Vuelta a España Stage 15: Avilés - Anglirú 144km

[Maxiton]

If two adult men are the problem then use WOMEN!!!!

I like the idea.

It's a funny line, but it is a great idea. I mean, there's every reason to and no reason not to.

 

[hrotha]

Massive ride by Wiggins, despite losing the Vuelta (I still think he lost it in the ITT). Some people will see it as a failure, but he just came 5th on the frickin' Angliru. Respect.

Very happy to see Poels up there, and to see that Mollema saved the day.

But all in all, this was too ridiculous to enjoy. Hell, had Menchov been given free rein, Geox would have done a 1-2. And with that and without the time he lost due to a mechanical, we might be looking at a Geox 1-2 in the GC too. But hey, at least it's not a Sky 1-2? Bah.

 

[GroupDK]

wauue new standard for amateur coverage..

like a fooball match where the goals a removed.

I donated a videocamera to africa..

instead should have supported spain..!!

Yeah I know there are suffering financiel-wise, but wasnt aware that it was so bad..

a spame for Shain or just a shame for Spain....

Didn't you see that the camera following Wiggins group fell over and hit the ground and then the picture died.

That is bloody steep. Just like burning motos on Zoncolan. I was happy that we got pictures despite the weather.

1 camera (with no back up) to follow the favorites group in the final, ...is a joke.

That is not good enough, and are fu cking it up for the spectators in the final like we were witness today

 

[gregod]

Normally, bikes aren't a problem. Only in crazy steep climbs like this and the Zoncolan have we seen them give up.

Now your idea about static cameras is something I agree with. At least in the last kms here... I mean it wasn't hard to foresee what was going to happen, just take two or three static cameras up an elevated slope so we get to see everybody and not only the rider the only working camera can show (helicopters can't fly in this fog).

segways are the way to go! they were using them for the marathon at the world championships. i wonder if the go uphill?

 

[Swede1]

Massive ride by Wiggins, despite losing the Vuelta (I still think he lost it in the ITT). Some people will see it as a failure, but he just came 5th on the frickin' Angliru. Respect.

Very happy to see Poels up there, and to see that Mollema saved the day.

But all in all, this was too ridiculous to enjoy. Hell, had Menchov been given free rein, Geox would have done a 1-2. And with that and without the time he lost due to a mechanical, we might be looking at a Geox 1-2 in the GC too. But hey, at least it's not a Sky 1-2? Bah.

Yeah Menchov looked pretty strong these past 2 days. I think he was the 2nd strongest today. But he just got unlucky when he lost the 2 mins in the beginning. But a really good ride by Cobo!

 

[Descender]

1 camera (with no back up) to follow the favorites group in the final, ...is a joke.

That is not good enough, and are fu cking it up for the spectators in the final like we were witness today

They had two cameras for the favourites actually... it's just both of the bikes broke down.

 

[rzombie1988]

Really? Two weeks ago he was a rider who didn't have a contract for next year and whose biggest results were things like winning the Anatomic Jock Race and the Mi-Aout Bretonne.

No doubt he will end up fine after this, but still not fun to lose.

 

[Scirea]

I don't think it's the end of Froome. All he has to do is win one stage and it's anyone's race. I think it's a possibility. Sucks to be Froome today though. He's done so much work and has nothing to show for it. Plus he's going to have to come back super hard the next few days while Cobo has Sastre and Denny to take care of him.

The Vuelta really should have had the helicopters out near the finish. Don't know why they didn't use them to film.

Cobo deserves a super raise after this. Not only might he win the Vuelta, but he's assuredly got his team in the ProTour for next year and invites to all the big races. Curious to see who gets chosen as the team captain between him and Menchov. Good result today for Menchov, but he should be the one in the lead, not a teammate.

I did find today's race to mostly be a bore though. I'd take most of the Giro's races over this one.

Was sad to see J-Rod getting tossed. I really thought he had a shot at winning this stage.

Menchov blew his chances at the start of the race, being too much down on the Sky duo. In the last 2 mountain stages i would say he was as good as Cobo. Only the thing is, he wasn't allowed to go for obvious reasons, he had to wheel-suck Froome/Wiggins all the way to the top. (and outsprint Froome today easily)

 

[Ragerod]

Wiggins to work for Froome at Pena Carbarga?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You guys were actually right about the hyping of Mollema. At least it was better than our hyping of Kristoff(I meant it somewhat as a joke). He still has time to develop. At least he has more meat thank Gesink

Mollema started riding a bike at a pretty late age also. He is very talented i think. And illness ruined his progress for a full year basically (2008 i think, had to spend a year in the conti team). So where he is at the moment is quite impressive. Plus a 4th place at a GT should do his confidence wonders.

 

[fourmi]

There are rules, which I must admit I have pushed a couple of times, but really we should be keeping to them, including me. No doping talk outside the clinic, especially not direct accusations or strong hints about riders who have never tested positive.

