Vuelta a España - Stage 14 Burgos - Peña Cabarga 178km

[The Hitch]

The spaniards are evil! Go nibali!

If you dont like evil why are you giving support to someone from sicily. From Sicily He therefore must be a "man of honour"

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

He fell for Ezes trap.

Him Mosquera and Nibali went early. Everyone who didnt go took the climb at their own pace and did it the fastest they could. Mosquera Nibali and Rodriguez tired themselves out from 4-2.5 km and had little left for the last 2.5 km.

Yep. Big mistake from Rodriguez and Nibali. Should have watched Salvodelli in the 2005 Giro to see how to climb within one's limits.

 

[joy118118]

Yep. Big mistake from Rodriguez and Nibali. Should have watched Salvodelli in the 2005 Giro to see how to climb within one's limits.

Nibali said he follow the wrong rider. In another interview, he said he didnt have route reconnaissance.

Does he take Vuelta serious?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Spanish TVE announced today that they will have extended live coverage tomorrow starting just after 15:00 CET. If the race is not entertaining that early, the landscape will.

Which would be great, were it not heavily restricted, as Eurosport have little coverage.
The pre Vuelta announcement was for extended coverage of stages 9, 16 and 20.
9 failed to materialise, instead it's stage 15, which is all about the Covadonga.
Hopefully, they will stick to the plan for stage 16.

As to who will get the climb right, today, I haven't a clue. I am pretty sure that
not all the contenders will fare well.

 

[craig1985]

Do other people here think Euskaltel are strong enough to keep Anton in the lead?

 

[Climbing]

Damn... I missed half Vuelta because of stupid working!
I'm back and i say Nibali!
Sorry for my great ignorance, but i really didn't expect Anton being a so though guy! Anyway a pleasure to watch, but don't know if he can last into the third week!

 

[icefire]

Nibali said he follow the wrong rider. In another interview, he said he didnt have route reconnaissance.

Does he take Vuelta serious?

I think so. But I think he's also understimated his rivals: Menchov and Purito? They'll be toast after the Tour. Fränk Schleck? Not enough riding after his crash. Tondo and Sastre? I raced with them in the Giro and I was better. The Caisse guys? Oh, well, they're the Spanish RadioShack, many decent riders but no clear leader. Mosquera? He's just a small local hero unable to win stages. Antón? I've never heard that name!

He didn't follow the wrong rider. He seems not to know how to dose his effort. His climbing strategy consists of hanging the leader wheels for as long as possible and then dropping à-la-Evans. Apart from the exhibition of Antón, Tondo showed in Andorra how to climb dosing his efforts. The difference is that Antón effort was dosed by his DS from the car (that's what he said after the stage) and Tondo does it looking at his SRM as he told after the stage he won in Paris-Nice.

One way or another, if Nibali wants to win the race he needs to learn how to set his own climbing pace regardless of attacks and accelerations from his rivals when he enters the red zone. And yes, he raced San Sebastián and Burgos, so he could have done reconnaissance of the key stages as well by staying a few more days in Spain.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

What mistake did Rodriguez make last time? I didn't watch the stage.

I do believe if he has the legs, he will win either today or tomorrow. Probably today.

I suggest his problem is that he no longer has the legs -- a tough season, and long run of form is ending i believe.

a shame.

Do other people here think Euskaltel are strong enough to keep Anton in the lead?

yes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Die Spanier sind böse! Nibali gehen!

Surely you'd want an imperative in the second sentence there, so Geh Nibali! would work better, or Nibali fort! or some such. It looks odd with the infinitive there (Nibali-to go?).

 

[craig1985]

Surely you'd want an imperative in the second sentence there, so Geh Nibali! would work better, or Nibali fort! or some such. It looks odd with the infinitive there (Nibali-to go?).

ACF owned.

 

[Christomir]

Then again, Rodriguez did lose more time than the others. Mosquera managed to hold on to 2nd. Nibali did the exact same thing as Purito in following Mosquera. By the end everyone was flying by Nibali. He came in 20 seconds down.
Rodriguez lost 50 seconds on the other hand so more than the others, so it could be signs of fatigue, or just that he tired himself out constantly doing sprints the days before.

