Vuelta - Stage 3, Mon Aug 26, Vigo - Mirador de Lobeira, **Unmasked Spoilers**

dastardly00

Stage 3, Vigo - Mirador de Lobeira, 172.5 km

A stage for the sprinters ......

The majority of this stage won't be too interesting; a break should form early on, although they won't gain too much of an advantage as they will face a headwind along the Galician coastline. This means that it should be a bunch 'sprint' up the 3rd Cat. ascent to Mirador de Lobeira. It only is 4km in length and has an average gradient of just 4.8%, but that doesn't tell the story of this climb at all. The middle section of the climb ramps up to a nasty 10% for almost 2km, and with about 1.5km to go the road becomes very narrow. Anybody who isn't at the front of the bunch when the road becomes tight, won't be able to win.

I can't see any of the pure sprinters being able to handle the steep stuff in the last 5km. Riders who should fancy this kind of finish are Gianni Meersman (OPQS), Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge), and of course the World Champion Phillipe Gilbert (BMC). Michael Matthews won 2 stages in the Tour of Utah recently so he's in excellent form. Gilbert on the other hand crashed out of the Eneco Tour last week so he mightn't be fully recovered. Zdenek Stybar (OPQS) won the Eneco Tour impressively and he could launch an attack at the bottom of the climb.

Of the GC guys, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) will be up there as he's very consistent in these type of stage finishes. Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) should fancy his chances as well. With time bonuses on offer, it's definitely worth going on the attack. The two Irish lads should feature as well. Who knows what could happen....





Last 5km:


Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 from 3pm.
Highlights on Eurosport2 at 10pm and ITV4 at 7pm and 12.50am.

Live text-ticker will be here.

manafana

Stage 3 is like an easier version of today really.

some of the stuff from my blog

"I wasn’t sure how good Ulissi’s legs would be but he looked just fine today and could well spring the surprise on Valverde with some better placement he may well do it this time around. Mollema was not far off today and he has a win on a similar finish already this season so watch out for him. Majka is not too bad on these type of finishes and really he should not be quiet as big as 100/1. Gilbert has been carrying a bit of a sore knee and i advise anyone thinking of betting on him to perhaps think twice of doing just that."

Darkglasses

Betting: Valverde 15/4, Gilbert 9/2, Stybar 10/1, Ulissi 11/1, Gerrans 12/1, Rodriguez 16/1, Roche 16/1

There's a 1km section of the climb with an average of about 8%, 3km from the finish. This will result in a major thinning of the field.

Movistar are likely to set a frenetic pace on the way up, can't see anything but very, very good climbers being able to hang. Winner could be anyone from the first 20 riders over the line in today's stage.

AnotherView

I think Moreno is a good bet...says he is feeling very good
And Nico again should be up there

Darkglasses

AnotherView wrote: »

I think Moreno is a good bet...says he is feeling very good
And Nico again should be up there

Very possible, he'll be absolutely buzzing.

Glass Prison 1214

AnotherView wrote: »

I think Moreno is a good bet...says he is feeling very good
And Nico again should be up there

I'd say its unlikely that anyone who contended today's stage will contend tomorrow's. I'd say Dan Martin is more likely then Roche for tomorrow.

manafana

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

I'd say its unlikely that anyone who contended today's stage will contend tomorrow's. I'd say Dan Martin is more likely then Roche for tomorrow.

agreed roche would have put in a life yesterday to win big ask for a repeat.

dastardly00

Nico's diary: link

I can't seem to find a link for Dan's diary.

buffalo

dastardly00 wrote: »

I can't seem to find a link for Dan's diary.

I don't know if he's doing one, but during the Tour the online version was always published quite late in the day.

AnotherView

Myles Duggan is talking to Nicholas Roche after 11 on #RTETodayShow about his great Vuelta stage win yesterday

Morrisseeee

Love tough uphill finishes

dastardly00

buffalo wrote: »

I don't know if he's doing one, but during the Tour the online version was always published quite late in the day.

