Vuelta 2018 Stage 8:Linares - Almadén 195.1km

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Sagan, Viviani, Trentin, Bouhanni, Nizzolo, then Van Poppel, Consonni, Aberasturi, Sarreau, Mezgec, Walscheid, Gibbons, Soto, Restrepo, Garcia Cortina. Of course Valverde is likely to feature in today's stage and he might very well win, and he could also top-10 regular sprint stages if wanted to, but there are plenty more sprinters than the 5 you mentioned.

The hill puts Valverde and Kwiatkowski ahead of most of the lesser sprinters in the Vuelta.

I know. I was replying to Koronin's suggestion that you'd put Valverde, Martin and Yates in the list of sprinters behind Sagan, Nizzolo, Viviani, Trentin and Bouhanni because there aren't many sprinters present. Not specifically regarding this stage.

The next question becomes who exactly in this field do you consider a sprinter. Obviously Sagan, Viviani, Trentin, Bouhani, and Nizzolo, after this group then do you put Valverde, Yates, and Martin into the list?

 

[Rollthedice]

Last 600m at 6.7%, Valverde or Sagan?

 

[Robert5091]

If Valverde takes it easy before tomorrow's stage, then Sagan, Kwia & Teuns to fight it out .... or the breakaway might get it.

 

[WheelofGear]

Re: Re:

These finishes are always unpredictable. It hard to judge who will survive.

For example: What kind of finish will eliminate the most sprinters?

1 km at 6%
or 2 km at 4,5%
or 4 km at 3%

It really depends on where the steepest part is, etc.

Isn't the length of the climb normally a bigger factor than the stepness when it comes to eliminating the sprinter even when it's on the lower slopes? A higher level of endurance is required. Of course, I could be wrong.

I can't tell if Viviani suffers the most at 900 metres of 7% or 2900 metres of 4%.. Only he knows.

 

[Ferminal]

It also depends on the run in, a fast run into a 1km @ 4-5% some bigger sprinters can hang around but if there are corners before or during the climb to break momentum and require accelerations out of them it becomes more difficult for those types.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I think Viviani plus a few of the other sprinters will be there in contention - I'm sure Quickstep will ride for a sprint. Normally Sagan would have the advantage on a finish like this but he went deep yesterday whereas most of the others had a comparatively easy day - back-to-back big efforts might be beyond him if he's not quite 100%. So I'd take Viviani here from Van Poppel who has previously done well on ramp finishes

 

[Velolover2]

@WheelofGear

It's the other way around. The gradient is more poisonous for the sprinters than the length unless the climb is very irregular with downhill parts.

 

[Robert5091]

3 poor guys out front for the next 160 km or so ... Tiago Machado (Katusha-Alpecin), Jorge Cubero (Burgos-BH) and Hector Saez (Euskadi-Murias)

First man down -
Maurits Lammertink (Katusha Alpecin) is the first rider out of La Vuelta 18. He suffers abdominal pains and will undergo exams in Netherlands.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

If Valverde takes it easy before tomorrow's stage, then Sagan, Kwia & Teuns to fight it out .... or the breakaway might get it.

He won't.
There could easily be some time gaps at the finish, plus bonus seconds, plus he actually could win this stage.

Late attacker could win though. Last 600-700 m, after that 180 roundabout, are on the very narrow road and poor surface, so if anyone strong escapes he will be very hard to catch.

 

[Velolover2]

This is correct. The main problem for Valverde is that he doesn't have an explosive enough lead-out man to close down and catch a potential late escapee. Fernández would have been a great help.

 

[Laplaz]

Poor break today

 

[wirral]

Valverde is also showing keen interest in the green jersey. There are some points today with his name on if he wants to take them which he will.

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

Poor break today

10 minutes in front ...

 

[Laplaz]

Re: Re:

Poor break today

10 minutes in front ...

They would need 15 minutes i think...

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Van Poppel thinks he can be in the mix today, he is not the best climber between the sprinters but he has shown several times good capacity for punchy and steep short climbs. This final is maybe a effort too long for him but we will see...

 

[tobydawq]

12 minutes now.

But apparently all sprinters team are patrolling the front. So it's mission impossible for the break which is way too weak.

 

[GuyIncognito]

The final km is insanely narrow. 2 riders side by side can't corner.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

The final km is insanely narrow. 2 riders side by side can't corner.

It's going to be carnage. There will be gaps in the GC for certain.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

The final km is insanely narrow. 2 riders side by side can't corner.

The main road leading to the finish town is 6m wide + 1m roadside on each side. From the roundabout to the finish looks the same without roadside, and the finish street adds a parking lane to that. Even if they take half a meter on each side with the fences, 5m is wide enough for two riders unless Kruijswijk shoulders and Zakarin elbows ride side by side.
Valverde did the last corner behind Kwiato in the stage he won last Sunday. But he had the acceleration to overtake before the finish line.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

The final km is insanely narrow. 2 riders side by side can't corner.

The main road leading to the finish town is 6m wide + 1m roadside on each side. From the roundabout to the finish looks the same without roadside

Before the roundabout
http://i.imgur.com/cjbyYEj.png
After the roundabout
http://i.imgur.com/FAzMgRO.png

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

The final km is insanely narrow. 2 riders side by side can't corner.

The main road leading to the finish town is 6m wide + 1m roadside on each side. From the roundabout to the finish looks the same without roadside

Before the roundabout
http://i.imgur.com/cjbyYEj.png
After the roundabout
http://i.imgur.com/FAzMgRO.png

Please have a look at the last update on Google Maps, not the street view. It's clearly a 2 lane street.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Sure it's paved now, but the lawns in front of the buildings seem at the same distance to the road

 

[ice&fire]

If we can trust google satellite view scale at max zoom, the main road is 7m + roadsides and the street after the roundabout is 6m wide with no roadside.

 

[sir fly]

Road dimensions are bigger issue when the approach and line are on completely flat ground.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

what happen to Sagan
down a min?