Vuelta - Stage 18, Thu Sep 12, Burgos - Peña Cabarga, **Unmasked Spoilers**

dastardly00

Stage 18: Burgos - Peña Cabarga 186.5km





Peña Cabarga:


Betting: J Rodriguez 5/2; C Horner 9/2; A Valverde 5/1; V Nibali 12/1.
(C Betancur 200/1 :pac: )

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

Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 from 3pm.
Highlights on Eurosport2 at 7.50pm, and on ITV4 at 7pm.

Live text-ticker will be here.

gordongekko

Triumphant Thursday for betancur

AnotherView

J-Rod won this in 2010 with Nibali 20 sec behind and Nico 14 seconds behind Nibali

Froome won in 2011 with Nico 1 min 2 sec behind the winner and 11 seconds behind Nibali ( Roche and Nibali's form was not tip top in 2011 though)

So Roche is no slouch on this climb....

Horner looks very good but maybe tomorrow without Spartacus there might be a weakness

Bukman13

Roche's Diary http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-i-was-so-humbled-at-the-finish-i-could-barely-speak-29573371.html

IM0

I. call rodriguez for this one, plus he has been peaking for the last week just like he did for the tour

Brian?

IM0 wrote: »

I. call rodriguez for this one, plus he has been peaking for the last week just like he did for the tour

He's starting to look dangerous alright.

I thought Nibali looked nailed on for the GC after the time trial but he's starting to show weakness.

The final climb suits Purrito and Horner better than anyone I reckon. Roche will be limiting his losses today I think.

cunavalos

He's starting to look dangerous alright.

I thought Nibali looked nailed on for the GC after the time trial but he's starting to show weakness.

The final climb suits Purrito and Horner better than anyone I reckon. Roche will be limiting his losses today I think.

I am quietly confident that he will not lose too much time today. This climb has been used in 2010 and 2011 and nico was less than a minute behind leaders on both occasions.
I think it can be argued that he is better form this year (physically and mentally) so i think that both possovivo and pinot will have to try something rather than climb with the horner nibali ,valverdi and rodriquez group and hope that nico blows up and loses time and we have already seen that when pinot tried to limit his losses and chase nico (the stage where nico used zaugg and majka to attack) it was pinot who blew up and lost further time.

Nico's biggest challenge will probably come on the angliru later on in the week where he may struggle.

happytramp

After yesterday's stage and stage 9 in the tour i'm really starting to feel that mountain stages are over rated. Lumpy, windy, classic type stages is where the real racing is at.

Darkglasses

happytramp wrote: »

After yesterday's stage and stage 9 in the tour i'm really starting to feel that mountain stages are over rated. Lumpy, windy, classic type stages is where the real racing is at.

Too much of any one thing gets dull. I still prefer high mountain stages to any other parcours but honestly if I was watching this and Roche wasn't involved then I'd say it was getting a bit stale.

at1withmyself

First Climb of the day and the break is at 8:50

Egoi Martinez (95),
Simon Clarke (173),
Caleb Fairly (112),
Angel Vicioso (129),
Adam Hansen (143),
Amets Txurruka (68),
Mikael Cherel (15),
Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (25),
Vasil Kiryienka (194),
Tiziano Dallantonia (73),
Martin Kohler (53),
Ben Gastauer (16),
Chris Anker Sorensen (206),
Grega Bole (212)
Matteo Bono (133)

Bukman13

happytramp wrote: »

After yesterday's stage and stage 9 in the tour i'm really starting to feel that mountain stages are over rated. Lumpy, windy, classic type stages is where the real racing is at.

What both of those stages have in common is that one team took it upon themselves to make the race interesting (Garmin and Saxo), it doesn't matter how good or bad the parcour is, if everyone rides defensively then then its going to be dull racing.

Agree with you though, this Vuelta has had too many uphill finishes though, a bit of variance would be nice.

Bukman13

Break have a 10min advantage, Chris Anker Sorensen provisionally in the top 10 on GC now. I wonder will Euskatel defend Sanchez's 9th place if they get another few mins.

D3PO

theres no need for them to do so. They know that It will come back later in the stage when Astana and Radioshanck do their thing.

D3PO

mechanical on the climb for jrod. Nothing major but hopefully the chase back on takes a smidge out of his legs for later.

* goes and grasps at some straws

Bukman13

D3PO wrote: »

theres no need for them to do so. They know that It will come back later in the stage when Astana and Radioshanck do their thing.

There is a lot of downhill Km's left so the advantage won't come by much in those sections, at 10mins Euskatel won't chase but if it gets up to 15/16mins, they might get concerned.

How much of an advantage will the break need on the final climb to hold the favs off? Its only 6km? 3mins?