It's up now

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/dan-martin-s-vuelta-diary-i-saw-nico-attack-he-surged-and-went-away-like-a-rocket-1.1505496

Bit of a funny typo when Dan is describing the crash his team mates had in the TTT:

Unfortunately on the first downhill one of our riders, Koldo Fernandez, lost his front wheel on one of the corners. Michel [Kreder] couldn’t avoid him and went down too, while I just missed him by about two kilometres.

EDIT: Buffalo has started a Diary thread here.

retalivity

looking at the map, they are doing a loop out onto an island. Is there much of a chance that a breakaway could meet the peloton on teh way back? Is the road split down the middle for thos going over and coming back from the island?

it's not very wide....

Darkglasses

The sheriff of orica greenedge speaking Spanish...very well :eek:

manafana

retalivity wrote: »

looking at the map, they are doing a loop out onto an island. Is there much of a chance that a breakaway could meet the peloton on teh way back? Is the road split down the middle for thos going over and coming back from the island?

it's not very wide....

road has been re done since google maps

Darkglasses

I think it'd be nice if they kept comfort breaks outside the villages...

Darkglasses

Little crash. Lots of sky involved, including henao.

gwakamoley

I really wish Kirby would stop calling Nico "Stephan Roche". You could hear him almost say it yesterday when he made his attack and he has already done it twice today. Talk about living in your father's shadow.

AnotherView

Darkglasses wrote: »

The sheriff of orica greenedge speaking Spanish...very well :eek:

Hear Nico on Steephiltv.com speaking fluent Spanish at post stage interview - which he just learnt this year


Agree Kirby should stop calling him Stephen Roche
People upset when Dan referred as Stephen Roche's nephew....imagine how hard its on Nico to be constantly called Stephen....hard enough living int he shadow of your Da

Darkglasses

Big big crash this time. Think everyone's up but Klaas Lodewyck and Nicolas Edet are moving very gingerly.

Peloton are closing down the breakaway, 40km to go.

Darkglasses

Mollema got a mechanical and is now chasing back onto the peloton. 14km to go.

Mechanical according to Pelotonwatch but looked more like a tangle with a Movistar rider to me.

Glass Prison 1214

Looks like Mollema has gotten back on.

BQQ

Chaos :eek:

Anyone know where Nico and Dan are?

Darkglasses

BQQ wrote: »

Chaos :eek:

Anyone know where Nico and Dan are?

Roche is definitely near the front, no idea about Dan but haven't heard that he's been dropped.

AnotherView

Carlton Kirby is ok when nothing is happening

Otherwise he is useless at calling cyclists and saying what is ACTUALLY happening ,,, not what is happening in his surreal world

Glass Prison 1214

BQQ wrote: »

Chaos :eek:

Anyone know where Nico and Dan are?

I have been looking for them all day, I think I saw Nico's green jersey about ten minutes ago in the main bunch, although it could have been Liquigas or Belkin. I think I saw the Saxo shorts though. No sign of Dan anywhere.

Lepidoptera

That was a bit of madness :eek:

Getting into the climb now...

Darkglasses

Would like to see Movistar up front again, want to see the non-climbers getting dropped earlier rather than later.

Darkglasses

Here we go! The proper climb is just down the road and already the bunch is stretched

gaybeer

Any sign of Nico and Dan?

Darkglasses

Chris Horner! Comfortable win thanks to perfect timing and indecision from the peloton.

Darkglasses

gaybeer wrote: »

Any sign of Nico and Dan?

Haven't seen Dan all day. Nico finished 9th!

Glass Prison 1214

Both Irishmen in the top 10 today. Another good day for us.

Glass Prison 1214

Darkglasses wrote: »

Haven't seen Dan all day. Nico finished 9th!

Dan finished 5th!!

Darkglasses

Wow! :eek:

retalivity

wheres nibali??

