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Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2019 stage 11: Saint Palais - Urdax-Dantxarinea > 180km

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I think I genuinely prefer a sprint stage over another one like this. If you don't want a (flat) sprint stage, at least have a stage that doesn't have a 99% chance of ending in a break (formed by mediocre riders) taking it with nothing happening in the bunch. You know, mix things up a lil. Be it an uphill sprint, but anything better than this imo.
 
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Break of the day:
Jorge Arcas (Movistar), François Bidard (Ag2r La Mondiale), Gorka Izagirre (Astana), Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Lawson Craddock (EF Education First), Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott), Amanuel Ghebrigzabier, Ben O'Connor (Dimension Data), Benjamin Thomas (Groupama-FDJ), Matteo Fabbro (Katusha-Alpecin), Angel Madrazo (Burgos-BH), Alex Aranburu, Jonathan Lastra (CajaRural-RGA, Mikel Iturria (Euskadi-Murias)
 
I think I genuinely prefer a sprint stage over another one like this. If you don't want a (flat) sprint stage, at least have a stage that doesn't have a 99% chance of ending in a break (formed by mediocre riders) taking it with nothing happening in the bunch. You know, mix things up a lil. Be it an uphill sprint, but anything better than this imo.
I tend to agree. A breakaway stage here and then doesn't hurt but then at least design the stage to make the battle for the stage win exciting and don't make too many of them, which the vuelta imo does.
 
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The breakaway will get this by at least 10 minutes.

These transitional stages are a waste of time.
I think these stages are designed so that non-GC riders can have their day in the sun. But while also being hard enough (more than 2500m of climbing) that the GC contenders can't just soft pedal around at 150w all day, like they do in a lot of stages at the Tour.

The benefits to that strategy come in the 3rd week when the lack of easy days means that fatigue can hit hard and big swings are possible in the GC.
 
Feb 9, 2013
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A little off topic, but I just wanted to comment on Movistar's continued dysfunction: they recall Soler who was surely going to win in order to afford Quintana a few seconds. Quintana hemorrhages time in the time trial wiping out out all of Soler's selfless albeit reluctant teamwork. Yeah, I'd be poissed, too. Soler coul d have had the win, Quintana in red, and he'd be in no different position than he is today, behind Valverde. What was Movistar thinking? Soler will be forever bitter and on a new team as soon as possible and Quintana is already on a new team. I like Quintana, but he ought to have waved Soler on to the win knowing how damn difficult pro wins are.
 
I think these stages are designed so that non-GC riders can have their day in the sun. But while also being hard enough (more than 2500m of climbing) that the GC contenders can't just soft pedal around at 150w all day, like they do in a lot of stages at the Tour.

The benefits to that strategy come in the 3rd week when the lack of easy days means that fatigue can hit hard and big swings are possible in the GC.

Yeah, right.
 

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