Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 19 (Tapia - Monforte de Lemos, 191.2 km)

[RedheadDane]

This is the fifth day the Fighter Prize did no go to a Spaniard!
Did the organisers see the critique of how it seemed more like the "Most Popular Spaniard" prize for a few days?

 

[yaco]

I don't agree. They didn't get very close and they were all completely knackered. That breakaway group was insanely strong.

One team working alone is no certainty to bring back a break of 18 riders - It's different if it two or even three teams working together - Why did FDJ not work with Demare in the group ?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

This is the fifth day the Fighter Prize did no go to a Spaniard!
Did the organisers see the critique of how it seemed more like the "Most Popular Spaniard" prize for a few days?

It's been the case ever since someone posted the link to the voting site on here.

 

[tobydawq]

One team working alone is no certainty to bring back a break of 18 riders - It's different if it two or even three teams working together - Why did FDJ not work with Demare in the group ?

Yeah, that was odd. Of course they had Roux up front but still strange.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

One team working alone is no certainty to bring back a break of 18 riders - It's different if it two or even three teams working together - Why did FDJ not work with Demare in the group ?

Partly because Demare has very little form currently, partly because he was in the break until he was dropped, and partly because they had a guy in the break who was strong enough to make every selection and finished 5th

 

[ciranda]

It's always great when australian style racing doesn't work.

 

[Sciatic]

Poor Nieve. Crashed terribly then spent half his Vuelta chasing breakaways so Matthews could get stomped in any sprint possible.

 

[Sciatic]

Wow EF. Perfectly played.

Simmons could have won that. He's strong as an ox at what, 19 years old?

Yup, I can see him being a top-notch classics rider at some point.

 

[yaco]

Partly because Demare has very little form currently, partly because he was in the break until he was dropped, and partly because they had a guy in the break who was strong enough to make every selection and finished 5th

Roux was never going to win that sprint or get close - Demare would have a better chance from the peleton.

 

[yaco]

It's always great when australian style racing doesn't work.

Nah - I have posted that BEX is stuck in adopting 'old school' tactics in which you only ride for one protected rider which does not work well in the modern peleton - You need to have multiple options.

 

[Sciatic]

On a belated signal just watched rhe last hour of today's stage.
Now that was a cracker by Craddock.
Cannot remeber when last time witnessing a breakaway with that kind of will with only 20 secs to the sprinter teams with 12k's to go.

Was awesome to watch. Loved it

 

[Sciatic]

Nieve is no certainty to be in the peleton in 2022 - Mixed messages about whether he planned to retire, but the bottom line is BEX have failed to offer him a contract.

 

[movingtarget]

Matt White must be pulling out his remaining hairs. Nothing has gone right for Bike Exchange in this race and when Gerry Ryan pulls the plug I'm wondering if the team will continue as they have no big name riders and haven't had any significant results for quite a while now. Finding a new major sponsor won't be easy especially in the current market place.

 

[RedheadDane]

Roglic: It was an easy day. Breakaway went, and we went super easy behind!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That is debatable. I'm firmly in the the Kenneth Edmonds camp, but if you ask LS it'll be Oscar Sevilla.

Nobody gets to be a new Babyface until Sevilla retires. Which, seeing as he seems to be channelling his inner Rebellin, means by the time we can call Storer babyface he could feasibly have a ZZ Top beard.

 

[Orbit501]

This is the fifth day the Fighter Prize did no go to a Spaniard!
Did the organisers see the critique of how it seemed more like the "Most Popular Spaniard" prize for a few days?

I thought I heard the other day that it's a Spanish tv audience vote that decides that prize. Hence the ridiculous picks.

I also heard that if no Spaniard wins a stage in this Vuelta, that'll be the first time ever that no Spaniard has won a stage in a GT in a calendar year that all three have been held. No pressure on Mas for tomorrow then

 

[yaco]

Matt White must be pulling out his remaining hairs. Nothing has gone right for Bike Exchange in this race and when Gerry Ryan pulls the plug I'm wondering if the team will continue as they have no big name riders and haven't had any significant results for quite a while now. Finding a new major sponsor won't be easy especially in the current market place.

Can you believe that BEX called Stannard back from the break - I thought this must have been the case because Stannard did a power of work when he dropped back from the peleton which suggests he had good legs - He was the second fastest if he was in that final break of seven - The new Saudi Sponsor Aliu which signed just before the TDF has made a reasonable contribution and there is every chance the team will continue with Middle East money - It's frustrating how they are struggling to retain current riders and attract new riders - It's even more frustrating that they have money in the budget as they could have kept A.Yates in 2021 BUT yet unless they pull a 'rabbit out of a hat' in the transfer market they will have unused budget in 2022.

Anyway, I believe in the motto 'things are never as good as they seem, while they are never as bad as they seem.'

Finally, there is no certainty Matt White will be around in 2022.

 

[Lequack]

Bianchi bikes also had a good deal of exposure when at Jumbo Visma.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bianchi bikes also had a good deal of exposure when at Jumbo Visma.

But it was pretty bad exposure, because I kept thinking how awful the combination of celeste and yellow was.
It works much better with BEX, though their bikes should have more celeste on them.

 

[titan31]

Roux was never going to win that sprint or get close - Demare would have a better chance from the peleton.

Ya, it's why UAE should have worked too. Sure Oliviera had a shot but his chances are lower against Cort than Trentins were against Dainese and Matthews.

At the very least, it's an excuse for Oliviera to do nothing in the break as he's got a sprinter behind but they didn't even do that.

 

[Lequack]

Jay Vine looking like robocop with that helmet and glasses. And Fabio Aru looking like Fabio Aru

 

[Andy262]

One team working alone is no certainty to bring back a break of 18 riders - It's different if it two or even three teams working together - Why did FDJ not work with Demare in the group ?

I don't think Demare would win a sprint against himself at the moment. His form is inexplicably poor.

 

[tobydawq]

I don't think Demare would win a sprint against himself at the moment. His form is inexplicably poor.

Who would win that sprint then?

 

[inri2000]

Who would win that sprint then?

Matthews

 

[Danskebjerge]

Yesterday's stage had seemed like a Sunday ride for Cort. He even had energy to do a sprint for the finish line with Kron. So that confirmed that Cort was still in good shape here at the end of the Vuelta. And he beat Kron in yet another sprint, as he did on the mountain yesterday.