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

[Bernardus]

Hmm, Biciclismo reports Theo Bos was hit by a moto during his TT, and also the reason he fell/gave up.

How can that happen

Did the moto have a South African license plate?

 

[van nelle]

It's good to have a same looking twin brother who is a strong time trialist for this kind of situation I think...

 

[kurtinsc]

While the battle for the win is great... I like the fact that the time difference between 4th and 9th place is 29 seconds. There should be a lot of riders with a lot of incentive to attack.

 

[Scirea]

And now we are down to 2.

39 seconds seprates the big boys. One has a super team to help him. One has to do it all himself. I know which person in such a scenario i support

Mosquera has a stronger team in the mountains than Nibali. I would take David Garcia, Rabunal, Veloso, Marcos Garcia and the others over Kreuziger and co. (considering Zaugg is not close to top form)

 

[Scirea]

Although as there are 6 people nearly within 2 minutes of Velits, maybe one of them will go on the attack to get on the podium. They are all so close in 4th-9th that someone may want to make an impression.

I think more than one of those guys will attack Velits. It doesn't really matter if you finish 6th or 9th but a GT podium is a huge difference.

 

[icefire]

I'm not sure to get the argument of some posters here about wind conditions today. The course was a return trip so if the wind was stronger for the last riders to start it was stronger in the section where it was headwind and the section where it was tailwind. I can understand that one may not exactly compensate the other, but I can't buy the argument that late starters had a big advantage over the likes of Cancellara or Millar who started earlier.

 

[The Hitch]

I'm not sure to get the argument of some posters here about wind conditions today. The course was a return trip so if the wind was stronger for the last riders to start it was stronger in the section where it was headwind and the section where it was tailwind. I can understand that one may not exactly compensate the other, but I can't buy the argument that late starters had a big advantage over the likes of Cancellara or Millar who started earlier.

I have not spoken word 1 about the win (till now) but i think the point is that 1 or 2 had a tail wind to start, for much of the 1st section and by the time they had turned around they had a tail wind again for the 2nd part.

Also no wind> less wind both ways> lots of wind both ways.

You lose more riding against it than you gain from riding with it.

I dont know which riders got the better deal though.

 

[Scirea]

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

He didn't need to lose time on purpose he was already 35 minutes behind Nibali before the ITT.

 

[The Hitch]

He didn't need to lose time on purpose he was already 35 minutes behind Nibali before the ITT.

But i guess in such a situation he had no reason to go for it either. No reason to hurt himself. Probably just soft pedalled it.

 

[Scirea]

But i guess in such a situation he had no reason to go for it either. No reason to hurt himself. Probably just soft pedalled it.

Agreed but he wouldn't have a top10 finish in the stage anyway imo. Going for a 15th place or something like that wasn't worth the effort considering he will have to work hard in the last 4 days. (3 times for Cav, 1 time for Velits)

 

[Escarabajo]

I have not spoken word 1 about the win (till now) but i think the point is that 1 or 2 had a tail wind to start, for much of the 1st section and by the time they had turned around they had a tail wind again for the 2nd part.

Also no wind> less wind both ways> lots of wind both ways.

You lose more riding against it than you gain from riding with it.

I dont know which riders got the better deal though.

IMHO, the ones with the tail wind at the end. You always want the head wind at the beginning, otherwise it is that much harder to recuperate at the end. Does that make sense?

 

[Cobblestoned]

Some nice observations by Grischa Niermann:

Thanks to the pronunciation of our beautiful Spanish masseur Joseba is with us in the team time trial "time travel". After the "time travel team" at the start of the Vuelta today, the long time trial was on the program. As Denis Menchov the goal with 25 seconds ahead of Fabian Cancellara (so much for my prediction from yesterday) reached, we fancied ourselves as stage winner. Up out of nothing (at least the cameras had forgotten him completely) Peter Velits appeared and Denis' time again undercut by 12 seconds.

It was a strange race today.By shifting winds were split hardly meaningful, and even drafting was now allowed obvious. When I am against the direction of the course went back to the hotel, I saw the most amazing things.
Two, three and four team time trial, just as drivers, the "motor training completed. Not that I could buy me for something, but I think I would under normal conditions a little further forward than on landed Rank 17th
I was very pleased by the way, when I heard that my team-mate Paul Martens has today won the GP Wallonie. I think it was a clever move of the BDR, Paul nachzunominieren nor for the World Cup in Australia.

http://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_65610.htm

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I think more than one of those guys will attack Velits. It doesn't really matter if you finish 6th or 9th but a GT podium is a huge difference.

It does to AG2R and Nico Roche: 46 points needed to get 17th place and GT invitations: 6th place in the Vuelta is worth 70pts, and 9th is 44 (Roche also has earned 1 pt for one 5th in a stage).

 

[Scirea]

It does to AG2R and Nico Roche: 46 points needed to get 17th place and GT invitations: 6th place in the Vuelta is worth 70pts, and 9th is 44 (Roche also has earned 1 pt for one 5th in a stage).

That leaves 5 guys to attack Velits.

 

[Scirea]

Btw Roche didn't sound somebody who want to play is safe before the ITT:

"I came into this Vuelta aiming to take a top-15 placing overall, possibly a top 10. Last week, I thought that I would be fighting for somewhere between ninth and 11th place in this time trial. Now, I'm fighting to stay in fifth place, another big step up.

Now that I'm there, though, I'm not thinking that if I drop a few places I'll still finish in the top 10. Hell, no! I've spent two and a half weeks fighting like a dog through all the mountains to get here, and I'm keeping this spot.

Not only that, I'm thinking maybe I can move up to fourth. If I do one of my best time trials, I think I can overtake Franck Schleck.

The Luxembourg champion will start the stage 45 seconds ahead of me on GC and there is a chance, albeit a little one, that I could take enough time out of him. "

 

[The Hitch]

It does to AG2R and Nico Roche: 46 points needed to get 17th place and GT invitations: 6th place in the Vuelta is worth 70pts, and 9th is 44 (Roche also has earned 1 pt for one 5th in a stage).

Some nice research and maths right there. Well done.

 

[Winterfold]

IMHO, the ones with the tail wind at the end. You always want the head wind at the beginning, otherwise it is that much harder to recuperate at the end. Does that make sense?

I agree. I tt acceptably for an amateur old fart and a headwind at the end is much worse than the beginning, psychologically if nothing else. I think the physics of that hypothesis would also be sound though if anyone can work it out. Just when you go to 95-100% you get more wind resistance (power squared) and the extra effort makes little apparent difference

No wind is by far the best on out and back courses

 

[meandmygitane]

From Gustav Larsson's twitter:
"I gave it a go today. Not strong enough I guess! Still forth thou, not to bad! my SRM said average speed of 52.5!!(47k instead of 46)/G"

If that is correct (using 46.8 km from G's avr speed) then Peter Velits was doing 53,3 km/h!!
Would be interesting to see some comparisons between his earlier results and/or other flat time trials in GTs..

 

[luckyboy]

It does to AG2R and Nico Roche: 46 points needed to get 17th place and GT invitations: 6th place in the Vuelta is worth 70pts, and 9th is 44 (Roche also has earned 1 pt for one 5th in a stage).

They'd be knocking Androni Giocattoli out then?