Vuelta a Andalucia (Ruta Del Sol) 2.HC // 18.2 - 22.2

[Kwibus]

Well said. Any cycling fan should be able to appreciate what these two guys are doing! In February no less, at a little race. Damn this kind of stuff is what makes being a cycling fan worthwhile.

Indeed and that's all there is to the race we've seen today.

A great battle by 2 great riders. My preferred rider lost today, but I allready said yesterday he would lose duels with Froome this year, didn't really expect it this fast.

All the posts from people looking for reasons why froome today and why contador yesterday..... All these theories are getting on my nerves, because most of them are so full of crap it's unbelievable

Just enjoy the show these guys give and stop over analyzing. This is ofcourse not directed to you Carol

 

[Kwibus]

something like indurain/rominger for now let's be honest

a long way until coppi/bartali.

Indeed, but I think it was just the first rivalry that came to Arrendondo's mind.

They certainly have a rivalry, but what I like is that they both really seem to enjoy the rivalry. They really get the best out of eachother.

 

[Kwibus]

Today it was a shorter and more explosive climb than yesterday, how can you say otherwise?

Taxus4a analysing the races in his posts is incredibly cringeworthy.
He just makes up theories based on the result of the day which can be countered by lots of other examples, but I suggest you don't waste your time on it

 

[infeXio]

Taxus4a analysing the races in his posts is incredibly cringeworthy.
He just makes up theories based on the result of the day which can be countered by lots of other examples, but I suggest you don't waste your time on it

They're rather entertaining to read! - And as such, hardly a waste of time!

 

[Tournesol]

I say it will be a great rivalry in general sense (i think it already is), because i believe they will face each other many times in great races in the future, including more then 1 Tour.

I think that a "great rivalry like Coppi/Bartali"(which was your original comment about the two of them) is where each person's career is defined by the competition they have had against the other.

That is not the case here,at least not yet it isn't.Hey maybe AC will ride on after 2016 like you say and they'll both battle at the next five TDF's.I hope they do.

 

[Kwibus]

Wow! I for one do not see that one coming. I just caught up on highlights and a stunning win for Froome. A real psychological blow for Alberto but I'm sure he will come back strong.

This season will be epic, I can feel it!

I don't think it's that a big blow for Contador just like it wasn't a big blow for Froome yesterday. Ofcourse it hurt for goth, they both want to best eachother, but they also both know they ain't at their best yet so you can't draw that many conclusions from these results. The only conclusion is that they are big rivals this year.

Oh and if there is anything to motivate Contador it's these kind of days and I think same can be said about Froome. They both deal with losses really well, only seems to motivate them.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The GC isn't decided yet. Besides the uphill final tomorrow, there's a 180? turn at the 200m mark, which increases the possibility of small gaps on the line.

Froome will be glued to Contador's wheel

 

[Kwibus]

They're rather entertaining to read! - And as such, hardly a waste of time!

Ofcourse for some it's entertainment

 

[Flamin]

Froome will be glued to Contador's wheel

Many teams will be trying to put their guy in front when the 'climb' starts, so who knows what might happen anyway, it also depends on the roads obviously.

 

[jens_attacks]

we talk about andalucia as it is giro or tour. i like that
props to the organizers who must be really happy right now. i hope this race will survive

 

[happytramp]

we talk about andalucia as it is giro or tour. i like that
props to the organizers who must be really happy right now. i hope this race will survive

I'm guessing this is probably the longest ever Andalucia thread

 

[Taxus4a]

Taxus4a analysing the races in his posts is incredibly cringeworthy.
He just makes up theories based on the result of the day which can be countered by lots of other examples, but I suggest you don't waste your time on it

I apply the same for all tha races, and I always argue and put dates. If you are not agree, work a little and tell me why.

Contador has always put some time to the rest in kind of stages that dont have a lot of global hard, but when the stage is long and been made hard, he can fail. i could put you a lot of examples. Paris Niza againts Luis le, for example.

But, even when he is the best, in hard stages of dolomites, he put just seconds to the rest, or maybe dont win the stage.

Contador failnin a long and hard stage as Galibier, when Andy won, but the previous days he was superb in second category climbs...

Can he win stages as Tirreno last year? yes, but Quintana was not in shape, and he was weak at the end, Greske won. He won that stage and other by estrategy, he is clever, and I aplausse that, but Contador after his santion is not a super rider, he win spectacular some times, and other with some luck, but he is not so impresive. It was a pity the crash in le Tour. We will see this year.

 

[staubsauger]

Ruta del Sol was not just an appetizer. It was a delicacy already. Never saw that kickback coming! Froome went all in and won. Great effort! Big will power!

But also chapeu once again for Contador and his performance yesterday. Pure instinct and stamina.

These two are true rockstars and hopefully there's more big cinema to come!

 

[SeriousSam]

Big will power!

I wonder what the will power to power conversion formula is. Froome's steely determination has got to be worth at least 50 extra Watts.

