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

[Zoncolan]

1. NIBALI, Vincenzo 65h 31' 14''
2. RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin + 4''
3. MOSQUERA, Ezequiel + 39''
4. VELITS, Peter + 2' 29''
5. TONDO, Xavier + 2' 30''
6. ROCHE, Nicholas + 2' 47''
7. SCHLECK, Frank + 2' 48''
8. DANIELSON, Thomas + 3' 48''
9. SASTRE, Carlos + 4' 29''
10. KARPETS, Vladimir + 5' 27''
11. VAN GARDEREN, Tejay + 6' 05''
12. GARCÍA, David + 6' 07''
13. MONCOUTIE, David + 6' 21''
14. PERAUD, Jean-Christophe + 6' 23''
15. SÁNCHEZ, Luis León + 7' 01''
16. NIEVE, Mikel + 8' 20''
17. URAN, Rigoberto + 9' 13''
18. PLAZA, Ruben + 9' 23''
19. GUSEV, Vladimir + 9' 30''
20. CUESTA, Iñigo + 11' 38''
21. KASHECHKIN, Andrey + 11' 45''
22. LE MEVEL, Christophe + 11' 47''
23. TEN DAM, Laurens + 13' 23''
24. BAKELANDTS, Jan + 14' 18''
25. TURPIN, Ludovic + 14' 19''
26. LARSSON, Gustav + 15' 31''
27. ARROYO, David + 15' 48''
28. DYACHENKO, Alexsandr + 17' 03''
29. JUFRÉ, Josep + 19' 50''
30. BRUSEGHIN, Marzio + 20' 20"

 

[icefire]

Cav arrives in time to get his green jersey in the podium

 

[roundabout]

Tommy has always been a mediocre TTst.

Compared to the people around him on GC he's anything but mediocre. Although Velits probably will do a very good ride.

 

[Sophistic]

Rodriguez lost 3:30min in the TDF ITT to a mediocre TTrialist like Roche, so his place on the podium is still questionable.

 

[Zoncolan]

Looking at the GC, this Vuelta seems too easy. Gaps are minute.
19th guy on GC at less than 10 mins?! WTF?
We should see some bigger gaps tomorrow and on the penultimate day though.

 

[Descender]

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

 

[Delicato]

Compared to the people around him on GC he's anything but mediocre. Although Velits probably will do a very good ride.

You can check his results at CQranking, he is very average. Anyway, the long TT is after the rest day, it will be more a question how one recovers and how his body responds, the TT results will be surprising to many people, I reckon.

 

[Delicato]

Rodriguez lost 3:30min in the TDF ITT to a mediocre TTrialist like Roche, so his place on the podium is still questionable.

Hope that there will be a headwind on Tuesday, so that the gaps will be bigger.

 

[roundabout]

Hope that there will be a headwind on Tuesday, so that the gaps will be bigger.

Tuesday = rest day. TT = Wednesday

Looks like an out and back course for the TT.

Edit: i still don't see TT mediocrity in Danielson's results

 

[Cobblestoned]

Again no Schleck-attack today.

Still waiting...

 

[Kwibus]

Looking at the GC, this Vuelta seems too easy. Gaps are minute.
19th guy on GC at less than 10 mins?! WTF?
We should see some bigger gaps tomorrow and on the penultimate day though.

I think that's mostly because there is only 1 mountain at the end of a stage. Instead of a stage that has 4 1e cat climbs. Those stages really create huge gaps in the GC. Also we are missing a REALLY big rider for the GC. Sure Menchov and A Schleck were there, but they don't have TdF form.

 

[Christomir]

I bet we won't see even single attack or acceleration in this Vuelta from Schleck. I can't believe he was serious saying that he will win the GC.

Again no Schleck-attack today.

Still waiting...

