverde collapse, another Movistar ***-show in this year.
GREAT!
That's all for today, I promise more comments tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

 

[Moviefan1203]

The lack of respect Yates is getting is pretty disturbing.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Can somebody answer me the following:

1- What was Astana doing?
2- What was Pello Bilbao doing?
3- And most of all what was Lopez doing?

I know Lopez is Colombian and I cheer for them but come on, you have to cooperate with someone!!!

Sometimes I feel like he has some strength left at the end of stages. It is weird. Maybe a Vino memo would help!!

I have no idea. The only thing I understood was what the three riders at the front were doing......

 

[Robert5091]

Enric is baffled by Movistar & Superman like all of us
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mas...ht-after-slipping-off-vuelta-a-espana-podium/

“I waited with Movistar and Astana, but they didn’t respond as I was expecting,” Mas sighed. “I misjudged it. That’s how it is.”

He was particularly unimpressed with López, who started and finished the day one place behind him at 14 seconds.

“He spent the whole stage on my wheel. If he wants to put the 14 seconds into me he’s not going to be able to do it riding like that. If you want to fight for the podium you have to fight well.”

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Simon Yates is the most swashbuckling top GC rider since a young Contador. If you don’t like watching him, I don’t know why you bother watching Grand Tours. If you think he’s a wheel sucker or just a last km Purito guy, you are blind. If he ever becomes boringly, predictably dominant, I’ll end up cheering for his opponents, but until that point, I’m planning to enjoy the ride.

Pinot is a warrior. He’s frustrating and exillerating, frail and brave.

I’m happy with today’s racing.

All this. But having the three GCs held by Froome, Thomas and Yates S is frankly barking.

I also think Yates would be a lot more popular if he had a different passport. It's unfair but I think it's true nontheless

oh my f*cking god, is this for real?

Its kind of true. I really like England, but team Sky in cycling hurts the image of other brits as well. A bit crazy and irrational ofcourse.

At first I really didnt want Yates to win the Vuelta..3 different brits winning all 3 GT's. Thats just crazy isnt it?

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Uff.
I can't express how happy I am Valverde has finally lost it. It was one of two most marvellous stages in this year (second, of course Finestre).
The third is Fleche, but it lasted too short, to be ranked higher. Today we had reeaallyy plenty of minutes full of LOL.
Huge Valverde collapse, another Movistar ***-show in this year.
GREAT!
That's all for today, I promise more comments tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

Each to his own, but seem to enjoy failure of your rivals more tgen the succes of the ones you support.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Enric is baffled by Movistar & Superman like all of us
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mas...ht-after-slipping-off-vuelta-a-espana-podium/

“I waited with Movistar and Astana, but they didn’t respond as I was expecting,” Mas sighed. “I misjudged it. That’s how it is.”

He was particularly unimpressed with López, who started and finished the day one place behind him at 14 seconds.

“He spent the whole stage on my wheel. If he wants to put the 14 seconds into me he’s not going to be able to do it riding like that. If you want to fight for the podium you have to fight well.”

Yeah, and Movistar is baffled with Astana and him. And Astana is baffled with Movi and Mas. We could go in circles The truth is when you want to do something, you gotta do it yourself.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

The lack of respect Yates is getting is pretty disturbing.

It's become anti Brit for sure.......worse since Froome's Giro win coincidentally and then again after the Tour. Certain Australians used to cop it quite a bit but that seems to have slackened off a bit now especially since Gerrans stopped winning and Matthews started winning and the creative types have run out of nasty things to say about Richie.......some of the Quintana criticism is enough to make me think he is a dual citizen.........some is warranted of course but writing someone off completely at his age is a bit silly. Same with Aru.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Enric is baffled by Movistar & Superman like all of us
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mas...ht-after-slipping-off-vuelta-a-espana-podium/

“I waited with Movistar and Astana, but they didn’t respond as I was expecting,” Mas sighed. “I misjudged it. That’s how it is.”

He was particularly unimpressed with López, who started and finished the day one place behind him at 14 seconds.

“He spent the whole stage on my wheel. If he wants to put the 14 seconds into me he’s not going to be able to do it riding like that. If you want to fight for the podium you have to fight well.”

Yeah, and Movistar is baffled with Astana and him. And Astana is baffled with Movi and Mas. We could go in circles The truth is when you want to do something, you gotta do it yourself.

Well, as Valverde was 2nd at only 25s it was up to Movistar to bring Yates back, not Astana or Mas. But as Mas says, he misjudged it, he realizes now he made a mistake counting on Movistar.