Vuelta a España - Stage 9: September 8 Alicante - Murcia

[ak-zaaf]

Vuelta a España - Stage 9: September 8 Alicante - Murcia

It's stage 10, my bad

still no thread for this, tv starts in half an hour.

the breakaway has over 8 minutes now.
19 riders: Breakaway in the feeding area
The 19 breakaway riders RIBLON Christophe (018), PIEDRA PEREZ Antonio (026), VINOKOUROV Alexander (039), PEREZ SANCHEZ Francisco (057), GERRANS Simon (064), DUQUE Leonardo (074), SANCHEZ PIMIENTA Julian (081), PALOMARES VILLAPLANA Adrian (087), PEREZ ARRIETA Aitor (088), GERARD Arnaud (095), DE LA FUENTE RASILLA David (103), INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat (106), HESJEDAL Ryder (114), TOSATTO Matteo (146), GARATE Juan Manuel (153), HANSEN Adam (174), GERDEMANN Linus (182), FUGLSANG Jakob (195) and KROON Karsten (197) are now in the feeding area.

Lots of good riders in there. Should be interesting.

 

[taiwan]

Oh, right. can use this, at least you've managed to show the profile.

Is De la Fuente the highest place rider in the break? If it's going to stay away, which you would think is likely, they could gain quite a bit of time. Maybe Caisse will just keep their gains under 10' or something.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

highly doubt the big men will try anything here. If thebreak last's I'd like to see vino have a go on the gallo.
if they last I tip Kroon or Gerrans. If not... Cunego might have a go?

 

[Aguirre]

the 2nd cat. climb is like 6 km, and a risky suicide descent.

nice for the riders on scape, even for samu sanchez skills, or for valverde in a small bunch of 30.

lets see

 

[ak-zaaf]

highly doubt the big men will try anything here. If thebreak last's I'd like to see vino have a go on the gallo.
if they last I tip Kroon or Gerrans. If not... Cunego might have a go?

liveticker stated that vacansoleil is owrking in the bunch, so caisse might not care that much. So I think this group will last.
Gerrans, Kroon, Duque, Vino, Gerdemann, Garate.... Hard to predict. My money would be on Gerrans.

 

[taiwan]

That's the Eurosport coverage on. A few in the break will want to ride themselves back into the GC: Vino, Fuglsang, Gerdemann, De la Fuente.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Caisse started working now, probably just to lower the difference. I can't imagine Valverde wants to have a go on that final climb.

 

[taiwan]

Gerrans is a good one, would that make it 3 stage wins for 3 GTs?

I might be exaggerating this break's chances of taking a lot of time.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

if the duque can get to then with a few others, I wouldn't bet against him .

 

[Bala Verde]

Hmm, the first real transition slash break away stage and Vacansoleil isn't represented? Too bad they missed the escape

Fuglsang and Krön need to do a good old 1-2

 

[ak-zaaf]

if the duque can get to then with a few others, I wouldn't bet against him .

Indeed, but i wonder if he will be able to keep up if the classic guys go all out. Nobody will want to go to the finish with Duque.

 

[Bala Verde]

What's the length and gradient of the last climb?

De la Fuente got a pass from Caisse today for helping Valv yesterday...

 

[bigleblauski]

FWIW: Boonen's contract

Boonen's contract with Quickstep goes through 2010, so I thought.

 

[ak-zaaf]

What's the length and gradient of the last climb?

De la Fuente got a pass from Caisse today for helping Valv yesterday...

This should be it:

/edit: hmmm, it shouldn't be that long.


I hope Kroon doesn't win. He'll just get cocky and start claiming more domestiques than Gesink at the worlds

 

[Bala Verde]

Great!

Looks like DDLF should be able to put on the pressure uphill. I wonder if Birdsong has recovered enough, after his stomach got sucked into the rear of that truck...

Gerrans, how good is he this Vuelta?

Garate, Mr Ventoux...

Not too steep, 6.5% AVG

 

[issoisso]

Will come down to a sprint. The question is, between which riders?

 

[ak-zaaf]

Hmmm, a Murcia McDonalds. Wonder if Valverde rents an appartement there.


De la Fuente should be a bit tired by now. Riblon should good form in the TT.


Oh no, not Linus =/

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Geredemen tries something. :S

 

[Bala Verde]

Hmmm, a Murcia McDonalds. Wonder if Valverde rents an appartement there.

His sons are named Iban and Alejandro (jr), according to the ozzy commentator. After mr frietsaus?

 

[taiwan]

There's Gerdemann, good idea, don't want to wait for the climb in a group like that.

 

[Ferminal]

Vino for the win!

 

[issoisso]

There's Gerdemann, good idea, don't want to wait for the climb in a group like that.

Except he managed to get away with a guy who is about his equal on a climb and is at the same time the best sprinter in the entire breakaway.

If he doesn't somehow drop Perez on the climb, Contentpolis have a stage win

 

[ak-zaaf]

Vino for the win!

That would be so cool.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

That would be so cool.

agreed. Go Vino

they have 30 seconds. not bad.

 

[issoisso]

Pérez is leading now. Probably to try and discourage Gerdemann. He seems like he's not doing well.

EDIT: And just as I say that Gerdemann attacks. Someone bring back that fool, I hate when arrogant asses win races.