Vuelta stage 11 ****SPOILER****

sonny73

Great TT from J-Rod!

frenchfighter

So. The idea was to hit Contador when he didn't have the racing in his legs and he wasn't in his territory. It didn't work. Contador now almost wears red and we are heading for many big mountains. Bring them on.

afx237vi

Can anyone remember what stage I said Rodriguez would stay within a minute of Froome in the TT? I totally want to bump it and gloat 8)

hammerite

Inspired substitution in my fantasy league by bringing in Kessiakoff yesterday.

Lichtblick

So who's in Red? ????????????

dsoutar

Bertie's race to lose now. Can't see Froome making the time up unless AC blows big style somewhere and J-Rod is still to have his customary off-day (and this definetly wasn't it)

FJS

FJS wrote:

Bertie and J-Rod exactly equal on GC!?!

No, 1 second gap

Lichtblick

Rodriguez by ONE SECOND over Contador.

Blimey.

jonginge

Rick Chasey wrote:

Froome in red then?

Nah, AC was only 7s behind before the stage

J-Rod
AC
Froome

OffTheBackAdam

Good ride by Valverde, still going to be a danger.
Froome a bit knackered after the TdF?

rick_chasey

afx237vi wrote:

Can anyone remember what stage I said Rodriguez would stay within a minute of Froome in the TT? I totally want to bump it and gloat 8)

viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12873941&p=17822544&hilit=minute#p17822544 ??

frenchfighter

Top four separated by less than a minute. Good situation for the fans.

Richmond Racer

Froome the loser today, whatever way you look at it. As Turfle says, he'll do well to make podium

inkyfingers

Busy at work so didn't watch it, but looking at the results this is set up for a fantastic last 10 days.

J Rod not losing anywhere near as much time as I thought he might.

FJS

Kessiakoff also rode the fastest climb.
Bertie 2nd, Froome 3rd

frenchfighter

Lurking

rick_chasey

FOR THE LAST TIME. J ROD RODE A GOOD GIRO TT TOO THIS YEAR.

afx237vi

Rick Chasey wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Can anyone remember what stage I said Rodriguez would stay within a minute of Froome in the TT? I totally want to bump it and gloat 8)

viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12873941&p=17822544&hilit=minute#p17822544 ??

Good find, but reading it back I think I hedged my bets a bit too much for a gloat. Disappointing.

dougzz

frenchfighter wrote:

So. The idea was to hit Contador when he didn't have the racing in his legs and he wasn't in his territory. It didn't work. Contador now almost wears red and we are heading for many big mountains. Bring them on.

Sean Kelly was saying that he thinks Contador may find it harder as the race progresses. He thought that you can come back after a gap and feel very good, but without the racing in your legs you start to suffer after the initial feel good days.

smithy21

Looks a bit ominous for the rest I would say.

Valverde- just cant see where he can possibly find a minute from to upset the top of the order so probably podium at best.

Froome- is he on a downward spiral in terms of form? Contador has always been a good TT'er so this may not be so bad a performance. Difficult to see how he can beat him though.

Contador-I did say today that if there was one area you would expect Contador not to suffer on through lack of racing it would be the TT. If he's riding into form for the bigger mountains the rest are toast.

J Rod- did well today but if Bertie is coming into form I would expect him to get his arse handed to him on the longer climbs.

dylanfernley

My bet still running on JR, he seems to be better than ever this year, 32 years old, in his prime, due a big win, he will like the next week more than most !

thomthom

dougzz wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

So. The idea was to hit Contador when he didn't have the racing in his legs and he wasn't in his territory. It didn't work. Contador now almost wears red and we are heading for many big mountains. Bring them on.

Sean Kelly was saying that he thinks Contador may find it harder as the race progresses. He thought that you can come back after a gap and feel very good, but without the racing in your legs you start to suffer after the initial feel good days.

