Vuelta a España - Stage 7: September 5 - Valencia, 30km

[pedaling squares]

Yes, it does sound more like a confidence booster than anything else.

That's not a bad result for Valverde.

 

[Kingsley A]

Does anyone know how long the vinegar would be effective? You would think rotating through water would dilute it pretty quickly.

Greipel does not look comfortable on the TT bike.

Being an acid, would the vinegar not have the effect of partially dissolving the rubber and thus tacifying it?

 

[pedaling squares]

Being an acid, would the vinegar not have the effect of partially dissolving the rubber and thus tacifying it?

It is a fairly mild acid. It might have such an effect, but it must be a delicate balance between making the rubber effective and messing with the tread pattern. Personally, I would be reluctant to partially dissolve anything under such pressure.

Another impressive ride by Canc.

 

[dblueroom]

prediction for first mountain stage

I think it will evetually come down to

Sanchez
Valverde
Evans
Gesink
Fuglsang
A. Schleck needs to make a big move

 

[dblueroom]

and Saxo bank will win team

 

[Bala Verde]

I wonder if Sanchez used sherry/jerez wine vinegar or just went with the Italian Balsamic...

Tomorrow, the first mountain stage...

207km!
8 classified climbs!
Mountain top finish; 22.3k and elevation 1245m = avg grade 5.6%?

 

[cyclingmikeinsd]

announcers

Is anyone else getting frustrated/angered by the US tv broadcasters inability to pronounce almost any name or word? Did these guys graduate from eight grade? I think Valverde is the only name they get correct and whenever they try to expand their vocabulary they do not have a clue as to how to speak. How did they get these jobs?

 

[taiwan]

I think Andy Shleck really is going to work for Fuglsang. Nice domestique! Who'll try tomorrow? Gesink stated that relistically, he was just looking for stage wins, didn't he?

 

[Anonymous]

only just watched it on delay..

seems my tip of millar (heart) cancellara (head) wasnt too far off....

someone seriously needs to put a stick in fabians wheels.. its getting boring now

 

[Bala Verde]

only just watched it on delay..

seems my tip of millar (heart) cancellara (head) wasnt too far off....

someone seriously needs to put a stick in fabians wheels.. its getting boring now

Like watching Cavendish

last climb (alto de Aitana) tomorrow the hardest parts are km 16 (8.5%), 17 (9.5%), 19 (8%) and 20 (8%).

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think it will evetually come down to

Sanchez
Valverde
Evans
Gesink
Fuglsang
A. Schleck needs to make a big move

basso will be up there too.
I was pretty pleased with the tt. Gesink really didn't lose too much time ( ^^ I doubt gesink will give up GC aspirations for stage wins, he seems to be in ok form. )

Cancellara will be back in the mailliot oro. Sanchez and evans will have to make some time on Basso and valverde as the mountains are coming... Gesink and Mosquera are going to be even further behind after tomorrows stage they will just have to minimise their loses on a pancake flat tt circuit

gesink lost a whole 30 seconds on evans. wow he is a sucky ITTr

 

[dblueroom]

I think Andy Shleck really is going to work for Fuglsang. Nice domestique! Who'll try tomorrow? Gesink stated that relistically, he was just looking for stage wins, didn't he?

I am really impressed with Fuglsang. He's not too handicapped in the ITT department compared to A. Schleck. I've seen him climb before, and have to wait and see how consistent Fuglsang is in the mountains in his first grand tour.

I don't like Basso, that guy just doesn't have the fire in him. He won't be in top 3

 

[dblueroom]

Tomorrow, the first mountain stage...

207km!
8 classified climbs!
Mountain top finish; 22.3k and elevation 1245m = avg grade 5.6%?

I like the mountain top finish, looks very promising as to shake up GC. I can't wait!!

 

[skidmark]

I am really impressed with Fuglsang. He's not too handicapped in the ITT department compared to A. Schleck. I've seen him climb before, and have to wait and see how consistent Fuglsang is in the mountains in his first grand tour.

