Vuelta stage 20. Corvera → Alto de El Angliru - 119km

neris

A short stage with some serious punishment on the penultimate day of another Sky bot controlled Grand Tour and bar a serious cock up today Froome has this in the bag but can the final climb cause a cock up and some excitment. Heres hoping. a Cat 3 climb, 2 Cat 1s and a kicker at the end. The route designer must have been in a bad mood when he designed this route

Mountain. Short stage (119.2 kilometres), but very tough. La Vuelta winner may be determined at the Alto de l'Angliru, as was the case in 2011 between Bradley Wiggins and Juanjo Cobo. It is the last stage and the riders will give it their all, so we are in for a good show.

1. GBRFROOME Christopher 21 TEAM SKY 75h 51' 51''
2. ITANIBALI Vincenzo 151 BAHRAIN - MERIDA 75h 53' 28'' + 01' 37''
3. NEDKELDERMAN Wilco 61 TEAM SUNWEB 75h 54' 08'' + 02' 17''
4. RUSZAKARIN Ilnur 101 TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN 75h 54' 20'' + 02' 29''
5. ESPCONTADOR Alberto 1 TREK - SEGAFREDO 75h 55' 25'' + 03' 34''
6. COLLOPEZ MORENO Miguel Angel 136 ASTANA PRO TEAM 75h 57' 07'' + 05' 16''
7. CANWOODS Michael 91 CANNONDALE DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM 75h 58' 24'' + 06' 33''
8. ITAARU Fabio 131 ASTANA PRO TEAM 75h 58' 24'' + 06' 33''
9. NEDPOELS Wout 27 TEAM SKY 75h 58' 38'' + 06' 47''
10. NEDKRUIJSWIJK Steven 111 TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO 76h 02' 17'' + 10' 26'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ERoO-_kZY

dastardly00

You just beat me to it neris :P

dastardly00

Live coverage is on Eurosport1 today, not the usual Eurosport2.

neris

dastardly00 wrote: »

You just beat me to it neris :P

Daroxtar

dastardly00 wrote: »

You just beat me to it neris :P

Me too, even went and nearly died climbing the bloody thing just to give a decent preview.... :rolleyes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWeYi4tlfF8

Daroxtar

The real climb is the top part. Once you have passed Viapara it's a world of pain. Cuesta Las Cabanes is ridiculously steep, nearly as bad as Cuenas les Cabres. The two long straight stretches between Cabanes and Llagos and again from Llagos to Picones are the most regular sections of the whole climb. You can set a rhythm there and grind it out steady enough but that could lead to a false sense of security because once you get to Picones, That's it. You're done. It's completely relentless for the next 3 km. It doesn't ever drop to 10%, you're trying to to recover your breath on the 12-15% parts because the rest is 15-20%. Realistically there's no recovery. It's maximum effort till the top. I calved just past Cobayos at around 20%. Cuenas les Cabres is 800m long @17% and that's where this whole Vuelta could be won or lost because if Froome cracks again there and Nibali can keep going then a minute is nothing. There's no aero benefit whatsoever at 8kmh on 20%. It's pure individual ability and willpower. It's not even beyond the possibility that Contador could make enough time to catch up.

I can't fking wait!!

neris

Daroxtar wrote: »

Me too, even went and nearly died climbing the bloody thing just to give a decent preview.... :rolleyes:

i find copy & paste hours of research from books and online in the comfort a chair alot easier and less time consuming to do previews

Daroxtar

Daroxtar wrote: »

Me too, even went and nearly died climbing the bloody thing just to give a decent preview.... :rolleyes:

Thats a great shot , really gives a sense of the height. I'd say the view from there was a nice reward for the effort getting up.

neris

manky looking day

neris

the crowds are gathering

https://twitter.com/lionelbirnie/status/906492839059746817

Darkglasses

Eurosport player isn't loading content to my chromecast today. Great time for a problem

Darkglasses

Lots of people reporting problems with Eurosport Player on twitter. Flip

Encrypted Pigeon

Darkglasses wrote: »

Eurosport player isn't loading content to my chromecast today. Great time for a problem

I cant login on browser either

CrowdedHouse

Me too - won't cast, can't log in on 'puter #sake

MPFGLB

Darkglasses wrote: »

Lots of people reporting problems with Eurosport Player on twitter. Flip

Me too

Daroxtar

neris wrote: »

the crowds are gathering

https://twitter.com/lionelbirnie/status/906492839059746817

That's 2 hours of fun!!!

