Vuelta diaries

buffalo

Nico's diary: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-i-sprinted-to-the-line-because-i-couldnt-believe-what-was-happening-29527757.html

A lot of self-belief, and aggression - wonderful!

With about 2.5km to go I was fighting for Valverde's wheel when his team-mate Eros Capecchi tried to barge his way in, saying that he was there first and should be allowed onto his team captain's wheel as his team were riding on the front.

We had a bit of a high speed finger wag that ended with me telling him that I didn't particularly care whether he was there or not. I was here now. I said that wanting to be on your team-mate's wheel was okay when you're riding on the front with 50km to go, but not with 2.5km to go.

Dan: 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

It seems he had been well dropped in the TTT when the crash happened: :pac:

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.

And then claims credit for telling Roche to win:

We were riding along earlier, having a really good conversation. He was kind of saying, “You know, tomorrow is probably more my type of stage. I said, ‘look, what about today? You have to take your opportunities.’ ”

Whereas Roche said:

There haven't been many days in my career where I could say beforehand 'today I think I can win'. Today was different. I can't really explain it but the last time I had this feeling was in China in 2011, when I ended up winning the third stage of the Tour of Beijing. I haven't had it since.

FITE!

godtabh

When reading Roche's diary the one thing I noted was his approach to the sprint. So often he gets it wrong but glad to see yesterday he got it right. I wonder is that the influence saxo are having on him?

AnotherView

godtabh wrote: »

When reading Roche's diary the one thing I noted was his approach to the sprint. So often he gets it wrong but glad to see yesterday he got it right. I wonder is that the influence saxo are having on him?

It is the influence of Bjarne Riis.....he was talking in his ear over radio telling him to wait and not rush it

dastardly00

godtabh wrote: »

When reading Roche's diary the one thing I noted was his approach to the sprint. So often he gets it wrong but glad to see yesterday he got it right. I wonder is that the influence saxo are having on him?

Also that stage in the TdF in which he was in a break and Rui Costa won it. Nico made the correct decision to go with Rui Costa when then others in the breakaway hesitated. Unfortunately Nico didn't have the legs, but nonetheless he made the right calculation of when to attack and who to follow.

buffalo

Another diary occasionally worth a read is Cannondale's Cameron Wurf's at http://cameronwurf.blogspot.com/ I don't know how he has the time or energy to be writing such essays, and they're not even in his native tongue!

buffalo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-diary-i-was-amazed-at-number-of-riders-who-wanted-to-shake-my-hand-29529720.html

Glad to hear he kept all his jerseys! Strong riding again obviously.

I'll admit that it took me a while to go to sleep last night as I lay there smiling to myself, replaying the day's events in my head.

My cousin Dan Martin also came alongside and we chatted for a while as we rolled along. Only the previous day we had been talking about my lack of a Grand Tour stage win and now we were talking about how we have two Grand Tour stage wins in the same family in the same year and how Ireland has three Vuelta stage winners in recent years, with Philip Deignan setting the ball rolling in 2009.

Chips Lovell

buffalo wrote: »

I don't know how he has the time or energy to be writing such essays, and they're not even in his native tongue!

He's Australian?

buffalo

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

He's Australian?

He's writing in English, not Australian.

I actually knew he was Australian, but phrases like "yesterdays pussing footing around on the positioning front" made my brain think English wasn't his first language. I guess not everyone can write race reports in perfect English.


I'm going to crucified next time I make a typo.

TheBlaaMan

buffalo wrote: »

He's writing in English, not Australian.

I actually knew he was Australian, but phrases like "yesterdays pussing footing around on the positioning front" made my brain think English wasn't his first language. I guess not everyone can write race reports in perfect English.


I'm going to crucified next time I make a typo.

You allright, they speak Australian over there......its not the same as English.:P

The Crunch

I think he writes them on his phone. Suspect he doesn't have a team of subs working on his copy...

Bugsy2000

buffalo wrote: »

I'm going to BE crucified next time I make a typo.

buffalo

The Crunch wrote: »

I think he writes them on his phone. Suspect he doesn't have a team of subs working on his copy...

Was that an offer?

buffalo

Dan for yesterday: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/dan-martin-s-vuelta-diary-stage-3-the-legs-are-feeling-better-as-both-nico-and-i-are-getting-close-to-top-form-1.1506552

Nico for today: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicholas-roche-diary-some-of-the-peloton-were-forced-to-walk-up-parts-of-the-climb-29532377.html

The guys in the team car said they felt as if they were in recliners driving up it.

