Vuelta a Espana Stage 4: Baza - Sierra Nevada 170.2 km

[Libertine Seguros]

So what you are saying is that Katusha should put Browne into the break?

Not on this stage. Maybe the one to Ponferrada, or to Somiedo. Make the other teams sweat about pulling the break back because he should be too close GC-wise to let go too far, give J-Rod's domestiques a nice comfortable day off so they can kill the pack en route to the Angliru the following day.

This stage is likely to be like the Siusi stage in the '09 Giro, maybe a late attack gets it or a rider who is a good climber but not too great a GC threat gets away late and picks up a bit of gain over the GC men, who mostly fight out for a few seconds at the last. Somebody like Barredo I could see doing it, but Intxausti if fit would be a possibility and the one that I think everybody could get behind. There would be a lot of tears shed.

 

[Fergoose]

I think Löfkvist and Froome will do a pretty good job tomorrow at keeping the pace in the start. Wiggins really needs someone to hold a steady pace so if none of the other teams do it Sky might have to. Normally Liquigas would but without Szmyd I'm not sure they can do it.

I think it might go like the TdF when no team could impose any sort of dominence on the climbs and where all the GC contenders very quickly ended up all alone together near the foot of a climb wondering who was going to now take the lead. Leopard Trek blew up in the Pyrenees when they tried and Skys effort was shortlived today as Wiggins was very quickly isolated and looking around. I don't even know what team (other than Sky) might look to set the tempo.

Whatever happened to so called "super domestiques" who could shepherd your protected rider or set a tempo for them for at least part of the climb? Its like they've gone out of fashion. But it makes for great racing having the team leaders all exposed.

 

[maltiv]

I think it might go like the TdF when no team could impose any sort of dominence on the climbs and where all the GC contenders very quickly ended up all alone together near the foot of a climb wondering who was going to now take the lead. Leopard Trek blew up in the Pyrenees when they tried and Skys effort was shortlived today as Wiggins was very quickly isolated and looking around. I don't even know what team (other than Sky) might look to set the tempo.

Whatever happened to so called "super domestiques" who could shepherd your protected rider or set a tempo for them for at least part of the climb? Its like they've gone out of fashion. But it makes for great racing having the team leaders all exposed.

Wiggins wasn't really isolated though, Froome finished right next to him. They haven't gone out of fashion, you still have guys like Szmyd (who didn't have to do any work in tdf considering how bad Basso was) and even EBH at the dauphine where he completely destroyed the peloton on a HC climb and rode on the front for 5 km or so. However this year at the vuelta it doesn't seem like any of the gc contenders have a superdomestique, perhaps Nieve for Anton or Niemec for Scarponi.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Jurgen VdB for the win imo, as pointed out earlier, he practically lives on these climbs.

And I'm sure he is the only one....

oh wait... (do you realise half the spanish cycling pro's live on this climb, even many sucky ones? Also many foreign climbers also practically live on the climb btw)

So typically Belgian, they read stories of VDB training on Sierra Nevada so often, and immediately think he is the only one. LOL

 

[The Sheep]

And I'm sure he is the only one....

oh wait... (do you realise half the spanish cycling pro's live on this climb, even many sucky ones? Also many foreign climbers also practically live on the climb btw)

So typically Belgian, they read stories of VDB training on Sierra Nevada so often, and immediately think he is the only one. LOL

and his neighbour Kruijswijk is actually in this race

 

[Michielveedeebee]

And I'm sure he is the only one....

oh wait... (do you realise half the spanish cycling pro's live on this climb, even many sucky ones? Also Gesink also practically lives on the climb btw)

As does Stijn Devolder But no Gesink here, he's in the good ol' US of A
Not steep enough for J-Rod, and I think VdB would want to test himself to see how his form is.

 

[boomcie]

So typically Belgian, they read stories of VDB training on Sierra Nevada so often, and immediately think he is the only one. LOL

I haven't been around for a while, but how could I have forgotten you were such an incredible sour person. Why on earth is that typically Belgian? It's typically racist of you to pull that card.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

...

Whatever happened to so called "super domestiques" who could shepherd your protected rider or set a tempo for them for at least part of the climb? Its like they've gone out of fashion. But it makes for great racing having the team leaders all exposed.

Perhaps they've all been used up in the previous 2 GTs bar Geox.

Sky have got climbers we haven't seen yet, Xandio, Cioni and Possoni, so they've got the manpower if Wiggins has the legs.

 

[l.Harm]

I haven't been around for a while, but how could I have forgotten you were such an incredible sour person. Why on earth is that typically Belgian? It's typically racist of you to pull that card.

Racist racist bla bla. He calls something typically Belgian, get over it.

 

[boomcie]

Racist racist bla bla. He calls something typically Belgian, get over it.

Who are you?
A D_T disciple preaching the gospel of sourness?

