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

[JosephK]

It was settled before the stage. Valverde and Quintana have a stage each and will be happy with a double podium as a bonus.

The only one with guts was Lopéz.

The way Superman rides, in the future some of these attacks are going to work. He's still developing, still a young rider. I think he should get the award for most combative rider of the overall Vuelta.

 

[Samamba]

The 10th in gc at 21 minutes holy f

 

[jaylew]

The way Superman rides, in the future some of these attacks are going to work. He's still developing, still a young rider.

Have to say, he's been by far the most exciting GC rider this Vuelta.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Why the hell are people calling Primož Roglič a wheelsucker for not collaborating up front? Hello, he's in the leader's jersey? The race leader should almost always be exempt from this criticism because - unless there is an upcoming stage in which they are at an obvious disadvantage (for example, if it's the last mountain stage and a pure climber holds a very narrow advantage against a strong TTer like a Dumoulin) - they are in the position that if nobody does anything, they win the race, and therefore preserving the status quo is absolutely fine by them.

 

[Escarabajo]

The way Superman rides, in the future some of these attacks are going to work. He's still developing, still a young rider. I think he should get the award for most combative rider of the overall Vuelta.

Lopez need to start learning how to read the race better. He is usually stronger that his placing shows. But still struggling to make better impression. He gets an A for trying, that's for sure.

 

[sir fly]

Why the hell are people calling Primož Roglič a wheelsucker for not collaborating up front? Hello, he's in the leader's jersey? The race leader should almost always be exempt from this criticism because - unless there is an upcoming stage in which they are at an obvious disadvantage (for example, if it's the last mountain stage and a pure climber holds a very narrow advantage against a strong TTer like a Dumoulin) - they are in the position that if nobody does anything, they win the race, and therefore preserving the status quo is absolutely fine by them.

C'mon, Libertine... as if you don't know the personal preferences are what leads the logic here.

 

[HelloDolly]

For most aggressive rider this Vuelta ..I'd give it to Madrazo tbh

But from GC group it got to be Pogacar or Quitnana for me

 

[ice&fire]

Race settled? There's rain predicted for Saturday. Quintana likes it. Valverde doesn't like it.

 

[JosephK]

Why the hell are people calling Primož Roglič a wheelsucker for not collaborating up front? Hello, he's in the leader's jersey? The race leader should almost always be exempt from this criticism because - unless there is an upcoming stage in which they are at an obvious disadvantage (for example, if it's the last mountain stage and a pure climber holds a very narrow advantage against a strong TTer like a Dumoulin) - they are in the position that if nobody does anything, they win the race, and therefore preserving the status quo is absolutely fine by them.

Agreed. Primož rode a perfect race, today. He respects the red jersey and is maximizing his chances of keeping it.

 

[Scarponi]

It’s not just the leaders Jersey he has a two minute lead ffs. If it was 20 seconds he could attack.

 

[Red Rick]

I really liked this stage. It's just a shame there aren't any harder passes in the Guadarrama

 

[Escarabajo]

Majka back to his beloved 6th position!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well, the problem is the harder sides of the climbs do not back onto one another, Navacerrada is harder than Cotos, but if you climb Navacerrada you have to climb the easier side of Morcuera. You could also feasibly go over Navacerrada, then head south, up Fuente de la Reina, descend into La Granja and then climb the other side of Navacerrada. There's also some middling climbs that they don't use in La Vuelta but the Vuelta a Madrid sometimes does. Between the two sides of Morcuera they could have climbed the Alto de Bustarviejo, for example.

The big shame is that the Collado de la Mina has fallen into disrepair, because that would enable Abantos to be used in similar fashion, using León as a descent, like so:

A particular favourite idea of mine was to have a stage over Abantos (possibly arriving from Ávila province via Collado Mediano and Robledondo) and La Mina, then Navacerrada, Morcuera north and then over the small Cerro Peñote climb in Soto del Real for a stage finish in Colmenar Viejo. I also had an idea of an Olympics 2012 style out-and-back with a hilly circuit as an alternative to a parade on stage 21, but will leave that for the Race Design Thread another time.

 

[movingtarget]

Lopez need to start learning how to read the race better. He is usually stronger that his placing shows. But still struggling to make better impression. He gets an A for trying, that's for sure.

Lopez is such a liability in the TT it will be hard for him to win a grand tour. He and Quintana have been up and down throughout the race. Valverde has looked better regularly. All the same Lopez rode a great stage today. It was on the cards that Pogacar was going to weaken. Twenty year olds don't tend to make the podium in grand tours. I thought the third week would test him but he has ridden a tremendous race considering his experience. Fantastic win by Higuita.

