Vuelta al País Vasco 4–9 April 2016

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

He was getting out Purito'ed on some occasions, yes, Rodriguez was just the best climber of that race period. One performance specifically stands out, the stage to Mirador, somewhat similar to that of today, but even steeper and shorter. Contador lost, i dno, 5-10 seconds, and got 2nd comfortably ahead of Valverde in monster shape.

Anyways, this is just my opinion. I agree with Serious Sam's post above mine, I think he hit it right on the money.

He was 4 years younger, maybe he is not as strong on steep gradients anymore. Who knows? All I know is that it's nonsense to take this performance and conclude he's past it, or in poor shape, or whatever else. He performed as expected.

But I didn't say he was past it. I even stated that I think he is the favourite in this race still

It was some AC-fan who said he was too old

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Contador did good today considering its not his most favoured terrain when its that steep so did quintana aswell. Chapou!

No he didn't do good, and yes it's his terrain when he's on form! Remember stage 2 in this same race 2014 when he dropped Valverde in top form by 15sec in just 500m.

Its not his most favoured terrain period. That my little friend doesnt mean he cant perform on it, see the difference ?

Oh yes, I agree. He can perform when he's in great form, which is not the case... See my point?

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

Contador did good today considering its not his most favoured terrain when its that steep so did quintana aswell. Chapou!

victory at arrate by 10-15 sec?

pff. He didn't do it in 2014 ...how he can do it now?

IIRC, he didn't do it even in 2009.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Purito's perfomance is not that bad. For sure it's not good enough, but his form is starting to get better. But really slow.

I hope he can do something in the 2nd part of the season. Or maybe Liege with a longe range attack.

Landa is a beast!! He will win the Giro with ease.

It's bad. This was his type of climb, the pace was slow among the favorites, but he just don't have it. Things doesn't look good for the classics.

But still Dan Martin loses 30 seconds, the Yates brothers 45 seconds, Mollema, Aru 10 seconds. Navarro 50 seconds.

The favorites were pretty spend. You could see it on their faces. So not a horrible showing.

He's already better then he was in Catalunya. So there's still some hope for the classics. Small hope, but hope

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

He was getting out Purito'ed on some occasions, yes, Rodriguez was just the best climber of that race period. One performance specifically stands out, the stage to Mirador, somewhat similar to that of today, but even steeper and shorter. Contador lost, i dno, 5-10 seconds, and got 2nd comfortably ahead of Valverde in monster shape.

Anyways, this is just my opinion. I agree with Serious Sam's post above mine, I think he hit it right on the money.

He was 4 years younger, maybe he is not as strong on steep gradients anymore. Who knows? All I know is that it's nonsense to take this performance and conclude he's past it, or in poor shape, or whatever else. He performed as expected.

not really, he was the biggest favorite in the light of active racing practice in pn, catalunya and great showing on the similar climb in 2014.

 

[Mr.White]

Oh I forgot, Samu Sanchez could actually win this race!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

IIRC, he didn't do it even in 2009.

He did win the stage, ahead of Cuddle, but I am not sure if it was the same side of the climb.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

28YATESSimonOrica GreenEDGE 0:52
29MORENODanielMovistar Team 0:58
30YATESAdamOrica GreenEDGE ,,

I expected more.

Simon looked fine in the beginning. It's one of those climbs were you can start off great, but if you dig to much you explode. I still think Simon will do okay in the overall.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

not really, he was the biggest favorite in the light of active racing practice in pn, catalunya and great showing on the similar climb in 2014.

Maybe for you, but I expected Henao to beat him, and I've followed Alberto's performances closely for many many years

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Contador is totally going far with this team... Don't get me wrong, some guys were already alone while he ''still'' had Roman there before the climb, such as Costa (surprise, surprise), but when Cannondale, Etixx, Кatusha and your rival team for your biggest objective of the season all have more than 4 guys in the end while you're virtually alone and, in some cases, not even getting help from your only domestique left, something is not right.

I think it actually was Valgren, no? At least the danish commentators said so.

But I agree, its troubling, but stages like this in Le Tour Contador will have the best rider in the world - by miles, I might add - at this disposal

Might have been, and if so, I'm sorry Valgren. I shouldn't trust Portuguese commentators.

Its not like you should trust danish commentators more, but it also looked like Valgren to me.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Oh yes, I agree. He can perform when he's in great form, which is not the case... See my point?