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

And I'm sure he is the only one....

oh wait... (do you realise half the spanish cycling pro's live on this climb, even many sucky ones? Also many foreign climbers also practically live on the climb btw)

So typically Belgian, they read stories of VDB training on Sierra Nevada so often, and immediately think he is the only one. LOL

VDB would be a contestant anyway, but this being the mountain he should know best in the world, makes him a favorite.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

VDB would be a contestant anyway, but this being the mountain he should know best in the world, makes him a favorite.

The problem is, there are a LOT of riders who know this mountain best in the world. It's ideal for training as there are several routes, some nice ski villages and places to live at altitude, and the southerly location means it's available for climbing more of the year than if you lived in, say, the Austrian Alps. So unless you want to count the likes of Barredo as favourites too, then you might want to think of some better reason to make JVDB the favourite.

Hell, even José Joaquín Rojas knows this climb better than any other.

 

[l.Harm]

Who are you?
A D_T disciple preaching the gospel of sourness?

It's not even sour lol

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The problem is, there are a LOT of riders who know this mountain best in the world. It's ideal for training as there are several routes, some nice ski villages and places to live at altitude, and the southerly location means it's available for climbing more of the year than if you lived in, say, the Austrian Alps. So unless you want to count the likes of Barredo as favourites too, then you might want to think of some better reason to make JVDB the favourite.

Fair point, although there is a better reason to make JVDB one of the top favourites. If he has good form, he's one of the very best climbers in the field and the best climber in the field, Anton, was apparently in surprising trouble on the climb today. That said, I don't think that JVDB will be at top form himself.

 

[boomcie]

It's not even sour lol

If I'd have to use three adjectives to describe D_T, sour would certainly be one of them. If I'd have to use one adjective to describe you, lame would be it.

add gratuitous lol

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

The problem is, there are a LOT of riders who know this mountain best in the world. It's ideal for training as there are several routes, some nice ski villages and places to live at altitude, and the southerly location means it's available for climbing more of the year than if you lived in, say, the Austrian Alps. So unless you want to count the likes of Barredo as favourites too, then you might want to think of some better reason to make JVDB the favourite.

Hell, even José Joaquín Rojas knows this climb better than any other.

There are other reasons.
VDB likes climbs of this type.
He has proven to have a good form.
I'm sure he want's to make up something for his lost tour.

All I'm saying is I might name VDB as a favorite if this was a Pyrenees stage too, but even more with this climb.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If he's in half decent form I would be very surprised if JVDB lost any time on this stage. But win it? I reckon some guys who can outsprint him would likely be in the same group - I don't see this exploding with GC action until the last km or two.

 

[icefire]

I'll repeat myself again: those who crashed at the Tour have had almost 2 weeks less for recovery than Fränk Schleck had last year. Their performance will depend on the pace set by those who had the Vuelta in their agenda before starting the Tour.

 

[theyoungest]

If I'd have to use three adjectives to describe D_T, sour would certainly be one of them. If I'd have to use one adjective to describe you, lame would be it.

add gratuitous lol

Where is the love?

 

[Greenflame]

If I'd have to use three adjectives to describe D_T, sour would certainly be one of them. If I'd have to use one adjective to describe you, lame would be it.

add gratuitous lol

As a reader of these forums more than a poster I have to say, glad you're back! You sure make this place more interesting

Anyway, for this stage, I'm picking Scarponi from a group of favourites. Don't think there will be a lot of time gaps. We won't see who's in great form, but we will see who seriously lacks it.

 

[roundabout]

I'll repeat myself again: those who crashed at the Tour have had almost 2 weeks less for recovery than Fränk Schleck had last year. Their performance will depend on the pace set by those who had the Vuelta in their agenda before starting the Tour.

even though there have been no particularly difficult stages VDB looked pretty good so far and arguably better than Schleck last year. But we will know more on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

[boomcie]

Where is the love?

Left it at the swimming pool. Getting back to work sucks.

As a reader of these forums more than a poster I have to say, glad you're back! You sure make this place more interesting

Glad to hear it.

 

[ferryman]

I'll repeat myself again: those who crashed at the Tour have had almost 2 weeks less for recovery than Fränk Schleck had last year. Their performance will depend on the pace set by those who had the Vuelta in their agenda before starting the Tour.

Indeed. And VDB's injuries were worse than a simple collarbone break.

Oh and Dan Martin for the win BTW

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Oh and Dan Martin for the win BTW

He has a decent sprint for a climber, so if a group finishes together he'd have a shout. But he said in an interview the other day that he was a little tired after Poland, had been resting since and didn't expect to be at his best until the second week.

I'd have said that Le Mevel was a more likely guy to try an attack (or at least more likely to be let go), but the report on the Garmin website doesn't sound encouraging about his crash.

 

[Fergoose]

I'll repeat myself again: those who crashed at the Tour have had almost 2 weeks less for recovery than Fränk Schleck had last year. Their performance will depend on the pace set by those who had the Vuelta in their agenda before starting the Tour.

Wiggins was back on his bike within four days apparently if that helps any.

http://www.realpeloton.com/main.php

I hope these Sky climbers show their face, I don't know where they were today given it was clear they wanted to inject a little pace. Maybe they just couldn't get through to the front.