Vuelta a España - Stage 17 - Peñafiel individual time trial, 46 km

[Sasquatch]

Eze is going to inflict so much pain on Nibali's legs this upcoming Saturday-- can't wait for that- I'd love to see Purito making the podium too.

Rodriguez will make the podium.

Rodriguez has proven to be a better climber than Velits and Schleck. He needs to make up 1.45 on Velits. Won't be difficult on that stage.

Mosquera should win from here.

1. Mosquera
2. Nibali
3. Rodriguez

 

[El Pistolero]

Let's hope for some Kamekaze attacks from 22km from the finish. Otherwise it will be hard for them to knock either Nibali or Mosquera of the throne.

 

[whittashau]

I'd like to see Frank Schleck win.

Thought he'd have ridden a better TT though.

Looks between Nibali and Mosquera now, but I'd assume Frank would have the dropping of them all on Monday's showing whearas can Mosquera shed Nibali on his own?

lol, Frank has one decent ride and now he's automatically the form climber? Get your head checked, buddy.

 

[The Hitch]

This race would have been so much better had they brought The Cobra on, although it would have been tough for him to have been at his best given how he has been sent to purgatory by the sport over the season.

What a pity.

Well if the Mosquera Vaconsolei rumours are true, its going to be difficult to not ivite Vacon to a gt or 2, and then the cobra will be released.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Didn't see any of that excitement in his 2008 Vuelta. Well, there was excitement, but Contador excited me more there.

Perhaps I'm expecting more of a guy who really only does one decent/big race his entire season.

To be fair, Mosquera absolutely ripped the field to shreds on San Isidro, but that was from the front, dropping everybody except Contador and Levi, who then promptly nipped out from behind him in the last 200m to take the win.

And perhaps Mosquera's attacking reputation gets exaggerated because he (and Gesink) were the only GC guys to do ANYTHING aggressive last year. Mosquera was always the one to start hostilities. Maybe this year he's riding a bit smarter? He did say that on Monday he felt terrible right from the word go - but he still attacked in the last 2km when Nibali was struggling. It was him that brought the pain on Pal and on the Peña Cabarga, he was second to Samuel Sánchez on Lagunas de Neila in the Vuelta a Burgos, and was the initiator of the attack that started that fabulous battle royale between him, Contador, Antón and Soler in Castilla y León.

The guy has hardly been boring. He's not been Soler or anything, but he's brought a lot of interest to the race.

 

[Sea The Stars]

Rodriguez will make the podium.

Rodriguez has proven to be a better climber than Velits and Schleck. He needs to make up 1.45 on Velits. Won't be difficult on that stage.

Mosquera should win from here.

1. Mosquera
2. Nibali
3. Rodriguez

Saturday's climb surely suits Mosquera and Schleck a lot better than Rodriguez and Nibali?

Schleck has been improving all the time and probably reaching somewhere near his best again so that means he will climb better than anyone in this race. At least thats what I'd have thought. Maybe Monday's stage gave a false impression of Schleck's true ability at this Tour.

 

[Christomir]

Thats exactly what they said when he blew up in the red the first time.

yet who was in the red for the tt today

Yeah, I can give him credit for gritting his teeth and hanging on, even coming back a bit (though that was because Nibali hit the wall, not because Purito attacked). But I knew he was bound to crack completely sooner or later - in this case, later than I expected. It was fitting that it should happen at the ITT. But there's no coming back from it this time around. You'll see what I mean, when we get to the Bola del Mundo. Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against him, I just thought going for the Vuelta GC was 1 too much this season.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't think this climb suits Frank by looking at some pics of it. But everyone will have to distance Rodriguez because the last part of the climb is pretty steep. I'm expecting some early attacks.

Nibali= Going to crack
Mosquera= will be one of the guys that's going to attack
Rodriguez= he's going to wait till the last 5-6km. Things get steeper there iirc.
Fränk= I expect him to attack pretty early on the climb.
Carlos Sastre= perhaps follow Schleck again, who knows. He did a pretty good TT for his doing.

 

[El Pistolero]

To be fair, Mosquera absolutely ripped the field to shreds on San Isidro, but that was from the front, dropping everybody except Contador and Levi, who then promptly nipped out from behind him in the last 200m to take the win.

And perhaps Mosquera's attacking reputation gets exaggerated because he (and Gesink) were the only GC guys to do ANYTHING aggressive last year. Mosquera was always the one to start hostilities. Maybe this year he's riding a bit smarter? He did say that on Monday he felt terrible right from the word go - but he still attacked in the last 2km when Nibali was struggling. It was him that brought the pain on Pal and on the Peña Cabarga, he was second to Samuel Sánchez on Lagunas de Neila in the Vuelta a Burgos, and was the initiator of the attack that started that fabulous battle royale between him, Contador, Antón and Soler in Castilla y León.

The guy has hardly been boring. He's not been Soler or anything, but he's brought a lot of interest to the race.

Was that the stage Valverde cracked? I thought Contador attacked earlier then the last 200m there, but too long ago for me to remember.

But in all honesty, I can't see how Contador wasn't the most exciting one in the 2008 Vuelta. His climb on the Angliru was epic.

