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

[Dekker_Tifosi]

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

 

[Cobber]

timmy, it never ceases to amaze me how much you truly do love rabo

Ha ha ha... yeah. You have to admire his dedication!

 

[auscyclefan94]

I'll just quote evans' site on his reflection of the day

"Phhhhh.... All good until a ridiculous misfortune when I punctured. Puncturing at that moment is bad luck, but the imbeciles from Shimano neutral service COULD NOT CHANGE MY WHEEL! Err...slight problem when the GC group is riding away from you on the second last hilltop finish of the Vuelta. So of course the Tv and photographers want to capture this dramatic moment, so then they blocked the team whilst doing so, leaving Nick the quick thinking team mechanic running up the hill through a traffic jam with my spare bike. Well at least I could continue....1'23" later.... Now i'm 4th at some ~1'23" - by coincidence? After the BS I have been through just to get to this race, i am not so sure i deserved that.

Tomorrow is a new day..."

The shimano people couldn't get the back tyre on so tthe television and photographers blocked the road for the team car to get through. Someone should tell those photographers/camera men that it is not about them but it is about the riders. i think evans did well to limit his losses. The way he fought was inspiring. I think he is sick and tired of all he bad luck he has had this year. "Tommorow is a new day''.Hopefully evans goes all out to get the time back. cadel; A true champion picks themsleves up when they have been knocked down, pick your self up and blow them away!

 

[yourwelcome]

I would have blown his top at losing the Vuelta because the 'neutral' service car is 'unable' to help me and the race referees add a dubious 10 second penalty for 'unfair assistance', while Piti enjoys his 'heroic' win.

Not a great look for a GT.

 

[Bala Verde]

According to gesink on the rab website he said that he rode close to his limit ie he had enough in the tank to keep a good rythm and stay with the elite group. He indicated that he felt ok, but had not that little bit of extra to attack. He just dosed his race so he'd sing it out till the top.

When valverde attacked to bridge the gap to mosquerra he was confident he would be able to get back to him. Sth like "his accelerations are too fast but I know he can't keep that pace" he perceived that basso couldn't pace himself to valv.

Obviously his words, his experience.

Is it me or does gesink have an almost absurdly high cadance. He some times looks like an mtber in a 34x28....

 

[Moondance]

The shimano people couldn't get the back tyre on so tthe television and photographers blocked the road for the team car to get through. Someone should tell those photographers/camera men that it is not about them but it is about the riders. i think evans did well to limit his losses. The way he fought was inspiring. I think he is sick and tired of all he bad luck he has had this year. "Tommorow is a new day''.Hopefully evans goes all out to get the time back. cadel; A true champion picks themsleves up when they have been knocked down, pick your self up and blow them away!

'All the bad luck'? Yes he had a very disappointing day today, and he of course narrowly survived the assassination attept that Robert Gesink tried during stage 9. How has he been so unlucky this year? Not having the right form for le Tour? Having Valverde and Contador gang up on him during the Dauphine?

Chris Horner, now that dude has had bad luck this year.

 

[jhracing]

Time to get rid of neutral service?

Is it just me, or has neutral service been really useless in races this year? I can't remember the last time they actually helped anyone. Almost seems like a relic of a bygone era.

How about just getting rid of them and their associated vehicles cut the congestion?

 

[Anonymous]

i wonder if the neutral service car, the cameramen, the tv crew, and the slightly by the book race official where the same nationality..

i just have very little faith in the spanish cycling federation and anything they are involved with.. yes, i know, im still bitter over the robert miller incidents.. :/

and im not even a cadel fan..

(i will admit that despite his misfortune, i did have a slight smile on my face this afternoon - cadel will fail to win another tour, and yet again there will be somebody else to blame.. something to consider, he had the puncture for a litlte while but rode till he felt it was right to stop (allegedly) so why not call his team car up in advance..?)

 

[Anonymous]

Is it just me, or has neutral service been really useless in races this year? I can't remember the last time they actually helped anyone. Almost seems like a relic of a bygone era.

How about just getting rid of them and their associated vehicles cut the congestion?

They are a safety net that nobody wants to use, but can be helpful depending on the situation. Yes they screwed the pooch this time, but in general I think everyone would still like to have them there.

I was initially a bit put off by Cadel's first rant, but I have to admit that I would have not been that restrained. Seems to me that if he is within 1'23" at the end, he will be far more angry. Those are the breaks of cycling however. I do however have to put into perspective that he is an incredibly wealthy "unlucky" kind of guy and won't be playing a violin for him. I have some friends that have had far poorer luck in their lives this year, and would love to trade with him...except for the chin, he could keep the chin.

