Vuelta 2018 Stage 5:Granada - Roquetas de Mar 188.7km

[fuiers]

So happy for FDJ and Molard. So nice too see someone other than normal GC contender in a leaders yersey.

 

[movingtarget]

Clarke had that under control pretty well for a good win. The old track experience isn't wasted.

 

[Bolder]

Re:

Nice that Sky loses the jersey, god they are stupid using so many people up

But did they really have a choice? If a team has red they're somewhat obligated to lead the peloton.

Looking at the next 4 (hot and lumpy, then first mtf) stages, it's looking like a smart move to pass along the red jersey. Let others deal with the heat and wind.

I suspect that Sky would like Kwiat to be as rested as possible before Sunday. That last climb doesn't look like his metier.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

How long before someone says 2011 Vuelta, stage 10?

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

Ruben Fernandez in 2016 Vuelta?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Nice that Sky loses the jersey, god they are stupid using so many people up

But did they really have a choice? If a team has red they're somewhat obligated to lead the peloton.

Looking at the next 4 (hot and lumpy, then first mtf) stages, it's looking like a smart move to pass along the red jersey. Let others deal with the heat and wind.

I suspect that Sky would like Kwiat to be as rested as possible before Sunday. That last climb doesn't look like his metier.

It was obvious that they actually wanted to keep the jersey, but they fell between two chairs. Either you say A or B, not both at the same time. Super bad tactics

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

Brambilla wore pink in the 2016 Giro.
Clarke wore pink in 2015.
In the 2016 Vuelta, De la Cruz wore red.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

GC

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

If I were a pro, I'd so love to be in a break with Mollema.

do you think the people who lost to him in the 2017 TDF breakaway stage think that? :lol:

or Valverde and Rodriguez who lost to him in San Sebastian 2016 :razz:

I was hinting at a situation similar to today's (I thought that was clear). Mollema isn't explosive and always rides/isn't the guy who gambles much. Perfect package to go up against. And it's not a criticism, just an observation.

 

[oldcrank]

Re:

Clarke had that under control pretty well for a good win. The old track experience isn't wasted.

Of the five stages so far, three winners have track experience including
a team pursuit title: Dennis-2 x World/Viviani-Euro/Clarke-World Jnr.

 

[Anderis]

Damn, I was so tempted to write "Clarke FTW" yesterday in this thread. It looked like a perfect stage profile for him to win from a break.

 

[Bolder]

Re: Re:

Nice that Sky loses the jersey, god they are stupid using so many people up

But did they really have a choice? If a team has red they're somewhat obligated to lead the peloton.

Looking at the next 4 (hot and lumpy, then first mtf) stages, it's looking like a smart move to pass along the red jersey. Let others deal with the heat and wind.

I suspect that Sky would like Kwiat to be as rested as possible before Sunday. That last climb doesn't look like his metier.

It was obvious that they actually wanted to keep the jersey, but they fell between two chairs. Either you say A or B, not both at the same time. Super bad tactics

You may be right. Sky train could have been at limit in the heat.

I just had the impression watching the last 65k or so that at a certain point Sky decided they wouldn't destroy themselves just for the privilege of having to lead the peloton for the next 3 stages before Sunday. But, a minor point -- I'd still regard Kwiat as the virtual GC leader, though maybe not the favorite. But really hard to say right now.

 

[Red Rick]

Very minor thing might also have been that they didn't want to allow Mollema back into GC contention, but in that case I think they'd allowed him more time.

Generally though, if you care about the GC, you don't want to give a climber minutes.

 

[barmaher]

What is the point in Maxime Monfort?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

Brambilla wore pink in the 2016 Giro.
Clarke wore pink in 2015.
In the 2016 Vuelta, De la Cruz wore red.

There seems to be a trend, that it's mostly in the Giro and Vuelta that we see these "low profile" wearers of the leader's jersey.
Other examples:
Vuelta: 2011 Froome, 2008 Martinez
Giro: Amador 2016, Porte 2010, Bosisio 2008
Tour: Dessel 2006, Voeckler 2004 (are the only ones I could find since 2000)

 

[Nirvana]

Re: Re:

Atapuma for four days in 2016.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

Brambilla wore pink in the 2016 Giro.
Clarke wore pink in 2015.
In the 2016 Vuelta, De la Cruz wore red.

I'd say they are all higher profile than Molard though.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

Brambilla wore pink in the 2016 Giro.
Clarke wore pink in 2015.
In the 2016 Vuelta, De la Cruz wore red.

There seems to be a trend, that it's mostly in the Giro and Vuelta that we see these "low profile" wearers of the leader's jersey.
Other examples:
Vuelta: 2011 Froome, 2008 Martinez
Giro: Amador 2016, Porte 2010, Bosisio 2008
Tour: Dessel 2006, Voeckler 2004 (are the only ones I could find since 2000)

Nocentini in the 2009 Tour. For a whole week mid-race.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Amador had actually ended 4th the year before and ended 7th that year and that was, as far as I remember, not due to any time allowed he got that jersey in 2016.

 

[Flamin]

Nice for a team like FDJ to have the leader's jersey for the coming 4 days (normally). Thought about checking when they had one the last time in a GT: McGee in the 2004 Giro.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

Amador had actually ended 4th the year before and ended 7th that year and that was, as far as I remember, not due to any time allowed he got that jersey in 2016.

Good spot. My memory failed me there.

As for Nocentini, he was already a fairly big name back then. I don't consider him a low profile per se

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema wanted to attack at the steepest part of the climb he said. But he spent that time coming back to the front group. After that the climb was too easy to get away really. So chance gone. Tried to make the best of it after that

 

[del1962]

So Virtual GC Top Ten

Kwia
Buchman +7
Yates +10
Keldermann +25
Izagirre I +30
Quintana +33
Kruisjwijk +37
Mas +42
Majka +42
Pinot +37
Bennett +45

 

[tobydawq]

You don't think Valverde is a GC contender?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Lowest profile wearer of the GC leader's jersey since...

when? (let's exclude Postlberger by saying leader after first mountain stage)

Brambilla wore pink in the 2016 Giro.
Clarke wore pink in 2015.
In the 2016 Vuelta, De la Cruz wore red.

I'd say they are all higher profile than Molard though.

Not so sure. De la Cruz before that Vuelta was a low profile rider. And I personally wouldn't consider Clarke higher profile than Molard, but I guess the former gets more attention in international media.