Vuelta a España 2019 stage 18: Communidad de Madrid. Colmenar Viejo -Becerril de la Sierra > 177.5 km

[Red Rick]

Lopez almost pulled back?

Its done.

 

[ice&fire]

But usually grasslands and bushlands are intermediate areas before deserts.

It's easier to understand when you see that there is grass below those forest trees that dries out in late May and grows again in October.

 

[Red Rick]

Lopez move is already a bust.

He will be caught soon, and then the Movistar captains start attacking and dropping him

Such an early move, was only going to work, if Lopez had 2-3 teammates out in front.

Could have split the favorite group but that just didnt happen

 

[Tigerion]

Sepp, my boi, watcha doin in front? Let the Movi comedians do the work ffs.

Yeah, should have let Soler do all the work imo

 

[JosephK]

This just in: Higuita is pretty good.

 

[Carols]

Lopez caught despite all the moto help he got.....

 

[carton]

Annnnnnnnd stage. See you again on Saturday.

 

[JosephK]

Powless and Kuss showing up very well today for Roglic. Soler doing more rescue work for Quintana.

 

[Bolder]

Lopez caught despite all the moto help he got.....

That move was never going to stick, not unless one of the Movistar riders also attacked at the same time. Now the question is will Valverde try to drop Quintana (or, to be charitable, Pogacar also has motivation).

It looks like the pace has slowed a bit so maybe Higuita could steal this one. Doubt it, though...still 34k to go.

 

[Gigs_98]

Giggs' "she"?!

Nope

 

[JosephK]

Roglic with the poker face.

 

[Tigerion]

That move was never going to stick, not unless one of the Movistar riders also attacked at the same time. Now the question is will Valverde try to drop Quintana (or, to be charitable, Pogacar also has motivation).

It looks like the pace has slowed a bit so maybe Higuita could steal this one. Doubt it, though...still 34k to go.

A big chuck of that is decent though

 

[Escarabajo]

Sunday ride!

 

[sir fly]

Astana's move was way too ambitious for the third week of the third GT and after yesterday's stage on top of it.

 

[Red Rick]

Looks like sprinting for 2nd is back on the menu boys

 

[Bolder]

Watching TGH have a dig...he's been kind of disappointing this year. I wonder why? On paper he's the kind of long, lean rider that Ineos loves, decent TTer, good climber. Maybe he just doesn't have that 1-2 percent extra. Regardless, he hasn't stopped trying this Vuelta, so kudos for that...

 

[JosephK]

Higuita is going to win, I hope. Some redemption for EF1, with half the team crashed out.

 

[Noddy97]

Dear Valverde, you already have 7 or more podiums in la vuelta. So please try to win this race...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Watching TGH have a dig...he's been kind of disappointing this year. I wonder why? On paper he's the kind of long, lean rider that Ineos loves, decent TTer, good climber. Maybe he just doesn't have that 1-2 percent extra. Regardless, he hasn't stopped trying this Vuelta, so kudos for that...

Apparently there was sickness in the camp in week 1, so that would explain the disappointing first week, and why he's been getting in the breaks and stagehunting once feeling better.

As for this stage, I remember for hours thinking with all the action behind Plaza would obviously be caught in the 2015 version, and he never was...

 

[sir fly]

Attack for the jersey.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Spiderrrman

 

[JosephK]

Valverde dropping Quintana. lol

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Pogačar having trouble for the first time. Astana trying to win the race on the same stage as 2015, but with a much bigger deficit and Rogla equal to it thus far, he bluffed Valverde slightly too, which was interesting. And for all the talk of Movifail, yesterday both Quintana and Valverde were happy enough with the outcome, Soler has dropped back for Quintana today, and now Quintana is refusing to collaborate with Majka and Pogačar because his teammate is up front - but seems like he's cooked and as we thought, he's the one that was suffering at the weekend, he gained plenty yesterday but on the big climbs he's been struggling this last week or so.

 

[Cinemaniak]

Pogacar seems a bit cooked. Not ready for 3 weeks yet.

 

[JosephK]

Pogacar is human, after all. Lack of teammates catching up to him.