Vuelta Stage 12 ***SPOILER***

dsoutar
dsoutar Posts: 1,746
edited September 2012 in Pro race
mirador_de_ezaro.png

Ouch - now that's a nasty sting in the tail !
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  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mirador ... the-vuelta

    Pah, they've obviously never been up hardknott pass
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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Nice little video showing all of today's slight uphill finish. :wink:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-a6Br31Zlw
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Been looking forward to this stage.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Been looking forward to this stage.

    Really?

    It's one of the most ridiculous stage profiles I've seen for quite some time.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ThomThom wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Been looking forward to this stage.

    Really?

    It's one of the most ridiculous stage profiles I've seen for quite some time.


    +1
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    This race looks increasingly like it was designed for J-Rod to win. Can't complain as this year's tour was made for Wiggo - are race organisers really that blatant, or does it just turn out that a route favours one rider over another?

    Will be interesting to see Sky tactics today. If a break goes away I would suggest they don't chase it down as it would be handy for the bonus seconds to be taken by somebody other than J-Rod and Valverde. Might even be worth sending Uran down the road with a late attack. Can't see Froome beating the 3 Spaniards on that finish so will be damage limitation for him and hope he finds his legs for the longer climbs to come - he'll probably launch another suicidal late attack though!
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  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    There's quite a lot of wind today, NW, so should be plenty of sidewind stretches along the coast.

    Without that it's really only about the last 2 kms. The way J-Rod was going up Montjuic and has been getting the bonus seconds Katusha won't let a break get far
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Nice little video showing all of today's slight uphill finish. :wink:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-a6Br31Zlw
    It's a a shitty road surface isn't it?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    ThomThom wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Been looking forward to this stage.

    Really?

    It's one of the most ridiculous stage profiles I've seen for quite some time.

    Why? It's just a souped-up variation on the flat-stage-with-uphill-finish that's all the rage now, even with the TdF
  • victorponf
    victorponf Posts: 1,187
    dsoutar wrote:
    mirador_de_ezaro.png

    Ouch - now that's a nasty sting in the tail !

    That profile is from Desde la Cuneta Magazine

    There you can wacht a video of the climb as welll

    http://www.revistadesdelacuneta.com/ten ... ge=v12et12
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    ThomThom wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Been looking forward to this stage.

    Really?

    It's one of the most ridiculous stage profiles I've seen for quite some time.


    +1

    Nothing wrong with it. That hill is a beast. I like the short explosive climbs to the finish. And the parcours before hand will mean they are fresh so it will be contested at higher speeds.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    edited August 2012
    It's a 5 minute show created for one rider to win it (and there is, in fact, just one rider who can win this if the peloton stays together). And wouldn't it just be icing on the cake if one of the favorites crash in the stress for position before the hill...? Or any other rider for that matter.
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Mind you, if I were the other DS-es I'd make sure we got a load of non-GC guys up the road early on and that would force Katusha to spend the whole day chasing with no help from anyone else
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Wouldn't surprise me if Phil and BMC for some reason think they have a chance here..
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Wonder what the time gaps will be.

    Still think the bonuses will be worth more, so it'll be racing for the positions rather than just time.
    _
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Nice little video showing all of today's slight uphill finish. :wink:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-a6Br31Zlw

    'You're from Venus, I'm from Mars, when we're together we create stars'

    Best Europop lyrics ever :P
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    frenchfighter wrote:

    Nothing wrong with it. That hill is a beast. I like the short explosive climbs to the finish. And the parcours before hand will mean they are fresh so it will be contested at higher speeds.

    Nico Roche has just been bemoaning the fact that there's nothing difficult beforehand saying it will be carnage with 190 riders all wanting to be near the front at the foot of the climb.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited August 2012
    Yeah thats a point. Have hardly been that many crashes tho. This is not the Tour!
    Contador is the Greatest
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    frenchfighter wrote:

    Nothing wrong with it. That hill is a beast. I like the short explosive climbs to the finish. And the parcours before hand will mean they are fresh so it will be contested at higher speeds.

    I thought that riders sitting in for an entire stage and then popping out for the finish was anathema to you, FF? :wink:
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • lostboysaint
    lostboysaint Posts: 4,250
    LangerDan wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:

    Nothing wrong with it. That hill is a beast. I like the short explosive climbs to the finish. And the parcours before hand will mean they are fresh so it will be contested at higher speeds.

    I thought that riders sitting in for an entire stage and then popping out for the finish was anathema to you, FF? :wink:

    Amen!!
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  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    frenchfighter wrote:

    Nothing wrong with it. That hill is a beast. I like the short explosive climbs to the finish. And the parcours before hand will mean they are fresh so it will be contested at higher speeds.
    I watched the Blazing Saddles u tube link and noted the width of road as the film starts.
    I see problems as a big peloton enters this narrow lane.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Nicolas Roche clearly hasn't done the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the approach to De Kwaremont :P

    That stretch of coast is much lumpier than it appears on the graph, and with added crosswinds it might not be as hectic as he fears - or get hectic a bit earlier ;)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    What's this? GT riders moaning about classics style roads/run ins?

    NO INTEREST.

    joe.gif
    _
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Not expecting good things here. Hopefully one where the break stays away. More likely to be one where they very nearly stay away.

    Would be nice to see Henao go for the win if it's all together.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    It's definitely not just the usual Caja Rural and Andalucia suspects trying for a break: De Gendt, Noval, Sicard, Irizar and Cataldo having a go
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,181
    Individually it looks like it will be a fun stage finish. However, this Vuelta has done a lot of these short, sharp finish climbs. It seems very obviously targetted at Valv and J Rod whenever there is an uphill finish. I don't have a problem with the organisers setting a course to give the Spanisg riders the best chance of winning but I would like a bit more balance, the spread of stage winners hasn't been very big with Degenkolb winning all the flat stages and either J Rod or Valv taking the hill stages (other than by agreement).
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Imo, Sky have to try and get rid of "Rocket" Rodriguez at some point along this coastal route.
    Moderate wind forecast.

    First hour completed at just under 46kph and still no break.
    Saxo just roped in a 14 man bunch.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • GeorgeShaw
    GeorgeShaw Posts: 764
    Looking back a few stages, does anybody think Contador might be regretting not working with Froome, now that neither JRod or Valverde lost a bucket of time in the TT.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    According to what I've read there won't be any crosswinds.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    GeorgeShaw wrote:
    Looking back a few stages, does anybody think Contador might be regretting not working with Froome, now that neither JRod or Valverde lost a bucket of time in the TT.

    The mountains haven't even started yet :) It's been all Valverde/Purito terrain so far.

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