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

[Swede1]

How steep is that final hill?

If its not too steep ill say Kittel ftw with Sagan and Boonen behind.

If it is similar to the one on the first stage id say Boonen will time his sprint better and win.

 

[Ferminal]

How steep is that final hill?

If its not too steep ill say Kittel ftw with Sagan and Boonen behind.

If it is similar to the one on the first stage id say Boonen will time his sprint better and win.

More like a false flat, 3-4% at most.

 

[LukeSchmid]

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.

Leigh Howard as well

 

[Mshengu]

I pick SAGAN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Swede1]

More like a false flat, 3-4% at most.

Oh, in that case I will definitely pick Kittel ftw. I just don't see Sagan beating Kittel in a strait up flat sprint.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

How steep is that final hill?

If its not too steep ill say Kittel ftw with Sagan and Boonen behind.

If it is similar to the one on the first stage id say Boonen will time his sprint better and win.

Boonen won't win His Peritoneum is ripped open and is pretty irritated. Also the cause of his very bad TT

Source

 

[Kwibus]

Boonen won't win His Peritoneum is ripped open and is pretty irritated. Also the cause of his very bad TT

Source

Oh man that's a nasty injury.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Oh man that's a nasty injury.

yep, I had it once, and damn it hurts

healed pretty quickly though, just went 4 days with not touching a bike


Respect for Tomke for carrying on!

 

[WillemS]

More like a false flat, 3-4% at most.

Yeah, it's about 26 meters of elevation on just a little less than 600 meters. So, it's a bit over 4.33%. The last 600m is really false flat, it's about .66%. But I'll guess it will be hard sprint.

If Boonen wants to have a go, it would have to be today. However, I doubt he'll be good enough. Don't forget Sagan, he'll probably do well on a finish like this. It might also be someone who's very explosive on that short 'climb', it's going to be hard to control. I don't see Skill doing that.

EDIT: oh, Boonen is injured. To bad.

 

[greenedge]

I think a breakaway will stay to the line. Otherwise. (Kittel i think will be dead. Degenkolb, Sagan and GVA to win it for me. Bennati to come 4th.)

 

[Freddo]

Sagan FTW if it is a sprint finish, however if the break holds no doubt Chavanel. Especially after the blog he just wrote on CyclingNews, great stage for him to hold on!

 

[Tuarts]

Leigh Howard as well

I think Degenkolb will be their #1 choice which is why I didn't mention Howard.

 

[Anonymous]

Froome to stun everyone by attacking with 2km to go and taking the time bonus to go back into red

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That's unlikely.
Far more likely Kruijswijk wins 10 minutes in a long breakaway and takes red

 

[Sylvester]

Cobo TT's away from them in the last 50 km with Bruseghin and Kasheshkin on his wheel. They win with 5 minutes. Kash takes the stage, Cobo the red jersey.

/jens attacksmode

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

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?

Golas, at least in his own estimation, otherwise what the hell was he doing up there?

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Mollema takes the first intermediate sprint. Interesting!
15 riders in a break. Cazaux and Fouchard amongst.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

All together. MATE MARDONES Luis Angel (043), ROLDAN CARMONA Jose Luis (027) y HANSEN Adam (124) try their luck....

 

[cineteq]

Intermediate sprint:
1. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank), 4 points
2. Nelson Oliviera (RadioShack), 2 points
3. Konstantin Sivtsov (HTC-Highroad), 1 point

Wonder if he got bonus seconds...

 

[search]

Intermediate sprint:
1. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank), 4 points
2. Nelson Oliviera (RadioShack), 2 points
3. Konstantin Sivtsov (HTC-Highroad), 1 point

Wonder if he got bonus seconds...

according to my information Sivtsov abandoned the race yesterday...

 

[classicomano]

Haha TGBM taking it all! Watch out Kittel

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema takes 6 seconds with that bonification sprint.

Wow other GC contenders must have been sleeping

 

[jsem94]

That must've been epic.

I actually thought Kruijswijk would be stronger than Mollema this Vuelta. Putting that aside, Mollema needs all the time he needs now, especially as he could crack soon with the Tour in his legs.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That must've been epic.

I actually thought Kruijswijk would be stronger than Mollema this Vuelta. Putting that aside, Mollema needs all the time he needs now, especially as he could crack soon with the Tour in his legs.

I don't think so.

He could have cracked, if he rode the Tour de France for a GC. But he didn't. He took it easy in many stages where he felt he didn't have the legs. And attacked in the stages where he did have the legs.
This is not comparable to riders who ride the Tour for the GC and then try again in the Vuelta.

This way, the Tour has actually been a prep for the Vuelta...

 

[Jux1893]

according to my information Sivtsov abandoned the race yesterday...

That's what the race site says. Really weird.

He has a withdrawal from yesterday, and today makes a 3rd place in the intermediate sprint.

Something must be wrong.