La Vuelta , Sept 12, Stage 20: San Lorenzo de El Escorial/Cercedilla 181km *SPOILERS*

Melodeon

Date: Saturday 12th September
Type: High Mountains
Distance: 181Km
Start/Finish: San Lorenzo de El Escorial/Cercedilla


Stage map:



Profile:



First Climb - Km 30.0 - Puerto de Navacerrada - Category 1:




Second Climb - Km 67.5 - Puerto de la Morcuera (from North) - Category 1:




Third Climb - Km 127.0 - Puerto de la Morcuera (from East) - Category 1:




Fourth Climb - Km 158.0 - Puerto de Cotos - Category 1:




The descent from Puerto de Navacerrada to the finish at Cercedilla:



Last 5km:



The General Classification after Stage 19:



Preview (© cyclingnews.com):

Four cat-1 climbs mean the penultimate stage could be key if the GC is still in the balance

The climbing concludes in traditional fashion with a tough stage through the sierra, north of Madrid.

The four first-category climbs aren’t particularly severe individually but could become so if the GC is still in the balance and one or more teams decide to race hard before the final ascent. The roads are good and the descents fast, particularly on the Navacerrada, which features twice. The peloton will tackle the northern and southern flanks of the Morcuera, then the Puerto de Cotos, where there are 7km of flat before they drop down the Navacerrada into the finish at Cercedilla.

It’s not ridiculously hard, which might tempt some well-placed riders into a long-range assault.

LIVE TV:
British Eurosport - 11.30am
TG4 - 11:35am

HIGHLIGHTS:
ITV4 - 7:00pm
British Eurosport - 7:30pm
TG4 - 8:40pm

Melodeon

Phew, that was a big one!
(as the actress said to the bishop)

In other news, Nico is still towards the upper end of the Points Classification:


We live in hope

dastardly00

Great work Melodeon!!

D3PO

looking at the gradients on that last cat1 id have to be pretty confident that Dumoulin can wheelsuck Aru.

they will have to make the racing hard all day to try and land a decisive blow on him but i think he can make it unscathed.

pelevin

Call me Nostradamus but I've a feeling Aru might try something tomorrow like maybe attack somewhere.

tigerboon

Quintana has been keeping his head down. Might be an all or nothing day for him. Same with Majka

MPFGLB

Its the big one ...the final act....and I expect fireworks

Love to see Nico Roche try and get in the break , won't be easy but its worth a hard fight to try ... His climbing seemed better yesterday but this is a very hard stage in comparison . However there is no pressure so worth going for it without expectation if he can get away from Movistar

I expect Purito and Aru to try and isolate Dumoulin early so pace maybe very high for a break to get anytime.

The problem so far for the GC contenders is when one attacks the nearest on GC chases and Dumoulin has to do nothing as the rest reel each other in

(If Astana & Movistar had a pact it may work ...ie Aru gets the seconds on Dumoulin, Valverde gets the points jersey and Quintana gets the podium & the stage win by working together ???....of course it won't happen)

Daroxtar

Purito to invoke the spirit of Bertie 2012 and attack like a man possessed on the second last climb to pull off the ultimate act of Vuelta redemption and retire with the Red jersey.

Lusk_Doyle

I really fear for Tom today. I can see Landa going up the road and this time waiting for Aru when he attacks and doing the work for him. I hope that I am wrong and that it won't be one mountain too many for Tom today.

MPFGLB

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

I really fear for Tom today. I can see Landa going up the road and this time waiting for Aru when he attacks and doing the work for him. I hope that I am wrong and that it won't be one mountain too many for Tom today.

Yes the Landa plan is all systems go today

In the last 3 stages he came in 26 minutes down yesterday at 146th , 12 minutes down on stage 18 at 66th place and 77th place in the ITT at 4.58 minutes

He must be one of the freshest climbers out there after all that ....He will be in the break and he will wait for Aru or if not he will pace Aru up the second last climb and last climb

If he doesn't do either Martinelli will have his guts for garters

neris

Someone was saying lotto jumbo would give TD a dig out a few days ago, well todays the day. Really hope TD does it and takes it today. This has been the best racing this year and its great to see a race been taken by an outsider. Hopfully ive engineered the perfect domestic dispute that means i can stay home all day

dastardly00

Aru will have one less domestique today. Alessandro Vanotti will not start the stage.

