Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2020: Stage 7 (Vitoria-Gasteiz > Villanueva de Valdegovia, 159,7 km)

[Koronin]

Out Valverde'd Valverde. Gotta respect that.

Except Valverde has NEVER flat out refused to work like Woods. What Woods did was not only disgusting but ensures others will be more happy to just let the group behind catch than do anything with him. Woods was disgusting.

I genuinely don't remember ever seeing Valverde featuring in such a classic break-finale before.

That would be because he's never been allowed into breaks before. If he's fighting that way for stage wins it's always because it's with the other GC leaders not stage hunters.

 

[tobydawq]

Except Valverde has NEVER flat out refused to work like Woods. What Woods did was not only disgusting but ensures others will be more happy to just let the group behind catch than do anything with him. Woods was disgusting.



That would be because he's never been allowed into breaks before. If he's fighting that way for stage wins it's always because it's with the other GC leaders not stage hunters.

Obviously, but he has been a pro for 19 years, you would expect there to be just a few (and maybe there were).

 

[Koronin]

What a stage! So exciting to watch.


Haha, what? Deserve it? What does that even mean? He was the one riding today's stage the fastest so obviously he deserves the win. He attacked multiple times as well so I'm not sure why you call him a wheelsucker.

He refused to do any work and ONLY attacked. That is a wheel sucker. It's also a perfect example of someone to never go into any kind of break with. Absolutely disgusting and tainted win. not at all deserved.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Good to see three Movistar riders in the top-10. I'm sure they'll work well together!

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Kirby thinking that Cort, outsprinting the GC group for pride, was Carthy. Has Carthy ever sprinted ?

 

[johnymax]

Great racing. Except for Jumbo who are probably tactically the worst team there is. They can win only when they are way above the rest in terms of strength. What did they accomplish today? Nothing. They killed two best climbing domestiques while Carapaz didn't have to put his nose on the wind for one second.

I don't know. Maybe I'm overexaggerating here. But I think they missed an opportunity (again) to test their rivals. Bennett gaining 40s won't do it, I'm sorry.

 

[BlueRoads]

Well, I sure would not go that far as Koronin, but some of the sentiment is inside of me as well, I must admit. And I think it's not the first time, he has a tendency to do that...
I was rooting for G Martin, unfortunately although very attack-minded he just does not have any physical abilities for that, no explosive sprint at all...

 

[Alexandre B.]

What's the problem with Woods way of racing?

He was all alone on the climb.

 

[Koronin]

Obviously, but he has been a pro for 19 years, you would expect there to be just a few (and maybe there were).

He's tried at different points, but this is the first time he's ever been allowed into one. There have been times other GC teams have said if he's not down by at least 10 minutes they'd never let him in a break. So yeah, this is a first. He's been off the front only with other GC riders before. He's very rarely been far enough back that anyone would let him go. I suspect the only reason they allowed it this time was because he hasn't show the ability to stay with the top GC riders on climbs at all this year.

 

[Koronin]

What's the problem with Woods way of racing?

He was all alone on the climb.

After the decent he REFUSED to do any work and just sat on. They all should have just let the group behind catch them because he refused to work and basically POed the other 5 riders. He is making enemies in the peloton not friends.

 

[tobydawq]

He's tried at different points, but this is the first time he's ever been allowed into one. There have been times other GC teams have said if he's not down by at least 10 minutes they'd never let him in a break. So yeah, this is a first. He's been off the front only with other GC riders before. He's very rarely been far enough back that anyone would let him go. I suspect the only reason they allowed it this time was because he hasn't show the ability to stay with the top GC riders on climbs at all this year.

Thank you, I know a bit about his career too...

 

[tobydawq]

After the decent he REFUSED to do any work and just sat on. They all should have just let the group behind catch them because he refused to work and basically POed the other 5 riders. He is making enemies in the peloton not friends.

I think he is making more enemies on this forum than in the peloton to be honest.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I'm assuming the GPS gaps were wrong for ages, but if not how did Amador riding by himself pull back about a minute from the top of climb. How long was he being motorpaced?

GPS was correct at the top of the final climb. Peloton came over 1:55 behind Woods

 

[Koronin]

Thank you, I know a bit about his career too...

I know you do. It's one of those oddities about his career.

 

[Fernandez]

Koronin you are such a fanatic.

 

[HelloDolly]

Great racing. Except for Jumbo who are probably tactically the worst team there is. They can win only when they are way above the rest in terms of strength. What did they accomplish today? Nothing. They killed two best climbing domestiques while Carapaz didn't have to put his nose on the wind for one second.

I don't know. Maybe I'm overexaggerating here. But I think they missed an opportunity (again) to test their rivals. Bennett gaining 40s won't do it, I'm sorry.

They dont always win then

 

[Red Rick]

Kirby thinking that Cort, outsprinting the GC group for pride, was Carthy. Has Carthy ever sprinted ?

