Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2024 Stage 3, Lousã-Castelo Branco, 191.5k

[QueenStagiaire]

As the race completes its diversion through Spain‘s smaller, weirder conjoined twin with what petulant whiners may see as a ‚worthless flat stage‘, another sprint royale among elite competition is expected to take place. But stay alert, because after coming within touching distance of the mythical Torre climb to tease the viewer, the race heads due south along insufficiently covered roads just as the powerful northwesterly winds are expected to kick up. Any trigonometry graduate among us will realize that this means even more teasing, unless…

 

[DenisMenchov]

View: https://youtu.be/mAGkhvVA33s


There's one really tricky left-hand corner in the final 3k

 

[noob]

View: https://youtu.be/mAGkhvVA33s


There's one really tricky left-hand corner in the final 3k

Whoa, that looks like made for crashes 😞

 

[Sciatic]

Warm up for Stage 4 and those 3km at 14-16% in the final climb

 

[ice&fire]

I hadn't realised the route goes through Covilha, so we'll surely see Serra da Estrela and the mighty Alto da Torre from the heli.

 

[Rob5091]

I've seen reports it's going to be even hotter today, so the ice tub will be popular today.

 

[jfazendeiro]

Being from the area I can assure that the stretch from Fundão to the end of Alto de Alpedrinha descent is dangerous.

 

[dazaau]

So far from what I've learned in this thread I should go to bed praying I don't wake up to headlines about a crash involving Roglic.

 

[Rob5091]

So far from what I've learned in this thread I should go to bed praying I don't wake up to headlines about a crash involving Roglic.

I would say that you could do that for next 3 weeks!

 

[tobydawq]

I would say that you could do that for next 3 weeks!

Not if he crashes out today.

 

[dazaau]

I would say that you could do that for next 3 weeks!

I think the risks are pretty small after these first few days.

Also, was it just my perception of the highlights or did bora actually ride like a GC team and drill it at the front to keep Roglic out of trouble last night

 

[Ricco']

Great atmosphere! Biggest cheering, outside the portuguese, for Roglic, Kuss, Quintana and Van Aert.

 

[search]

Maté and Ruiz are on the attack again, and this time they both brought a team mate, Isasa and Iribar.

By the look of it, no one else has noticed yet that the sprint teams are rare and weak.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Maté and Ruiz are on the attack again, and this time they both brought a team mate, Isasa and Iribar.

By the look of it, no one else has noticed yet that the sprint teams are rare and weak.

There will be plenty of breakaway opportunities in this Vuelta. No point in going all in just yet. Affini and Gesink with a bit of help from Alpecin and DSM can easily control the breakway on a stage like this.

 

[search]

There will be plenty of breakaway opportunities in this Vuelta. No point in going all in just yet. Affini and Gesink with a bit of help from Alpecin and DSM can easily control the breakway on a stage like this.

I think they'd have no chance to control a bigger group.

But yeah, most mountain stages will likely be won by breakaways again anyway.

 

[search]

apparently Asgreen, Campenaerts and Küng have now attacked from the peloton. That's more what I was thinking about.

edit: but were caught immediately.

 

[DenisMenchov]

I think they'd have no chance to control a bigger group.

But yeah, most mountain stages will likely be won by breakaways again anyway.

Then Wout just joins the breakaway

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Being from the area I can assure that the stretch from Fundão to the end of Alto de Alpedrinha descent is dangerous.

Wow. Surely the obvious thing to do is for all teams and riders to agree to take it easy in this section of the race and not take crazy risks or throw themselves down the descent like maniacs. After all it's a small descent 40km from the finish in a flat stage.

But I bet we will not see this

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Roglic with the usual pretend of 'what come comes' and 'day by day we see'


The man wants to win this race and has come here to win...stop with the BS

 

[scribers]

He has to deliver something to bora

 

[topcat]

If my whole season is absolute bollocks, que sera sera.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Someone wrap gesink and roglic in bubbles wrap for the next 10km please

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Someone wrap gesink and roglic in bubbles wrap for the next 10km please

What about Stevie K and Jay Vine?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What about Stevie K and Jay Vine?

Basically all riders have to be included, apart from young Vino, of course.

 

[Sciatic]

Great atmosphere! Biggest cheering, outside the portuguese, for Roglic, Kuss, Quintana and Van Aert.

Thanks for posting the photos! Love it!