La Vuelta a España - Stage 13 - Catalayud to Tarazona *SPOILERS*

Melodeon

Date: Friday 4th September
Type: Medium Mountains
Distance: 178Km
Start/Finish: Catalayud/Tarazona


Stage map:



Profile:



First Climb - Km 53.6 - Alto Collado de Oseja - Category 3:



Main Climb - Km 71.9 - Alto de Beratón - Category 1:




Final Climb - Km 143.5 - Alto de Moncayo - Category 3:



Last 5km:



The General Classification after Stage 12:



Preview (© cyclingnews.com):

Many will be keen to get in the breakaway on a day suited to an escape

A day for the smaller teams and those that have so far had no luck.

With three summit finishes ahead and the race’s hierarchy by now well established, expect the battle to get into today’s break to be particularly frantic. The lumpy terrain will bolster the escapees’ hopes, although the strong winds that frequently blow through this part of Spain may test their enthusiasm and strength as they near the finish in Tarazona.

The last of the three categorised climbs, the Alto de Moncayo, which featured in the 2013 time trial won by Fabian Cancellara, comes 35km from the finish and it may spur the peloton into a concerted pursuit if the breakaway’s lead is less than five minutes.

LIVE TV:
Eurosport 2 - 3.00pm
TG4 - 3.00pm

HIGHLIGHTS:
Eurosport 2 - 8:00pm
ITV4 - 10:00pm
TG4 - 0:35am

MPFGLB

If he has recovered this would be a good stage for Nicolas Roche to go in the break on ..the finish suits him ..... Nico, Henao, Thomas , Boswell will all be vying to go in the break ..I guess SKY can afford to have a few riders up the road

MrMischief

MPFGLB wrote: »

If he has recovered this would be a good stage for Nicolas Roche to go in the break on ..the finish suits him ..... Nico, Henao, Thomas , Boswell will all be vying to go in the break ..I guess SKY can afford to have a few riders up the road

From reading Nico's diary today in the Indo I don't think he'll be looking to get in the breakaway. Suffered yesterday also and hasn't got his legs back after his crashes and Wednesdays stage.

I'll go for Cummins to win from the breakaway.

Darkglasses

Cummins is a good shout. He looks like the new Michael Rogers

MPFGLB

MrMischief wrote: »

From reading Nico's diary today in the Indo I don't think he'll be looking to get in the breakaway. Suffered yesterday also and hasn't got his legs back after his crashes and Wednesdays stage.

I'll go for Cummins to win from the breakaway.

Yes you are right ...I thought he might have recovered but sometimes recovery can come during a race ...

There are so many riders way down on GC and with issues that this could be won by anyone

I'd like it to be Adam Hansen

pelevin

Listened last night to the Telegraph podcast with Sean Kelly a couple of posters here linked to. Well worth a listen. Kelly made a very interesting point that the Vuelta has come on hugely in having the cream of the crop racing it in the last however many years, but that they were in danger of shooting themselves in the foot by having things too hard - like the brutal stage the other day. He as saying this before that sage had been raced btw. That top TdF contenders might say to themselves in future, or it might colour their thoughts, that it's just asking too much of themselves to endure that level of hardness after already doing the Tour. I saw none of it but I suppose also things like the mickey mouse layout of the TTT could lower it in their estimation. Anyway he was saying they shouldn't at all take it for granted the calibre of riders racing it & think they can set as brutal parcours as they like.

MPFGLB

I agree with Sean Kelly re the Vuelta parcours

If you have the likes of Quintana looking miserable you run the risk of him not coming back. Chris Froome also complained about stage 11 and I would say won't be in a hurry back ...risky hard race .

And also you do not necessarily get the best racers wining ...just the freshest. Not the best races as the Vuelta goes on as this year is just too hard

I would have put a flat stage after the 1st rest day ...Kept stage 11 but taken off the first 2 climbs...reduce the ITT to 25km and maybe include a hill in the middle of TT

This Saturday/Sunday & Monday is too hard all together ....I would have had one of them a downhill finish.

I personally would have preferred to see a race with Froome & Quintana battling it out. I think having Purito design a stage was a tad unfair and on the whole suited him though he didn't win. Even Valverde who seems to be able to race anything looks like he is not too pushed anymore

Not taking away from how good Dumoulin, Chaves & Aru have been but they are fresher and since there are so many more hard stages to go the race is in danger of being won by the rider who is least tired

Beasty

MPFGLB wrote: »

I agree with Sean Kelly re the Vuelta parcours

If you have the likes of Quintana looking miserable you run the risk of him not coming back. Chris Froome also complained about stage 11 and I would say won't be in a hurry back ...risky hard race .

And also you do not necessarily get the best racers wining ...just the freshest. Not the best races as the Vuelta goes on as this year is just too hard

Think this is the point - the Tour probably takes a lot more out of people nowadays than it used to, because they are aiming for it throughout the year and their training is focussed on delivering their best in July. I think it's pretty unrealistic to expect riders who have put everything into the Tour to have chance to recover and the go for another grand Tour within a month or so. That was one of the reasons I was questioning whether Froome may not actually be going for this and could have been simply looking to return a few favours to some of his team mates. That theory is now pretty much discredited, but perhaps some of these guys need to realise just how hard it is to do, let alone win, back to back Grand Tours

MPFGLB

Oleg Tinkov wanted then to ride 3 GTs in a year ....that man hasn't a clue

I do think the Tour de France was extremely hard this year ...

But I am thinking that Contador (especially if he wins the Tour next year) will try and also win the Vuleta before he retires. Its the kind of thing he would do

MPFGLB

Talking of which ...seemingly Quintana has already been dropped today

RobFowl

Nico in a break apparently

D3PO

a lot of strong riders in the break will be a tough one for Nico to win form even if the break makes it alal the way.

fingers crossed mind you.