pelevin

Aru to have a very small gap on Dumoulin but Landa to sprint over the top of him for third on the stage, arms triumphantly aloft, denying Aru the bonus seconds for overall victory.

dastardly00

Live coverage has started on Eurosport.
The peloton are in the neutralised zone at the moment.

neris

and theyre off, breakaway trying to get away from km0

Daroxtar

Attacks galore right from the start. Viva La Vuelta

Chips Lovell

Just realised I've ridden every single climb on today's stage.

neris

crash

MPFGLB

First mention of Attapuma already :eek:

neris

ffs carltons off on his attapuma love in

mhiggy09

Daroxtar wrote: »

Purito to invoke the spirit of Bertie 2012 and attack like a man possessed on the second last climb to pull off the ultimate act of Vuelta redemption and retire with the Red jersey.

I'd love to see that, he's such a classy and talented rider who never got the rewards he deserves. Would be great to see him rip it up early and has Moreno in great form to help him

neris

Kaka Rooral & Giant Alvecin. Wonder how many names Kelly can butcher today

MPFGLB

Wait ...who that ???

mhiggy09

Roche in the second group on the road and trying to get to the first

mhiggy09

Watching it on tg4 but think I'm going to get the computer and watch it on eurosport just to listen to Kelly. He always makes me laugh

neris

Nicos gunning it looks like hes trying to get to the breakaway

MPFGLB

C'mon give Nico a hand you *****

dastardly00

Pretty much all the non-GC guys are trying to get into the break

MPFGLB

Rowjass is pushing on ......again !!

dastardly00

Peloton are starting to slow down now.

mhiggy09

Finally the peleton is gone dead and people stop attacking

mhiggy09

Is it just me or does the peleton look abit small? Even before the break went it looked small

neris

mhiggy09 wrote: »

Is it just me or does the peleton look abit small? Even before the break went it looked small

was thinking the same myself at the start with the helicopter camera

ThisRegard

dastardly00 wrote: »

Pretty much all the non-GC guys are trying to get into the break

It would be a funny sight to see the broom wagon made up of the top 5 who are just watching each other forgetting what's happening in the rest of the race.

dastardly00

mhiggy09 wrote: »

Is it just me or does the peleton look abit small? Even before the break went it looked small

There are 40 less riders now than when the race started.

neris

ah lovely, the aul lads having a whizz shot

mhiggy09

Second group got within 24 seconds but now it just shot back up to 36 seconds

dastardly00

I'm surprised Nico's group hasn't caught the lead breakaway group yet.

mhiggy09

Did Henao get into the second group to?

Boscoirl

mhiggy09 wrote: »

Did Henao get into the second group to?

According to the vuelta site , yes

MPFGLB

Someone in the 2nd group needs to work for others ...3 CR riders

But Movistar as scuppering things

MPFGLB

Why are 2 BMC lads just sitting on the back of the 2nd group...what is their tactic

dastardly00

It's very unusual to have two separate breakaway groups with a big lead over the peloton.

joujoujou

Majka's 26th Birthday today.

I wonder if he's gonna make himself a present.

Birthday wishes from Team members, other riders etc.

Multiple languages, no translation yet.

https://www.facebook.com/EurosportPL/videos/686560548141591/

mhiggy09

It's about time they caught that group. Just one rider ahead now

dastardly00

mhiggy09 wrote: »

It's about time they caught that group. Just one rider ahead now

It's weird. Rubin-Plaza attacked out of the leading breakaway, and the rest of them just seemed to put the brakes on and allow themselves to be caught by the second breakaway group in a very short space of time.

MPFGLB

Big ask from Plaza to go alone at this point ?

MPFGLB

I htink the transponders are not always working

mhiggy09

dastardly00 wrote: »

It's weird. Rubin-Plaza attacked out of the leading breakaway, and the rest of them just seemed to put the brakes on and allow themselves to be caught by the second breakaway group in a very short space of time.

They probably beleive that plaza can't keep them at bay for the whole stage so they slowed down

MPFGLB

Would be happy if that front group was about 10 riders

dastardly00

I can't see much happening for the next hour.