Vuelta a España - Stage 15 Solares - Lagos de Covadonga 187.3km

[Mellow Velo]

Yes we are because of pig headed race organizers....names at the top should read Horner, Leipheimer, Brakovic, Kloden. There would and should be a different team leading the GC today with at least four riders in the top ten....instead they are sipping tea and doing bike shop dealer visits in Quebec. It's a shame and we as cycling fans are the ones missing out on a REAL race.

Sorry, this is an actual stage race thread.
Nobody here gives a toss about RS trolling.

Try the clinic.

 

[Kwibus]

Headwind has that effect sometimes, yes......but almost always it just guarantees that no one will attack.

Well since it's an ITT attacking isn't really an option

 

[Kwibus]

Yes we are because of pig headed race organizers....names at the top should read Horner, Leipheimer, Brakovic, Kloden. There would and should be a different team leading the GC today with at least four riders in the top ten....instead they are sipping tea and doing bike shop dealer visits in Quebec. It's a shame and we as cycling fans are the ones missing out on a REAL race.

I'm pretty sure I was talking about topnodge riders. Not topnodge wheelsuckers.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yes we are because of pig headed race organizers....names at the top should read Horner, Leipheimer, Brakovic, Kloden. There would and should be a different team leading the GC today with at least four riders in the top ten....instead they are sipping tea and doing bike shop dealer visits in Quebec. It's a shame and we as cycling fans are the ones missing out on a REAL race.

None of those names for GC are bigger than the ones we have there. Brajkovic would fill the void for a "really big name in the GC"? What, more than Fränk Schleck and Vincenzo Nibali?

Take off the blinkers.

Caisse d'Epargne have been showing Radioshack what they SHOULD be doing if they don't have a genuine GC contender - they suffered bad luck in the crash but have been highly visible throughout. They'll be gone from the top 10 and probably end up much like Astana at last year's Vuelta, packing the 10th-25th area. But Caisse have done it by attacking, forcing things and burning people out trying to get them into the top 5, while Astana did it by simply not attacking.

And if you think any of those guys were going to be GC threats after the Tour they had, you're very much mistaken. The prelim Astana team for last year's Vuelta included Klöden and Leipheimer, who dropped out because of fatigue, Zubeldia (who finished 14th after being invisible throughout) and Horner (who crashed out on stage 4). Having Astana there brought nothing to the race, and Javier Guillén probably had that in mind when he decided not to bother this year.

 

[hrotha]

I'm sure Zubeldia would have managed a sneaky top 10 this year, but other than that, yeah, what you said.

 

[icefire]

I'm sure Zubeldia would have managed a sneaky top 10 this year, but other than that, yeah, what you said.

And he would have done it using the same tactics that got him 4th in San Sebastian

 

[Tom T.]

Nah, he came in between the Nibali group and the Roche/Sastre/Shleck group.

Yeah, missed that. Pretty solid ride overall for Tommy D. With the longish TT he could possibly move up a few spots on GC. Can he avoid is usual Grand Tour implosion?

 

[The Hitch]

What a dissapointing stage. Ranks somewhere between Tourmalet 10 and Mont Ventoux 09 for dissapointment.

A breakaway easily eats up all the bonus seconds and win. 1 gc guy attacks from 4 k out and keeps the same 10 second gap throughout more or less. Nothing else happens.

Hopefully the wait for tomorow will be worth it.

 

[The Hitch]

Nibali group very close to Mosquera.
Mosquera simply isn't making the gap.

Nibali holding his own in the big mountains. Exactly like you predicted right?

Oh wait.

 

[rhubroma]

What a dissapointing stage. Ranks somewhere between Tourmalet 10 and Mont Ventoux 09 for dissapointment.

A breakaway easily eats up all the bonus seconds and win. 1 gc guy attacks from 4 k out and keeps the same 10 second gap throughout more or less. Nothing else happens.

Hopefully the wait for tomorow will be worth it.

So you aren't a Nibali fan...

 

[Escarabajo]

What a dissapointing stage. Ranks somewhere between Tourmalet 10 and Mont Ventoux 09 for dissapointment.

A breakaway easily eats up all the bonus seconds and win. 1 gc guy attacks from 4 k out and keeps the same 10 second gap throughout more or less. Nothing else happens.

Hopefully the wait for tomorow will be worth it.

I was rooting for Uran , so I feel some disappointment also. Nibali did well though. This Vuelta is his to loose. Maybe everybody was on the limit.

 

[jaylew]

I was rooting for Uran , so I feel some disappointment also. Nibali did well though. This Vuelta is his to loose. Maybe everybody was on the limit.

Certainly JRod was, or he'd have tried to pick up those 4 secs, especially with Nibs on the front all that time.

 

[The Hitch]

So you aren't a Nibali fan...

No but thats a totally different subject. It was a disapointing stage because nothing happened not because of anything Nibali did.

As far as Nibali goes i might be rooting for him in 8 years if he hasnt won a gt by then. Atm hes young with a future ahead of him. For Purito and Eze this is the last dance. Eze especially has shown real balls so i really want him to crack Nibali.

 

[The Hitch]

Certainly JRod was, or he'd have tried to pick up those 4 secs, especially with Nibs on the front all that time.

Or he learned from experience that sprinting for a red jersey isnt a good idea before a major mountain stage.

 

[jaylew]

Iñigo Cuesta top 20 in a GT at age 41. Wow. Just wow.

Speaking of oldies, Raul Alcala won the race I was at this morning. I guess he's spending some time in Texas as he's been at my last two races.

 

[The Hitch]

Honesetly i dont think Mosquera can gain much time today. He might win the stage with a gap of 10 seconds. I hope i am wrong though.

And it will be intereseting to see if Kasch can climb up to a top 20GC today.

Very good prediction there. Pretty much exactly what happend.

Any predictions for today?

 

[indurain666]

Speaking of oldies, Raul Alcala won the race I was at this morning. I guess he's spending some time in Texas as he's been at my last two races.

Interesting, how good is he at the moment? Cat 2?

 

[jaylew]

Interesting, how good is he at the moment? Cat 2?

Well, still pretty good as he won the Pro 1/2 race today solo!