Sorry, but your rules are a load of crap, particularly when you see moderators breaking them. And...If everyone's breaking the rules, why not just have a free-for-all? Then there's a level playing field...

 

[dlwssonic]

Mollema started riding a bike at a pretty late age also. He is very talented i think. And illness ruined his progress for a full year basically (2008 i think, had to spend a year in the conti team). So where he is at the moment is quite impressive. Plus a 4th place at a GT should do his confidence wonders.

I honestly think he is more talented than Gesink. I am not being bias at all.

 

[killswitch]

Mollema started riding a bike at a pretty late age also. He is very talented i think. And illness ruined his progress for a full year basically (2008 i think, had to spend a year in the conti team). So where he is at the moment is quite impressive. Plus a 4th place at a GT should do his confidence wonders.

Thank God for Leopard in the Tour de Suisse.

for invoking HIS wrath and unleashing upon the unsuspecting world the greatness that is TGBM

 

[LukeSchmid]

Sorry, but your rules are a load of crap, particularly when you see moderators breaking them. And...If everyone's breaking the rules, why not just have a free-for-all? Then there's a level playing field...

They are not MY rules.

 

[Scirea]

Wiggins to work for Froome at Pena Carbarga?

And what they would get out of that? Wiggins (and Froome) can only ride tempo and they won't blow away anybody on a 6km climb with tempo.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

No doubt he will end up fine after this, but still not fun to lose.

I think if you'd offered Froome second place at the Vuelta beforehand, he'd have taken your arm off. In fact, if you'd offered him a top 20 he'd have done so. He was a not particularly distinguished domestique looking for a contract.

 

[luckyboy]

Sorry, but your rules are a load of crap, particularly when you see moderators breaking them. And...If everyone's breaking the rules, why not just have a free-for-all? Then there's a level playing field...

Which rules have moderators broken?

 

[gregod]

There are rules, which I must admit I have pushed a couple of times, but really we should be keeping to them, including me. No doping talk outside the clinic, especially not direct accusations or strong hints about riders who have never tested positive.

for the benefit of the mods i wish to reiterate that i have not made any reference to doping in regards to any rider or riders; nor did i bring up the subject.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Mollema started riding a bike at a pretty late age also. He is very talented i think. And illness ruined his progress for a full year basically (2008 i think, had to spend a year in the conti team). So where he is at the moment is quite impressive. Plus a 4th place at a GT should do his confidence wonders.

I would not rule out a podium yet for him. Now they don't have the lead and no realistic chance to get it back SKY might falter a bit more. It must be a big letdown for them.

 

[LukeSchmid]

for the benefit of the mods i wish to reiterate that i have not made any reference to doping in regards to any rider or riders; nor did i bring up the subject.

I agree you only talked about the rules that I saw.

 

[Fergoose]

Really impressed by the guts of Wiggins & Anton (I thought Wiggins had come down with the camera bike at one point). Plus Monfort showing that you don't have to be a pure climber to do okay on a stage like this (which I wasn't anticipating). Also Froome did well to avoid the crowd and Mollema to avoid the imbecile on the service bike that stopped in the middle of the road at the busiest point!

However, I can’t see past Cobo after his great form in the time trial (just 1min 40 off Wiggins, & 40secs off Nibali) and then todays events.

I have never been more confident of a prediction in a long, long time - despite the rest of this Vuelta being so unpredictable. Solo attacks on back to back stages; it was like stepping out of a time machine.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I would not rule out a podium yet for him. Now they don't have the lead and no realistic chance to get it back SKY might falter a bit more. It must be a big letdown for them.

true. And I tthink the last big test actually will suit mollema to some degree.

Feels weird ey, almost feels like the GT is done and dusted GC wise with a week to go

They should have ended the bsaque stage on the cat 1 . Would have been an awesome finish.

 

[fourmi]

Sky are literally unbelievable

You might want to look up literally, if you didn't mean it.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I would not rule out a podium yet for him. Now they don't have the lead and no realistic chance to get it back SKY might falter a bit more. It must be a big letdown for them.

I'm sure it's a bit of a letdown after yesterday, but to be fair to Sky, at least in public they were maintaining that Nibali was the real favourite right up until he popped.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well, most impressed by Poels. Congrats to him. I can't remember where he lost time (though there was the TT as well). But under better circumstances he could have podiumed. Might have the best overall uphill time of all contestants.

First 2 flat stages at the beginning of the race.
But he'll learn

He suprised me as well. The steep short finishes didn't suprise me. He did that in the Tirreno already.
But him actually climbing well in the high mountains, at this level, is new. I thought he would finish between 10/15 in the mountain stages. But he is actually one of the best 5 climbers in the race. I hope with Pena Cabarga he can go top 6/7