Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2024, stage 20: Villarcayo - Picón Blanco, 172.0k

[Tim Cahill]

EF strategy, attack, look behind, break gets another 10 seconds

 

[Tricycle Rider]

EF strategy, attack, look behind, break gets another 10 seconds

I think one EF rider tried to get something going but Bora isn't having it.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

This is already horribly underwhelming

 

[Rackham]

Everyone with their pre-stage "it's gonna be chaos!" predictions overlooking the fact loads of teams & riders are cooked & just want this thing over & done with already.

IMO.

 

[KOM]

Everyone with their pre-stage "it's gonna be chaos!" predictions overlooking the fact loads of teams & riders are cooked & just want this thing over & done with already.

IMO.

Everyone overlooking that every climb except the last one is a glorified false flat

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Break gone with over 3 mins now, I think the peloton will be a bore to watch with Bora controlling everything.

 

[Netserk]

Los Tornos is a very weak penultimate climb. The best they can do is using it as a descent, climb La Sía from the North and then do the sequence of Estacas de Trueba, Braguía, Caracol and Lunada before Picón Blanco and finish down at Espinosa de los Monteros.

It's very weak, but allows for Picón Blanco as the antepenultimate climb with 65 km to go. I think that provides a better opportunity for big bets than Lunada does as penultimate climb.

 

[Samamba]

Looks like UAE/Soler is giving the KOM jersey back to vine, great choice. Soler has his stage.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Nairoman sighting!

 

[Squire]

Looks like UAE/Soler is giving the KOM jersey back to vine, great choice. Soler has his stage.

He's hoping to outlast Vine in the stage, and grab it with plausible deniability later.

 

[Slavique Nuke]

Looks like UAE/Soler is giving the KOM jersey back to vine, great choice. Soler has his stage.

I think Soler is just waiting for the cat 2 and cat 1 climbs.

 

[will-10]

Looks like UAE/Soler is giving the KOM jersey back to vine, great choice. Soler has his stage.

they also have to hedge against Castrillo doing the last 100km solo and taking stage + KOM

 

[noob]

Not sure that's true:

Yeah I'd say Soler isn't selfish, he's just erratic and impulsive, like possibly the most

OMG tge SCENERY!!!!

 

[noob]

Those are the kind of hills worth rolling down sideways! When I was a kid I used to like rolling down hills sideways.

 

[Samamba]

He's hoping to outlast Vine in the stage, and grab it with plausible deniability later.

Oh 100% a possibility

I think Soler is just waiting for the cat 2 and cat 1 climbs.

Possible, but then it would be weird to me that Vine is sprinting for it like this. I mean I guess they both know the plan (well it is UAE but still).

 

[Netserk]

EF should have sent a rider with this downhill move. Still not too late to send a satellite in orbit.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Maybe a little better cornering and you might bridge that 5 minute gap to 10 riders.

Hopefully a few peel off and get a chase going, I assume that's what they are going for.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Vlasov is apparently sick

 

[ice&fire]

T-Rex tactical masterclass part 2, sending Asgreen ahead then the break is 5 minutes away

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Bittner and Asgreen have escaped the peloton, they have quite a ways to catch up to the break though, not sure how this will go

 

[Netserk]

Vamos, Ineos!!!

 

[Red Rick]

Break is obviously disappointing for the race. But the stage was always overrated with the tempo climbs, much like stage 20 of the Tour, and one thing that hasn't been talked about enough this Vuelta is the very weak level of the GC teams and breakaways. Essentially, when Equipo Kern Pharma is the strongest break away team, your field isn't very strong, just like it's a skill issue when everyone is fighting for the breakaway every stage but it's the same 3 UAE dudes in that break every damned time.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Cow sighting!

And Asgreen in no man's land cause he shook Bittner off

 

[ice&fire]

Soler lets Vine take the KOM and then attacks in the descent

 

[Samamba]

Looking forward to a 6th place for Rodriguez