Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2024, stage 4: Plasencia - Pico Villuercas, 170.4k

[Unchained]

Almeida being best UAE rider on a climb that favors him the least actually is a good sign IMHO. I don't see him winning necessarily. But it isn't Almeida's fault that Ayuso couldn't just focus on the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. So UAE had a leader that could win the race.



Ricitello as good as expected.



Tao as bad as expected.

All the six plus in the final selection rode great. Ricitello has a sort of break dance style, I thought he was going to snap but he didn't, Roglic had good legs fantastic almost motorcycle cadence on even the steep sections. An in face type thing when breakaway riders were written off 2_times, they will never hold it and one rider was not far down on GC, but bigger, better, faster teams gave him very little respectful chase. Landa has great instincts and style, he kept on pushing made it to the lead group and then tried something aggressive that was semi successful.. McNulty and Landa both salvaged something.. with @10+% grade if you stop crushing you stop moving!! Yates is still close enough to be useful, hope he has legs on Thursday.. Del Toro @ minute back finished w Carlos Rodriguez.. not terrible..
Kuss is not crushed but he is going to need everything to go his way..

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That's a point actually, race should probably be asterisked because Ineos are without their chief sporting director, 'Steve Cummings'.

Their whole season has been plagued by shortcummings, but we can't asterisk all races.

 

[Walter1234]

LVE had bad luck when Roglic started to follow, Roglic almost was blocken by another rider -not sure who-, but eventually could pass quickly.
And then LVE was maybe too nice by following the curve in the road. Going straight would have forced Roglic for an extra 50cm detour...
But a lot of ifs, but more influential then stopping one pedal stroke too quick.

 

[elguapo]

"It's not about the bike"
- someone -

In most of their races, Ineos riders do not have the much-needed endurance. Their rider who was sick and exhausted after the Tour seems to be their strongest bet for now, but compared to Almeida, Mas and Landa who raced with him, CRod is short of oxygen.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

The aura of our Mikel is far beyond that of any other rider

He did an awful time trial, finished last of the favourites group after dangling the whole of the climb, and hasn't finished in the top 3 of a mountain stage since 2019.

But he is still considered one of the only 4 realistic winners of this race. Because we know how good he can be

But we also know that it won't happen

Nobody else is like this

Its the way he looks on a bike ...like he is not even trying....just slowly cutting through the wind like a hot knife through butter

If there were bonus points (seconds ) for artistic impression all the judges would give him 10 out of 10

And of course there is the hope that he can be freed into the lead one day ...though faith is low , hope is high

and who doesn't like those faint exquisitely bones crushing hopes in cycling ?

 

[Breh]

Racing to some random climb in the middle of nowhere with insane gradients in 35°,
Sivakov dynamiting the race when his entire team is ????
Landa out-Almeidaing Almeida
mediocre images
Mas is a top3 climber
Roglic wins with a jump timed to perfection

I love La Vuelta

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Did the Commentator just say we could yet still see WVA in red come the end of the day, 2 mins after the pictures showed him sitting up in the autobus - absolute clown

Watching on delayed signal, and Wout clearly seems in red zone right now

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

So now we have both "they forced me to it" and "nobody asked me" GT stage winners.
Interresting...

 

[Sciatic]

wins.

Racing to some random climb in the middle of nowhere with insane gradients in 35°,
Sivakov dynamiting the race when his entire team is ????
Landa out-Almeidaing Almeida
mediocre images
Mas is a top3 climber
Roglic wins with a jump timed to perfection

I love La Vuelta

Yeah, what was that from Sivakov? Did he really think he could just drop everyone early and then stay away? Or just feeling his oats for a moment and then noticing, “wait, why is everyone going slower at the bottom of this super steep section.”

 

[Rob5091]

GC Kuss says it's hot!

Visma on X link

 

[Bolder]

GC Kuss says it's hot!

Visma on X link

Soon it will just be "Kuss," no "GC.," I'm afraid...

 

[Lequack]

Have to say the fans have been great so far

https://twitter.com/x/status/1826167605620625593

View: https://x.com/lavuelta/status/1826167605620625593

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah. Sure, the string-barriers probably helped some, but good to see nobody thought they were merely suggestions, and went inside the barriers.

 

[scribers]

Belgians must be losing their minds at the strength of Lenny. Yesterday’s stage podium is looking like the final podium in form.

It looked like Gall was away to stay. But not quite all of that. Maybe sit on and brandish that sword very late in the stage

 

[Rob5091]

Gall is an interesting guy in the Vuelta as he says he's got a free role (Ben O'Connor is team leader)
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-climb-of-stage-4-at-the-2024-vuelta-a-espana

"It wasn’t until the final climb that I started to feel like I had good legs," Gall continues, although he insists, Ben O'Connor, who lost more than a minute, remains the team leader. "He’s the team leader, I’m just the backup."

"I have a free role, so I had nothing to lose. That’s why I took a risk and attacked early, going on instinct. On a hot day, it’s hard to pace yourself, but I didn’t blow up," concludes the Austrian climber. "Maybe at the end, I watched the others a bit too much, but overall, I’m proud. I’m happy with my legs after a tough Tour."

So, if we say that maybe we saw who will not win the Vuelta, then Carapaz, Yates and Kuss seem to be on the list. If we also remember that the last stage is a 24 km long ITT then all the climbing guys need to gain time on the likes of Roglic before the last stage.

 

[Pannenkooky]

Usually they are left off races once a change is announced. Better to give opportunities to others on the team.

Hmm, Demi Vollering is switching and Campanaerts, I can't think of another upcoming switch whose last season it is with a team--are there other?