 

[slosada]

So happy for EF and Higuita. Such a terrible Vuelta for them. He was lucky that López was the only one working in the chase
=======================
Time proves Astana wrong: The only support López had was Fraile who dropped from the break to help him in the second to last climb.
Jumbo Visma had Kuss and Powless with Roglic
Movistar, who did great yesterday only had Soler as support. Oliveira had a free ride in the break, just to disappear when the attacks started

Had Astana not worked yesterday:

• Astana would have had the strength to put a sensible attack
• Pogacar would have lost minutes.
• Roglic would have been alone and probably tired... Or, otherwise interested in helping López to get more time on Quintana.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

In fairness to Nélson, he was in the break yesterday and did a LOT of pulling for Quintana.

 

[Anderis]

Higuita is Valverde 2.0
Had already proven that he can:

• climb well in high mountains
• climb very well on explosive climbs
• sprint very well as for a climber
• keep the results coming all throughout the season in pretty much every race he rides from February to September

Today he added that he can descend very well and fend off the chase on flat/false flat.

 

[Koronin]

Congrats to Higuita and EF. They really needed this stage win to salvage something this Vuelta which has been horrible for them. Very glad to see Higuita and EF get this today.

Now to keep Valverde on the podium in Madrid.

 

[Laplaz]

The 10th in gc at 21 minutes holy f

Indeed. Unreal.

 

[jaylew]

Why the hell are people calling Primož Roglič a wheelsucker for not collaborating up front? Hello, he's in the leader's jersey? The race leader should almost always be exempt from this criticism because - unless there is an upcoming stage in which they are at an obvious disadvantage (for example, if it's the last mountain stage and a pure climber holds a very narrow advantage against a strong TTer like a Dumoulin) - they are in the position that if nobody does anything, they win the race, and therefore preserving the status quo is absolutely fine by them.

People see what they want to see sometimes. Did you even read the posts before firing off this completely needless and obvious response?

wheresmybrakes immediately said after the stage that Roglic beat the wheelsucker in the sprint.

That made no sense to me so I responded that Roglic was the biggest wheelsucker because technically, he was, even if I think that's a stupid term and shouldn't really be applied to anyone, ever, because it's basically what defines road cycling.

My point was that Roglic and Valverde had equal reason to pull or not to pull. Sure, Roglic pulling gives him more of a gap to Nairo and Bala pulling gives him more of a gap to Pogacar but both had solid overall leads at that point. Valverde pulling threatens his teammates podium while gaining him nothing. Roglic pulling gains him nothing. Ok, if both decide to pull they could have fought for the stage win but that was really the only reason for either of them to get on the front. Anyone who's been paying attention realizes Roglic has a great turn of speed and that it would be between those two.

Wheresmybreaks agreed that Roglic was technically the biggest "wheelsucker" but that he had no reason to work to which I agreed. I said his post should have said that then and he "liked" my post.

It was all lighthearted and I thought it was understood that we were pretty much in agreement. Then you came along with your completely unneeded lecture. I guess I should have used more emojis.

I saw no other mention of that word in reference to Roglic so I really don't know why you even posted that.

 

[Lequack]

Quintana doesn't look like losing any time today. I guess he is the leader of Movistar again.

I was wrong, now Valverde is the leader again.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

People see what they want to see sometimes. Did you even read the posts before firing off this completely needless and obvious response?

wheresmybrakes immediately said after the stage that Roglic beat the wheelsucker in the sprint.

That made no sense to me so I responded that Roglic was the biggest wheelsucker because technically, he was, even if I think that's a stupid term and shouldn't really be applied to anyone, ever, because it's basically what defines road cycling.

My point was that Roglic and Valverde had equal reason to pull or not to pull. Sure, Roglic pulling gives him more of a gap to Nairo and Bala pulling gives him more of a gap to Pogacar but both had solid overall leads at that point. Valverde pulling threatens his teammates podium while gaining him nothing. Roglic pulling gains him nothing. Ok, if both decide to pull they could have fought for the stage win but that was really the only reason for either of them to get on the front. Anyone who's been paying attention realizes Roglic has a great turn of speed and that it would be between those two.

Wheresmybreaks agreed that Roglic was technically the biggest "wheelsucker" but that he had no reason to work to which I agreed. I said his post should have said that then and he "liked" my post.

It was all lighthearted and I thought it was understood that we were pretty much in agreement. Then you came along with your completely unneeded lecture. I guess I should have used more emojis.

I saw no other mention of that word in reference to Roglic so I really don't know why you even posted that.

Well, there was Woodburn's post on the previous page too, and when I started the reply, your second post back to wheresmybrakes had yet to appear.

 

[KZD]

Good to see Higuita win.
The podium now seems almost impossible for Pogacar.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

If people were wondering why Trek suddenly started pulling the peloton with 70k to go, Eg said in an interview to danish TV2, that it was punishment for them not hitting the break (which he was fine with btw, he found it fair) )

 

[Lequack]

Climbing faster than 2015 guys.