Vuelta a Espana Stage 12: Ponteareas - Pontevedra 167,3 km

[just some guy]

Transition and "break" stage between the mountain stages of Galicia. The teams with sprinters will have to work during the whole stage to control breaks and have their own specialists contest the sprint on the streets of Pontevedra.
The two category 3 mountain passes, Moscoso and Ponte Caldeas, are the perfect setting for climbers looking to break in the first kilometres.

Those looking to the worlds todays stage will be important

Expect Garmin, Skil and maybe even HTC to do the work to keep the break under control

Not a nice start to the stage but clearing up .

 

[Ferminal]

Break vs Kittel/Degenkolb/Sagan.

 

[Moondance]

Not steep enough for Degenkolb to trump Kittel.

 

[roundabout]

Kittel.

Unless he id almost dead by now.

 

[Fetisoff]

Hoping for a break to win. Probably won't, sprinters will want this bad.

 

[Kopuliak]

1.Kittel
2.Sagan
3.?

 

[luckyboy]

Sagan wins.

 

[Lexman]

1 Boonen
2 Sagan
3 Bennati
4 Kittel
5 Degenkolb

 

[luckyboy]

Oh yeah it'd be nice if Boonen did take it.

 

[the student]

Boonen, hmmm he just did the worst time trial of his life and now he is going to win this?

Kittel or sagan.

 

[luckyboy]

Not much point wasting energy in a time trial though is there? Although he isn't normally that bad, he hasn't been up to much this Vuelta.

 

[roundabout]

Easy to spot a Belgian in this forum. They still think Boonen can sprint.

 

[Tuarts]

There's not a lot of sprinters left is there?

Goss - abandoned
Cavendish - abandoned
Farrar - crashed out
Fischer - abandoned
Breschel - crashed out
Freire - abandoned

Any more?

If it comes down to a sprint, likely contenders:
Kittel, Degenkolb, Sagan, Bennati, Pettachi, Mondory, Sutton, Haedo, Gasparotto, Paolini

I'll go with Pettachi, he needs a win.

 

[Lexman]

Boonen, hmmm he just did the worst time trial of his life and now he is going to win this?

Kittel or sagan.

Boonen took the TT as a resting day since he worked for Chavanel the days before and was indeed sparing himself... for tomorrow

 

[Fergoose]

Stagewin
Kittel will get more support from his team than Sagan. So I pick Kittel

Prediction Score: 1 out of 11

 

[Tank Engine]

On the one hand there's very few stages for sprinters, but on the other I don't think that there are many teams that want to/can control the stages (Skil and Lampre might want to try) and it's quite likely that a break will stay away. I think this may well be one of the stages Boonen has highlighted. Kittel should do well on such a finish, but I think he's fatigued. I can see Gasparatto doing well here.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Boonen, hmmm he just did the worst time trial of his life and now he is going to win this?

Kittel or sagan.

he took it easy I hope


But I'm hoping Tomke ftw

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Easy to spot a Belgian in this forum. They still think Boonen can sprint.

Gent-Wevelgem

 

[jsem94]

Maybe it's time for GVA tomorrow.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Maybe it's time for GVA tomorrow.

Who?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Maybe it's time for GVA tomorrow.

Don't get my hopes up

 

[Jux1893]

Either Kittel or Sagan for the win.

Montaguti in the break.

 

[Poursuivant]

Off topic but, does the vuelta always have the rest day on the Tues followed by the Mon?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Off topic but, does the vuelta always have the rest day on the Tues followed by the Mon?

No, the rest days are pretty inconsistent. In 2008, for example, the rest day was on the first Friday, after 6 stages in the south, to transfer up to the Pyrenees for the two MTFs on the first weekend (La Rabassa and Pla de Beret); in 2009 it was after just 4 days because of the Holland-Belgium start, and last year it was in the typical position of the Monday after the first mountain tests.

 

[H2OUUP2]

Chavanel ftw!