 

[Ataraxus]

At Col du Beal Froome's out-of-saddle attack lasted 30 sec (attack at 5km from the finish).
At Alto de Allanadas it lasted 29sec.
And I've never seen Froome make such attacks during the whole Vuelta 2014 (Hence my suspicion that Froome has not been in peak form at the Vuelta and hence my claim that Dauphine stage 1-2 was a much better comparison medium).

Hopefully he'll do suchlike attacks again and hopefully I'll have the chance to know whether Contador can sustain those attacks, or it was simply the low gradients who helped him at Col du Beal (I remember him to be sayin that Beal attack was the greatest acceleration he had ever witnessed or smth like that.)

 

[The_Juan]

At Col du Beal Froome's out-of-saddle attack lasted 30 sec (attack at 5km from the finish).
At Alto de Allanadas it lasted 29sec.
And I've never seen Froome make such attacks during the whole Vuelta 2014 (Hence my suspicion that Froome has not been in peak form at the Vuelta and hence my claim that Dauphine stage 1-2 was a much better comparison medium).

That is not true. At Col du Beal, Froome attacked and temporarily dropped everyone except Contador. Eventually 5-6 other guys joined the AC/CF grupetto and got to the top pretty much together.

Chris' attacks on Ancares, for example, were so beast-like they dropped everyone except for Alberto. Noone, except those two, was anywhere close.

Hence one can say that the Vuelta efforts were much worst than what took place today or at Col du Beal last year.

 

[armchairclimber]

Well, Let's be honest, who would have predicted that? First clash of the season and the two contenders go at it like maniacs....punching and counter-punching. Never mind Coppi and whotisname....this was the first round of Hagler v Hearns. Those were massive blows landed yesterday and today. And it's only February. Top stuff.
I don't like Contador and I don't like Froome but I feckin love what they have both done in Andalucia.

 

[Ataraxus]

That is not true. At Col du Beal, Froome attacked and temporarily dropped everyone except Contador. Eventually 5-6 other guys joined the AC/CF grupetto and got to the top pretty much together.

Chris' attacks on Ancares, for example, were so beast-like they dropped everyone except for Alberto. Noone, except those two, was anywhere close.

Hence one can say that the Vuelta efforts were much worst than what took place today or at Col du Beal last year.

Chris rode differently in Ancares and Beal. In the latter the target to drop Contador was higher than to put time on others. And he almost always dropped the pace after his attacks leaving space for others to join.
In the Vuelta he needed time gains wrt the other spaniards and when you ride to gain time you simply cannot put more beast-like attacks than when you are trying to distance someone.

Plus Contador has not said anything about Vuelta attacks. So I'm afraid even Contador disagrees with you in this case

 

[The_Juan]

Chris rode differently in Ancares and Beal. In the latter the target to drop Contador was higher than to put time on others. And he almost always dropped the pace after his attacks leaving space for others to join.
In the Vuelta he needed time gains wrt the other spaniards and when you ride to gain time you simply cannot put more beast-like attacks than when you are trying to distance someone.

Plus Contador has not said anything about Vuelta attacks. So I'm afraid even Contador disagrees with you in this case

Oh I disagree wholeheartedly. Contador has talked about Froome's attacks in last year's Vuelta multiple times. He just doesn't make mention of them directly, but indirectly he has said, multiple times, how difficult and different it is to ride against someone who launches attacks multiple times in a climb. And this was said at the end of the Ancares climb.

To me, an effort is measured on how much time you put on others. Alberto's effort on Friday was a very good one as he dropped everyone. Same with Froome's today or In Ancares/Farrapona. Col du Beal in 2014 is nothing but an idiotic attack that ended in nothing.

 

[wirral]

Today will be a day for Lobato.

 

[manafana]

degenkolb to go full genius on this one

 

[Pricey_sky]

Oh I disagree wholeheartedly. Contador has talked about Froome's attacks in last year's Vuelta multiple times. He just doesn't make mention of them directly, but indirectly he has said, multiple times, how difficult and different it is to ride against someone who launches attacks multiple times in a climb. And this was said at the end of the Ancares climb.

To me, an effort is measured on how much time you put on others. Alberto's effort on Friday was a very good one as he dropped everyone. Same with Froome's today or In Ancares/Farrapona. Col du Beal in 2014 is nothing but an idiotic attack that ended in nothing.

Apart from winning a stage

 

[The_Juan]

Apart from winning a stage

I was speaking effort-wise.

 

[inthepink]

Contador & Froome are very near each other of form and ability with one stronger in one area and the other in another

What made the differnce for me was TCS tatics on Friday and Sky team strength on Saturday

I think on the whole SKY have a stronegr team ..TCS really need Kreusiger , Majka, Rogers Kiserloski & Basso in the Tour ...but on the whole they have very good tactics and top DSs ...formally of SKY

But I think ever with all those riders SKY with Porte, Nieve.Roche, Konig,Poels, Kennaugh , Thomas ,Stannard, Kireyenka, Kosta..are stronger in depth in a GT full of climbs as the Tour is in 2015

 

[Escarabajo]

Did the forum go down today?

Just finished watching the final 10K. Quite entertaining.