Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2020: Stage 13 (Muros > Mirador de Ézaro 33.7 km ITT)

[lenric]

Interested to see what Froome does.

 

[carolina]

For the time trial, it’s highly likely that I’ll be saving my legs for the coming days so I can help Richie. If he can’t hold the lead in the time trial then I’ll be there to help make the race as hard as possible.

Chris Froome: Tour de France 2021 preparation starts now

Four-time winner welcomes balanced route as he finds form in Vuelta a España

www.cyclingnews.com

Don't expect much from Froome tomorrow.

 

[Lequack]

Climb profile, this is a mini Angliru

 

[topcat]

It's been a funny old vuelta. Roglic cracks on the Angliru and loses 10 seconds. Froome putting out his best numbers but looks to be out of contention. Anyway, Roglic to tire himself out gaining time in the tt and get ko'd during the week.

 

[Koronin]

Maybe split it into 2 cars with 4 bikes each, just so the team leader has an opportunity as late as possible to make any changes to his climbing bike?


Again, I don't like bike changes and would prefer they didn't.

If you people stationed at the bike change point with road bikes for the entire team then the rider can make the decision close to that time if he hadn't already decided.

 

[Amazinmets87]

It's been a funny old vuelta. Roglic cracks on the Angliru and loses 10 seconds. Froome putting out his best numbers but looks to be out of contention. Anyway, Roglic to tire himself out gaining time in the tt and get ko'd during the week.

Uhh, have you seen the parcours for next week?

 

[Koronin]

Uhh, have you seen the parcours for next week?

Exactly. Apparently Valverde was asked about that and his comment was, they aren't as hard as recent Vuelta's, but there might be a few places for some maybe interesting strategies to be tried.

 

[Gigs_98]

According to: http://www.climbing-records.com/search?q=Mirador

2016:1,8 km@13,9%---6:53---average speed 15.69 km/h(Ruben Fernandez)
2013:1,8 km@13,9%---8:00---average speed 13.50 km/h(Roche-Flecha)
2012:1,8 km@13,9%---6:46---average speed 15.96 km/h(Joaquim Rodriguez)

Rogla surely has the upper hand on the flat piece.
Wasn't that convincing yesterday though and, generally, fares better when paced on a slope.
32 k's is a solid length... can be gained considerably, but by what price.
Ézaro requires rhythm and dedicated reserve.

I'd, certainly, take a breather before tackling the climb... 3-5 minutes to knock the pulse down.

Ah yes who could forget that. The one day where we all thought after many disappointments, Ruben Fernandez has finally had his big breakthrough performance. From there onwards he was gonna be a force to be reckoned with...

Is he actually even still riding?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Even if I try really hard, I just can't understand how people can feel so strongly about a bike change.

They change a bike. So the hell what?

Because IT IS pathetic. Once Riders we're going 300km stages on 20 kg Bikes with No gears. Nö they can't even Ride 34 km without changing Bikes. IT IS s an insult to the culture of the Sport. Plus IT puts insane and unnecessary pressure and Stress on the mechanics.

 

[sir fly]

Ah yes who could forget that. The one day where we all thought after many disappointments, Ruben Fernandez has finally had his big breakthrough performance. From there onwards he was gonna be a force to be reckoned with...

Is he actually even still riding?

PCS saying Cofidis contracted him for the next two seasons.
Not bad results this year under Euskaltel - Euskadi. Probably been tied by helping hand at Movi.

 

[Leinster]

Even if I try really hard, I just can't understand how people can feel so strongly about a bike change.

They change a bike. So the hell what?

It's daft.

It looks stupid.

When they get off the bikes, it take away from the whole "racing on bikes" that the sport is/should be about.

Henri Desgrange would be rolling in his grave.

I realise that there are a million and one other innovations in the sport that would cause the same reaction by Desgrange's corpse, but I just think the bike change is one too far.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Regardless of the changing bikes or not thing, I don't like this murito at the end; a stupid - though admittedly very Vueltaesque - gimmick.

