Vuelta Stage 17**Spoiler**

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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    iainf72 wrote:

    This year it's the 2nd best GT. coz the Giro was toilet.

    I agree with you. The Giro was a three week long exhibition race for the benefit of one rider and favoured friends. Utter boredom after Etna. Some lovely scenery though.
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  • greeny12
    greeny12 Posts: 759
    The commentary on that French Eurosport clip is absolutely top class!!!

    What a magnificent piece of sporting theatre that was - I feel privileged to have watched it.
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  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    airwise wrote:

    You ARE kidding right?

    It's sad that the Vuelta is considered a GT these days but I guess if the Brits are up there then it's world class :wink:

    Nope. The Giro was rubbish this year, anyone who says otherwise needs their head felt for softness.

    And I don't care who's near the top of the GC. I loathe Wiggins and Sky, but a good race is a good race. And the Vuelta is a good race.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    airwise wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    P_Tucker wrote:

    This year it's the 2nd best GT. coz the Giro was toilet.

    You ARE kidding right?

    It's sad that the Vuelta is considered a GT these days but I guess if the Brits are up there then it's world class :wink:

    How can it be not classed a GT? 3 week tour = GT. Only 3 of them of Note Giro, TdF and Vuelta they are all world class events.

    Only shame for the Vuelta is that it was moved from it's April running to now thus lessened the field it could attract.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    dulldave wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Who was the last Brit to take a GC mountain stage? Millar?

    Yes. David Millar.

    Did he? Can't recall that one but I lost interest in cycling for a while.
  • camerone
    camerone Posts: 1,232
    Pross wrote:
    dulldave wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Who was the last Brit to take a GC mountain stage? Millar?

    Yes. David Millar.

    Did he? Can't recall that one but I lost interest in cycling for a while.

    I think he means Robert
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Pross wrote:
    dulldave wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Who was the last Brit to take a GC mountain stage? Millar?

    Yes. David Millar.

    Did he? Can't recall that one but I lost interest in cycling for a while.

    He won in 2003 but it was a cat 2 climb with a downhill finish?
    _
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    dulldave wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Who was the last Brit to take a GC mountain stage? Millar?

    Yes. David Millar.

    Did he? Can't recall that one but I lost interest in cycling for a while.

    He won in 2003 but it was a cat 2 climb with a downhill finish?

    Yep, just been looking it up. He also won in 2001 but not sure if that was a mountain stage? I also didn't say to win a MTF in a Grand Tour in the previous post but that is what I meant. Robert Millar to Super Bagneres in 89 was the last I could think of.
  • top_bhoy
    top_bhoy Posts: 1,424
    iainf72 wrote:
    airwise wrote:

    You ARE kidding right?

    It's sad that the Vuelta is considered a GT these days but I guess if the Brits are up there then it's world class :wink:

    Nope. The Giro was rubbish this year, anyone who says otherwise needs their head felt for softness.

    And I don't care who's near the top of the GC. I loathe Wiggins and Sky, but a good race is a good race. And the Vuelta is a good race.

    Perhaps with good reason though!! Just maybe the death of Wouter Weylandt on stage 3 took a lot of the edge and passion from the race this year from riders and fans alike.
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  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Top_Bhoy wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    airwise wrote:

    You ARE kidding right?

    It's sad that the Vuelta is considered a GT these days but I guess if the Brits are up there then it's world class :wink:

    Nope. The Giro was rubbish this year, anyone who says otherwise needs their head felt for softness.

    And I don't care who's near the top of the GC. I loathe Wiggins and Sky, but a good race is a good race. And the Vuelta is a good race.

    Perhaps with good reason though!! Just maybe the death of Wouter Weylandt on stage 3 took a lot of the edge and passion from the race this year from riders and fans alike.

    No, whilst his death was a tragic event that rightfully overshadowed the race the biggest problem was that you had one guy who was able to just ride away from everybody else whenever he felt like it (so much so that he felt able to gift two stages to other riders), plus a load of other favourites who all seemed happy to ride for 2nd.
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  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?
    Rich
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Expressive French coverage here:
    http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/3423

    :)

    Love listening to the French commentators.

    +1 - if it was Harmon, we'd all be slagging him off for getting overexcited, but there is something about French. "En cro yable!"

    I love the fact they were applauding at the end too.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    inkyfingers wrote:
    you had one guy who was able to just ride away from everybody else whenever he felt like it (so much so that he felt able to gift two stages to other riders), plus a load of other favourites who all seemed happy to ride for 2nd.

