Vuelta a España 2019, Stage 13: Bilbao - Los Machucos > 166.4 km

neris

Often compared to the Angliru climb in nearby Asturias in terms of its brutal steepness, at 7.4 kilometres rather than 12 kilometres long, Los Machucos, first tackled in 2017, is notably shorter than the Vuelta a España’s best known ascent. But with an average gradient of 12 per cent and several segments at well over 20 per cent, Los Machucos is almost as daunting as its Asturian cousin.

Like the Angliru, Los Machucos has its origin in cattle herding, starting life as a track for shifting cows from one upland pasture to another, and only gaining a tarmac surface between 2003 and 2007. Indeed, the Machucos stage ‘subtitle’ of Monumento al Vaca Pasiega means the “Monument to the Pasiega Cow”, and there is a metal version of said bovine at the top of the climb.

This looks like a fun day ...................... for those of us watching on tv/online but a horror for the riders. 7 categorised climbs with the last one uncategorised.



Aqua Blue (remember them) won the last time the Vuelta finished up Los Machucos

1 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma 44:52:08
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:52
3 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:02:11
4 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:03:00
5 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:03:05
6 Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Lotto Soudal 0:04:59
7 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:05:42
8 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:05:49
9 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida 0:06:07
10 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:06:25

letape

Definitely a day to work from home. Can’t wait for this!

cunavalos

Ineos have had a shocking Vuelta so far, is today a day for Wout Poels or David de la Cruz? I expect Lopez to be the best of GC riders and eat in Roglic's lead.
Will miss most of todays stage as heading to Madrid to catch the final week (and Sams assault on the green jersey:D:D:D)
# Team Amount
1 Movistar Team 46320
2 Deceuninck - Quick Step 37470
3 Team Jumbo-Visma 32760
4 Team Sunweb 25540
5 Astana Pro Team 23745
6 BORA - hansgrohe 22870
7 Caja Rural - Seguros RGA 22590
8 UAE-Team Emirates 22305
9 Burgos-BH 21905
10 Euskadi Basque Country - Murias 19280
11 Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 17385
12 Bahrain Merida 11615
13 Mitchelton-Scott 11210
14 CCC Team 10730
15 EF Education First 10650
16 AG2R La Mondiale 10205
17 Lotto Soudal 8660
18 Trek - Segafredo 8375
19 Groupama - FDJ 6560
20 Team Dimension Data 4575
21 Team Katusha Alpecin 3670
22 Team INEOS 3435

Aru has abandoned, I'd actually forgot about him.

neris

https://twitter.com/carltonkirby/status/1169956132431048704?s=19

cunavalos

Looks like the early break has formed and a few likely faces in there
Antonio Pedrero (Movistar Team), Pierre Latour, Geoffrey Bouchard, Clément Venturini (AG2R LA Mondiale), Domen Novak (Bahrain-Merida), Felix Großschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe), Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Sergio Higuita (EF Education First), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Sergio Henao (UAE Team Emirates), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Tsgabu Grmay, Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott), Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data), Wout Poels, David de la Cruz (Team Ineos), Steff Cras, Matteo Fabbro, Ruben Guerreiro (Katusha Alpecin), Robert Power, Martijn Tusveld (Team Sunweb), Gianluca Brambilla, Niklas Eg (Trek Segafredo), Ángel Madrazo (Burgos-BH), Sergei Chernetskii (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Jesús Herrada, Darwin Atapuma (Cofidis), Mikel Bizkarra and Hector Saéz (Euskadi-Murias).

The breakaway has about 4 minutes on the peloton

Text updates available on ProCyclingStats
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2019/stage-13/today/situation

neris

Louis mentes, Darwin atapuma & Pierre latour. Carlton will be insufferable pissing himself with excitement

The views today are something else, stunning part of the world.

neris

neris wrote: »

Louis mentes, Darwin atapuma & Pierre latour. Carlton will be insufferable pissing himself with excitement

Kelly was ribbing him about Atapuma there a while ago, "he was your boy for a long time Carlton"

brocbrocach

Nice, I got Herrada at 22/1 with pp just before he took off and dived to 8/1 ... if this big boy comes home daddy be going wild on extending that eurosport subscription!

dastardly00

Deleted User wrote: »

Aru has abandoned, I'd actually forgot about him.

From cyclingnews:

UAE Team Emirates medical director Jeroen Swart commented that Aru has fully recovered from his surgery, but that "growing fatigue" and "considerable muscle damage" has forced him to withdraw from the Vuelta.

That doesn't sound good.

neris

That's cruel looking

Great shot from the helicopter side on there showing just how steep it is :eek:

neris

Shut up carlton

The roads even been scored to for grip here.

Come on Pogacar!!!!!

neris

Podge ah car wins

I'd confident there was a nod exchanged and an understanding between the Slovenians there. Pogacar sat up to celebrate and never even looked to see where Roglic was. Good on them, put the sword to the others.

dastardly00

Kelly's butchering of Pogacar's name is hilarious. He pronounces it differently every time. At least Carlton has seemed to have nailed it :pac:

Mefistofelino

Just me, or does the Vuelta "avatar" of Roglič look like Mark Wahlberg

brocbrocach

Slovenian cycling flying high these days.
Between Bernal and Podgacar it's amazing the strength of the new kids on the block.

dastardly00

Looking at the remaining stages, I think Roglic won the Vuelta today