Vuelta 2018 Stage 8:Linares - Almadén 195.1km

[Flamin]

Re:

The entire drag a little too long and the finish a little too steep for Sagan. Valverde way faster on the home stratch, although the diagonal line he took did him no favours

Nah, Sagan is just not in top shape. If he is, he wins this with several bike lengths.

 

[fuiers]

Re:

Dude is 38yo

Some sort of reverse benjamin button

edit: lol @Kruijswijk at 10. WTF :lol:

It´s like some sports have these older guys really showing that you can be at the top at later years. Reminds me of Jaqr in ice hockey and Buffon in football.

 

[Red Rick]

This should also make sure Valverde's green jersey is safe enough that it won't get in the way should Quintana prove the better option for the GC win.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Impressive Nizzolo, looks like he's getting back to his best. Also good showings by Garcia and Ion Izagirre. The latter could be a dark horse for the overall win.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

The entire drag a little too long and the finish a little too steep for Sagan. Valverde way faster on the home stratch, although the diagonal line he took did him no favours

Nah, Sagan is just not in top shape. If he is, he wins this with several bike lengths.

Yeah. Him being there yesterday makes you assume he beats Valverde here too, but then you see the difference between sprints at 6% and at 2%

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

Impressive Nizzolo, looks like he's getting back to his best. Also good showings by Garcia and Ion Izagirre. The latter could be a dark horse for the overall win.

I have no idea what to expect from Ion. He has never finished in the top 10 of a GT, but he's also never really had a succesful attempt without a crash. I actually think he's consistent enough, but his top level is probably a bit too low to win the overall

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

The entire drag a little too long and the finish a little too steep for Sagan. Valverde way faster on the home stratch, although the diagonal line he took did him no favours

Nah, Sagan is just not in top shape. If he is, he wins this with several bike lengths.

Yeah. Him being there yesterday makes you assume he beats Valverde here too, but then you see the difference between sprints at 6% and at 2%

Zig zagging usually means a tiring rider but Sagan is getting closer. Valverde is looking really good so far.

 

[Rollthedice]

Easy. Hopefully Quintana retires around 2025 and finally Valverde can win the Vuelta again.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Stage

 

[dgodave]

How does Valv do this after riding le Tour? Sagan too, for that matter.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

How does Valv do this after riding le Tour? Sagan too, for that matter.

It's week one, it's still short efforts, and Valverde wasn't really his best in the Tour.

 

[fuiers]

Re:

This should also make sure Valverde's green jersey is safe enough that it won't get in the way should Quintana prove the better option for the GC win.

I think Movistar is playing it really well atm. Nairo has not really shown anything yet and that in my mind shows that he is saving himself. Valverde is here to get stage wins. But he is a good option in that case if something might happen to Nairo. He could really win the Vuelta then.

 

[Red Rick]

Viviani at more than a minute lol

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

Easy. Hopefully Quintana retires around 2025 and finally Valverde can win the Vuelta again.

At that time he'll be 45, just a young wippersnapper.

 

[Joomla10]

The one and only! Greatest rider ever!!!

Alejandro Valverde!!! #121

 

[Screecher]

Sagan looks twice the size of Valverde, i really don't understand why he's so serious about the WC. There's no way he can get a decent result.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Re:

Viviani at more than a minute lol

He was about 20th with about 200m to go, got blocked by Trentin and stopped riding

 

[Flamin]

Good result from Lambrecht. And he had to make up quite a lot of places in the final 500m so definitely promising performance.

 

[wirral]

Surprised that Van Poppel and Nizzolo stayed up there.

 

[tobydawq]

Valverde: "It's true I'm older when looking at the age, but in terms of physical and mental condition, no."

Confirming that age is just a number.

 

[The Chicken]

Re: Re:

Impressive Nizzolo, looks like he's getting back to his best. Also good showings by Garcia and Ion Izagirre. The latter could be a dark horse for the overall win.

I have no idea what to expect from Ion. He has never finished in the top 10 of a GT, but he's also never really had a succesful attempt without a crash. I actually think he's consistent enough, but his top level is probably a bit too low to win the overall

Big day for Ion Izagirre tomorrow. S.Yates will smash 'em all but if Ion can be among the best of the rest then he has a great chance of making the podium. Granted, it's still early days and Ion's high number of race days this season compared to the other favourites (apart from Kwiato) is a concern but he has ridden a perfect race so far. The interview after the stage with his teammate Ivan Garcia was kinda funny - he assumed it was Gorka up there with him and seemed surprised when he realised it was Ion.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Just watched the replay of the last 5km of the stage and what an amazing finish by Valverde. I thought that Sagan had it already, but Valverde thought otherwise

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Look at the mix of riders in stage top 10...

Yeah, what a weird mix.

 

[Escarabajo]

That is a weird mix. And this is the first time that I see climbers and sprinters sprinting together. LOL.

Sagan looks like twice the size of Valverde. The climb was too much.

 

[Robert5091]

Valverde not going for the win but somehow winning! (seems to be this Vuelta's theme - "I didn't mean to win!")

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-espana-2018/stage-8/results/

My DS told me to get on Sagan’s wheel but I told him, ‘I’m not going to go for the stage today - I’m going to focus on not losing time’,” Valverde revealed.

Chapeau for not losing time! Lotto Jumbo came up short even with 4 guys at the front at the flamme rouge. Bit too steep, or not at 100% for Sagan.