The sprints the days before are the least component of his fatigue. He is generally tired, because he went for all those single day and stage races in the spring and then for both the GC and the stage wins at the Tour. I knew he wouldn't have much left, that is why I didn't include him in my Top 3 prediction.

My problem now is that I also thought Nibali and Frank Schleck would be stronger, so I put my money on a podium of "1.Nibali, 2.Schleck 3.Anton", and it looks like I'll be wrong about all three podium places. If anything, Anton might be 1st and Nibali 3d, but not the way I put it - not very likely.

 

[The Hitch]

Do other people here think Euskaltel are strong enough to keep Anton in the lead?

Not if Caisse decide otherwise, which im skeptical but hopeful of at the same time.

 

[The Hitch]

The sprints the days before are the least component of his fatigue. He is generally tired, because he went for all those single day and stage races in the spring and then for both the GC and the stage wins at the Tour. I knew he wouldn't have much left, that is why I didn't include him in my Top 3 prediction.

My problem now is that I also thought Nibali and Frank Schleck would be stronger, so I put my money on a podium of "1.Nibali, 2.Schleck 3.Anton", and it looks like I'll be wrong about all three podium places. If anything, Anton might be 1st and Nibali 3d, but not the way I put it - not very likely.

I did say it was most likely fatigue from the tour, but on the + side, it might have just been the sprints. I know sprints are the least tiring but he went for them 4 times in the 2 days before the stage while his opponents rested.

 

[Sasquatch]

Rodriguez's true test is tonight. If he can't stay with the favourites, then he's lost it. If he loses time like he did the other night, his top ten will vanish by middle of next week.

 

[Christomir]

Also, what do you think are the chances of Tondo going for this one and winning it? He was my bet for the win the other day at Pal, but his surge was too late and he came in third. Why not go 2 places better this time Is he the proper type of climber for this one?

 

[ttrider]

Arroyo trying to be in the break, looks promising

 

[nvpacchi]

The most Caisse gains by putting Arroyo in the break is another chance at having another rider in the top 10

 

[icefire]

50km/h in the fist 30 minutes of race. Seems that breakaways are not allowed today. Arroyo should have waited to the first downhill.

 

[ttrider]

yeah but will pressurise euskatel, want to see a breakaway attempt by uran or plaza

 

[Sasquatch]

Caisse want a rider in the breakaway. It's clear. It makes Euskaltel work having a rider up the road. They will then put another one up the road when that is caught. The joy of having 3 riders in the top ten and 2 more not far off it.

 

[hrotha]

The most Caisse gains by putting Arroyo in the break is another chance at having another rider in the top 10

But Euskaltel will have to control the break. Do it day after day, and it'll take its toll.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I don't think Tondo will do anything today - or on any mountain. After all there are a couple of hard stages the next few days and he is happy to be in the top 3. No point risking it tbh.

I do think we'll see him riding his own race (like the other day) if the favorites decides to attack each other and in that case I'm sure he'll be able to do great (like the other day ) but I doubt that we're gonna see him attack.

Besides, he has a robust TT.

 

[nvpacchi]

They'll control it, like they would any break that didn't contain a Caisse rider.

Too much is being put into a Caisse trying to blow things up. If Plaza, Bruzeghin, and Uran all successfully put 2 minutes into Anton in 3 consecutive days, its not like they would then be able to magically outclimb him on the Bola del Mundo.

Basso proved that the strongest rider still will neutralize lucky breakaways.

Also Euskaltel is very capable of riding at the front of the pack.

 

[Christomir]

I don't think Tondo will do anything today - or on any mountain. After all there are a couple of hard stages the next few days and he is happy to be in the top 3. No point risking it tbh.

I do think we'll see him riding his own race (like the other day) if the favorites decides to attack each other and in that case I'm sure he'll be able to do great (like the other day ) but I doubt that we're gonna see him attack.

Besides, he has a robust TT.

Tondo is good in time-trials?

 

[hrotha]

So Luis León Sánchez got into another move with Gilbert, Moncoutié, some Xacobeos and others, but that break was brought back and only Terpstra stayed in front. And then everyone else sat up. Sometimes I don't understand cycling.