I'm also impressed with Fuglsang so far this year, and am curious to see how he does in a GT. But I'm curious why you're saying he's not as handicapped as Schleck in the TT, since he only finished this one 20 seconds ahead of him. I didn't notice much of a difference, to be honest.

 

[issoisso]

I'm also impressed with Fuglsang so far this year, and am curious to see how he does in a GT. But I'm curious why you're saying he's not as handicapped as Schleck in the TT, since he only finished this one 20 seconds ahead of him. I didn't notice much of a difference, to be honest.

Which is even worse, considering Schleck is not in form and Fuglsang is tip top right now.

Then again, Fuglsang spent the past 2 years training daily with chicken, so we can expect him to be more pure climber than anything else.

 

[Mellow Velo]

In your average TDF, there is 100kms+ of ITTing. That equates to over a minute and a half on the GC.

We now move from the ridiculous, to the sublime, part of the Vuelta.
15 catagorised climbs, in the next two stages.

 

[titan_90]

We now move from the ridiculous, to the sublime, part of the Vuelta.
15 catagorised climbs, in the next two stages.

I am getting all giddy just thinking about it

 

[180mmCrank]

Is it just me or wit hall that climbing is this more like a Giro than Vuelta - maybe they should call it the Giro d'Espana

 

[Bala Verde]

Which is even worse, considering Schleck is not in form and Fuglsang is tip top right now.

Then again, Fuglsang spent the past 2 years training daily with chicken, so we can expect him to be more pure climber than anything else.

Fugl sang... Isn't that literally bird song? The 2 feathered friends have been building a nest high up in the mountains. C0ck-a-doodle-doo.

Let's wait till tomorrow to see if he doesn't come crashing down...

 

[auscyclefan94]

basso will be up there too.
I was pretty pleased with the tt. Gesink really didn't lose too much time ( ^^ I doubt gesink will give up GC aspirations for stage wins, he seems to be in ok form. )



gesink lost a whole 30 seconds on evans. wow he is a sucky ITTr

The treachorous conditions lessened the time gaps. Look even boonen beat valverde. a fair few guys who don't time trial that well went good today. Puut valverde or boonen or gesink on that course with dry conditions and a head wind and then you''ll see some real time gaps to guys like grabsch, canc and even evans. It suited guys with good bike handling skills in a tt like sanchez as he is always awesome in technical tt's were heir is many corners or treachorous conditions.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Intersting to read on cadel evans' site that he thought that some of the motorbikes were drafting some of the spanish riders.
http://www.cadelevans.com.au/race_stages.aspx?StageID=31&RaceID=9

 

[Anonymous]

Intersting to read on cadel evans' site that he thought that some of the motorbikes were drafting some of the spanish riders.
http://www.cadelevans.com.au/race_stages.aspx?StageID=31&RaceID=9

hardly a surprise, the vuelta has been the most corrupt race in favour of the home riders over the last 50 years..

this is hardly a new thing..

maybe cadel should try it in australia

 

[lagartija]

Intersting to read on cadel evans' site that he thought that some of the motorbikes were drafting some of the spanish riders.
http://www.cadelevans.com.au/race_stages.aspx?StageID=31&RaceID=9

you know i thought the same thing........sanchez and valverdes motor escorts were decidedly closer than say basso's or cadels........and im biased ........

 

[auscyclefan94]

hardly a surprise, the vuelta has been the most corrupt race in favour of the home riders over the last 50 years..

this is hardly a new thing..

maybe cadel should try it in australia

Unfortunately, cadel doesn't race the tour down under so he can't try that tatic

 

[dblueroom]

Which is even worse, considering Schleck is not in form and Fuglsang is tip top right now.

Then again, Fuglsang spent the past 2 years training daily with chicken, so we can expect him to be more pure climber than anything else.

You cant say Andy Schleck is not in form yet, he's a climber, and his performance here is similar to that of TDF - He was trailing in ITT prior to mountain stages (He's 1:58 mins behind Evans bunch in vuelta and some 1:20 minutes at TDF). In fact, A. schleck has done a good ITT here by his standard, the defferential was due to the TTT at TDF.