Sean Kelly talks nonsense then. Every pundit I've heard so far and Alberto himself say that he'll find an even better form as the race progress - which would seem pretty sane to me.

oldwelshman

Rick Chasey wrote:

FOR THE LAST TIME. J ROD RODE A GOOD GIRO TT TOO THIS YEAR.

He nay have rode a half decent one but not riding against the likes of bertie and froome though. I cannot see how Valverde and J-Rod suddenly becam TT riders so fast !! Froome was off a bit and bertie not his best but still who would have expected J-Rod and Valverdi to be so close to them in TT ?
At least it shakes things up a bit and in fact I think it may be slightlybetter fro froome now as he can sit back and watch a bit. I would not use the sky team at all now would leave it totally up to saxo and katucza and choose a stage to attack.

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

FOR THE LAST TIME. J ROD RODE A GOOD GIRO TT TOO THIS YEAR.

That GIF pretty much sums up my day today sadly.

On a more positive note, I reckon J Rod might do this. Even if Contador is coming into form J Rod has looked very good and is the only GC rider to actually make an attack stick so far. So long as he doesn't have a real stinker of a day somewhere I think by gaining little chunks here and there and by hoovering up bonuses he could beat Contador. There aren't many real long climbs in this race, so that will help him. Of course I've thought the same thing for the last two Vuelta's and he's always ballsed it up.

Froome looks like he's not quite at his best, but he will get other chances to win GTs, J Rod is running out of years.

symo

I still think Froome can win this.

thomthom

oldwelshman wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

FOR THE LAST TIME. J ROD RODE A GOOD GIRO TT TOO THIS YEAR.

He nay have rode a half decent one but not riding against the likes of bertie and froome though. I cannot see how Valverde and J-Rod suddenly becam TT riders so fast !! Froome was off a bit and bertie not his best but still who would have expected J-Rod and Valverdi to be so close to them in TT ?
At least it shakes things up a bit and in fact I think it may be slightlybetter fro froome now as he can sit back and watch a bit. I would not use the sky team at all now would leave it totally up to saxo and katucza and choose a stage to attack.

This was the closest you get to a mountain TT without it being one. JRod and Valverde did great but nothing out of the blue - especially the stage profile in mind.

Jrod did even better in the Giro.

oldwelshman

Froome needs to play smart now.
Bertie has to attack J-Rod to stop him getting time bonuses, and needs to get a good gap of minute to 90 secs due to bonuses j-rod may get on MT finishes. Froome just needs to watch this and use Bertie and his team as Bertie did earlier, shoe is on other foot now, I still think it will be out of Bertie and Froome.

bigmat

Froome not so bad today thinking about it, always thought it suited Bertie so not such a big deal losing a few seconds there. Will be interesting to see who goes well on the longer climbs coming up, could be a cracking 4-way tussle and amazing to have a British rider in the mix.

blazing_saddles

I think that the TT result may well spell disaster for the forthcoming big mountain stages.
Totally failed to produce any selection where it counted.
Looks to me as if Froome's legs are definitely starting to suffer a mechanical.
That leaves Contador, the lone climber in contention who needs to attack from further than 400 metres from the finishes.
The other two, will be following his wheel, (as long as they are able)
expecting to out drag him and grab the juicy bonus seconds.

For all those tasty profiles, I smell a second half stinker cooking.

jonginge

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I think that the TT result may well spell disaster for the forthcoming big mountain stages.
Totally failed to produce any selection where it counted.
Looks to me as if Froome's legs are definitely starting to suffer a mechanical.
That leaves Contador, the lone climber in contention who needs to attack from further than 400 metres from the finishes.
The other two, will be following his wheel, (as long as they are able)
expecting to out drag him and grab the juicy bonus seconds.

For all those tasty profiles, I smell a second half stinker cooking.

Yarp. I think J-Rod will ride like he did in the Giro: ride within his limit, maybe get dropped but sprint the final 500m of the stage and claw back 30-odd seconds...