Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2020: Stage 6 (Biescas - Aramón Formigal, 146.6 km)

[Pantani_lives]

The original stage with finish on the Tourmalet has been cancelled, because during the corona pandemic crossing the French border would be a problem. However the new profile is also interesting. It goes from Biescas to Aramón Formigal. This is the same route as stage 15 in 2016, with 28 km added in the beginning. Back then Brambilla won the stage, but more importantly Contador attacked early with Quintana and several helpers, putting the Colombian more firmly in red.

Hopefully we'll get another exciting stage this year. There are three climbs, of which the toughest comes at the end.

Second climb: Puerto de Cotefablo

Third and final climb: Aramón Formigal

 

[Luthor]

Kuss to attack on the section at 9 %. Carapaz follows Kuss but it's worned out. Roglic sprints for seconds.

 

[lenric]

 

[Escarabajo]

Not even close. The one in 2016 came after the queen stage. This is really not a replacement. Another sprint up the mountain.

 

[Red Rick]

I wonder if at least Dumoulin will go choo choo a little bit.

 

[Koronin]

In a normal year a break might take it, but this year that is unlikely. Also more areas in Spain are looking at putting tighter Covid restrictions in place due to increasing numbers.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yea, placing a stage like this here is not going to create 2016 type action unless the most unlikely of scenarios plays out, but then the action we got on this stage in 2016 was pretty unlikely too. I don't expect anything of that level, but Formigal is a climb which has a history of over-delivering compared to what it should provide given its relative ease and uninspiring profile. If we get a mediocre sprint up the mountain, then realistically you can't be disappointed because that's what Formigal ought to give us, and if we get anything more, it's a bonus.

And it really doesn't have to go very far to best the previous Grand Tour mountain stage to take place on stage 6.

 

[Koronin]

Well it's not like this was the original plan for the stage. This was Plan B because Plan A was cancelled. So there's that. What could give us more than it should for the climb is that Monday is a rest day. Plus there's still the question of does la Vuelta make it all the way to Madrid due to rising Covid cases, does Spain give la Vuelta an exemption to continue even if they put stricter measures in place (which from what friends are saying is likely, although that could be just on a regional basis as well).

 

[lenric]

Apparently, tomorrow Pedro Sanchez (the guy that tries to be the prime minister of Spain) is going to declare state of emergency in Spain, allowing each city to impose the restrictions they wish. This may very well have an impact.

 

[Breezy1985]

Kuss to attack on the section at 9 %. Carapaz follows Kuss but it's worned out. Roglic sprints for seconds.

Rogs 500m sprints would be a dangerous tactic against an in form D.Martin if it wasnt for the fact that Dan will ship about 10 mins in the TT in a few weeks

 

[Breezy1985]

Apparently, tomorrow Pedro Sanchez (the guy that tries to be the prime minister of Spain) is going to declare state of emergency in Spain, allowing each city to impose the restrictions they wish. This may very well have an impact.

The Vuelta is mostly around a few northern states this year and I bet those states will call for sports bans as soon as the Vuelta has passed by

 

[Koronin]

The Vuelta is mostly around a few northern states this year and I bet those states will call for sports bans as soon as the Vuelta has passed by

They also may just make an exception for la Vuelta. From what a good friend of mine said today, Murcia is warning that if people don't start abiding by current orders they are going to reintroduce "much more restrictive" measures, but have no intention on going back into the full lock downs from this spring.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

this time i think its gonna be "only" a battle of attraction between the big teams all the way up..
good memories.. i remember reading here what was going on and going crazy with no transmition..
btw, does anybody have the picture os Nairo hugging Contador backstage??

 

[The Barb]

Being a mountain finish before a rest day, one would think this is a GC day, although I'm not totally convinced. What makes me question it a bit is the fact that Jumbo have said they are not going to ride differently to the train they repeatedly formed in the Tour. I think they might continue to take it a bit easier in the hope of remaining fresh enough to cover any attacks that might come later in the race. Potential bad weather also increases the chance of it going to the break.

I'll give Cavagna another chance after he tried more than once to make it into the break yesterday.

If it is GC then it's hard to see past Roglic, although there is a chance for someone a bit further down the GC to sneak away late (Grossscharter, for example).

 

[gregrowlerson]

Being a mountain finish before a rest day, one would think this is a GC day, although I'm not totally convinced. What makes me question it a bit is the fact that Jumbo have said they are not going to ride differently to the train they repeatedly formed in the Tour. I think they might continue to take it a bit easier in the hope of remaining fresh enough to cover any attacks that might come later in the race. Potential bad weather also increases the chance of it going to the break.

I'll give Cavagna another chance after he tried more than once to make it into the break yesterday.

If it is GC then it's hard to see past Roglic, although there is a chance for someone a bit further down the GC to sneak away late (Grossscharter, for example).

If Cavagna wins I am going to start betting the house that I don't have on your cycling stage tips!

 

[Pantani_lives]

Roglic could win the Vuelta by only going deep in two stages: Angliru and the ITT. After today there are four more MTFs, but those might all be reduced to a battle in the last 2 km or so. Jumbo certainly has the team to control the race. I hope there will be at least one stage with GC action before the final climb, but I don't really see it. Stage 11 comes one day before the Angliru, so they will probably ride conservatively there.

I hope that there won't be any positive tests on the resting day, especially not from riders, and that the Vuelta will reach Madrid, but that's far from certain.

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic could win the Vuelta by only going deep in two stages: Angliru and the ITT. After today there are four more MTFs, but those might all be reduced to a battle in the last 2 km or so. Jumbo certainly has the team to control the race. I hope there will be at least one stage with GC action before the final climb, but I don't really see it. Stage 11 comes one day before the Angliru, so they will probably ride conservatively there.

I hope that there won't be any positive tests on the resting day, especially not from riders, and that the Vuelta will reach Madrid, but that's far from certain.

Moncalvillo is no Angliru but it's a really hard climb, and the Farrapona stage is really hard.

 

[Fernandez]

After two boring days we need action today

 

[Red Rick]

After two boring days we need action today

I have bad news.

Rohan Dennis isn't there.

 

[Lequack]

Weather forecast for the finishing climb

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic, after dropping everyone in the uphill sprint yesterday

 

[Descender]

Roglic could win the Vuelta by only going deep in two stages: Angliru and the ITT.

I know what you mean but I'd argue that this stage is actually harder than the Angliru stage and in theory has more potential to create big gaps. The two last mountain passes could very well be labelled HC/Esp., and Farrapona is a hard 1st Cat.

Why the Vuelta would label all the last four climbs as 1st Cat. is beyond me.

 

[Eclipse]

I have bad news.

Rohan Dennis isn't there.

Cameron Wurf is though!

---

I feel like we'll get a bit more fun than some are expecting. It might go to a break but there's enough decent riders who have shipped enough time that I'd hope we get a few people trying to steal a march on the JV train today as well.

Otherwise it'll be chugga chugga into Carapaz trying something into getting covered into Roglic via last k sprint for 3 seconds.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The problem with La Farrapona is never La Farrapona. It's that every single time they climb it they put Angliru the next day, so nobody ever wants to risk anything on San Lorenzo or do anything beyond the last 5km. Literally do those exact same stages the other way round and the chances of action on the Farrapona stage increase dramatically. Angliru is going to create gaps anyway, so you don't need to incentivise it by putting it on the last day before the rest day.

 

[roundabout]

I don't think Angliru was climbed in 2014

Edit: yep, it wasn't. it was the last stage of the 3 mountain stages (Camperona included) before a rest day.

Maybe things will be different this time around, but I still don't think any major moves are going to be made before the last 7km