Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 km)

[Red Rick]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

According to Kelderman the last climb had headwind, not the predicted tailwind. He said that made it really difficult

Lol. The wind loves Froome. Makes sense why Nibali couldn't do ***

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

According to Kelderman the last climb had headwind, not the predicted tailwind. He said that made it really difficult

Lol. The wind loves Froome. Makes sense why Nibali couldn't do ****

This is the 3rd serious mtf of the vuelta and the 3rd time there is strong headwind on the climb. Froome is a bit lucky in this regard.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

According to Kelderman the last climb had headwind, not the predicted tailwind. He said that made it really difficult

Lol. The wind loves Froome. Makes sense why Nibali couldn't do ****

This is the 3rd serious mtf of the vuelta and the 3rd time there is strong headwind on the climb. Froome is a bit lucky in this regard.

This also makes Contador's level more debatale, he might have been top 5 for all we know.

Superman though, insane.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

According to Kelderman the last climb had headwind, not the predicted tailwind. He said that made it really difficult

Lol. The wind loves Froome. Makes sense why Nibali couldn't do ****

This is the 3rd serious mtf of the vuelta and the 3rd time there is strong headwind on the climb. Froome is a bit lucky in this regard.

This also makes Contador's level more debatale, he might have been top 5 for all we know.

Superman though, insane.

But there were only 3 guys chasing Contador, Bardet and Lopez down for the entire climb. So it was three against three really once they had established the initial gap. It wasn't like a huge rotating paceline reeling them in - it was nearly all Puccio, Nieve and Poels v Lopez, Bardet and Contador.

 

[Aguirre]

Re: Re:

Los Muchachos.. @Irondan

Did you miss this memo?

Nibali is awful in this type of climbs

26%... wtf?

Who isn't awful in climbs of this type...

Yeah, this profile is straight out of a Mayomaniac design . With one major difference though: I can pronounce the climb's name . Nasty one for sure.

Yeah, the more I look at it, the uglier it gets...

well, those astana and orica being dropped by skyborjs tempo

 

[Aguirre]

Re: Re:

when in a group of 25 there are 4 skys (pushing!), consider this!!! someone will tell me that there is not such hegemony?

when they were 25 there were still a few Oricas too

well, those orica and astana being dropped by sky tempo

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Los Machucos means 'it hurts' (right?)

I suppose some of the riders will suffer there and some will climb just like that:

Maybe it's related to machismo?
Makes sense.

 

[mb2612]

Oh well, when the two teams with the depth to challenge sky as pacesetters both instead send a man up the road, there's never going to be much carnage. Which is a shame, as if the field had been thinned to 10 then it would have been absolute carnage for 10km.

I don't think you can blame the organisers for this one, a weaker sky could have left the leaders isolated for a long time, and then 7% is plenty to make gaps.

 

[This Charming Man]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

It would be interesting to see how Andraes Kloden, and Chris Horner would have faired in this Vuelta, during their prime?

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

It would be interesting to see how Andraes Kloden, and Chris Horner would have faired in this Vuelta, during their prime?

They're in their prime right now

 

[Anderis]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

It would be interesting to see how Andraes Kloden, and Chris Horner would have faired in this Vuelta, during their prime?

They're in their prime right now

About Horner I'm not sure that he has already hit that.

 

[skippo12]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

It would be interesting to see how Andraes Kloden, and Chris Horner would have faired in this Vuelta, during their prime?

Klöden with team Sky would win the Vuelta at his peak condition. Only better climber is Lopez but Klöden might be a better time trialer than Froome and would gain minutes on everybody except for Nibali and Kelderman. Horner needs to gain time in the mountains...not sure if he is capable to drop a train on his own.

 

[telencefalus]

what can i say we just lost an afternoon watchin this stage , and i have to be bold saying that we waist a ton of afternoons watching SKY domestiques chasing the attackers , but this is what is passing in town right now , but i Always love cycling , hoping for better moments

 

[WheelofGear]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

It would be interesting to see how Andraes Kloden, and Chris Horner would have faired in this Vuelta, during their prime?

Horner would have destroyed the rest.

I can't see Klöden dominating this field. He would have to rely on his TT.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Oh well, when the two teams with the depth to challenge sky as pacesetters both instead send a man up the road, there's never going to be much carnage. Which is a shame, as if the field had been thinned to 10 then it would have been absolute carnage for 10km.

I don't think you can blame the organisers for this one, a weaker sky could have left the leaders isolated for a long time, and then 7% is plenty to make gaps.

