Vuelta a España Vuelta a España, stage 6: La Vall d'Uixó - Pico del Buitre, 183.1k

[Devil's Elbow]

After Monday's appetiser, this is the main course of the first week. The bees, the Belgian, the baby or the breakaway?

Much to the dismay of the sprinters and other non-climbers, the start is uphill, as the flag drops right at the bottom of Collado de Marianet. This is the side they descended towards the end of stage 5.

The first categorised climb, Puerto de Arenillas, isn't exactly hard, but if the breakaway hasn't gone yet before it starts, it will hurt.

At the bottom of the next climb, Alto Fuente de Rubielos, we join the route of the 2019 stage with the same finish. This is actually a very solid climb, but of course too far from the finish line to have much of an effect.

From its summit, there are 90 kilometres to go to the bottom of the MTF. This section is the epitome of Spanish flat, with an intermediate sprint at the top of the final, most noticeable drag.

Then, it's time for the MTF. It is its second outing, after the aforementioned 2019 stage. Ángel Madrazo won from a break that was every bit as strong as the one that got about 3 hours on Gran Sasso this year, but what happened behind was much more interesting: the first 10 GC riders were spread out over almost 1.5 minutes. It is a much sterner test than Arinsal, yet doing well here does not have to tell us anything about who ends up winning this Vuelta - last time, Miguel Ángel Lopez dropped everyone to move into the race lead and it finally looked like he could win a GT... then he ended up coming in fifth in the final GC. In any case, this is a properly tough climb, about as hard as a cat. 1 at the Vuelta gets.

 

[Netserk]

Vingegaard to mark and kill all moves. He, Rogla, Evenepoel and Ayuso will finish within 5". The breakaway takes the stage and all bonus seconds.

 

[Didinho]

Breakaway day for the red jersey.
I do expect a first battle and everyone will know were they’re at. Unless there’s a headwind, then it’s for Petacchi Ganna.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Breakaway day for the red jersey.
I do expect a first battle and everyone will know were they’re at. Unless there’s a headwind, then it’s for Petacchi Ganna.

Tailwind throughout from the bottom of the climb until exactly 2k to go, then a cross-headwind from there to the line (and it gets very exposed near the end). In 2019, the GC group had already been ripped to pieces by the time they reached the 2k to go marker, though.

 

[search]

I really struggle to find anything which could make tomorrow's stage as memorable as Madrazo's win on the same climb.

 

[Didinho]

This will be the first of Lazkano’s 3 stage wins this Vuelta.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Egan Bernal from the break.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You forget to mention the most important thing about this mountain.

Ángel Madrazo got himself a PlayStation.

 

[hfer07]

the last climb can be decisive IF ridden hard & proper. I'd say any GC rider with serious ambitions to win La Vuleta should take advantage of this stage.

 

[Tim Cahill]

'These clowns don't stand a chance' - Me approximately 4 years ago

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Almost the entire forum rightfully disliked Bais winning on Gran Sasso from an utterly godawful breakaway. To see people reminiscing about Madrazo winning a harder MTF from an equally awful breakaway is baffling to me. Seriously, how do you look at one of the 50 worst climbers in the race winning a big MTF and wish for something similar to happen this time?

 

[nightowl]

Almost the entire forum rightfully disliked Bais winning on Gran Sasso from an utterly godawful breakaway. To see people reminiscing about Madrazo winning a harder MTF from an equally awful breakaway is baffling to me. Seriously, how do you look at one of the 50 worst climbers in the race winning a big MTF and wish for something similar to happen this time?

Well there was good GC action behind Madrazo. It was an enjoyable stage with an unlikely winner, which is always fun. Gran Sasso on the other hand was terrible because the peloton soft-pedalled and looked at each other all day, not because Bais managed to win the stage (at least in my opinion).

 

[RedheadDane]

Almost the entire forum rightfully disliked Bais winning on Gran Sasso from an utterly godawful breakaway. To see people reminiscing about Madrazo winning a harder MTF from an equally awful breakaway is baffling to me. Seriously, how do you look at one of the 50 worst climbers in the race winning a big MTF and wish for something similar to happen this time?

I think it was the whole "getting dropped, coming back, getting dropped, coming back, getting hit by a car, coming back, getting dropped, coming back, getting dropped, coming back, winning" bit that makes it so memorable.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Almost the entire forum rightfully disliked Bais winning on Gran Sasso from an utterly godawful breakaway. To see people reminiscing about Madrazo winning a harder MTF from an equally awful breakaway is baffling to me. Seriously, how do you look at one of the 50 worst climbers in the race winning a big MTF and wish for something similar to happen this time?

I didn't dislike Bais winning at all, I thought it was great, it was more the lack of action behind that would everyone up there I think.

There was some attacks when Madrazo won though, with superman moving into red, something similar is likely tomorrow.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Almost the entire forum rightfully disliked Bais winning on Gran Sasso from an utterly godawful breakaway. To see people reminiscing about Madrazo winning a harder MTF from an equally awful breakaway is baffling to me. Seriously, how do you look at one of the 50 worst climbers in the race winning a big MTF and wish for something similar to happen this time.

Lots of people had high hopes for Madrazo and due to his dorkish look and failure to deliver on his promise along with a few high profile incidents like falling and trying to break his face on the pavement giving up his bike for Valverde in Liège he'd kind of become a mascot rider / meme rider / lovable loser that people were happy to see finally get a big win even if it was a bit of a nothingburger to see the break triumph there.