 

[The Hitch]

If Mosquera isnt signing with Vacon, and Movistar want him, maybe he can do a deal with Caisse. You work for me saturday, and if i win i join you.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yup, that's the one where Valverde cracked. the day after Angliru, when Valverde had turned himself inside out to stay within a minute of Contador.

If he hadn't been such a complete idiot on the way to Suances...

 

[hfer07]

totally 100% offtopic:
I love google maps. It says you are dead and burried in Boston

????????? and BTW my grave is next to your mother's family

 

[Rocksteady]

TJ Van Garderen: 99th place and ~6 min down today... Totally blown or losing some time to get in a break???

 

[Ney the Viking]

????????? and BTW my grave is next to your mother's family

I put in your location in google maps jut for fun (didnt know if it did coordinates). And it says you live in a graveyard in Boston

 

[skidmark]

Yeah, totally should be an exciting climb. If Rodriguez still has the legs to stay with the favourites until the last 3-4km, he can jump away to get on the podium... if Velits climbs like he did on the last mountain day, the last spot should be open. If J-Rod doesn't have the legs and Schleck does like the last mountain day, he can get on the podium. If Tondo finds the form of the first week (and a good TT may suggest he's found his legs again) he can get on the podium.

... Sastre for the podium?

Not to mention, of course, 39 seconds separating the better climber from the guy with the better team.

Should be a great finishing climb and stage.

 

[maltiv]

Ehh what are Peter Velits previous TT results? Anything that indicates he should be able to beat Cancellara, Menchov and Larsson on a flat TT?

 

[El Pistolero]

Yup, that's the one where Valverde cracked. the day after Angliru, when Valverde had turned himself inside out to stay within a minute of Contador.

If he hadn't been such a complete idiot on the way to Suances...

Haha, true, he would've also gotten the stage then because Contador made an agreement with him before the stage.

 

[luckyboy]

Ehh what are Peter Velits previous TT results? Anything that indicates he should be able to beat Cancellara, Menchov and Larsson on a flat TT?

Quite a rest day that guy evidently had.

Also, SVK U23-TT champion is all I can think of.

 

[ingsve]

When was the last time a ProContinental squad won a GT? Has it ever been done?

Not since the PT was introduced at least. Pavel Tonkov won the 1996 Giro on a small team Ceramiche Panaria-Vinavil but I'm not sure the UCI had started dividing teams into divisions then. Later they had TT1, TT2 and TT3 (Trade Team) as classifications and Ceramiche Panaria was always a TT2 team, after that distinction was introduced, which is equivalent with todays Pro Continental teams.

 

[maltiv]

TJ Van Garderen: 99th place and ~6 min down today... Totally blown or losing some time to get in a break???

Exactly what one should expect from someone at his age. It is a good sign that he doesn't have energy left in the third week, even after a rest day, if you know what I mean.

I'm sorry to all the Peter Velits fans, but it's impossible not to be sceptical after a performance like this. He beat Cancellara etc with what, 2 minutes in 15 km? Smells a bit like Schumacher...Hope I'm wrong, though!

 

[Frosty]

TJ Van Garderen: 99th place and ~6 min down today... Totally blown or losing some time to get in a break???

He had already lost enough time on GC to be allowed to get into a break, being over half an hour down. More likely that he's just really tired and trying not to push himself too far. Could be needed as a team-mate for Cav or Velits yet.

 

[hrotha]

Not since the PT was introduced at least. Pavel Tonkov won the 1996 Giro on a small team Ceramiche Panaria-Vinavil but I'm not sure the UCI had started dividing teams into divisions then. Later they had TT1, TT2 and TT3 (Trade Team) as classifications and Ceramiche Panaria was always a TT2 team, after that distinction was introduced, which is equivalent with todays Pro Continental teams.

Panaria wasn't that small though, they rode the Tour regularly. The Panaria of 1996 was the Lampre of previous years, and the latter Panaria (the one with Sella and what not) was an unrelated team.

(For some reason I think the latter Panaria was related to Scrigno? I'm probably wrong though)

 

[luckyboy]

Really hope Mosquera gets this now.

Mosq v Nibs

Sevilla TTT - lost 16s
Malaga - lost 4s
Valdepeñas de Jaén - lost 11s + 12s bonus
Xorret del Cati - lost 33s
Andorra - won 20s + 12s bonus
Peña Cabarga - lost 2s + 4s bonus
Lagos de Covadonga - won 11s
Cotobello - won 19s
Peñafiel TT - lost 19s


Liquigas will try to let a break win and take the bonus seconds for sure. By the looks of the high mountains so far, Mosquera should be able to hopefully take 39s+ back. Should be the best end to a GT in a while.

 

[Escarabajo]

Well if the Mosquera Vaconsolei rumours are true, its going to be difficult to not ivite Vacon to a gt or 2, and then the cobra will be released.

But don't expect the same Cobra.

 

[seidodge]

Ehh what are Peter Velits previous TT results? Anything that indicates he should be able to beat Cancellara, Menchov and Larsson on a flat TT?

http://www.cyclingbase.com/resultatcal.php?id=195&idsaison=29&idtitle=2

His 'best' result at protour level is a 10th place in this years Tour du Pays basque

He finished 5 seconds behind Rodriguez that day.


Loathe to say it but something extremely fishy IMO