La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Now we have something / quite-a-lot to discuss and celebrate.
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by mjr »

Not the usual hard start to a Vuelta this year. More summit finishes coming up and today was only the first of these five key stages http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/vue ... ey-stages/
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Norman H
Posts: 1331
Joined: 31 Jul 2011, 4:39pm

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Norman H »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
Yates in red by one second!
Kywyakoski down 2 minutes on GC.



Simon Yates is certainly capable of winning La Vuelta but there's a long way to go. The situation Is very different from the Giro d'Italia, where he needed to take as much time out of the other GC contenders as possible, as insurance against loosing it in the TT. With no Chris Froome or Tom Dumoulin he can afford to be more selective about where and when he attacks.
User avatar
cycleruk
Posts: 6065
Joined: 17 Jan 2009, 9:30pm
Location: Lancashire

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by cycleruk »

I woke up just in time to see the final sprint. :oops:
You'll never know if you don't try it.
User avatar
NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Nothing to report :(
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Norman H
Posts: 1331
Joined: 31 Jul 2011, 4:39pm

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Norman H »

I'm Not sure that today's stage is going to be any more exiting but the following three days look a bit more promising.

I get the impression that Simon Yates is not that comfortable with all the post race commitments that go with wearing the leaders jersey. He certainly sounded a bit hacked off with the persistent questioning of his teams performance at the end of stage 10.

It occurred to me that he could probably send his brother to handle that side of things. Most people seem unable to tell them apart. :)
Hobbs1951
Posts: 480
Joined: 15 Apr 2014, 10:48am

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Hobbs1951 »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
On top form at 38 and sagan is pants, not on form.
Plenty of hills to come :)
Yates not far off.


Rather unfair referring to Sagan's form as pants...I assume you did not see his crash on the Tour de France ? Considering the crash I think his performance is surprising.

John.
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by mjr »

Now in addition to climbs, sprints and chasing breakaways, the riders have to dodge race officials crossing the road without looking just after the finish. :-(
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Debs
Posts: 1335
Joined: 19 May 2017, 7:05pm
Location: Powys

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Debs »

A very tough stage 13 today with a wicked 1 in 5 section a couple of kilometres before the finish - that'll hurt!

A strong 32 man break-away [currently 8:20 ahead with 86k to go] looks to threaten the GC with Rafal Majka, and Ben King who will take the Red Jersey if they stay away with a time like yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mate Mardones, King, and Mollema are all in todays break to battle it out for the climbers jersey.

I wish this was available on ITV4 freeview, especially the exciting stages in the mountains like today, tomorrow, and Sunday.
User avatar
NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Hobbs1951 wrote:
NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
On top form at 38 and sagan is pants, not on form.
Plenty of hills to come :)
Yates not far off.


Rather unfair referring to Sagan's form as pants...I assume you did not see his crash on the Tour de France ? Considering the crash I think his performance is surprising.

John.

OK :oops: my bad...
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
User avatar
NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Yeh long time official now instantly retired...........damage done sky guy has retired too :evil:
Sky now men down..........

Yates all the way :)
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Postboxer
Posts: 1929
Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Postboxer »

I almost feel that they should be allowed a substitute in circumstances like that, let down by the organisers. Impossible to implement though.
User avatar
NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I wouldn't walk down a road then if I want to look behind, walk into the road before checking nothing is coming :twisted:

But people do it everyday had two in one day.

Yates has extended and he was strong today IIRC, day before rest day (I tape all episodes)
Quintana is no leader for sure waiting for Yates to lead out finish, and came in last of the bunch of GC for his efforts....Not.
TT not sure any challengers will make a difference to lead?
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Debs
Posts: 1335
Joined: 19 May 2017, 7:05pm
Location: Powys

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Debs »

Simon Yates is a natural born climber with his wispy 58 kilos of lean bodyweight,
but will he struggle to keep the Red Jersey after todays Individual Time Trial?

There are a few rivals in top ten who may be able to take a minute out of him over the fairly flat 32 km distance...
Norman H
Posts: 1331
Joined: 31 Jul 2011, 4:39pm

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Norman H »

As noted upthread, the absence of Froome and Dumoulin takes a lot of pressure off him. He's looked strong so far, and much more relaxed than he was in the Giro.

Of the other GC contenders that are close to him, Valverde may be his biggest danger. Valverde looked stronger than Quintana on the Covadonga climb. Pinot and Kruijswijk are also a threat but Yates has a bit more time over them.

It's also significant that Stage 17, which follows today's TT, is another mountain top finish. Yates has the advantage of starting last and only needs to do enough to retain the jersey.
Brucey
Posts: 44513
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: La Vuelta...Spoilers!

Post by Brucey »

realistically Yates has now to worry about

a) not having a bad day himself and/or
b) not succumbing to multiple attacks from his rivals, eg. near the end of a stage, when he has no team mates left.

Thus far, he has been commendably resistant to being bullied into chasing down attacks; the other day someone went away and he had an argument with Quintana on one climb, which Quintana lost. Yates pointed out to him that Quintana would first lose third place on GC to that rider before the red jersey was threatened, so it was first Quintana's job to chase him down.

There are at least five or six blokes that could yet win it. Of greatest danger is arguably the Valverde/Quintana pairing; if they are on form then there is a two-pronged attack.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Post Reply