He performed. He was better than most GC favorites. Only when he is in extremely great form, he can beat someone like Henao here. So yes, perhaps he's not in extremely great form. Big deal

 

[TI-Raleigh]

Very impressive from Landa. Henao looked great too, probably wishing that Landa wasn't up the road and he could have had a shot at the stage. Also good form from Pinot, he continues to get better.

 

[Red Rick]

Shout out to Tinkoff though. Contador was battling it out himself before the climb already

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

IIRC, he didn't do it even in 2009.

He did win the stage, ahead of Cuddle, but I am not sure if it was the same side of the climb.

He won, but the gap was around 6-7 secs iirc, not 10-15.

 

[BigMac]

From the posts here one would think Contador missed the top ten.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Contador did good today considering its not his most favoured terrain when its that steep so did quintana aswell. Chapou!

Quintana, Contador, Kelderman or Pinot is gonna win this. Kelderman needs to hang on on friday's stage though and Quintana needs a gap for the time trial.

You never kows what he need for the time trial, he could do it better than Contador with that climb, cycling is not maths. What he need is energy that day. Better energy that day that some seconds. But of course he should try to drop Contador in Arrate, with a hard rythm all the day and attacking from far, other way he has almost impossible to win the GC.

I see Pinot anyway at this moment as favourite as Quintana.

But SKY has 2 cards. Landa is going to be better day by day and the ITT is not bad for him. If he get more seconds he wiil be for me the favourite to the overall. Henao has 6 seconds over Contador and he is now the main favourite.

I didnt expect more of Aru, although he use to be good at this kind of climbs, but I expected a little bit more of Purito (at least he atacked witouth feeling very well, so he is not of coure a wheelsucker), and as well from Mollema. Anyway if a rider like this ones.. Mollema, Dan Martin, etc.. try to break at the end of tomorrow stage, he could get an important time.

 

[Matteo.]

Re:

From the posts here one would think Contador missed the top ten.

as always

 

[hfer07]

how come nobody mentions Samu's performance?? it was nice to see him up there with the best

 

[jens_attacks]

many mentioned, me included. samu beating alberto, oh god. i want to hear his interview

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

IIRC, he didn't do it even in 2009.

He did win the stage, ahead of Cuddle, but I am not sure if it was the same side of the climb.

He won, but the gap was around 6-7 secs iirc, not 10-15.

Oh, yeah

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Contador is totally going far with this team... Don't get me wrong, some guys were already alone while he ''still'' had Roman there before the climb, such as Costa (surprise, surprise), but when Cannondale, Etixx, Кatusha and your rival team for your biggest objective of the season all have more than 4 guys in the end while you're virtually alone and, in some cases, not even getting help from your only domestique left, something is not right.

I think that Roman had trouble with the complicated start of the climb on narrow roads, I don't think that the Pais Vasco climbs suit him well.
Spilak to attack on Friday, if he gets back some time before the ITT he has a shot at finishing in the top 5 or even on the podium.

Last man with Alberto was Valgren, so Kreuzigeŕ didn't exactly have problem with positioning He's just trainig for Ardenes here still one would expect him to do better today. He disappeared quite some time before climb, I don't think that he couldn't stay there at that moment so probably they agreed on that or had some problem maybe. I wish him doing better but yeah

 

[jonan92]

For the interested, this is the actual weather outlook for the remaining stages

Tomorrow: dry
Thursday: Possibility of rain, mostly in the afternoon
Friday and Saturday will have a high chance of rain

Another important thing, from Thursday midday until Friday night the snow height could be lower than 1000m (could be as low as 700-800). Won't see any snow but the weather would be very cold in the hills. Saturday wouldn't be much hotter

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

For the interested, this is the actual weather outlook for the remaining stages

Tomorrow: dry
Thursday: Possibility of rain, mostly in the afternoon
Friday and Saturday will have a high chance of rain

Another important thing, from Thursday midday until Friday night the snow height could be lower than 1000m (could be as low as 700-800). Won't see any snow but the weather would be very cold in the hills. Saturday wouldn't be much hotter

Spilak weather.

 

[Samamba]

Re:

Louis Vervaeke did well, he was holding the pace for Gallopin I think, but Gallopin dropped off quite early!

Gallopin is aiming for the ardennes and is working for Vervaeke this week. Same for Wellens. They maybe trying to win a stage later this week, but don't expect to much. Vervaeke is Lotto's leader.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Bit of a greenedge Yates fail today aswell, not in top 26 and over 43 seconds down

They targetted the wrong Yates for GC - Adam did all the work and had to push himself to get back and pace Simon for the last 2kms.

Anyway Landa showed he's the best pure climber in the peleton.