Vuelta a España - Stage 4 Málaga - Valdepeñas de Jaén 183.8km

[The Hitch]

Vuelta a España - Stage 4 Málaga - Valdepeñas de Jaén 183.8km

Break to succeed. One of the brekaway to get the red.

 

[jens_attacks]

gillbert to shine again

 

[Shardi]

Mosquera to have a go if it comes together before the 2nd cat.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Mosquera to have a go if it comes together before the 2nd cat.

I doubt it. It would be a pointless attack on this sort of climb.
He will keep his energy.

A punchy rider might have a go. Gilbert might win again if it is together-ish at the end.

 

[roundabout]

Purito for more bonus seconds

 

[Mellow Velo]

Oh lookee here. Most important bit.

Gilbert gets another early Christmas present.
GC boys on yer toes.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Can't really look past Gilbert after today.

 

[hrotha]

Oh look, another Valverde finish.

It's not as tough as today's finish so it might give riders like Bole a better chance.

 

[Kwibus]

Can't really look past Gilbert after today.

Unless they get rid of him on the cat2 climb, which is kinda hard to imagine.

 

[Arnout]

Gilbert said he had difficulties following the peloton on todays big climb, so it may be a possibility.

 

[roundabout]

Am i right in thinking that the last descent is tricky? Also with sections of over 20% it's more of a Rodriguez finish.

 

[Viskovitz]

The Puerto de Locubín that Unipublic renamed as Alto de Valdepeñas (WTF!)

And a photo gallery: http://www.cyclingcols.com/asp/imageframe.asp?cl=11791

The finish climb is veeery steep, too much for Gilbert I think. It's more like Huy than Cauberg. You can view it in GSV: Final climb in the streets of Valdepeñas de Jaen

 

[Viskovitz]

Am i right in thinking that the last descent is tricky? Also with sections of over 20% it's more of a Rodriguez finish.

Check it our here (Street View FTW):

http://maps.google.es/maps?q=valdepe%C3%B1as+de+jaen&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=es&hq=&hnear=Valdepe%C3%B1as+de+Ja%C3%A9n,+Ja%C3%A9n,+Andaluc%C3%ADa&ll=37.568524,-3.854809&spn=0.041907,0.090895&z=14&layer=c&cbll=37.568899,-3.854756&panoid=MdCEPiMyrEZPmU3CcAJO9g&cbp=12,13.81,,0,3.56

Also, the profile of the final descent:

A bit narrow road, some corners...a bit tricky, but not that much.

 

[icefire]

This is another of the stages whose parcourse has changed wrt to the one presented in December last year.

Stage 3 had removed one pass over Puerto del León and added some extra kms over the highway around Málaga. Checking the old profile for stage 4 hosted by CN there is a difference in the height of the finish: the old one was at 910 m, the new one is at 985 m. The roadbook is confusing about the lenght of the different sections in the final km but it does mention gradients above 20%. If that's too much for Gilbert to repeat today's win, Rodríguez is the man.

 

[Ferminal]

The finish climb is veeery steep, too much for Gilbert I think. It's more like Huy than Cauberg.

That's what I am thinking, it seems like there are sections over 10% in the finish.

Rodriguez and Gilbert will swap their Stage 3 results.

Igor Anton is a definite chance too.

 

[roundabout]

Narrow finish, wouldn't want anyone blowing up ahead of you

 

[Viskovitz]

This is another of the stages whose parcourse has changed wrt to the one presented in December last year.

Stage 3 had removed one pass over Puerto del León and added some extra kms over the highway around Málaga. Checking the old profile for stage 4 hosted by CN there is a difference in the height of the finish: the old one was at 910 m, the new one is at 985 m. The roadbook is confusing about the lenght of the different sections in the final km but it does mention gradients above 20%. If that's too much for Gilbert to repeat today's win, Rodríguez is the man.

That's right. Other changes are:

1.- The TTT, 3,5km shorter.
2.- Malaga, as mentioned.
3.- Valdepeñas, the new uphill steep final.
4.- In Alcoy, they added the Puerto del Revolcat, heading directly from Benifallim to the finishline. In the old one, they made a flat loop than now is gone (thank god). Also, they added another uphill finish here.
5.- In Toledo, they extended the lenght to 230Km without any need. The Vuelta always talking about shorter stages (that i don't like) but they make this flat stage way to long god knows why.

 

[hrotha]

Okay, I thought the finish was easier than today. Turns out I'm going to have to bet on Antón.

 

[nvpacchi]

Its so refreshing to have excitement in the first week of a GT!

Hopes to a frantic breakaway succeeding, but Purito Rodriguez is the most logical choice.

 

[Viskovitz]

Its so refreshing to have excitement in the first week of a GT!

Hopes to a frantic breakaway succeeding, but Purito Rodriguez is the most logical choice.

Yeah, the problem is that the fun ends on stage 10 (Vilanova)*. Then the real mountain stages began...and they are absolut rubbish. And there are way too much mountain top finish.

*Except the spectacular, awesome 3 final km in the Bola del Mundo. But only 3km.

 

[khardung la]

Its so refreshing to have excitement in the first week of a GT!

+1

It is a bit like youtube cycling, leaving everything for the end of the stage.... But at the end most part of the people just watch the last 40 km or so, on Tv, so the Vuelta is targeting for good finals.

I would have liked more multi-climb stages in the last week though. It is a pity what they have done with the Covadonga and Andorra stages.

 

[Grzdylu]

Last kilometre tommorow (google translate):

Arrival last mile / km dernier Arrivée:
100 m straight on slight rise, curve line 50 m. izda 2% uphill curve and line narrowing r. m.en 330 up 3% 10% 15% 26% 23% slight curve and straight r. 150 m 22% 10% 2% C r. straight 330 m. 3% 10% 15% 23% and 27%. Dcha slight curve and straight 150 m 18% 10% slight curve L and R and 210m straight. 5% 10% slight curve and straight izda r. 150 m.en 10% increase

 

[icefire]

Last kilometre tommorow (google translate):

Arrival last mile / km dernier Arrivée:
100 m straight on slight rise, curve line 50 m. izda 2% uphill curve and line narrowing r. m.en 330 up 3% 10% 15% 26% 23% slight curve and straight r. 150 m 22% 10% 2% C r. straight 330 m. 3% 10% 15% 23% and 27%. Dcha slight curve and straight 150 m 18% 10% slight curve L and R and 210m straight. 5% 10% slight curve and straight izda r. 150 m.en 10% increase

Attaching 4 or 5 different gradient figures to a single section length is completely useless if they don't specify for how long every individual gradient value lasts.

 

[Kwibus]

Dmitry Konyshev, Katusha directeur sportif, also has high hopes for Rodriguez. "This stage is the story of a great classic specialist who beats a climber. Gilbert was unbeatable but it was a good try from Joaquin. We don't want to forget that he's here for winning the Vuelta. I think he'll win tomorrow."

Tomorrow is ofcourse stage 4 and he's talking about stage 3.

Safest bet is Rodriguez for this stage. That is, if they reel in the breakaway before they reach the finish.

 

[icefire]

Problem with the breakaway tomorrow is that now everyone knows that Rodríguez is the man. Saxo, Leaky, Caisse or Euskaltel won't help setting the pace for Purito to take the win and the time bonus.