Vuelta a Espana Stage 9: Villacastín - Sierra de Bejar. La Covatilla 183,0 km

[movingtarget]

Clearly not, but that does explain why he beat Wiggins and Menchov here. Exactly the kind of passive (although now it's TGBM, it's suddenly not passive but smart) riding you guys hate so much in riders like Leipheimer and up until recently Nibali.

Might be overstating a bit for dramatic effect, but still I do hope Mollema will launch some attacks this Vuelta and not just follow his way to a top-10 placing.

Most of all though, I hope JRod will be able to limit his losses tomorrow and stay at least a bit within reach of Nibali and Wiggins.

You should know, it all depends on who is doing the wheelsucking. Mollema has done well so far but long way to go yet.

 

[hrotha]

What an awesome day to be a cycling fan. Dan Martin, Mollema and Bole showing off. And gods I love Nibali. DT, are you keeping a tally of his attacks?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Mollema pulls a Leipheimer 2 days in succession and that makes him smart?

Well, I suppose it does when there are bonus seconds to play for, but if it the Bald Bottle had been the one pulling his party trick, imagine the verbal smackdown he'd be getting right now......

Still, he was probably on his limit, trying to keep attached to the Wiggin's train.

To be fair yesterday wasn't really following wheels, it was just a test of pure power and explosiveness.

And it wasn't like mollema was with just one other rider following wheels(i.e evans and gesink paris-nice), he was in a big group, if he didn't feel like he could attack, why should he. Blow himself up, scarponi style?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I've watched every single cycle race on eurosport this season Never heard of him

Than you have been watching with your eyes backwards into your skull and with no ears either

He's been top 10 in Paris Nice and Catalunya (both world tour races), 2nd in castilla y leon, 5th in Tour de Suisse (if you didn't notice that one, then I don't know what you are doing when watching a stage), and 2nd in a TDF stage behind Hagen.

 

[cineteq]

You think he'll take 2 minutes out of Nibali?
It's possible - I'm not going to say it's likely or that I think it will happen - but it is certainly possible that Wiggins took a lot out of himself in that performance today, and though I'd still back his ITT to be better than most of the other GC contenders, that he doesn't gain as much from it as anticipated.

You nailed it. Wiggins is going to pay tomorrow for today's effort, I don't see him winning the ITT, and taking more than 1'15" to Nibali.

 

[Jamsque]

The Young Rider jersey is a relatively new invention at the Giro (since 2007), replacing the Intergiro (until 2005) and the Combination (2006) jersey.

The Combination jersey at the Giro was a points-based thing based on your position in the GC, points, GPM and sprints competition (with 15 down to 1 for your position in the top 15 of each classification every day).

The Vuelta may move to a young rider competition as it grows more ASO-influenced (we've already seen the formerly blue points jersey go green, and the formerly dark red - and before that orange, until the advent of Euskaltel made it hard to spot - GPM jersey turn polka dotted like the Tour), but I like that it has a Combined jersey - it brings it into line with most of the Spanish stage races, keeping some of the Spanish flavour in the race.

The Combination classification is actually an older classification than the young rider one - the Tour introduced it with a white jersey in 1968, then replaced it with the young rider in 1975.

Thanks for the knowledge Libertine, interesting stuff.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You mean Nibali, right? Pretty much the only stage he can put serious time on everyone else is tomorrow, with more than half a Vuelta to go.

wiggans or nibbles, I think wiggans is a very big chance now tho.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

You think he'll take 2 minutes out of Nibali?

It's possible - I'm not going to say it's likely or that I think it will happen - but it is certainly possible that Wiggins took a lot out of himself in that performance today, and though I'd still back his ITT to be better than most of the other GC contenders, that he doesn't gain as much from it as anticipated.

I'm going to assume the guys who got dropped and were fighting for every second will have lost more from their legs today than the guy controlling the pace.

Also, in a situation where everyone is tired, with no rest day to recover in pre TT, I'll always back the bigger, natural TTers to keep it all together far better than the riders desperately trying to thrash out something respectable. I would expect the gap between an exhausted Wiggins and an exhausted Jrod to be even wider than if they were both fresh.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

What an awesome day to be a cycling fan. Dan Martin, Mollema and Bole showing off. And gods I love Nibali. DT, are you keeping a tally of his attacks?