Darkglasses

I can watch on the app on my tablet, but no joy from my browser or chromecast. Weird.

Bambaata

Sat here in the van at 8k to go and its lashing and no joy for me with eurosport on laptop either! Miserable day, massive winds came in over night, so much so that the massive tent they setup with bar/restaurant part collapsed! Didnt bring gears for these hills, no chance of getting up them in the 39/25 so i went and climbed the road they descend to the foot of the last climb, could be sketchy on that descent in this rain!

neris

Darkglasses wrote: »

Eurosport player isn't loading content to my chromecast today. Great time for a problem

can get it my phone app and on the pc but had same problem trying to chromecast from phone to tv. the app & website update they did a while back is a pain in the hole especially on mobile always wanting location turned on

MPFGLB

Nicolas Roche in the break..

Gallant_JJ

Eurosport ap won't work on my phone. Mighty timing.

velo.2010

Perfect timing from Eurosport to have a system wide failure. Can't even send on my email to reset the password.

WMP

Would really love to see Contador win this stage and Niballi move up into red. Please not another stage dominated by Froome and the Sky bots! Come on Contador and Niballi. Go Nico also cant see it happening today.

Daroxtar

The single thickest thing I've ever heard Kirby say "There's Horreos famous chestnut tree, the only reason I can think of that we're looking at it"

While the camera was focused on a group of Horreos, the traditional Northern Spanish style of grain store.
[img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADIkIZcECcs/VJcXfozdrlI/AAAAAAAAVBk/LTHSDUu6-qk/s1600/hórreo.jpg[/img]

neris

Daroxtar wrote: »

The single thickest thing I've ever heard Kirby say "There's Horreos famous chestnut tree, the only reason I can think of that we're looking at it"

well he just called Nico roche sean roche now

dastardly00

I'd say a good few of the riders in the breakaway are wishing that they hadn't bothered!

MPFGLB

I'm now watching in Russian....thats dedication

TV broke
ES not working
Any stream in English not working

Gallant_JJ

Eurosport ap back working finally

Gallant_JJ

.......just in time for an ad

neris

MPFGLB wrote: »

I'm now watching in Russian....thats dedication

TV broke
ES not working
Any stream in English not working

where you getting it in russian?

dastardly00

This descent could be a bit scary...

MPFGLB

neris wrote: »

where you getting it in russian?

Some secondary I had found

Back to ES player now so probably couldnt find it again

robyntmorton

"There's an Astana rider here in the Astana jersey"

Oh Sean, it seems Kirby is rubbing off on you. What jersey did you think he would be wearing?

4Leinster

Froome's bad day was when it was cold so there's hope for the others. Like to see nibbles attack on the descent of the Cordal rather than leave it to the last 5 km

Inquitus

Looking like its all going to come down to the Angliru, though Woods, Aru, Lopez and others are already in trouble. Looks like a GC battle for the stage and the race up Angliru featuring Bertie, Nibali and Froome as the main protagonists!

dastardly00

Nico hanging on in the red jersey group

robyntmorton

Nice neutral service bike in the barrier, with rider standing alongside cheering.

Who provides neutral service to the neutral service though?

robyntmorton

And Soler slides into the ditch!

ThisRegard

Don't think I've seen as many motorbikes down in any other tour.

Kirby says found out, shot time.

robyntmorton

Nibbles is down!

And back up, trying to catch the back of the leader group

ThisRegard

The wet descent ironically may benefit Nibbles in catching up due to the caution.

I think they're taking it handy rather than slowing due to respect for him like Kirby claims.

MPFGLB

For such a great descender Nibal crashes alot

robyntmorton

De La Cruz eats ditch too.

This is madness!

neris

like dominoes here

Inquitus

robyntmorton wrote: »

De La Cruz eats ditch too.

This is madness!

It's a terrible descent, wet, dry, leaves, puddles as well as being highly technical!

4Leinster

robyntmorton wrote: »

Nibbles is down!

And back up, trying to catch the back of the leader group

That's his race run then. Shame.

robyntmorton

Descending pain finished. Climbing pain engaged.

There appears to be some confusion about who is where.

mhiggy09

Terrible luck for contador

at1withmyself

Contador is ahead by 40 seconds on the red jersey according to the official ticker?

4Leinster

Think Kirby and Kelly are wrong about Contadors position. Looks like he's in the third group and not behind leaders group

robyntmorton

Timing and position appears to be correct again. Contador gp 3, 55 behind front, 35 ahead of Froome.