Vuelta Stage 18: Suances → Santo Toribio de Liébana - 169 km

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Vuelta Stage 18: Suances → Santo Toribio de Liébana - 16

Breakaway win is obvious

Contador attack on Collada de la Hoz is also obvious

 

[GraftPunk]

Contador all day long!

 

[Anderis]

Breakaway FTW.

Shame, because Woods would have a good chance otherwise.

 

[Breh]

It is time.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

It is time.

To lose a stage due to a jury decision?

 

[MrTea1976]

I'd like to see Woods take the win here but a break is more likely.

 

[telencefalus]

Re:

It is time.

That's some nonsense , i could say that Tomorrow it's time for Nibali to take red , but it's a pretty nonsene

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Look out for a strong first break. The fact Froome showed some vulnerability today means lots of teams will know Sky won't favour a fast tempo all day long, so there's a good chance of the break being allowed away. If we see a couple of Bahrain, Катюша or Trek riders on the move, we'll know something's afoot. Sky have been defending the lead for two weeks (let's not forget that's part of people's frustration too - they led the Tour from stage 5 to the end bar two stages and have led the Vuelta from stage 3, and even today the team was strong, not exhausted from that constant duty like the doms often are, take Purito's lieutenants in 2012 in the similar stage) and the last thing they want is a day-long high-speed chase with Angliru looming large. Wily veterans in the péloton know how to deal, too. I have a chaque there might be some mercenaries out there in the next few days, both riding bikes and driving cars. It's the kind of thing Leonardo Piepoli used to love. I wouldn't be surprised if Unzué is open for business tomorrow. Plenty of riders capable of making an impact, nobody worth paying any mind on GC, no impediment to sticking men up the road, after all they're still after a stage and have dropped out of the lead in the teams classification they are so strangely protective of, so nobody will be surprised to see multiple riders in dark blue trying to sneak into the break tomorrow. And you never know when it could be worth having some favours to call in.

 

[Valv.Piti]

This one is a great stage design, like today and much of the Vuelta (compared to what we usually see in Its). It kinda has a Giro 2015-feeling to it as you almost expect something to happen each day apart from the always dull sprinter stage which you might as well cut entirely or limit drastically (as the Vuelta has done) as they don't contribute anything to a race.

I definitely think we will see GC-action, not just on the last climb. At least an attempt. Lil Richie Carapaz ftw.

 

[HelloDolly]

It could be Contador or/and Nibali get help up the road but may have to bequeath the stage win...possible if they get enough time to go for the win on Angliru

 

[Arredondo]

I agree with Valv.Piti: it could turn out to be a great stage, with action already on the Collada de la Hoz. That last steep murito can be a troublemaker for a lot of GC guys. I think you can lose easily 20-30 seconds there if you're having a bad day. So if Nibbles is able to take 20 seconds on Froome, he only needs a Los Machucos day on Angliru to win la Vuelta!

I really hope Atapuma will win a stage in this Vuelta. I know, his chances have become very small, but the guy has got an incredible lack of luck by always choosing stages/breakaways who at the end get reeled in. He's always a rider who animates the race in the mountains, and he gets too little reward for that in my opinion.

Angliru objectively will be his final chance, but i'm still rooting for him tomorrow!

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Unless Froome is in clear trouble or unless there is a team strong enough to isolate him (which seems even less likely), any attack before the final ascent is just going to get ruthlessly mown down on that 15 km slightly uphill drag - it will be like shooting fish in a barrel for the bot brigade

 

[More Strides than Rides]

While I expect some probing, I don't think Froome and especially his teammates are weak enough to let anything go away. At least not in the way some posters seem to think.

That being said, Bahrain, Trek, etc. should attack, and attack like they're trying to win the Vuelta tomorrow. They're not going to get the time back to take red, but tomorrows stage will be the key factor in deciding how well Froome gets up Angrilu.

Pull the trigger tomorrow so the bullet lands on Saturday.

 

[The Barb]

Re: Re:

It is time.

To lose a stage due to a jury decision?

God I still feel sick about that one (had Zakarin at 17-1). Worst decision ever. Even the Colombian journalists sheepishly acknowledged it was surprising. I need a stiff drink.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

It is time.

To lose a stage due to a jury decision?

God I still feel sick about that one (had Zakarin at 17-1). Worst decision ever. Even the Colombian journalists sheepishly acknowledged it was surprising. I need a stiff drink.

Let me ease your pain.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Vuelta Stage 18: Suances → Santo Toribio de Liébana - 16

Breakaway win is obvious

Contador attack on Collada de la Hoz is also obvious

Why flo? I think the break will not have success. I think astana, bahrain and trek will work to tire froome. We saw in 2013 and 2015 that froome is fading right now

 

[rei_da_montanha]

Final climb:

Nice Murito.

 

[portugal11]

I already said this one time. Recovery is not the problem for contador so I expect to see contador win this stage. It is perfect for him, some punchers are getting too tired (woods), really can't see other name. So Vamos Alberto!!!

 

[May0maniac]

How is the weather supposed to be? With recovery being a big factor Alberto has a shoot, but he has to get rid of Alaphilippe before the final climb.
Now that he has smelled blood Nibali will probably also try something.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Final climb:

Nice Murito.

It's steeper than I thought

 

[Sestriere]

Re:

Final climb:

Nice Murito.

Man, that one is horrible for Nibali! I guess that means he has to attack earlier

 

[Escarabajo]

With those mountain gradients I smell blood.

I don't think they will allow Froome to recover.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Final climb:

Nice Murito.

Are you sure thats the climb? Neither the vuelta profile nor the other profile posted on the first page look anything like this

Edit: Maybe this is a different side of the climb. If you start climbing to Fuente De, instead of Santo Toribio de Liébana you can make a left turn after around one kilometer and ride an extremely narrow and steep street up to the Monastery where the stage ends.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

Final climb:

Nice Murito.

It's steeper than I thought

Contador will win

 

[jens_attacks]

Froome will lose this bike race.