Edit: Movistar and Katusha starting to work in the peloton.

dave_o_brien

at1withmyself wrote: »

First Climb of the day and the break is at 8:50

Loads of unimportant people and:
Chris Anker Sorensen (206)

Excellent.

D3PO

Bukman13 wrote: »

How much of an advantage will the break need on the final climb to hold the favs off? Its only 6km? 3mins?

.

Yeah reckon they would want 3-4 mins to make it.

Bukman13

Net app very active in the peloton, helping Movistar and Katusha chase the break, expect Koenig to give it a go for the stage win, he is also only 9 seconds behind Pinot so has a chance to jump to 7th.

dastardly00

happytramp wrote: »

After yesterday's stage and stage 9 in the tour i'm really starting to feel that mountain stages are over rated. Lumpy, windy, classic type stages is where the real racing is at.

They should have added in some downhill finishes. Instead of finishing on a Cat. 1 summit, get the riders to descend down the other side for a few kilometres. It's an exciting variation.

Beasty

dastardly00 wrote: »

They should have added in some downhill finishes. Instead of finishing on a Cat. 1 summit, get the riders to descend down the other side for a few kilometres. It's an exciting variation.

The sport is dangerous enough as it is at this level - crashing at 80kph+ when trying to position for the final sprint is probably going to hurt more than crashing at 50kph ...

Darkglasses

Edet being dropped just now. Not great.

Bukman13

11km to go, looks like the break will take the stage win, pretty poor by Movistar and Katusha they let the brake get 10mins and then couldn't pull it back...

If Roche can stay with the leaders until 2.8km to go he shouldn't lose a huge amount of time to Pozzo, as it levels off for 900 meters or so.

Morrisseeee

As if by magic, I'm going to make the calculation that....................this is gonna be tough :eek::pac:

maloner

Morrisseeee wrote: »

As if by magic, I'm going to make the cal-kooooooo-lation that....................this is gonna be tough :eek::pac:

proper pronunciation

D3PO

Nico shadowing Pozzivivo seems a bit negative to me. should be further up IMO

dastardly00

Beasty wrote: »

The sport is dangerous enough as it is at this level - crashing at 80kph+ when trying to position for the final sprint is probably going to hurt more than crashing at 50kph ...

I obviously agree that it's very dangerous (and just to clarify, I didn't mean that the finish line should be on a -10% gradient! :pac:).

If it's after a tough climb, then there are no big groups of riders left, and it's rare enough that there any crashes during these type of stage finishes. Unless of course it's raining .... and you're Bradley Wiggins ....
The stage into Gap in the TdF this year was very exciting. Anyway I'm gone miles off-topic.

D3PO

better hes moved up to Valverdes wheel now

Pudsy33

Why is Saxo pulling the peleton?

goose06

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Why is Saxo pulling the peleton?

Thought it was moviestar

DDC1990

Are they?

Thought it was Movistar?

EDIT: Now they have a guy on the front.

Darkglasses

It was definitely Saxo, Nico and his wingman turned up the pace on the flatter section.

Valverde and Nibali shoulder to shoulder!

Pudsy33

Roche and a team mate were but now everyone is broken up

goose06

Time delay in my stream seeing that now

Darkglasses

Horner Nibali and Moreno opening a gap from Valverde and Nico. Pozzo is good way further down atm

Pudsy33

Is Pozovivo begins Nico?

dave_o_brien

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Is Pozovivo begins Nico?

Twice

Darkglasses

Horner opening up a gap to Nibali! Nibali is in big big trouble!!

Paddigol

Grit the teeth time for Nico... can he hang in...

D3PO

purito goes early

corny

Someone do something about this ffs.

Darkglasses

Paddigol wrote: »

Grit the teeth time for Nico... can he hang in...

He'll gain time on Pozzo for sure but that's it, everybody else is either with him or ahead.

Horner is annihilating Nibali.

D3PO

cameras are doing a crap job no idea what the hells happening

Pudsy33

Madness from Horner! Class

D3PO

nico on valverdes whell both dropped

Darkglasses

Valverde and Roche have caught Nibali! Valverde goes past, Roche sits in behind Nibali.

gordongekko

Darkglasses wrote: »

He'll gain time on Pozzo for sure but that's it, everybody else is either with him or ahead.

Horner is annihilating Nibali.

not a Horner fan. Very disappointed with this news.

D3PO

looks like nibali, horner jron about 10 secs ahead of valverde and rocher no sign ofg possivivo o rpinot

Darkglasses

gordongekko wrote: »

not a Horner fan. Very disappointed with this news.

You and me both Gordon

Pudsy33

Pozz came in about about 3 mins behind Kirilenko

corny

So Chris Horner is capable of riding Nibali off the wheel. Not only that but Nibali exploded for trying to stay with him.

Darkglasses

Pinot finished 6 seconds behind Roche. Sanchez further down.