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

[Mayomaniac]

Kron being 14th on the stage is kinda wild.
Don't get me wrong, he's a good rider, but 14th on such a steep MTF isn't what you expect from him.

Vuelta Mas is always a different kind of beast, just like @Valv.Piti said.

 

[Rob5091]

Roglic doing what he does best so, chapeau, but Lenny VE pushing him all the way so, also, chapeau! If Lenny can keep up this form, he can top 5.
Some interesting team talks in the buses tonight I reckon.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Thymen's father back on X soon?

 

[red_flanders]

Really good stage. Loved the scenery, the back-and-forth was great, and always a kicker when someone pulls the trigger JUST A BIT early. Poor kid. He's got some wheels though, if he can hang on throughout the race, he's gonna get his.

Any new face is good amongst the contenders is a good thing IMO. Even better if they're Flemish!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Logic must be fuming somewhere, a young Belgian kid beaten by the postman

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Did Gall really just mess up his prep, so that he's hitting his peak shape now?

Surely hitting peak shape now is getting the prep just right.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Surely hitting peak shape now is getting the prep just right.

Not when you wanted to do well in the Tour. Just looked like he was behind schedule all season tbf.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Apparently Lennert is 5 foot 8 so unfortunately doesn't quite fall into the in vogue 'Young Belgian Midget' climber categorisation.

 

[xo 1]

Thymen's father back on X soon?

I had the same thought. It will be interesting to see if he's learned anything.

With Carlos also shipping time, INEOS appears to be in line for a second consecutive disappointing GT. May be a lot of pressure on Tarling to salvage something from their Vuelta at the end.

 

[ppanther92]

Did Gall really just mess up his prep, so that he's hitting his peak shape now?

I always wondered why he changed the approach to the Tour after last year's huge success.

"Ich wusste, dass ich nicht ganz die gleiche Form habe wie letztes Jahr. Wir haben ein bisschen eine andere Vorbereitung gemacht mit etwas mehr Stunden, dafür etwas weniger Intensität, einfach im Hinblick auf die Tour, dass ich dort topfit bin" (after Tour de Suisse)

Gall beendet die Tour de Suisse als Zehnter

Der Osttiroler wurde im abschließenden Bergzeitfahren 14. und zeigt sich hinsichtlich der Tour de France zuversichtlich

www.derstandard.at

 

[Mayomaniac]

I always wondered why he changed the approach to the Tour after last year's huge success.

"Ich wusste, dass ich nicht ganz die gleiche Form habe wie letztes Jahr. Wir haben ein bisschen eine andere Vorbereitung gemacht mit etwas mehr Stunden, dafür etwas weniger Intensität, einfach im Hinblick auf die Tour, dass ich dort topfit bin" (after Tour de Suisse)

Gall beendet die Tour de Suisse als Zehnter

Der Osttiroler wurde im abschließenden Bergzeitfahren 14. und zeigt sich hinsichtlich der Tour de France zuversichtlich

www.derstandard.at

IMO he also did too much zone 2 riding (almost only that) in the Tour altitude camp after being behind at the Tour de Suisse.

 

[tobydawq]

Tbh this was an actual tactical masterclass in the finale

Was it, though? If Van Eetvelt didn't screw up, Roglic would not win because he reacted too slowly.

I think he was surprised by Van Eetvelt's punch.

 

[tobydawq]

IMO he also did too much zone 2 riding (almost only that) in the Tour altitude camp after being behind at the Tour de Suisse.

Is San Millán his trainer?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Is San Millán his trainer?

No, but that's what I saw on Strava during his Isola 200 training camp before the Tour. Nothing but Zone 2...

 

[AnotherArmChair]

So WTF ...I thought I was watching live ...told me on Discovery but I was about 40 mis behind??????? What re they doing ?????

But take away is Victor Campernants was right Eetvelt is in very good form

Landa also looked good to me ...not his kind of climb but boy he looked good

Roglic won but not as impressive as we saw him in the past

I was right Yates and Carapaz are just not consistent enough

Almeida looking very good to me

 

[Sciatic]

Was it, though? If Van Eetvelt didn't screw up, Roglic would not win because he reacted too slowly.

I think he was surprised by Van Eetvelt's punch.

I think tactically it was still smart in terms of the overall GC—by going to front and keeping the pace relatively high on those steep 3 km he ensured that it wouldn’t be a big group left to contend the finish, and also tested some of his expected rivals and put time into some of them who were’nt ready to go so hard or who wilted in the heat (or were revealed not to be contenders at all). It was good that he finished it off, but those tactics were very sound.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Roglič is still alive, while Landismo got killed, resurrected and then killed again.

Tales of Landa demise are exaggerated as per usual

 

[tobydawq]

I think tactically it was still smart in terms of the overall GC—by going to front and keeping the pace relatively high on those steep 3 km he ensured that it wouldn’t be a big group left to contend the finish, and also tested some of his expected rivals and put time into some of them who were’nt ready to go so hard or who wilted in the heat (or were revealed not to be contenders at all). It was good that he finished it off, but those tactics were very sound.

Agreed, but it was the final kilometer I was talking about.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Roglic "No one asked me" when asked why his team rode on the front

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Gawd I fear Kirby's obsession with Landa is not good

 

[Samu Cuenca]

No, but that's what I saw on Strava during his Isola 200 training camp before the Tour. Nothing but Zone 2...

Going to Isola 200 instead of 2000 might also have been an issue. Maybe he would even have found those 20 Euros that @QueenStagiaire later nicked.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

I have heard it all now ..Sean Kelly doing an impersonation of Roglic from 'Bora Hands Gore'

 

[Sciatic]

Agreed, but it was the final kilometer I was talking about.

Gotcha

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Tales of Landa demise are exaggerated as per usual

Sure, there were riders that looked worse than him, but he was also lucky the pace dropped twice to allow him to come back. However he was also unfortunate that they started to ride again, when he was about to rejoin the first time, cause if he could have attacked a little bit earlier, then there would perhaps have been a little more hesitation in the group.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Don't know how fast it was ridden but I think anything approaching 7w/kg for the 3k section would indicate a high level considering how hot it was out there.