Tour of Poland: Breeding Ground of Greatness.

 

[Mellow Velo]

To be fair yesterday wasn't really following wheels, it was just a test of pure power and explosiveness.

And it wasn't like mollema was with just one other rider following wheels(i.e evans and gesink paris-nice), he was in a big group, if he didn't feel like he could attack, why should he. Blow himself up, scarponi style?

Sssshhhh! I'm trying to get Dekker Tifosi to blow up, Scarponi style!!!
(others appear to be having more success)

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I've watched every single cycle race on eurosport this season Never heard of him

took 2nd in a stage at le tour. Vuelta a Castilla y León he almost won (came 2nd).. was very competitive at suisse. Guessing you didn't watch all races

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Sssshhhh! I'm trying to get Dekker Tifosi to blow up, Scarponi style!!!

oh, proceed.

I mean.. don't mess with the mafioso boy

 

[cineteq]

I agree as it happens, Nibali is favourite, but it's not totally unreasonable to look at Wiggins after this.

Let's see after 3-weeks that's the big question...way too many mountain stages to go...

 

[salixcycling]

You nailed it. Wiggins is going to pay tomorrow for today's effort, I don't see him winning the ITT, and taking more than 1'15" to Nibali.

Wiggins is only 51" down on Nibali at the moment (using the current timings)

 

[Descender]

Didn´t see the stage, but it mustn´t have been that selective if a second-tier rider like Mollema is in the red.

TT will be exciting.

 

[Parrulo]

Clearly not, but that does explain why he beat Wiggins and Menchov here. Exactly the kind of passive (although now it's TGBM, it's suddenly not passive but smart) riding you guys hate so much in riders like Leipheimer and up until recently Nibali.

Might be overstating a bit for dramatic effect, but still I do hope Mollema will launch some attacks this Vuelta and not just follow his way to a top-10 placing.

Most of all though, I hope JRod will be able to limit his losses tomorrow and stay at least a bit within reach of Nibali and Wiggins.

while that is mostly true to be fair with the head wind it was indeed a smart move as he would prolly blow himself up if he attacked(look at nibali struggling at the end). and mollema isn't really a defensive rider like leipheimer, tho if he starts doing this very often he may become one.

I agree, I feel like nibbles has come a long way the last 12 months.

Very good rider, very reliable.

he really has become a very mature rider and his climbing still seems to be improving with every GT he does. he just needs to improve his consistency and recovering a bit i think.

 

[l.Harm]

Didn´t see the stage, but it mustn´t have been that selective if a second-tier rider like Mollema is in the red.

TT will be exciting.

No only Purito, Nieve, JVDB etc got dropped.

 

[Jamsque]

Nibali is absolutely still the favourite. There are three MTFs and one significant uphill finish left in the race. Wiggins was great today but remember his great Tour in '09, he was right with the best on the first few mountain stages and started to fade in the second and third weeks. I think he will have a bad day on one or both of stage 14 (multiple hard climbs in succession) and stage 15 (insane gradients).

Nibali has a much better pedigree of putting on a sustained climbing performance over a grand tour.

 

[movingtarget]

You nailed it. Wiggins is going to pay tomorrow for today's effort, I don't see him winning the ITT, and taking more than 1'15" to Nibali.

Wiggins will be psyched for a big effort tomorrow on a very suitable TT course. Don't forget he only rode the first week of the Tour. i think he will be in Red or a few seconds behind.

 

[Gloin22]

Didn´t see the stage, but it mustn´t have been that selective if a second-tier rider like Mollema is in the red.

TT will be exciting.

And Top Class riders like Rodriguez and Scarponi blowing up ? It was selective enough.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Wiggins is only 51" down on Nibali at the moment (using the current timings)

still I'd back nibbles to take 30 seconds from wiggo in the rest of the vuelta.

 

[hrotha]

How can you watch cycling regularly and not recognize Bauke Mollema? He has a funny sounding name and a funny looking nose. He stands out.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

SIVTSOV, Kanstantsin + 9' 22''

Poor final Grand Tour from HTC.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Put that to see who the sensitive ones where...n whaddya know..

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

How can you watch cycling regularly and not recognize Bauke Mollema? He has a funny sounding name and a funny looking nose. He stands out.

ears also..