Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2025, Stage 13: Cabezón de la Sal – L’Angliru (202.5k)

[Red Rick]

Guys, tell yourselves whatever you need to tell yourselves, but Jonas was never in danger of getting dropped. Jonas is still the strongest rider in the race. Cope.

If you look at the gaps behind, this would easily be the most pedestrian performance on a big MTF by Vingegaard in a GT since probably 2021.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Puppies!

 

[Monsi]

Guys, tell yourselves whatever you need to tell yourselves, but Jonas was never in danger of getting dropped. Jonas is still the strongest rider in the race. Cope.

Jonas made it known he wanted to win the stage. If he had the legs, he should've attacked around the two-kilometer mark. He couldn't. As simple as that. Is he still the strongest? Probably. But Almeida will gain confidence that Jonas was not able to do anything today.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Think Almeida will surprise people today, he loves these long grinders and here his lack of acceleration and willingness to spike his watts won't matter. Don't think the difference to Vingegaard will be big if there at all.

Wasn't wrong in the end...

Very average stage in a terrible Vuelta so far. Only positive today was Hindleys performance otherwise meh.

 

[Danskebjerge]

The result makes perfect sense. It's hard to attack on very steep percentages, and that's great for Almeida who likes to keep a steady high pace.

Basically, the main difference between the two at the moment is the surprise attacks by Vingegaard - with Almeida having too few useful lieutenants in his team.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I think Jonas wanted to win this stage, though. That would have made a Vuelta win more special.

I think in the end, he recognized that Almeda deserved the win, and decided to not contest. Not saying he would have won if he had, but he gave respect to Almeda's ride, IMO.

 

[postmanhat]

How is Gall in 5th place

every time i see him he is being dropped ??

You can drop a metronome, but that doesn't mean it's broken. Honestly wouldn't surprise me to see him finish in 3rd?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If you look at the gaps behind, this would easily be the most pedestrian performance on a big MTF by Vingegaard in a GT since probably 2021.

Javalambre 2023?

Also don't think the gaps are meaningfully different from his last time up Angliru, but that was such a strange stage that it hardly counts.

 

[Cycling111]

Agree but I think most thought Jonas would gap everyone on this stage. There's some hope for Almeida.

This was the most favorable stage for Almeida. I don't think it's possible for him to gain time on the others. He could do so in the time trial because Vingegaard isn't as good at such flat time trials.

 

[noob]

Pidchock fighting was really amazing too, hybris or not

 

[scribers]

He has a team, but they're on the breakaways. If Ayuso had helped the day Vingegaard won, Almeida would surely have wasted less time.

Stage wins and mountain classification are worthy goals once it’s certain Almeida has secured the podium. But Almeida would need to unpin Vingo at least once to sacrifice those other things

 

[theyoungest]

Guys, tell yourselves whatever you need to tell yourselves, but Jonas was never in danger of getting dropped. Jonas is still the strongest rider in the race. Cope.

I wouldn't say he was comfortable, but he wasn't about to get dropped. Still it's maybe a bit early to give away presents, something Pogacar would never do. Pogacar sits on the wheel the whole climb and then sprints away (Ventoux), Vingegaard sits on the wheel and doesn't challenge the sprint, which is the decent thing to do but maybe not that smart at this point in the race with less than a minute advantage on GC.

 

[Red Rick]

Javalambre 2023?

Also don't think the gaps are meaningfully different from his last time up Angliru, but that was such a strange stage that it hardly counts.

Last time it was raced much more passively, so would expect it to be smaller gaps.

 

[Monsi]

I think in the end, he recognized that Almeda deserved the win, and decided to not contest. Not saying he would have won if he had, but he gave respect to Almeda's ride, IMO.

You don't give your closest rival four free seconds. Always better to gain time than lose time. You don't care if that closest rival paced the whole climb up.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Almeida looking more and more like Marge Simpson

 

[Peyroteo94]

I think in the end, he recognized that Almeda deserved the win, and decided to not contest. Not saying he would have won if he had, but he gave respect to Almeda's ride, IMO.

I think you are right.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

when i say hubris about Pidcock i mean he is super talented and could have done better ...did well but if he knew the climb and did soem homework he could have

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

You don't give your closest rival four free seconds. Always better to gain time than lose time. You don't care if that closest rival paced the whole climb up.

At the end of the Vuelta, you'll look back and see that I was right.

 

[theyoungest]

You don't give your closest rival four free seconds. Always better to gain time than lose time. You don't care if that closest rival paced the whole climb up.

He didn't challenge the sprint. That much is clear. Like I said, Pogi would never do this, but Vingegaard is a gentleman (maybe a little too much so at times, because it doesn't make people like him, somehow)

 

[Monsi]

At the end of the Vuelta, you'll look back and see that I was right.

Do I still expect Vingegaard to eventually win GC? Yeah. But it's ridiculous to think he gifted today's stage to Almeida because "he wanted to give respect to how Almeida did in the last 6 km"

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Almeida looking more and more like Marge Simpson

was going to say the same thing ...he has some hair ..will never go bald

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Congrats to Almeida on a great performance and win! He decided that his own pace is the best strategy there. Vingo couldn't attack him, it was too fast (if he felt stronger than Almeida he would've tried at least once, methinks). The race is still very much alive, the Dane can't feel comfortable with 46 seconds lead.

 

[theyoungest]

when i say hubris about Pidcock i mean he is super talented and could have done better ...did well but if he knew the climb and did soem homework he could have

How? What would he have done differently? Put on different legs this morning?

 

[Netserk]

Vingegaard looked very laboured today.

Gentlemen, we have a bike race!

 

[Cycling111]

Stage wins and mountain classification are worthy goals once it’s certain Almeida has secured the podium. But Almeida would need to unpin Vingo at least once to sacrifice those other things

What if the Vuelta is decided by the other day's stage? So far, the difference did in the day Vingegaard won, and the team left Almeida alone.

Stages can never come before the GT. Not in UAE, they're not Lotto or Caja Rural.