ThisRegard

Eurosport coverage very short today, not kicking off until 3 for some reason.

Taxuser1

no way this break will make it. No Giant, Trek or Lotto - provided the main sprinters got over the climb, 3 sprint teams unrepresented. the final climb isn't tough - Cancellara won a TT on it.

I'm on De Marchi since yesterday evening if the front group split .

D3PO

sicard is a death knell for this break hes only 6 and a bit mis down on gc. unless he drops off the break haven't a hope

godtabh

RobFowl wrote: »

Nico in a break apparently

just tuning in. Is he still there?

ThisRegard

Vuelta tracker has him and Henao still there.

StevieGriff

He's still there alright. Hanging at 3.14 Mins.

stecleary

Tg4 player acting up for everyone else?

REBELSAFC

3.30 mins up with 40km left. There is a chance it could stay away

Eamonnator

Too many in the break for it to stick.

Eamonnator

Break has split. Looks like Roche may have made the selection.

Eamonnator

Didn't stick. Break all together again

neris

Just tuned in, whos carltons obsession for today?

at1withmyself

Break will definitely make it today but I think it'll be a late attack that will stick so hopefully roche

Eamonnator

neris wrote: »

Just tuned in, whos carltons obsession for today?

Aussies and their tinnies.

at1withmyself

neris wrote: »

Just tuned in, whos carltons obsession for today?

Cummings

at1withmyself

at1withmyself wrote: »

Cummings

Although Stephen roche could be in with a shot after getting that gel from his back pocket!!!

pelevin

"The break hasn't a hope today."
"Looks like they have a real chance to me,"
"Nah, no chance."

A little bit later . . .

"Starting to look good for the break."
"Not a hope."

Later again . . .

"Not going to be caught now."
"Peloton has this timed perfectly."

Finally . . .

"The break stayed away!"
"Was always going to happen."

kerry4sam

at1withmyself wrote: »

Although Stephen roche could be in with a shot after getting that gel from his back pocket!!!

From sitting down somewhere watching his Son Race?!

Too close a call for Nico with that team car there :eek: That would throw me a little, that would!

mirrormatrix

5'10 to the peloton with 18k to go

neris

i sometimes wonder when Carlton "cracks" a joke and starts laughing uncontrollably to himself if sean kelly is just staring at him in disbelief and thinking to himself "what the **** is this eejit ****ting on about"

obriendj

Great break by Oliveria - dont see him being caught.

pelevin

Lampre manager gonna be fined for attacking his own car.

D3PO

Oliveria has this. great move by him. Pity for Nico he aint gonna get too many more good chances of a stage like this in GTs

neris

SK very dismissive of the Portugese TT championships, are ours much better?

mhiggy09

Just sat down to watch the end of the stage and the tv coverage is terrible. No.1 they have a big sign over the distance and time gap thing in the corner.
No.2 the picture is static as **** and 3 they have had no images of the peloton since I sat down.

godtabh

roche second?

neris

Roche 3rd? looks like the cofidis guy just got him on the line

kerry4sam

Outstanding for Nicholas Roche, yet again!

spock.

neris wrote:

Roche 3rd? looks like the cofidis guy just got him on the line

Yeah vuelta website have Simon 2nd Roche 3rd

neris

lovely looking town from the aerial shot

equivariant

Good result for Roche - good character to fight back today after losing time earlier in the week

D3PO

roche only 7 points off the green jersey. with 3 hard mountain stages ahead its hard to see him do anything but would be amazing if he won it

Rambling Man

equivariant wrote: »

Good result for Roche - good character to fight back today after losing time earlier in the week

I note that he's actually in fourth place in the points classification. 72 to Chaves' 79. One bad day.

MPFGLB

D3PO wrote: »

Oliveria has this. great move by him. Pity for Nico he aint gonna get too many more good chances of a stage like this in GTs

What ...he has loads of chances in this Vuelta and in more Gts ...he is not retiring you know

I said it earlier it would be a good stage for Nico and he is obviously getting back his mojo

If only he had come in with Froome on stage 11 he would be back in GC

Kirby is just a pompous biased idiot :eek:

MPFGLB

Mind you maybe its better Nico is going for stages....a bit more exciting but I wouldn't put it past him to get back in the lower part of the GC

He does have a good enough TT

D3PO

MPFGLB wrote: »

What ...he has loads of chances in this Vuelta and in more Gts ...he is not retiring you know

I said it earlier it would be a good stage for Nico and he is obviously getting back his mojo

If only he had come in with Froome on stage 11 he would be back in GC

Kirby is just a pompous biased idiot :eek:

Sky don't got to GTs to stage hunt its only the Froome situation that's allowed him off the leash like this. Given on average maybe 3 breaks succeed in a GT at most. Combine the two of those and you don't end up in too many breakaways that make it ergo don't have too many chances of a stage win like this.

anyway I hope im wrong, I love it when the Irish boys pull of wins in the pro peleton. Its just stating the reality of things on here can be seen as being negative when its not.

MPFGLB

I agree that a rider like Nico does not get chances to go in breaks but I think he will have more in this Vuelta...then there is the green jersey and I am not sure GC can be completely ruled out ...

There are at least 5 riders ahead of him he could catch or could fall out of GC on a bad day

He is good at getting in to breaks

But the good news for us is his form is coming back and one thing he does do is go for it ...So the next 8 stages should still be fun

kenmc

jaysus that's some turn around from the mountain stage,fair play to him for pulling himself back up.

De Bhál

I thought he went too early and was going to get swamped 10m from the line, but no, a strong finish. Fair play.