Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2024, stage 8: Úbeda - Cazorla, 158.7k

[zlev11]

I was right about the middle part not being hard enough to drop people, but I didn't expect O'Connor to crack that hard on the final bit. I guess the very confident riding early on when Roglic first attacked played a part, as others have said. A bit like when he went with Pog in the Giro, only to be dropped by all the other pretenders afterwards. But O'Connor also doesn't seem at the level needed to make this interesting.

Again, good job being off by just one second in your prediction!

i think 45 seconds would've been "a lot" against the real GC contenders, but +45 on this climb is just what O'Connors level is.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The Vuelta is a lot longer than this weekend, Roglic hasn't had a lie down yet and there are actually other guys in the race

Gall is just straight up a much better climber in peak shape (which he is), and thats all that matter on this course. Look at tomorrow and look at the remaining MTFs - its all medium-long efforts with 9% average. Insanely hard stuff.

 

[Lequack]

It seems UAE are suffering from the "No Pog" syndrome. I have a feeling if Pog was there, the team would be super good.

 

[scribers]

If gall is that great he should be pacing O’Connor from the bottom of the climb. Gap should and would be a lot closer

 

[scribers]

It seems UAE are suffering from the "No Pog" syndrome. I have a feeling if Pog was there, the team would be super good.

You mean better as in visible in occasional selections because they are so far out of GC? I agree on that. Their leaders now peaked early summer and shouldn’t be counted on to do it again

 

[Squire]

i think 45 seconds would've been "a lot" against the real GC contenders, but +45 on this climb is just what O'Connors level is.

In this race I agree, from what we've seen now. But he did beat Tiberi on some mountain stages in the Giro for example, so it's not inconceivable that an O'Connor in absolute top shape could have finished with Skjelmose or Dunbar here.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Almeida has covid-19.

What!?!?!?
Everyone in UEA is getting it and like I said in his thread, he gets sick a lot it seems. Second year in a row at the Vuelta he’s gotten sick.

 

[search]

"Please Woodsy, next time be honest about your chances"

 

[ppanther92]

Just looking at the results:

Did Gall wait on O’Connor? Seems a bit strange, he finished 15s in front of the race leader on his team.

And UAE in shambles without Pogi.

 

[Samamba]

Just looking at the results:

Did Gall wait on O’Connor? Seems a bit strange, he finished 15s in front of the race leader on his team.

And UAE in shambles without Pogi.

I think in the beginning yes, I think he then himself thought like this guy isn't that good I'm not gonna sacrifice my own GC

 

[Samamba]

"Please Woodsy, next time be honest about your chances"

Not sure but maybe Woods was involved in the crash?

 

[Squire]

Just looking at the results:

Did Gall wait on O’Connor? Seems a bit strange, he finished 15s in front of the race leader on his team.

And UAE in shambles without Pogi.

He paced O'Connor from when he was dropped by Roglic until the final steep ramp, when he was let go. Guess they concluded there wasn't much help in pacing on those gradients anyway.

 

[Sciatic]

Everyone always writing off Mas at La Vuelta. Dude knows how to Vuelta.

If you look at the Vuelta poll you’ll see not “everyone” writes him off.

 

[search]

Not sure but maybe Woods was involved in the crash?

could be, yeah, I didn't find any better pictures of it yet. It happened close to the front, though, and normally that's not where Woods starts his climb.

 

[Lequack]

Some pics

 

[Sciatic]

FANTASTIC!!!!

I was yelling and jumping half the climb, lol.

Was indeed really exciting. When Roglic slowed a bit after the first time he got a gap I thought “gulp” maybe that’s all he’s got. But no! He did it like Contador would—multiple attacks, starts and stops, so Ben couldn’t just do a tempo climb. We rarely see that anymore in big races. And he kind of suckered O’Connor into going with on the 1st two jumps was cost him energy in that steep final KM. Very smart tactics from Roglic.

 

[Sciatic]

Roglic will have to win 6 stages

He might.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Just managed to catch a replay, what an action packed 5km. Not sure what IPT was doing working all day, but that last climb was brutal in this heat. Great to see some racing, great to see Roglic and Mas looking to be both on very good form, pretty equal in the end. But a shame for the crash at the start of the climb, it seems Almeida got the worst of it. And now that I look at it, it seems no UAE riders in the top 10 even? And they have a team full of top talent, just seems crazy.

Those ears... huh...

 

[scribers]

Those ears... huh...

He better hope they turn into wings

 

[Miha81]

Was indeed really exciting. When Roglic slowed a bit after the first time he got a gap I thought “gulp” maybe that’s all he’s got. But no! He did it like Contador would—multiple attacks, starts and stops, so Ben couldn’t just do a tempo climb. We rarely see that anymore in big races. And he kind of suckered O’Connor into going with on the 1st two jumps was cost him energy in that steep final KM. Very smart tactics from Roglic.

And I guess we can safely say that he is in a good shape for this Vuelta.

 

[Sciatic]

He was too confident and Roglic is a fox. He knew what he was doing.

Well put!

 

[zlev11]

UAE deserves this after stupidly not letting Ayuso in this race

 

[Samamba]

could be, yeah, I didn't find any better pictures of it yet. It happened close to the front, though, and normally that's not where Woods starts his climb.

He was definitely behind the crash. Nowhere to be seen before even Van Eetvelt turned the first left hander on the climb. Most riders got held up. Was he going to win, no that seems very very unlikely so riding like that was a bit weird (but I always have something like why not, you're not in front anyways), but he would've done better normally.

 

[Sciatic]

7

TEJADA Harold

Astana Qazaqstan Team

40

12

6″

0:24

Chapeau

That’s amazing he hung on that much after being in the break.

 

[Sciatic]

Almeida +4'53

He forgot that it wasn’t a 15km-long climb and was timing his yo-yo.