Vuelta Stage 17: Villadiego - Los Machucos (180.5 km)

[Pantani_lives]

Today the peloton moves towards the Cantabrian mountains. After a long and technical descent the Alisas will narrow down the group. The final climb is very rough and irregular. It has never been in a race before. The riders will be welcomed by the monument to the Pasiega cattle.

Fernando Escartín commentary:
Mountain. Castille will bid farewell to the peloton with a simple start to the stage, followed by almost 3,000 metres of slopes. The spectacular descent from La Lunada, that will lead straight onto the Alisas mountain pass, and the final climb up the infernal Los Machucos slopes will really test the peloton's strength.

Stage profile:

Climbs:
Km 107.3 - Portillo de Lunada: 8.3 kilometre-long climb at 5.7% - category 2
Km 162.6 - Puerto de Alisas: 10 kilometre-long climb at 6% - category 1

Km 180.5 - Alto de los Machucos. Monumento Vaca Pasiega: 7.2 kilometre-long climb at 8.7% - category H

Final 5 km:

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Don't you know it's kamikaze time for Contador on the Lunada with Nibali following, before being caught on the Alisas and spat out the back.

Aru to win

 

[Winnen]

Superman to crush them all!

 

[telencefalus]

the landscape remind me the one of northern Apulia , anyway i think the breakway will win this at 90 % , Froome he was really fresh at the finish Yesterday , but everyday is different , and when you did 3540 km at letour , 3000 km in training as ruby united said , and now almost 3000 km now , you can have a really bad day

 

[Pantani_lives]

Don't you know it's kamikaze time for Contador on the Lunada with Nibali following, before being caught on the Alisas and spat out the back.

Aru to win

Nibali could try something in the descent, but would he really risk throwing away his second place with an all or nothing attack?

 

[telencefalus]

Don't you know it's kamikaze time for Contador on the Lunada with Nibali following, before being caught on the Alisas and spat out the back.

Aru to win

Nibali could try something in the descent, but would he really risk throwing away his second place with an all or nothing attack?

Nibali will risk his second place ,he had 9 gt podium one more , one less does not make difference

 

[The Barb]

Really looking forward to this, even though I doubt much will happen on the GC ... Seems like an obvious stage for a second tier climber (i.e. not someone in podium contention) to get in a break or attack on the penultimate climb.

Majka must be targeting this. Adam Yates likewise. I could even see Chaves bouncing back on a final climb that suits him much better.

Amazed the Lopez is so dominant a betting favourite. A steep and irregular climb is not ideal for him at all.

 

[SafeBet]

As soon as I saw this profile three weeks ago I had a vision: Contador attacking on Lunada, followed by some other mid tier GC riders (Aru? Kruijswijk?). He then joins a big break which formed at the beginning of the stage. There are a couple of teammates, they ride their heart out in the valley while Puccio cruises the peloton for 30 km a couple of minutes behind. When his teammates are done other riders start helping Contador and they don't even know why, but they do it. When they start Alises, Contador rides away with the other GC riders, they take pulls and maintain a one minute gap on top. Moscon is pushing hard and the peloton is about 25 riders strong. It's all about Machucos. Contador drops everybody on the 47% slopes, but Sky is closing the gap. With 2 km to go Froome attacks and bridges to Contador and everybody think: that's it. But it's not. Contador has saved something for the final and sprints to victory.

 

[telencefalus]

Re:

Really looking forward to this, even though I doubt much will happen on the GC ... Seems like an obvious stage for a second tier climber (i.e. not someone in podium contention) to get in a break or attack on the penultimate climb.

Majka must be targeting this. Adam Yates likewise. I could even see Chaves bouncing back on a final climb that suits him much better.

Amazed the Lopez is so dominant a betting favourite. A steep and irregular climb is not ideal for him at all.

Lopez is in monster shape so i don't be surprise if he is the best of the cg guys also in this pretty irregular climb

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Re:

As soon as I saw this profile three weeks ago I had a vision: Contador attacking on Lunada, followed by some other mid tier GC riders (Aru? Kruijswijk?). He then joins a big break which formed at the beginning of the stage. There are a couple of teammates, they ride their heart out in the valley while Puccio cruises the peloton for 30 km a couple of minutes behind. When his teammates are done other riders start helping Contador and they don't even know why, but they do it. When they start Alises, Contador rides away with the other GC riders, they take pulls and maintain a one minute gap on top. Moscon is pushing hard and the peloton is about 25 riders strong. It's all about Machucos. Contador drops everybody on the 47% slopes, but Sky is closing the gap. With 2 km to go Froome attacks and bridges to Contador and everybody think: that's it. But it's not. Contador has saved something for the final and sprints to victory.

WAKEY! WAKEY! you've missed the bus for work. :lol:

 

[wheresmybrakes]

It does seem a little quiet this morning due to the ignore button, but then I've done 3 posts in the last 20 mins so it must be contagious.

 

[Rollthedice]

Mano a mano on Machucos, Nibali, Contador and Superman to fight for stage win, second group Zaka, Wilco, third group Aru, Froome, Poels, around 15 sec between the groups.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

If they let Poels off the chain, he will this stage with ease.

Tonight the internet will be full of Froome gifs hamster wheeling the 28% part.

And I wonder how many motos will blow up.

 

[telencefalus]

in any case tonight froome will still have the red jersey i think he could lose only to the 20 stage so at least 17 days in red jersey

 

[Matteo.]

Is froome already dropped?

 

[jfazendeiro]

I hope we can finally see Aru attacking or setting the pace for a MA Lopéz attack.

 

[ice&fire]

Zaka attacks at the base of los Machucos to get on podium. Contador, Aru and Chaves drop. The rest follows on Zaka's wheel. The road is very narrow. Zaka spans his elbows to avoid being overtaken, but then he hits a tree at the side of the road and everyone crashes. The road is blocked and team cars cannot give assistance to their riders. Those who were dropped earlier take their bikes on their shoulders ciclocross-style to move ahead and go on. Aru wins the sprint to Chaves. Contador gets 3rd increasing his lead in the top-10 competition. Froome gets nervous, runs up the road, begs fans for help and finally crosses the line pulling a cow pretending it is a bike..

 

[Red Rick]

Alberto Contador will win this bike race

 

[bosfor]

Re:

Alberto Contador will win this bike race

For once let this meme come true.

 

[telencefalus]

Re: Re:

Alberto Contador will win this bike race

For once let this meme come true.

don't think he will win , he will win on angliru

 

[Laplaz]

The descent from Lunada is quite technical, right? Bahrain should go full gas there in order to make Froome nervous, altough i don't believe they will do something there already.

 

[telencefalus]

Froome won' t get nervous unless he crashes which i think will not happen in this gt anymore

 

[bosfor]

Re: Re:

Alberto Contador will win this bike race

For once let this meme come true.

don't think he will win , he will win on angliru

I don't think he will be let go on the final climb of the race, unless all the podium positions have around 3 mins of clearance. I think his final pistol smoke is today, tomorrow or there won't be any at all.

 

[SafeBet]

The descent from Lunada is quite technical, right? Bahrain should go full gas there in order to make Froome nervous, altough i don't believe they will do something there already.

I don't think Bahrain will have many riders left on top of Lunada.

 

[telencefalus]

only pellizzotti and maybe visconti