Vuelta a España 2019 stage 9: Andorra La Vella - Cortals d'Encamp > 94.4km

[Laplaz]

Great ride by Pogi! Let's see how the ITT goes now.

 

[Velolover2]

Roglic to catch Lopéz in the ITT. Yay or nay?

 

[Lequack]

Great ride by Pogi! Let's see how the ITT goes now.

After the ITT Valverde might be again the leader of the team.

 

[movingtarget]

I didn't know Louis Meintjes was in the race until today.

 

[movingtarget]

Chaves needs a hug. He looked like he was about to cry. His Vuelta has gone to pieces. Time to recover.

Worst possible time to puncture............

 

[Blanco]

So if that is the issue do not bring Quintana to the Vuelta. If the team and sponsors don't care for him don't bring him the Vuelta. But don't show the world this lack of professionalism!

Sponsors care for him, but the team not so much...
Anyway, it was a bad call, they've lost the stage and didn't gain on Roglic with that call.

 

[TheBigRing]

Sponsors care for him, but the team not so much...
Anyway, it was a bad call, they've lost the stage and didn't gain on Roglic with that call.

Bad call? Quintana gained time and got 6 bonus seconds and is now in red. The bad call was Valverde trying close the gap, dragging their biggest rival closer allowing him to minimize his time losses and then conceding the bonus seconds.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

So after all that there are still no meaningful gaps between the top guys, which means it's another win for Roglic.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Bad call? Quintana gained time and got 6 bonus seconds and is now in red. The bad call was Valverde trying close the gap, dragging their biggest rival closer allowing him to minimize his time losses and then conceding the bonus seconds.

Valverde wasn't dragging no one. Please stop this shitty narrative.

 

[Escarabajo]

So after all that there are still no meaningful gaps between the top guys, which means it's another win for Roglic.

Today was a huge win for Roglic.

 

[TheBigRing]

Valverde wasn't dragging no one. Please stop this shitty narrative.

Explain to me the tactical benefit of what he did?

 

[Blanco]

Bad call? Quintana gained time and got 6 bonus seconds and is now in red. The bad call was Valverde trying close the gap, dragging their biggest rival closer allowing him to minimize his time losses and then conceding the bonus seconds.

Valverde dragged who?! Do you even know the basics of cycling racing?
Quintana was gaining time without Soler just fine, he would've get at least 4 sec bonus in worst scenario. This way they only denied Soler probably the biggest win of his career, and created some bad atmosphere in the team.
Oh, and Quintana won't be in red longer than a day!

 

[yaco]

Pogacar is very decent at ITTing and I expect to ride around the same time as Valverde - Mitchelton Scott had a bad day with mechanicals some which could be avoided and some that was bad luck - When Chaves is the only rider using disc brakes then its a disaster waiting to happen, while at Bretagne if Trentin doesn't puncture he just about wins that race.

 

[Breezy1985]

Valverde wasn't dragging no one. Please stop this shitty narrative.

This narrative exists because Valverde has given many occasions to believe it

 

[Valv.Piti]

Explain to me the tactical benefit of what he did?

Do you even know cycling? Valverde attacking doesn't make Roglic or Lopez ride faster up a hill after a brutal stage on +8%. They all ride with what they have, regardless of Valverde is attacking. Lopez was cooked so naturally, Valverde needs to go and gain time on him as well.

 

[JosephK]

I just noticed . . . no goatee for Roglic.

 

[Blanco]

Explain to me the tactical benefit of what he did?

Tactical benefit was that he was gaining time on two closest rivals.
Now could you explain how he was dragging anybody while riding alone?!!!
By this logic, Quintana also dragged Roglic to ride faster, thus he shouldn't have attacked in the first place

 

[Valv.Piti]

This narrative exists because Valverde has given many occasions to believe it

The narrative exists because people simply dont understand how cycling really works, are listening to commentators, haven't sat on a bike or are just plain stupid. Sorry to tell you the truth.

 

[Carols]

Roglic to catch Lopéz in the ITT. Yay or nay?

Fingers crossed he does

 

[RedheadDane]

Soler was with Valverde/Quintana etc before Image breakdown, no? So he must have dropped them

I wasn't sure (had forgotten), but now I am. He was in the big break.

 

[Carols]

I just noticed . . . no goatee for Roglic.

That is MAL

 

[Noddy97]

Roglic was strong and he was closing the gap so I think shouldn't have attacked and wait to be dragged by roglic. But it's easy to speak after the race

 

[Valv.Piti]

Roglic was strong and he was closing the gap so I think shouldn't have attacked and wait to be dragged by roglic. But it's easy to speak after the race

Tell me, what difference doesthat exactly make? Much more effective to go in a more linear pace as well - not a given he could have followed him all the way if he waited on Rogla. And how should he even know that?

Movistar have 2 leaders and those 2 did everything right today. I think they rode a brilliant race, although both of them missed their best level.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Valverde dragged who?! Do you even know the basics of cycling racing?
Quintana was gaining time without Soler just fine, he would've get at least 4 sec bonus in worst scenario. This way they only denied Soler probably the biggest win of his career, and created some bad atmosphere in the team.
Oh, and Quintana won't be in red longer than a day!

I don't think Soler was ever going to win it against Pogačar, he had only like 20 seconds before they told him to wait.

 

[TheBigRing]

Valverde dragged who?! Do you even know the basics of cycling racing?
Quintana was gaining time without Soler just fine, he would've get at least 4 sec bonus in worst scenario. This way they only denied Soler probably the biggest win of his career, and created some bad atmosphere in the team.
Oh, and Quintana won't be in red longer than a day!

He was called back by his director. When you are part of a team you work for the team. The goal is to win the race overall not get a stage win for Soler.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever participated in any endurance sports, but when you have a target up the road wether on a bike or on a run, it makes it much easier to find the strength physically and mentally to get there. Valverde did that for Roglic. The fruit of that useless move by Valverde was to help Roglic limit his losses and gain bonus seconds. Those bonus seconds may be insignificant to the overall, but Roglic’s morale will be even higher for the TT.

This is a big picture game.