 

[Anonymous]

im assuming we can expect gesink to get screwed by the spanish tommoro.. the officials have done for evans, its the fans turn to get involved, then it just leaves the spanish teams to gang up on basso and its all sorted..

 

[unsheath]

So you don't mind having that voice then??

 

[Hugh Januss]

So you don't mind having that voice then??

Mini Mouse on steroids?

 

[Anonymous]

Mini Mouse on steroids?

dunno about minni mouse, but popeye was on something.. :/

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

timmy, it never ceases to amaze me how much you truly do love rabo

haha i know.

According to gesink on the rab website he said that he rode close to his limit ie he had enough in the tank to keep a good rythm and stay with the elite group. He indicated that he felt ok, but had not that little bit of extra to attack. He just dosed his race so he'd sing it out till the top.

When valverde attacked to bridge the gap to mosquerra he was confident he would be able to get back to him. Sth like "his accelerations are too fast but I know he can't keep that pace" he perceived that basso couldn't pace himself to valv.

Obviously his words, his experience.

Is it me or does gesink have an almost absurdly high cadance. He some times looks like an mtber in a 34x28....

I have noticed this too. He seems very relaxed when riding in the mountains, whenever he gets dropped he stays calm, find's his rhytm and gets right back. He displayed this at last year's vuelta too (I remember valv dropping him, and then gesink came back and rode right past a cracked valverde) If gesink has the form tomorrow and somehow put valverde in the redzone he could ride away.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Good stage. Valv's chances look better by the day.

Sorry no posts guys. Just too busy working. But I am watching the race every chance I get.

 

[auscyclefan94]

They are a safety net that nobody wants to use, but can be helpful depending on the situation. Yes they screwed the pooch this time, but in general I think everyone would still like to have them there.

I was initially a bit put off by Cadel's first rant, but I have to admit that I would have not been that restrained. Seems to me that if he is within 1'23" at the end, he will be far more angry. Those are the breaks of cycling however. I do however have to put into perspective that he is an incredibly wealthy "unlucky" kind of guy and won't be playing a violin for him. I have some friends that have had far poorer luck in their lives this year, and would love to trade with him...except for the chin, he could keep the chin.

i think his rant was fair and justified. What have the officials had to say for the incident? he does have a luxorius life but these races are his past 5 years work. these guys are dedicated athletes who work hard and some do it the hard way and some take shortcuts. I would want him upset because it shows he cares and he wants it bad.

Interesting to know that he said " I do everything right in the sport and this is the fkin luck i get". I reckon he was referring to valverde who arguably shouldn't be riding. I agree with him and hope that Valv doesn't win and would like Mosquera or Gesink to win if cadel couldn't. i have a feeling tho that gesink may be getting tired and it was evident in last nights stage.

 

[Swingtop]

If Evans had made more friends (by riding in front more, for starters) they would've waited. Now, they wisely rode on. Bad luck, but no pity.

 

[auscyclefan94]

If Evans had made more friends (by riding in front more, for starters) they would've waited. Now, they wisely rode on. Bad luck, but no pity.

Friends or not, you should always wait for someone in that situation but Valverde said he didn't know that Evans had punctured.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It was a hard postion. ok the right hting to do is wait, but then they lose all the hard work they did on the previous climb (dropiing the likes of SS). It isn't like they attacked and really pushed the pace, had he been stronger he would have stayed on SS wheel.

That being said, I agree it was unlucky, and I wish it didn't. bring on stage 14

 

[*Falze*]

Sanchez: Actually climbed the Sierra Nevada faster then anyone.

You gotta love that heart. To be looking down and out and then dig in again and cut a 1:15 gap back to 31 secs.

Excellent work

 

[laurentiu46]

You are right,but waiting for Cadel would have meant waiting for Sammy Sanchez too,who was dropped before the puncture.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It was a hard postion. ok the right hting to do is wait, but then they lose all the hard work they did on the previous climb (dropiing the likes of SS). It isn't like they attacked and really pushed the pace, had he been stronger he would have stayed on SS wheel.

That being said, I agree it was unlucky, and I wish it didn't. bring on stage 14

he would of stayed with those guys as Sanchez was faster than anyone by half a minute on the Sierra nevada. Evansreally would of lost no time as he held the gap from when he started riding againn from the crash.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I don't disagree. I think the fatigue showed in almost all of the GC men yesterday.

I really have no idea who will be the strongest tonight.

PS: someone should make a stage 14 thread. i'm too lazy

 

[*Falze*]

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.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I don't disagree. I think the fatigue showed in almost all of the GC men yesterday.

I really have no idea who will be the strongest tonight.

PS: someone should make a stage 14 thread. i'm too lazy

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!