Vuelta a España 2019 stage 15: Tineo - Santuario del Acebo > 154.4 km

[Red Rick]

I don't know which profile of the final climb is the right one

 

[starlord]

The one from the website?

 

[Escarabajo]

Because of the profile, nothing will happen until the last mountain. Not the best design if you ask me. At least is not a monoclimb.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

They're climbing the first 7,5km of the 'traditional' side of Acebo (the one used in the Vuelta a Asturias most years) in the first part of the stage, the final time they're climbing this side:

 

[Red Rick]

They're climbing the first 7,5km of the 'traditional' side of Acebo (the one used in the Vuelta a Asturias most years) in the first part of the stage, the final time they're climbing this side:

Great climb for a half hour of action

 

[Red Rick]

Because of the profile, nothing will happen until the last mountain. Not the best design if you ask me. At least is not a monoclimb.

You can't have madness every day.

It could be better, but the final climb is a good one.

 

[Lequack]

I wonder how Pogacar is feeling after that tumble today.

 

[Red Rick]

I wonder how Pogacar is feeling after that tumble today.

Hopefully he's okay. Same for Valverde, who I believe was getting up immediately

 

[ice&fire]

I'm still wondering since last December why on Earth they didn't stack together the two ascents to el Acebo to reduce the flat section between the last two climbs of the stage.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What I would most like with this climb is possibly one of the nearest things you could legitimately do to a Mortirolo-Aprica stage in Spain - and that's climb the absolute steepest, most brutal side of Acebo, the savage Villarino de Limés side (6,8km @ 11%, first 3,5km @ 13,7%), followed by descending the Las Tiendas side and then finishing at Estación de Esquí Leitariegos from its northwest side, with 3 hard kilometres then 10km of false flats and achievable gradients. You could precede it with the initial loop up the traditional side and back down that they're doing in the Vuelta tomorrow, but instead of then having the long loop with Connio and Valvaler, you could go immediately from that descent to the second climb of Acebo (this time to the summit) and then Leitariegos.

That way you could precede it with the Alto de La Marta or Bustellán, two traceur favourites. Especially the brutal Cruz de Ayones side which includes a tramo of hormigón at 13% in the middle.

 

[Red Rick]

What I would most like with this climb is possibly one of the nearest things you could legitimately do to a Mortirolo-Aprica stage in Spain - and that's climb the absolute steepest, most brutal side of Acebo, the savage Villarino de Limés side (6,8km @ 11%, first 3,5km @ 13,7%), followed by descending the Las Tiendas side and then finishing at Estación de Esquí Leitariegos from its northwest side, with 3 hard kilometres then 10km of false flats and achievable gradients. You could precede it with the initial loop up the traditional side and back down that they're doing in the Vuelta tomorrow, but instead of then having the long loop with Connio and Valvaler, you could go immediately from that descent to the second climb of Acebo (this time to the summit) and then Leitariegos.

That way you could precede it with the Alto de La Marta or Bustellán, two traceur favourites. Especially the brutal Cruz de Ayones side which includes a tramo of hormigón at 13% in the middle.

The Acebo isn't too far from the San Lorenzo, Cobertoria and all those climbs right? Wouldn't feature in the GC action, but would aid in murderkilldeath

 

[JosephK]

For Moviestar, do they gamble and try to send someone up the road on the penultimate climb (Quintana)? I am going to guess "No."

 

[memyselfandI]

They send Soler..

 

[Lequack]

They send Soler..

Soler accidentally breaks his radio.

 

[Red Rick]

For Moviestar, do they gamble and try to send someone up the road on the penultimate climb (Quintana)? I am going to guess "No."

It's pretty futile to do. The penultimate climb is pretty easy.

If the break goes on the first climb you can attack with Quintana or Valverde and hope a miracle breakaway happens but I don't think it can.

Probably just tempo untl the final climb. Break may or may not win.

 

[Escarabajo]

For Moviestar, do they gamble and try to send someone up the road on the penultimate climb (Quintana)? I am going to guess "No."

They might, but they have a hard stage on Monday as well. So they might play the waiting game.

 

[ice&fire]

The Acebo isn't too far from the San Lorenzo, Cobertoria and all those climbs right? Wouldn't feature in the GC action, but would aid in murderkilldeath

The bottom of Acebo and San Lorenzo are more than 50km away from each other. I'm not very familiar with the area but I only see a significant climb on that way on non-goat-track kind of road. And I don't think we'll ever see 60-70km of goat tracks to fulfil your dream.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's pretty futile to do. The penultimate climb is pretty easy.

 

[Bolder]

30 km, largely downhill, from the penultimate climb to the base of the last one is a long way to stay away. I can't see anyone attacking Roglic on that climb; I suspect everyone's legs are still pretty fried from Los Machucos, too,, and there are four 1st - cat climbs on this stage.

One possibility is sending riders up the road and joining up, of course...

So we'll probably see the GC bunch stay together until the base of the last climb then we should see some attempted attacks.

 

[Lequack]

I expect Lopez to bounce back.

 

[Red Rick]

I expect Lopez to bounce back.

Yes.

I think yesterday turned Roglic into a passenger for the battle for 2nd and 3rd place. I really expect MAL to attack early on the climb. Quintana probably has to sit pretty for Valverde. Pogacar will probably attack if he feels good too

 

[ice&fire]

I expect Lopez to bounce back.

Don't know what to think, but López seems to struggle on steep climbs compared to how he performs on long ones with less extreme gradients. He's more likely to bounce back on Monday if he's not left behind descending la Cobertoria as he was two years ago on the way to the Angliru.

 

[Red Rick]

Don't know what to think, but López seems to struggle on steep climbs compared to how he performs on long ones with less extreme gradients. He's more likely to bounce back on Monday if he's not left behind descending la Cobertoria as he was two years ago on the way to the Angliru.

I'm pretty sure he lost like 3 minutes that day. It's not like he didn't blow up uphill too.

I agree he's worse on extreme gradients though. But he's generally a bit up and down and not really good enough to win Grand Tours if you see how bad his TTs usually are.

 

[Lequack]

Luka Mezgec breaks iliac crest of right hip in Vuelta a España crash

CyclingPub.com - Luka Mezgec breaks iliac crest of right hip in Vuelta a España crash

www.cyclingpub.com

 

[Koronin]

Hopefully he's okay. Same for Valverde, who I believe was getting up immediately

Valverde said his wrist got hurt, but he doesn't think it's bad and thinks he should be alright tomorrow. However, I highly doubt he'll attack tomorrow with the injury even if it's minor. He's likely hoping the GC riders just go together until the end.