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

[Greenflame]

Pretty much yes. But then you open a whole new world of attackers uphill...then we can maybe name a list of 40 riders who attack uphill in GT's.
Then even people as Leipheimer can be counted as attackers.

I think our definitation of attacking uphill wildly differs. To me, an attack is a real acceleration, something that instantly creates a gap. There arent much people that can do that.

In my opinion if a rider uses his diesel strength to ride a higher tempo on a mountain, that's attacking. It's pretty much impossible for guys like Basso, Gesink and Nibali to attack in an explosive way.

For me, attacking is riding agressively. And wether you ride agressively by forcing your tempo on the others, a tempo they can't handle, by sprinting away from them and then trying to hold the tempo it's pretty much the same. Sure one looks more spectacular, but both are valid attacking strategies.
And Leipheimer rarely even pushes the front, he just follows others and does only very rarely even ride in front of the group himself. At least not with the intention to drop his competitors, at most not to allow others to come back to the front.

Anyway, I agree that Nibali, like Gesink, Basso and others, does very rarely attack explosively, but that does not make him a passive or boring rider.

For the stage, I can see this break staying away. Movistar won't chase hard, they'll lose the jersey anyway. Nibali won't want to take the jersey just yet, same goes for Wiggins. Perhaps VDB will want to attack and take time / the jersey, but I don't know if he'll want to sacrifice a lot of his team here.

 

[Tuarts]

If allowed too much slack before the end Rohregger could stay away for the stage. Busche a wild card chance too.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

this is what I was thinking... Movistar will not chase for Lastra, and the other team don't want to do the work too early... also because they don't know how the respective leaders are going....

Something that works against the break is that a few of them are still quite close on GC. Teams will have to respond if the gap starts getting silly.

 

[djerkson]

Same as last year. Why should he change?

To be fair, his DS mistimed his attack in Peña Cabarga and that costed him at least a few seconds to Purito that were irrelevant at the end in GC.

In the Vuelta, it may succeed, but in the Tour de France, you can't get away like that. VDB did every stage and mountain in advance and made notes. Kevin De Weert (as an example) didn't do any of that and he 'blew his engine' a few times. In the end, he said he will be doing some training and reconnaissance in the future.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I don't find Nibali boring anymore. I was actually starting to like him after the Giro. He is getting the maximum out of his abilities. He is not an explosive climber, he is also not the best tempo climber, but incredibly consistant (usually top 5), he doesn't have the best recuperation (last mountains in Giro on Finestre were difficult for him), but limits the damage. He is not a world class time trial specialist, but good enough for top 15. And yet, he still manages to podium a Giro 2x and win a Vuelta.
I always said he is limited, I know, but he gets the maximum out of it.

 

[Tuarts]

In my opinion if a rider uses his diesel strength to ride a higher tempo on a mountain, that's attacking. It's pretty much impossible for guys like Basso, Gesink and Nibali to attack in an explosive way.

So Evans spent the whole Galibier attacking then?

 

[icefire]

Nibali didn't recon any mountain finish last year either I think

Right. He could have taken a 2 hours car drive during the second rest day to visit Bola del Mundo and he didn't even do it.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Movistar have come to the front and increased the speed. 30 seconds taken back from the break pretty quickly.

 

[Anonymous]

Matthew Busche for the win, if the break succeeds.

 

[just some guy]

lead coming down 6.18

temp going up 33c

 

[roundabout]

field split for a moment with Wiggins among the people caught out

back together now

 

[dlwssonic]

why the hell didnt BMC put some riders in the break, they wanna win a stage don't they.

 

[The Hitch]

This is too good to let go. When did Nibali ever win a proper mountain stage that finished uphill, enlighten me.

I have seen him descend to victory in the Giro once. But on MTF's, he can be happy when finishing top 3.

One could put forward stage 20 last year Bola del Mundo.

Works on 2 levels.

One he had the overall won and chose not to contend the stage win. But was mighty close anyway.

Two, Mosquera got caught doping so stage could go to Nibali anyway.

 

[Ferminal]

6, 4, 2 and 1 for a Cat 1? Is the graphic wrong?

Yep it is.

Was De Kort, Vorganov, Rohregger, Bonat, Bonnafond, 10 6 4 2 1.

 

[roundabout]

6, 4, 2 and 1 for a Cat 1? Is the graphic wrong?

Probably.

If it's 3-2-1 for a cat 3 then no way it's just 6-4-2-1 for cat 1.

Edit: should be 10-6-4-2-1 if like last year

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The break has pulled the gap back out to 6.50 on this uncategorised climb. Temperature now 35.5 degrees.

 

[TeoSheva]

The break has pulled the gap back out to 6.50 on this uncategorised climb. Temperature now 35.5 degrees.

I prefer my office

 

[The Hitch]

Nibali attacked in the Giro 11? I've seen him trying at the Etna once. Other than that I've only seen him ride own pace and finishing in front groups.
He's a good tempo climber but he nearly never attacks. (that would be stupid too, and Nibali is smart)

Funny how you watch the same race and see something completely different. Nibali the attacker uphill. I giggle. Maybe you are confusing his downhill attacks for mountain attacks.
Read back the discussion, it's about Nibali attacking on MTF finishes. Did you forget?

In that stage Anton crashed on there were awesome images where Nibali attacked, then purito joined him, and then both waited a few hundred metres because the crowds where too big to pass, before launching an awesome sprint up a 10% section.

Nibali would come i think 3rd in that stage.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

One could put forward stage 20 last year Bola del Mundo.

Works on 2 levels.

One he had the overall won and chose not to contend the stage win. But was mighty close anyway.

Two, Mosquera got caught doping so stage could go to Nibali anyway.

He didn't attack there, only react.
Mosquera was the one attacking there.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Does anyone here understand the time gaps given in the official dinamic profile ticker?

 

[TeoSheva]

it's quite annoyng to see this discussion on attacking or wheelsuching in the stage topic... please!

 

[Bumeington]

Does anyone here understand the time gaps given in the official dinamic profile ticker?

It says hours but it means minutes. 7:08 atm. Busche strongest in the break?

 

[stetre76]

Lotto with Jurgen Vandewalle perhaps? Euskaltel for Anton? Liquigas maybe? They should not underestimate Rohregger, he's quite a good climber.

Thomas can go uphill pretty quickly, he's proven this a couple of times at Kitzbuehler Horn and the Großglockner.

Of course, if the peloton catches them, he doesn't stand a chance.
But give him and 1 or 2 other a 4 minute lead it could be good enough fo him to stay in the front.

 

[cycladianpirate]

Does anyone here understand the time gaps given in the official dinamic profile ticker?

I think that 'h' should read 'mins'.

 

[just some guy]

Lead going up again 7.08

and so is the temp 34