It's almost as bad as those who would want no more than a prologue in the entire three weeks, because Primoz Roglic has the audacity/ability to keep up with their precious pure climbers on the upteenth number of mountain stages.

 

[movingtarget]

Huge opportunity for Roglic on this stage with most of his rivals not strong TT riders.

 

[saganftw]

in my recent PCM career i won this TT with Bob Jungels , however the more interesting thing was that on saturday, Roglic completely cracked and lost the vuelta (dropped from 1st to 3rd), Carapaz finished second and i won overall with Bob

...and sometimes life imitates art (minus the Jungles part) - so are you ready for Hugh Carthy the Vuelta champion?

 

[Koronin]

For those complaining about the murito, it's not as bad as that opening TTT a few years ago in which they were racing on a boardwalk for a few KMs with sand on it. Granted the murito is typical Vuelta, but they have had more insane things, like the boardwalk, and then there was the marble or whatever it was road in 2015 (if I remember right).

 

[Leinster]

Regardless of the changing bikes or not thing, I don't like this murito at the end; a stupid - though admittedly very Vueltaesque - gimmick.

It's almost as bad as those who would want no more than a prologue in the entire three weeks, because Primoz Roglic has the audacity/ability to keep up with their precious pure climbers on the upteenth number of mountain stages.

For (IMO, in that I don’t often hear of people praising it) a really underrated TT design;

Tour de France 2009 Stage 18 (ITT) results

Alberto Contador is the winner of Tour de France 2009 Stage 18 (ITT), before Fabian Cancellara and Mikhail Ignatiev. Alberto Contador was leader in GC.

www.procyclingstats.com

Of course, by “design,” I mean a conversation that probably went “how far is it around the lake? About 40km?” “Yes, and there’s a nice little cat3 on the East shore.” “Well that’s our stage 18, I guess.”

 

[gregrowlerson]

For (IMO, in that I don’t often hear of people praising it) a really underrated TT design;

Tour de France 2009 Stage 18 (ITT) results

Alberto Contador is the winner of Tour de France 2009 Stage 18 (ITT), before Fabian Cancellara and Mikhail Ignatiev. Alberto Contador was leader in GC.

www.procyclingstats.com

Of course, by “design,” I mean a conversation that probably went “how far is it around the lake? About 40km?” “Yes, and there’s a nice little cat3 on the East shore.” “Well that’s our stage 18, I guess.”

Yes, that was very good. As was the shorter stage 1 ITT.

Now if only the TTT was another ITT, and those Pyrenees stages hadn't had too many flat kms before the finish, then we have a decent overall route.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

For me they could change bikes 30 times if they want, I don't care at all. But I do think it's rediculous that they're allowed a push after a bike chance.

 

[JohnWayne]

It's daft.

It looks stupid.

When they get off the bikes, it take away from the whole "racing on bikes" that the sport is/should be about.

Henri Desgrange would be rolling in his grave.

I realise that there are a million and one other innovations in the sport that would cause the same reaction by Desgrange's corpse, but I just think the bike change is one too far.

I don't think riders getting off bikes was such a concern for Desgrange personally. His route designs definitely led to riders "racing off bikes"!

(Although of course changing bikes would have been a no-go. The riders should have welded the bars themselves should they have wanted a change from aero bars to drops )

 

[Cookster15]

Roglic will put over a minute on Carapaz on this course. The pimple at the end is steep but not long enough. Assuming he saves enough energy by the bottom its an anaerobic climb and that will suit Roglic more than Carapaz.

 

[Red Rick]

I wouldn't have minded a bit less if they didn't finish on top.

That said, I mind it far less than the PDBF ITT.

 

[Red Rick]

Anyway, weather predictions and how it develops through the day?

 

[SafeBet]

Anyway, weather predictions and how it develops through the day?

Yeah, wind could play a role if it's as strong as predicted.

 

[Red Rick]

Wait am I seeing it correctly on PCS there's no intermediate checks?

 

[RedheadDane]

Wait am I seeing it correctly on PCS there's no intermediate checks?

Surprise time trial. We won't know how well anyone is going before they reach the end!