Yeah but Carthy is one of them Anglo Saxons

 

[Armchair cyclist]

After the decent he REFUSED to do any work and just sat on. They all should have just let the group behind catch them because he refused to work and basically POed the other 5 riders. He is making enemies in the peloton not friends.

And if they had let the group behind catch them, then EF would have made sure that Valverde, a potential GC threat, had not made up time on Carthy. As soon as Valverde put himself into that group, he gave licence to anyone in the group who has a team mate with GC aspirations to be a passenger. That is the advantage that his team's position in the race gave to Woods

Consider it a compliment to Valverde that he is seen as a potential danger: if he wants to ba allowed into a group that will be co-operative with him, he has to lose more than 3 minutes before hand. That is pretty much how stage racing works for everyone.

Movistar riders have no doubt found themselves similarly in a group in which they had tactical reason to not contribute: I suspect you thought them to be astute rather than disgusting.

 

[SafeBet]

Except Valverde has NEVER flat out refused to work like Woods.

Of course he has never done that. Because the chances of him being the best sprinter in such a group are very high, and only a stupid wouldn't work in that case

Woods would never win a sprint from that group. His only chance is to sit and try a surprising attack that no one would follow. And it worked. It was so surprising that not even the TV production saw it coming.

 

[Koronin]

And if they had let the group behind catch them, then EF would have made sure that Valverde, a potential GC threat, had not made up time on Carthy. As soon as Valverde put himself into that group, he gave licence to anyone in the group who has a team mate with GC aspirations to be a passenger. That is the advantage that his team's position in the race gave to Woods

Consider it a compliment to Valverde that he is seen as a potential danger: if he wants to ba allowed into a group that will be co-operative with him, he has to lose more than 3 minutes before hand. That is pretty much how stage racing works for everyone.

Movistar riders have no doubt found themselves similarly in a group in which they had tactical reason to not contribute: I suspect you thought them to be astute rather than disgusting.

The reality is this is the first time he's been allowed into a break by other GC teams without being at least 10 minutes down. So they don't see him as as much of a GC threat as they have in the past.

The difference in those instances is that until the break gets 10 minutes they are in the break (usually large ones) so they can drop back and aren't trying to win a stage. Of the 5 in that group Omar Fraile is the one who legitimately had a reason to not work as he had a faster rider siting that group they were just in front of. He could have not worked and no one would have thought anything of it. Woods doesn't get that BS excuse. If he was that worried about time he needed to have dropped back and helped Ineos pull. This was just wheel sucking for the sake of wheel sucking.

 

[Gigs_98]

Here's the thing, Woods racing like that only looked so bad because the others would have the stupid mistake of dragging Valverde to the finishline. And because people like Peters apparently didn't see an issue in taking as big of a workload as a guy who is literally one of the best climber-sprinter hybrids in the history of the sport it looked strange when Woods didn't. But that's how racing in those situations works. If Nibali descends the Poggio while in the lead of MSR and Sagan is the only guy with him, would you be angry if Nibali doesn't work as much on the flat as Sagan does? Then why would you get angry at Woods here.

 

[Koronin]

Of course he has never done that. Because the chances of him being the best sprinter in such a group are very high, and only a stupid wouldn't work in that case

Woods would never win a sprint from that group. His only chance is to sit and try a surprising attack that no one would follow. And it worked. It was so surprising that not even the TV production saw it coming.

The good part is Woods showed he's nothing but a wheel sucker and made enemies in the peloton today. He will have the wheel sucker reputation going forward.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I agree with Koronin. Woods should have actually stood up out of the saddle to make his draft bigger for everyone else. Shame on him, and he should have his EF contract revoked.

 

[Red Rick]

Honestly Valverde's reputation hindered him here. I don't think he has the sprint he once had here. Think a guy like Fraile would've definitely had a shot in a sprint

 

[Koronin]

Here's the thing, Woods racing like that only looked so bad because the others would have the stupid mistake of dragging Valverde to the finishline. And because people like Peters apparently didn't see an issue in taking as big of a workload as a guy who is literally one of the best climber-sprinter hybrids in the history of the sport it looked strange when Woods didn't. But that's how racing in those situations works. If Nibali descends the Poggio while in the lead of MSR and Sagan is the only guy with him, would you be angry if Nibali doesn't work as much on the flat as Sagan does? Then why would you get angry at Woods here.

There is a big difference between not working as much and flat out refusing to do any work at all. That is the difference you are missing. Not doing as much work is still doing some work and not just sitting on wheels refusing to pull through and when forced to literally sitting up and not even pedaling. That is 100% disgusting behavior and a great way to make enemies in the peloton. The peloton knows for sure he's a wheel sucker and will label him.

Honestly Valverde's reputation hindered him here. I don't think he has the sprint he once had here. Think a guy like Fraile would've definitely had a shot in a sprint

Fraile may very well have won, and he was the one really POed along with Martin over Woods' refusal to do anything at all.