AnotherView

So 6/1 for both Irish to finish in the top 10 looks like a good bet

Darkglasses

1. USAHORNER, Christopher 184 RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 4h 30' 18''
2. ESPVALVERDE, Alejandro 1 MOVISTAR TEAM 4h 30' 21'' + 3''
3. ESPRODRIGUEZ, Joaquin 121 KATUSHA TEAM 4h 30' 21'' + 3''
4. COLURAN, Rigoberto 198 SKY PROCYCLING 4h 30' 21'' + 3''
5. IRLMARTIN, Daniel 111 GARMIN SHARP 4h 30' 21'' + 3''
6. NEDMOLLEMA, Bauke 41 BELKIN-PRO CYCLING TEAM 4h 30' 21'' + 3''
7. ITASCARPONI, Michele 131 LAMPRE-MERIDA 4h 30' 21'' + 3''
8. ESPZUBELDIA, Haimar 189 RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 4h 30' 24'' + 6''
9. IRLROCHE, Nicolas 205 TEAM SAXO-TINKOFF 4h 30' 24'' + 6''
10. ITABASSO, Ivan 71 CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING 4h 30' 24'' + 6''
11. POLMAJKA, Rafal 202 TEAM SAXO-TINKOFF 4h 30' 24'' + 6''
12. ESPMORENO, Daniel 127 KATUSHA TEAM 4h 30' 24'' + 6''
13. COLHENAO, Sergio Luis 191 SKY PROCYCLING 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
14. ITAPOZZOVIVO, Domenico 11 AG2R LA MONDIALE 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
15. RSAJANSE VAN RENSBURG, Reinardt 25 TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
16. ESPSÁNCHEZ, Luis León 46 BELKIN-PRO CYCLING TEAM 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
17. POLHUZARSKI, Bartosz 156 TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
18. CROKISERLOVSKI, Robert 186 RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
19. ESPNIEVE, Mikel 96 EUSKALTEL EUSKADI 4h 30' 31'' + 13''
20. NEDTEN DAM, Laurens 48 BELKIN-PRO CYCLING TEAM 4h 30' 31'' + 13''

Darkglasses

http://www.lavuelta.com/13/en/resultados/index.html?e=3

Nibali isn't on it yet. Probably a mistake.

Lepidoptera

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Both Irishmen in the top 10 today. Another good day for us.

Brilliant - kept looking for them but couldn't tell what was happening since it was all focused on Horner at the end

Darkglasses

Nibali finished just behind Basso. Transponder problem.

at1withmyself

Darkglasses wrote: »

Chris Horner! Comfortable win thanks to perfect timing and indecision from the peloton.

I think he might get the red Jersey too as he was only 10 seconds behind at start of the day so allowing bonus time he might just take the lead...

happytramp

at1withmyself wrote: »

I think he might get the red Jersey too as he was only 10 seconds behind at start of the day so allowing bonus time he might just take the lead...

Yep. Great form from Dan and Nicolas. Strong possibility for another Irish win over the next couple of weeks. And another UCI point in the bag for good measure

Darkglasses

GC - 1 Horner 2 Nibali +8 3 Roche +14 4 Zubeldia +16 5 Kiserlovski +23 6 Valverde +24 7 Uran +25 8 Majka +38

Glass Prison 1214

Darkglasses wrote: »

GC - 1 Horner 2 Nibali +8 3 Roche +14 4 Zubeldia +16 5 Kiserlovski +23 6 Valverde +24 7 Uran +25 8 Majka +38

Do you have a link to that?

Glass Prison 1214

Horner is the oldest grand tour stage winner ever.

AnotherView

Niabili will be happy - he didn't seem to want the red jersey yesterday

Means Zubeldia & Kiserlovski will be working for Horner

Horner needs to thank Spartacus for that jersey

retalivity

nico holds on to all 3 of his jerseys

Darkglasses

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Do you have a link to that?

Can't link directly, but if you go through this you'll find it:

http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template3/layout.asp?MenuId=MTYzMzY&LangId=1

Confirmed by https://twitter.com/PelotonWatch and http://live.cyclingnews.com/

Darkglasses

Have to say the Vuelta timing and organising has been very poor over these two stages. Very little reliable information going around. Carlton Kirby said before the stage today that the breakaway gap yesterday was about 6 minutes. Have no idea whether that's true or not.

letape

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Horner is the oldest grand tour stage winner ever.

And I had him in my velogames team :-) Showed great form in the recent Tour of Utah. Amazing at almost 42!