Great ride yesterday, especially grabbing the last of the mountain points. Allez Nico!

buffalo

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/a-tough-day-for-me-right-from-the-start-and-the-plan-now-is-to-save-some-energy-and-stay-out-of-trouble-1.1507505

It’s funny – and it shows how steep the gradient was – but one of my team-mates, Alex Howes, actually ran across to the front group! He got off his bike and starting running up the road . . . he was actually passing guys doing it that way.

Is running with your bike allowed? I mean, if that was the finish line, can you cyclocross your way across the line, bike on your shoulder?

Darkglasses

buffalo wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/a-tough-day-for-me-right-from-the-start-and-the-plan-now-is-to-save-some-energy-and-stay-out-of-trouble-1.1507505



Is running with your bike allowed? I mean, if that was the finish line, can you cyclocross your way across the line, bike on your shoulder?

Yes I'm pretty sure that's fine, I think I remember Cav did it early in the 2011 Tour after a crash.

Edit: Sorry it was the 2012 Giro, http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532703/ferrari-should-be-ashamed-of-giro-sprint-says-cavendish.html

buffalo

Roche: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-diary-it-felt-like-you-were-going-to-ride-into-someones-back-garden-at-any-minute-29536080.html

Today's diary is exactly what I like to read - all the little things I'd never even think about:

One of the problems with wearing a strange jersey is that it makes it harder for the team soigneurs to recognise you at the feed zone during the stage.

With 200 riders coming flying at you, it's bad enough trying to hand musettes up to guys in your usual team kit without having to try and spot a new jersey in the middle of the peloton as well.

My soigneur Firmin had just gotten used to me wearing the green jersey yesterday when I changed to the polka-dots today.

As I approached the feed zone, I could see him looking away, but a quick shout caught his attention and I was able to grab my meals on wheels as we sped past.

buffalo

Tony Martin's breakaway stage:

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/feeling-sleepy-in-the-bunch-while-tony-martin-is-blasting-away-at-the-front-1.1510040?page=1

After 30 kilometres we went past the bottom of the climb of La Covatilla, which is where I won my stage in 2011. It was familiar territory for me and it was nice to be back there.
One of the Movistar guys, Pablo Lastras actually pointed it out to me. He said: ‘Look up there, that is where you won the stage.” That was kind of cool.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-diary-a-pack-of-hungry-hounds-caught-the-bloodied-hare-with-five-metres-to-go-29538537.html

But Martin was by himself and still hung on. Like a bloodied hare with a pack of hungry hounds after him, he soloed underneath the kilometre-to-go banner with just a six-second advantage as I positioned myself in the top 30 to try and stay out of danger in the final sprint.

buffalo

Nico: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-diary-im-not-really-sure-what-happened-dan-i-saw-an-ambulance-beside-the-bus-29541321.html

No diary from Dan today.

buffalo

The one we've all been waiting for: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-im-just-living-my-own-little-dream-i-couldnt-be-happier-29544383.html

From the high:

I've finished plenty of mountain stages in a bad way over the last few years but today was a new level. I was really in bits. I wasn't able to pedal past the finish line and had to be caught by my soigneur at the side of the road, before I fell off. I knew I had to be third to try and get the bonus seconds and just gave it absolutely everything to the line. Now I was lying on the side of the road with my heart thumping, my mouth wide open and trying to unzip my jersey as if it was a pathway to my lungs.

I never looked behind at the finish so I had no idea how far back Nibali's group was and was thinking that if I had managed to take the jersey it would be for a second or two. A few minutes later I was delighted to hear that I was the new race leader of the Vuelta by 17 seconds!

To the low:

I was almost sure I'd lost the jersey but was told I had to go to the podium anyway as I'd retained the King of the Mountains jersey, which I wasn't expecting. While waiting on the presentation, I was told I'd lost my overall lead by a single second.

Although maybe low isn't the right word. To be second by a second, and still hold the KOM jersey isn't exactly a low point.

mcgratheoin

Had to love this from Dan about Tyler Farrar - sounds like he was concussed even before the crash....

"He has shown he is the strongest sprinter in the race now."

buffalo

Dan's daily diary (wonder if he'll still do it now...): http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/i-don-t-know-what-i-hit-but-i-lost-control-and-fell-hard-1.1513340

I don’t know what it was, probably either a hole or a rock, but the impact wrenched the bars out of my hands and I lost complete control of the bike.
It is not often you go down without having a bit of warning, a bit of time to brake or to prepare yourself. But with this I had no time to react. It was like I had fallen out of a tree . . . I went down pretty hard.

First person to mention his helmet gets a smack.