Plus he was hit by his own team car, was dropped multiple times and rode back on before being the strongest man left. A lot of the time the distaste for the breakaway winning is not distaste for the breakaway rider winning (although Mick Rogers winning on Zoncolan after the fan screwed Bongiorno over in 2014 was definitely an exception for me) but distaste for the GC men and teams being so passive as to hand out these mountaintop finish stage wins like that.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Well there was good GC action behind Madrazo. It was an enjoyable stage with an unlikely winner, which is always fun. Gran Sasso on the other hand was terrible because the peloton soft-pedalled and looked at each other all day, not because Bais managed to win the stage (at least in my opinion).

Oh, the difference in GC action between both stages was night and day, of course. But IMO three borderline amateurs fighting it out for the stage win on what is supposed to be a significant GC day is the absolute last thing you want in a GT because they're supposed to be the biggest races in the world. If I want to watch riders of that level to be fighting it out, there are hundreds of .2 races televised these days I can tune into instead.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I heard a rumour that Remco was riding around the peloton in the last 2 stages trying to recruit riders to the breakaway for today with the promise of a prestigious red jersey.

He was allegedly seen in deep conversation with remy rochas, steff crass, jefferson cepeda , David de la crux and juanpedro Lopez. I don't know if these rumour are true but there is certainly no containing remco's scheming mind. Let's see what happens on the Pixo del biutre observatorieo astrofisico de Javalajambre tomorrow.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

A lot of the time the distaste for the breakaway winning is not distaste for the breakaway rider winning (although Mick Rogers winning on Zoncolan after the fan screwed Bongiorno over in 2014 was definitely an exception for me) but distaste for the GC men and teams being so passive as to hand out these mountaintop finish stage wins like that.

However, usually when a break wins at least it means the stronger stage hunters have been aggressive. Stages like Javalambre 2019 and Gran Sasso 2023 stand out negatively to me because even the half-decent stage hunters were just as passive in handing out the stage win. GT stage battles become a lot less meaningful (to me) when it's clear nobody who's any good cares about said stage, battling performance or not.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

three borderline amateurs fighting it out for the stage win on what is supposed to be a significant GC day is the absolute last thing you want in a GT

Man you complain about everything.

Amateur = 'one who loves' . Angel madrazo and davide bais give inspiration to the dreamers among us.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I think it was the whole "getting dropped, coming back, getting dropped, coming back, getting hit by a car, coming back, getting dropped, coming back, getting dropped, coming back, winning" bit that makes it so memorable.

I watched all of that MTF. I remembered nothing about the breakaway battle aside from the fact that Madrazo won, while I did remember López dropping everyone in the GC battle. So clearly not so memorable to everyone.

 

[nightowl]

Oh, the difference in GC action between both stages was night and day, of course. But IMO three borderline amateurs fighting it out for the stage win on what is supposed to be a significant GC day is the absolute last thing you want in a GT because they're supposed to be the biggest races in the world. If I want to watch riders of that level to be fighting it out, there are hundreds of .2 races televised these days I can tune into instead.

Well sure but a .2 race doesn’t come close to the prestige of a Grand Tour stage win. Watching a handful of riders fight it out for what would be the pinnacle of their cycling careers is part of the romance of cycling, at least for me. Of course you want to see the big guns fighting it out for the stage as well sometimes, but these types of breakaway wins are an important part of Grand Tours too.

 

[search]

But IMO three borderline amateurs fighting it out for the stage win on what is supposed to be a significant GC day is the absolute last thing you want in a GT because they're supposed to be the biggest races in the world.

if this is how you rate the Vuelta, it may of course be disappointing indeed. But I would think many on here don't see the race this way?!

For me personally at least, Madrazo, Lindeman etc are very fitting winners for the Vuelta.

 

[RedheadDane]

I watched all of that MTF. I remembered nothing about the breakaway battle aside from the fact that Madrazo won, while I did remember López dropping everyone in the GC battle. So clearly not so memorable to everyone.

And I don't particularily recall the bit about Lopez (nor did I remember that it was this particular climb) being focused on the fun up in front.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

if this is how you rate the Vuelta, it may of course be disappointing indeed. But I would think many on here don't see the race this way?!

For me personally at least, Madrazo, Lindeman etc are very fitting winners for the Vuelta.

To each their own, but to me random breakaways being gifted stages over and over was always a big indicator that the big names cared far less about the Vuelta than about the Tour or even the Giro, which in turn caused me to care far less about the Vuelta. The fact that we haven't had a particularly weak breakaway win since 2020 is, for me, therefore one of the best things that could have happened to the race.

The Lindeman win still stands out to me because I was still posting on Wielerflits at the time and therefore had to endure being the only one not to wax lyrical about that win. I eventually mostly stopped posting the year after when I called people who insinuated clinic issues whenever a Sky rider took a shock big win out on celebrating Poels' shock Liège win without any reservations, and got abuse for it. Good times.

 

[yaco]

Oh, the difference in GC action between both stages was night and day, of course. But IMO three borderline amateurs fighting it out for the stage win on what is supposed to be a significant GC day is the absolute last thing you want in a GT because they're supposed to be the biggest races in the world. If I want to watch riders of that level to be fighting it out, there are hundreds of .2 races televised these days I can tune into instead.

I don't know which was worse - Madraso winning the Vuelta stage, Bais the giro stage or Jackson winning PR femmes - On reflection it was Jackson because it was a monument.