    Didn't help that the classics this year were excellent (well, the flat ones anyway).

    You get accustomed to better racing, so the disappointment is bigger.
    _
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    RichA wrote:
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?

    Good question.

    I think your answer will bring dark memories from the old days. You probably need to look at early 2000s for the Vuelta and Giro's podiums for that.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    gabriel959 wrote:
    RichA wrote:
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?

    Good question.

    I think your answer will bring dark memories from the old days. You probably need to look at early 2000s for the Vuelta and Giro's podiums for that.

    Cunego Giro '04?
    _
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    mroli wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Expressive French coverage here:
    http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/3423

    :)

    Love listening to the French commentators.

    +1 - if it was Harmon, we'd all be slagging him off for getting overexcited, but there is something about French. "En cro yable!"

    I love the fact they were applauding at the end too.

    Quite right too. What a monumental effort by Froome in the first instance to drop Cobo. He bit the stem for what seemed an age in order to drop him from his wheel. Furthermore, what a come back by Cobo. If it had been Contador and a Schleck attacks would have constituted five quick turns of the crank then a sit up. Both Froome and Cobo were absolutely finshed when they crossed that line...now that's bike racing!
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  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.
    Cobo when he chased Piepoli in the '08(?) TdF looked all over a world beater, maybe some special preparation?
    gabriel959 wrote:
    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    So are you saying they've doped more consistently and from a younger age? :twisted:
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    RichA wrote:
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?

    Oscar Pereiro
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    RichA wrote:
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?
    Perhaps A.Schleck - Giro 07.

    Both Schleck & Cunego were young riders. i.e. they came from young to contending rather than from 'mediocre/domestique' to contending. Is this different???
    Rich
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    RichA wrote:
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?

    Oscar Pereiro

    Pereiro had finished in the top ten of the TDF twice before 2006.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Peter Velits last year?
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    RichA wrote:
    gabriel959 wrote:
    Indeed something smells fishy in there. Who would have said that Froome and Cobo were going to be at the top of the GC rankings 2 weeks ago? No one.

    I mean I can moan about Evans. Schelk or Contador not being clean but those guys are consistently at the top and have been since their junior days.
    When was the last time that a GT win has been condended by (i) a domestique, (ii) a rider with as limited a palmares?

    Oscar Pereiro

    Nah, he had a couple of top 10 in the Tour the years before and also the Giro I think. He had also won a few stages in some important stage races.
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  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Walkowiak?
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Last 4km from last year:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq8NHC_1rYs
    Contador is the Greatest
  • airwise
    airwise Posts: 248
    iainf72 wrote:

    Nope. The Giro was rubbish this year, anyone who says otherwise needs their head felt for softness.
    .

    Try to spectate at the Giro - there's way more to that race than one guy demonstrating just why he's so highly regarded. Armchair enthusiasts in front of PC monitors are usually the ones with opinions that, however forcefully put forward, are lacking in intelligence and vision.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    airwise wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:

    Nope. The Giro was rubbish this year, anyone who says otherwise needs their head felt for softness.
    .

    Try to spectate at the Giro - there's way more to that race than one guy demonstrating just why he's so highly regarded. Armchair enthusiasts in front of PC monitors are usually the ones with opinions that, however forcefully put forward, are lacking in intelligence and vision.

    What was better about this Giro compared to this year's Vuelta or the Tour?
    _
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    The Giro has definitely been the most exciting GT in recent years, but I agree this year it was a bit of a dud for the most part.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    airwise wrote:

    Try to spectate at the Giro - there's way more to that race than one guy demonstrating just why he's so highly regarded. Armchair enthusiasts in front of PC monitors are usually the ones with opinions that, however forcefully put forward, are lacking in intelligence and vision.

    The Giro is usually my top choice for grand tour. This year was rubbish.

    If it was so great, why did Angelo get sacked?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • samb01
    samb01 Posts: 130
    afx237vi wrote:
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    Oscar Pereiro
    Pereiro had finished in the top ten of the TDF twice before 2006.
    Yup, but he did that by getting into more or less every damn break of the day, and on top of that he was always the hardest worker in whatever break he was in.

    The only time I remember him playing it smart and actually taking a breather for the last few kilometeres before the finish was the day after he had pulled Hincapie to his infamous mountain top win. Pereiro won that day.

    After being gifted the TdF he went from being the most aggressive rider in the TdF-peloton to being an anonymous wheel-follower.

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