Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 4 (El Burgo de Osma > Molina de Aragón, 163.9 km)

[gregrowlerson]

You know that it's a stage for the sprinters when it's 8pm in Australia, and the thread hasn't made it past page one.

Well, until now.

P.S. Sprint stages were probably the reason why stage threads automatically got stickied

 

[ice&fire]

Valverde is truly amazing.

I really hope he gets a stagewin but I don't really know where or how it might happen.

Whenever Roglic allows it.

 

[Anderis]

I hoped it would be a stage for Cort but apparently not after reading the first page.

 

[perico]

They must’ve really been flying to break The Golden Child’s record.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1427365179579318279

View: https://twitter.com/faustocoppi60/status/1427365179579318279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1427365179579318279%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-17536008023609575366.ampproject.net%2F2107302322001%2Fframe.html

 

[CyclistAbi]

Yeah, last climb yesterday looked much more innocent than it actually was. You could see most of the favourites where riding on the limit.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, last climb yesterday looked much more innocent than it actually was. You could see most of the favourites where riding on the limit.

Headwind makes it much more a race where riders just get blown off the back than off the front. I think. It being a one climb stage means a lot of guys can try to hang on as long as possible, even if the pace is pretty even on the climb. You'd basically need a positive split to blow *** up really hard and that's just not how you race with a headwind.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I would say for Roglič stage 3 was all about can i climb with the best. Mission accomplished. As if he couldn't then what would be the point. For Bernal it was all about lets drop Carapaz and lets set thing straight. The rest of the favourites just followed or applied a dosage of pressure to get some confidence they are on the right track.

P.S. Head wind likely made it a bit harder to break climbing record but in my opinion it didn't play a bigger role in the tactics. If head wind wouldn't be there the record would still get broken by a bigger margin.

 

[sir fly]

I'm not buying the headwind story.
Either it wasn't that bad or the previous best time was lame if the pacing into the headwind bettered it.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I hoped it would be a stage for Cort but apparently not after reading the first page.

Danish TV2 puts more trust into the profile than the road book, which then has lead Chris Anker Sørensen to believe that Cort has a great chance of winning the stage.

 

[search]

is Cort in good enough shape at all, no matter the profile?! His prologue was far worse than expected, and going by the order on the startlist, he probably just came in as a reserve rider (for Uran?)?

 

[Red Rick]

I'm not buying the headwind story.
Either it wasn't that bad or the previous best time was lame if the pacing into the headwind bettered it.

Yesterday headwind was very clear/well documented.

Now the thing with Picon Blanco is that headwind is standard. For the Evenepoel time maybe it was more cross instead of tailwind and it only looked like a ridiculous tailwind on the stretch where they go west more so than north between 2 and 1km to go or so.

 

[search]

UAE plans to try with Trentin today, by the way, Gibbons just said

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not buying the headwind story.
Either it wasn't that bad or the previous best time was lame if the pacing into the headwind bettered it.

Previously only raced in the Vuelta a Burgos though, which most years is a warmup race for the Vuelta, and last year was one of the very first races back post-pandemic, so it's likely that, whether weather played a role or not, key GC riders are closer to peak form here than on previous ascents.

 

[ice&fire]

Wind shows up when not needed and disappears when needed. Forecast for today and tomorrow has soft breezes around 10km/h at racing hours.

 

[SafeBet]

Didn't take long for a break to establish: Canal, Madrazo and Bou.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

is Cort in good enough shape at all, no matter the profile?! His prologue was far worse than expected, and going by the order on the startlist, he probably just came in as a reserve rider (for Uran?)?

No, he's probably not in peak shape right now, but the team will be working for him, because it's a slightly uphill sprint.

Madrazo and a teammate in a break with a Basque rider during the first week. Is this a repeat?

 

[tobydawq]

is Cort in good enough shape at all, no matter the profile?! His prologue was far worse than expected, and going by the order on the startlist, he probably just came in as a reserve rider (for Uran?)?

It's because ASO has him as Nielsen that he does not seem te be alphabetically in zync with the rest. The same goes for Valgren whom they have as Hundahl.

 

[sir fly]

Yesterday headwind was very clear/well documented.

Now the thing with Picon Blanco is that headwind is standard. For the Evenepoel time maybe it was more cross instead of tailwind and it only looked like a ridiculous tailwind on the stretch where they go west more so than north between 2 and 1km to go or so.

I've rewatched the ascent.
The wind was notable near the top, where always is. Otherwise, the wind turbines would've not been put there.
Lower down the slope nothing special... judging by the shape of the bunch, treetops, roadside banners and fans' flags.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

The finish on the CM-210. You have to go on the right hand side of the building up the road.

 

[Netserk]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1427548601929043968

View: https://twitter.com/VeloViewer/status/1427548601929043968

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

No, he's probably not in peak shape right now, but the team will be working for him, because it's a slightly uphill sprint.

Madrazo and a teammate in a break with a Basque rider during the first week. Is this a repeat?

He just needs to get knocked over by his own team car and he is a cert for the stage.

 

[ice&fire]

There's traffic island at the turn with 1.1km to go that gets the road down to a single lane.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

There's traffic island at the turn with 1.1km to go that gets the road down to a single lane.

 

[cen]

not sure, on Street View it looks fairly narrow and more twisty than the map makes you think. Not in the dangerous way, but the peloton will likely be stretched out, meaning position is key. Could be an issue for Matthews, as he lacks support. If Groupama get's it right today, I'd go for Demare

That is a big "if".

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Maybe they have removed it, the traffic island?