Vuelta a España - Stage 13: September 12 - Berja - Sierra Nevada, 175km

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

No he lost no time, but is that because the passed slowed at the lead ?

Not intentially, slowed, but just slowed.

Also Paolo Tiralongo lost no real time, so maybe it did slow at the head.

This was my thought. the men at the front didn't seem to push it too hard (my initial thought was they were saving themselves for stage 14 a little), looking at the footage, it seems like evans pushed himself a lot harder then the front men did to not lose any time, thus i thought he wasn't too strong, because he failed to gain any time back.

it might have been mental though, a set back like that is hard to get off your head. and apparently they were all feeling it... so yeh

I'm putting my support with Robert gesink now that cadel had a terrible day yesterday. I think Gesink is the only one who can beat valverde as evans and sanchez are too far behind due to their bad luck and injuries. I really don't want valverde to win to be honest.

I am now supporting Gesink especially because of his maturity during the race. He didn't make a big deal of the evans saga and was willing to forgive him for getting frustrated at him because we all do at times. Gesink is going to have to drop valverde to win.


GO GESINK!

I want gesink to win so bad haha, but I'm not feeling confident he can get over valverde. Might just lack that little bit of experience, despite - as you mentioned - the maturity he has shown in his climbing, and as a rider on a whole.

Either way, Gesink is gonna be one hell of a GC rider in the years to come.

 

[auscyclefan94]

This was my thought. the men at the front didn't seem to push it too hard (my initial thought was they were saving themselves for stage 14 a little), looking at the footage, it seems like evans pushed himself a lot harder then the front men did to not lose any time, thus i thought he wasn't too strong, because he failed to gain any time back.

it might have been mental though, a set back like that is hard to get off your head. and apparently they were all feeling it... so yeh

Gesink and Valv said they were going hard but gesink said he didn't have to get away. Mosquera was the strongest today but he is shyte in the time so nobody needs to worry about him too much.

 

[*Falze*]

I've been away from the sport for a few years.

Whats Gesink like at the TT ??

 

[auscyclefan94]

I've been away from the sport for a few years.

Whats Gesink like at the TT ??

He's not great but he's not bad.

 

[*Falze*]

Its only a short circuit. So today is really the big day then.

Hard to make any great time up on a small TT if everyone is not too bad.

Final GC prediction

1. Valverde
2. Sanchez
3. Gesink
4. Basso
5. Mosquera
6. Evans

It think Evans spent alot more energy holding the gap yesterday that the leaders. I think he could pay for it today.

Just my thoughts.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I want gesink to win so bad haha, but I'm not feeling confident he can get over valverde. Might just lack that little bit of experience, despite - as you mentioned - the maturity he has shown in his climbing, and as a rider on a whole.

Either way, Gesink is gonna be one hell of a GC rider in the years to come.

Looking forward to Gesink though he did look tired yesterday and was struggling a little in my opinion. Hope he kicks ****.

On evans, he can still win but he's going to have to pull out something special tonight. hope he can do so but if not GO GESINK.

 

[laurentiu46]

Does anybody know why Mosquera is suddenly 20 seconds back (to 2:06) all of a sudden? What did he do wrong?

Mistery solved.
Looks like Mosquera and Evans received water bottles inside the last 20 k,although Alvaro Pino says they didn't give anything to Zeke.
He'll appeal the decision.

 

[Anonymous]

Mistery solved.
Looks like Mosquera and Evans received water bottles inside the last 20 k,although Alvaro Pino says they didn't give anything to Zeke.
He'll appeal the decision.

and evans surely received a replacement bike with no bottles on it and had little choice?

 

[laurentiu46]

I hope they'll give those seconds back after studying the appeals.
What can i say,the spanish are trying to keep Cadel as far as they can from Valverde's oro.
Stupid decision anyway by the organisers.
Maybe they confused Mosquera with another Xacobeo from the breakaway who was caught.

 

[Arnout]

Sanchez: Was right up there too I think - but he has been a bit off since his spill a few stages back - I also think he mentally struggling having bet his season on the Vuelta and it's not really going to plan (Limit Meter - 95%)

How can you say Sanchez is mentally struggling? When you're done (and he was really done) with 20 kilometers of climbing still ahead and still manage to come in only 20 seconds behind Valverde you are mentally in top form. He'll not be able to win the Vuelta but my hat has gone of 30 times for his courage on the last climb.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

The sore losers thread here, eh?

Waiting for a guy who punctured? Ehm, sure. Yes, let's wait for Valjavec too, he seems to be sick... Armstrong won his first Tour by riding after chaos in the passage du Gois, not waiting for Zülle etc., should he have waited? No, why should he. ISame here, no reason to wait for Evans, that's cycling. The 10" for Evans? Anti Cadel, interesting that Mosquera got 20 as well, mmhh... how do we explain that? We don't, we just whine about poor clean Cadel and the bad spaniards who mob him.

He was unlucky to puncture when he did, he was very unlucky with the neutral car, that's it, nobody waited, good, shows they have brains, he tried to cheat by hanging on to his car, got another 10", good, we're anti-cheater here, aren't we?

Valverde riding a solid Vuelta so far, Basso's last chance is today, in the TT he seems to be back to 04 or something, fairly bad, Navacerrada with the downhill he'll lose time if anything. Gesink still there, he has his chances still, interesting fight. His problem nr 1 the bonifications. Sanchez not completely out of it either, but almost. He seems to suffer the high % this year, so probably lose time again today. Navacerrada looks good for him though, Avila etc. we'll see, but doubt he can make up enough time. Evans now more out than in as well obviously. But then today is the third hard stage in a row, which makes surprises possible. And then Navacerrada in a few days, form can change, fatigue etc. Not over yet, but looks good for Valverde and Gesink.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mind you, don't underestimate Gesink's time trial on hilly circuits.

He has been 10th at the Olympics TT (which was hard), 5th in Basque TT 2008, 9th in Basque TT 2009 (same time as Evans) and 6th in the Tirreno TT 2009.

Provided it is hilly and between 25-50km (this one is 27) he is top 10 material. He won't lose much time, or time at all, to other contenders. Sanchez maybe, but the others..no

 

[Danilot]

The sore losers thread here, eh?

Waiting for a guy who punctured? Ehm, sure. Yes, let's wait for Valjavec too, he seems to be sick... Armstrong won his first Tour by riding after chaos in the passage du Gois, not waiting for Zülle etc., should he have waited? No, why should he. ISame here, no reason to wait for Evans, that's cycling. The 10" for Evans? Anti Cadel, interesting that Mosquera got 20 as well, mmhh... how do we explain that? We don't, we just whine about poor clean Cadel and the bad spaniards who mob him.

A GC rider who has a mechanical or a fall must be waited for, period.

Maybe Valverde doesn't remember when in 2004 he had a hard fall in the stage to Caravaca de la Cruz, and the entire peloton save Zabriskie took the day off to allow him to recover?

 

[Buninyong Bunny]

A GC rider who has a mechanical or a fall must be waited for, period.

Maybe Valverde doesn't remember when in 2004 he had a hard fall in the stage to Caravaca de la Cruz, and the entire peloton save Zabriskie took the day off to allow him to recover?

That's all great in theory, but the reality is waiting for Evans - which would be quite hard on a descent anyway - would have mainly played into the hand of Sanchez, who had nothing to do with the mechanical anyway...indeed Valverde couldn't really wait for Evans when it would probably mean losing the Vuelta to Sanchez, and wouldn't really benefit Evans much at all...