Yeah, he has been a disappointment, but I still hope he can attack tomorrow or at the Bola del Mundo... I thought his problem was he was short of race fitness, but with 2/3 of the Vuelta already over, the km's he has in his legs now should be enough for him to reach his peak. The question is whether that peak form will be good enough for a miraculous podium or just for a Top 6

 

[hrotha]

Yeah, he has been a disappointment, but I still hope he can attack tomorrow or at the Bola del Mundo... I thought his problem was he was short of race fitness, but with 2/3 of the Vuelta already over, the km's he has in his legs now should be enough for him to reach his peak. The question is whether that peak form will be good enough for a miraculous podium or just for a Top 6

It's a pity because the first 10 days or so he had been clearly regaining his form at a steady pace, but he doesn't seem to have improved the last few days. It's OK if his form isn't that great and he can't win, but you'd think a rider like him wouldn't be cool with being a complete non-factor in the race. He's not some youngster riding for the GC for the first time.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It's a pity because the first 10 days or so he had been clearly regaining his form at a steady pace, but he doesn't seem to have improved the last few days. It's OK if his form isn't that great and he can't win, but you'd think a rider like him wouldn't be cool with being a complete non-factor in the race. He's not some youngster riding for the GC for the first time.

That's because F.Schleck is at his limit, and the Vuelta climbs are no TDF climbs.

He'll never do great on climbs like these, Vuelta/Giro certainly. And if the Tour doesn't have average fields or favorites falling like flies like in 08 and 09, then he has nothing to do there in the GC as well (except working for Andy)

 

[hrotha]

That's because F.Schleck is at his limit, and the Vuelta climbs are no TDF climbs.

He'll never do great on climbs like these, Vuelta/Giro certainly. And if the Tour doesn't have average fields or favorites falling like flies like in 08 and 09, then he has nothing to do there in the GC as well (except working for Andy)

Yeah but Sastre is past his limit too, and he still attacks. Granted, his attacks are rather pitiful, but surely there must be a middle ground for Fränk where he can do something (anything, really) even if he isn't strong enough to contend the podium.

 

[icefire]

Yeah but Sastre is past his limit too, and he still attacks. Granted, his attacks are rather pitiful, but surely there must be a middle ground for Fränk where he can do something (anything, really) even if he isn't strong enough to contend the podium.

Can't compare Fränk Schleck to Sastre. Sastre attacked today and dropped Tondo. Fränk has no teammate to drop so he has no reason to attack

 

[jens_attacks]

well i missed the whole thing...god damn girls and booze
any video of the climb uploaded?how much until the flemish ones?

 

[hrotha]

Can't compare Fränk Schleck to Sastre. Sastre attacked today and dropped Tondo. Fränk has no teammate to drop so he has no reason to attack

Hahahaha, true dat.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I think what Dekker Tifosi is trying to tell us is that the 2 guys who lost the 2009 TDF 4th spot to Bradley Wiggins must be pretty lousy, big mountain, climbers.
Two words to back up this analysis: Tom Danielson.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I think what Dekker Tifosi is trying to tell us is that the 2 guys who lost the 2009 TDF 4th spot to Bradley Wiggins must be pretty lousy, big mountain, climbers.
Two words to back up this analysis: Tom Danielson.

I remember when T.Danielson tried to counter an attack by Mosquera and Gesink last year. That was funny.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I'm assuming Mrs Velits must be the proudest mother in Bratislava this evening: her two boys both in the top ten.

 

[issoisso]

Hope that there will be a headwind on Tuesday, so that the gaps will be bigger.

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

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

We should start a letter writing campaign to get Mosquera into the Tour. If a talented climber attacking like a maniac every time the road goes uphill doesn't liven it up nothing will.

 

[gm1230126]

Also we are missing a REALLY big rider for the GC.

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.

 

[icefire]

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

I don't know what attacking means in an ITT. Nevertheless, the ITT is a round trip course. First half heads West on the right bank of River Duero, second half returns back to the start point on the left bank. Forecast says soft headwind in the first half and tailwind in the second one.