Seville seems to have the hottest nurse population in the world. I had a couple of cute nurses cleaning out my wounds and helping to get me patched me up. That was a bit of a silver lining!

buffalo

Wurf on yesterday: http://cameronwurf.blogspot.ie/2013/09/bit-banged-up-stage-10-vuelta.html

My new buddy in the bunch Fabian Cancellara was the next to have a couple of bottles spring from his bottle cages. I swear 1 on them must of contained his hair grease and the other the olive oil for his pasta as these 2 bottles caused absolute Carnage as us unsuspecting soles enetered the roundabout.

Roche: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-i-became-a-human-yoyo-clawing-my-way-back-only-to-be-dropped-off-again-29546625.html

Sinbad_NI

mcgratheoin wrote: »

Had to love this from Dan about Tyler Farrar - sounds like he was concussed even before the crash....

"He has shown he is the strongest sprinter in the race now."

Agree, stopped reading it or any further entries after that.

buffalo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-diary-i-need-a-good-timetrial-to-have-any-real-chance-of-being-on-the-podium-so-im-going-in-focused-29549956.html

On tomorrow's TT:

I just need to try and beat the guys around me, the climbers and overall contenders.

Easy!

godtabh

Roche's support car is going to be as important as roche on the car. A cool and calm head feeding him info I think will do him wonders.

In other TT's this year roche has mentioned that its just been his mechanic or some other non DS offical. Having Bjarne Riis following him I think will work very well. It did for his stage 2 win

AnotherView

Yes....say what you will about Bjarne Riis but he is very good tactically and mentally with the riders

ThisRegard

AnotherView wrote: »

Yes....say what you will about Bjarne Riis but he is very good tactically and mentally with the riders

Nico agrees, todays diary is interesting.

http://www.independent.ie/incoming/nicolas-roche-diary-i-could-sense-the-whole-squad-was-really-behind-me-i-felt-like-a-superstar-29554005.html

funkyjebus

Nico:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/one-of-the-astana-guys-hit-a-cone-and-went-straight-into-the-wall-of-a-house-29557290.html

buffalo

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-its-going-to-be-tough-but-im-ready-for-battle-29569737.html

I can't help but think at this point that moving up the GC to a podium position will be so tough, he'd be better off challenging Valverde for the points jersey.

mistermatthew

buffalo wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-its-going-to-be-tough-but-im-ready-for-battle-29569737.html

I can't help but think at this point that moving up the GC to a podium position will be so tough, he'd be better off challenging Valverde for the points jersey.

I don't think he has a chance to beat valverde for it, otherwise he would go for that I'd imagine. More than like Valverde gonna beat him on the remaining mountain stages and mop up the points for that. He'll be going for intermediate sprints to catch the podium places also so I doubt roche will catch much on those. An Valverde is a decent sprinter

AnotherView

Well the great thing about cycling ( and this Vuelta) is that it is unpredictable ....otherwise we wouldn't love it

C/mon Nico lad...give it everything

BQQ

buffalo wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-its-going-to-be-tough-but-im-ready-for-battle-29569737.html

I can't help but think at this point that moving up the GC to a podium position will be so tough, he'd be better off challenging Valverde for the points jersey.

mistermatthew wrote: »

I don't think he has a chance to beat valverde for it, otherwise he would go for that I'd imagine. More than like Valverde gonna beat him on the remaining mountain stages and mop up the points for that. He'll be going for intermediate sprints to catch the podium places also so I doubt roche will catch much on those. An Valverde is a decent sprinter

I was thinking he should go for the green jersey too.
Top 3 looks out of reach and 5th, 6th, 7th are much the same IMO.

It will be difficult for sure, but more realistic than top 3 given he's likely to suffer on L'Angliru.
He will have to contest the finish today as well as the intermediate sprints and go for the stage win on Friday.
Friday looks ideal for him with a short final climb and the GC guys likely saving themselves for Saturday.

I guess he knows best though.

AnotherView

Today's diary instalment from el Nico

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-it-is-so-steep-that-you-have-to-lean-over-your-handlebars-to-keep-your-front-wheel-on-the-ground-29578941.html

AnotherView

Last Diary entry and its a good one

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-ive-won-more-jerseys-in-past-three-weeks-than-in-the-rest-of-my-career-29582177.html

What strikes me most is how much his confidence and knowledge of his own capabilities has grown at Saxo

See Roman is going to his sportive.....two for the price of one and possibly future GT winners

mcgratheoin

today I had a mountain-bike gearing of 34x32 on to help me get up it

Makes me feel less of a wuss....