The organizers are at no fault. I think it was yesterday that I saw Sky on the last climb with 5 out 15 riders left. That is just simply ridiculously strong. Not even Superman can save us!!

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

I bet that Meintjes already knows by heart the bib numbers of all the riders in this year's Vuelta.

:lol:

Teams should be fighting to get his services. He is always hanging on the back showing his shirt.

Today was going to be dropped so early, but chapeau to him for fighting to hang on.

 

[rata de sentina]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

So it was three against three really once they had established the initial gap. It wasn't like a huge rotating paceline reeling them in - it was nearly all Puccio, Nieve and Poels v Lopez, Bardet and Contador.

More like three vs one and a half considering Lopez was sucking wheels and Bardet wasn't fully committed.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I bet that Meintjes already knows by heart the bib numbers of all the riders in this year's Vuelta.

The commentator said yesterday that Meintjes is now going around a few riders and I almost had a stroke ! He is the new Moncoutie, just about always at the back of the pack. Moncoutie was nervous on descents and also preferred to ride in the open not amongst other riders maybe Meintjes caught the same virus...........but Moncoutie also attacked sometimes and went for the KOM points so not so similar.

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

I bet that Meintjes already knows by heart the bib numbers of all the riders in this year's Vuelta.

The commentator said yesterday that Meintjes is now going around a few riders and I almost had a stroke ! He is the new Moncoutie, just about always at the back of the pack. Moncoutie was nervous on descents and also preferred to ride in the open not amongst other riders maybe Meintjes caught the same virus...........but Moncoutie also attacked sometimes and went for the KOM points so not so similar.

Moncoutie won 6 GT stages and 4 KOM jerseys from breakaways, his racing style is definitely not even close to what Meintjes has been doing in last 2 year. Meintjes adds nothing to the races and nobody would notice him if Kirby didnt have a crush on him like a few other random riders.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

I bet that Meintjes already knows by heart the bib numbers of all the riders in this year's Vuelta.

The commentator said yesterday that Meintjes is now going around a few riders and I almost had a stroke ! He is the new Moncoutie, just about always at the back of the pack. Moncoutie was nervous on descents and also preferred to ride in the open not amongst other riders maybe Meintjes caught the same virus...........but Moncoutie also attacked sometimes and went for the KOM points so not so similar.

Moncoutie won 6 GT stages and 4 KOM jerseys from breakaways, his racing style is definitely not even close to what Meintjes has been doing in last 2 year. Meintjes adds nothing to the races and nobody would notice him if Kirby didnt have a crush on him like a few other random riders.

Luckily EBH and Simon Clarke don't ride at the back of the bunch as well otherwise Kirby would never call the leaders at all ...........

 

[Tobi]

We need a salary cap for each team in cycling this sky train is getting ridiculous and boring. They destroy each race and its fair because its their way to win but its really bad for the sport. It's one thing that they ruin Tour de France each year but now they also ruin the Vuelta. Imagine how exiting the rest of the Vuelta would be right now without a monster team sky train

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

According to Kelderman the last climb had headwind, not the predicted tailwind. He said that made it really difficult

Lol. The wind loves Froome. Makes sense why Nibali couldn't do ****

This is the 3rd serious mtf of the vuelta and the 3rd time there is strong headwind on the climb. Froome is a bit lucky in this regard.

This also makes Contador's level more debatale, he might have been top 5 for all we know.

Superman though, insane.

AC is top 5 level for sure. Just take away stage 3.

Could have three STAGE WINS if not for the breakaway.

And he wouldn't have lost anytime yesterday if he'd ridden conservatively.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Vuelta Stage 15: Alcalá la Real - Sierra Nevada (129.4 k

It would be interesting to see how Andraes Kloden, and Chris Horner would have faired in this Vuelta, during their prime?

Horner would have destroyed the rest.

I can't see Klöden dominating this field. He would have to rely on his TT.

Kloden was good on steep climbs that were short in one week races, but over three weeks it was always likely that he'd crack on a course with enough serious mountains. He also could never ride two GT's in a row, and he would never skip the Tour in preference for the Vuelta.

Though IF he did, this parcours is still much too mountains > ITT for him IMO

And I like Andreas more than Alberto

 

[wouterkaas]

https://twitter.com/velocast/status/904660253203189760

Could this still have any consequences even though it has appeared relatively late?

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

https://twitter.com/velocast/status/904660253203189760

Could this still have any consequences even though it has appeared relatively late?

I wonder who those riders are. They're hard to recognize.