Vuelta - Stage 5, Wed Aug 28, Sober - Lago de Sanabria, **Unmasked Spoilers**

dastardly00

Stage 5, Sober - Lago de Sanabria, 174.3km

The parcours is easier than the previous few days, but this stage is still far from a walk in the park. The riders have to face two Cat. 3 climbs, and over 2,000m of vertical ascent. The first climb of the day, Alto do Covelo, starts after 68.6km, but by then the peloton will have been steadily climbing for previous 11km. The second of the categorised climbs begins with 42.3 km to go. The Alto de Padornelo is 11 km long but only has an average gradient of 2.6%. The profile still doesn't flatten out too much running into the finish, with the last 10km being quite bumpy. At 6km remaining, there is a 1.5km section that has an average gradient of 4.3%.

With the GC riders being busy since the start of the Vuelta, they'll be hoping for a quieter day on the bike in Stage 5. There's a good chance that we'll get to see our first big bunch sprint finish, or a breakaway managing to stay away. Michael Matthews, Gianni Meersman and Edvald Boasson Hagen finished 3rd, 4th, and 6th respectively in Stage 4, and they are the favourites to take the honours in Stage 5. In terms of a breakaway winner, Amets Txurruka has launched a few attacks in the last couple of days, so there's a good chance that he will be involved in the breakaway from early on.

I'm curious to see what tactics Nico Roche will employ in this stage. Will he compete for the KOM points and the intermediate sprint points, or will he try and save energy for the mountains? It'll be great if he can keep one of the jerseys for another few days, but I don't want him being blown out the back of the lead bunch on the early slopes of one of the bigger climbs at the weekend. Thoughts?





Betting: E Boasson-Hagen 4/1; T Farrar 4/1; M Matthews 6/1; G Meersman 6/1.

Here's a link to the Irish rider's diary thread courtesy of buffalo.

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Reginald P. DuM

It's a good question about Roche... What to do.... I'd imagine its GC on his mind from here on, he has a stage win, a couple of jerseys for a spell and won't let that distract him from the aims which he started... At the beginnging I said I didn't think he could make top 10 in Madrid, maybe a rethink is required, he looks quite strong. And could well prove me wrong.

AnotherView

He is going for GC so he will keep the jerseys if he can but if not let them go


The real big competition on GC are Niabli, Horner, Valverde, J-Rod, his 2 team mates, Uran and Dan Martin so I think he can do a top 10 and even higher

manafana

This is probably the easiest stage after yesterdays great finish up the road to nowhere. Still think we might not see all the sprinters get to the finish especially if the pace is good on the climbs that are in their.

extract:

"Boassen Hagen is fancied to do well here but he still has a hell of a lot to prove he was 6th yesterday on a finish that suited, but surely Meersman and Matthews have his number at the moment. The finish has been made all the more interesting by race organizers putting in a 90° corner with just 600 meters to go to the line. This rewards those with support to get them into this in front and its likely we some of the sprints launched coming out of here. Warren Barguil is new on my map, down as a climber he seems to be more of puncheur his best results are coming on days like yesterday, and the neo pro is proving quiet useful."

dastardly00

With 55km gone, there is a 5 man breakaway with a lead of 8 minutes.

It looks like all the KOM and Intermediate Sprint points will be wrapped up by the breakaway, so Nico won't be using any unnecessary energy contesting for them.

The only downside is that Nicolas Edet is in the breakaway, and he's only 8 points behind Nico in the KOM competition. He potentially could get 6 KOM points today if he reaches the summit of the two Cat. 3 climbs first.

D3PO

dastardly00 wrote: »

The only downside is that Nicolas Edet is in the breakaway, and he's only 8 points behind Nico in the KOM competition. He potentially could get 6 KOM points today if he reaches the summit of the two Cat. 3 climbs first.

Nico wont mind that. Hes out to do a job on GC not to win the KOM and with the break he will hang onto the KOM jersey until Saturday at least as no categorized climbs the next two days which isn't a bad bonus either.

gordongekko

Any update?

Speak Now

gordongekko wrote: »

Any update?

Courteille and De Walle got away form the break.

Darkglasses

Not much excitement today to be honest Gordon. Breakaway was going strong and had a good gap, but in the last ten minutes or so Wan der Walle and Courteille attacked and split the group of five. 5km to go.

Edet got the KOM points.

Darkglasses

Wan der Walle and Courteille are going to be caught now

Darkglasses

Nico's at fifth wheel in the peloton.

GetWithIt

Nico loves La Vuelta. He'll win it some day. The next Sean Kelly I tells ya.

Darkglasses

Sprint finish, Michael Matthews takes it for Orica. Gianni Meersman just about gets second I think, after getting a good shoving from Lampre's sprinter.

Actually Richeze of Lampre shoved his way into 2nd place ahead of Meersman. EBH down in 6th or so.

BQQ

Nico safely home in 16th.