Vuelta al Pais Vasco 2013 *SPOILERS*

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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    wombly knees wrote:
    Aye, 08 Tour of Tassie onwards, where he dominated, he's been touted as special in Australia. Then won an MTF or hilly stage in Friuli and TT in the Girobio (though someone who watches them would know better about the Italian amateur races).

    He does seem to relish a cosy environment. Flopped in 07 with a disorganised amateur team in Italy and again in 2012 with Contador's arrival and thriving at Praties and Sky.
    His 2011 form at Saxo was more down to Contador's posse rather than Contador himself. Contador brought his own men for the mountains so Porte was relegated to pulling in the lowlands. His time trialling was as good as ever, so the form was there, but the opportunities weren't.
    (There was also the matter that him and Riis had had a falling out over money and Porte had made it clear he wanted to go to Sky in 2010)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    vetooo ‏@ammattipyoraily 9m
    According to my calculation, 75 riders abandoned during Stage 5.. #PaisVasco
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Cue total meltdown at CN HQ. :P

    You're not wrong there..."Borgs vs Hamsters" my fav so far.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    DeadCalm wrote:
    vetooo ‏@ammattipyoraily 9m
    According to my calculation, 75 riders abandoned during Stage 5.. #PaisVasco
    Anybody who claims that you can't win (stage) races through superior training and brains needs to explain BMC. It seems they have one rider left in the race. The galacticos couldn't put up a squad to even stay in the same race as Sky? And Saxo: couldn't even muster one guy to cause concern on GC?

    Maybe everybody else is sandbagging, but this was a gubbing from the second team. Who's going to take a GT away from Sky this year? (Assuming there's at least 10km of TT in the Vuelta)
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Watching a recording. Who was going on at Harmon for "eulogising" sky? Yanks? Festinagirl??
    _
  • nevman
    nevman Posts: 1,611
    Another great day for Sky-not Spokesmen.Me.Everyone else was sheltering when it was time for to break out from the pack.Chapeau to Fraire today for having the guts to put it on the line.Everyone else should be on bread and water tonight.I hope that Caja Rural will merit wildcards later for this.
    Whats the solution? Just pedal faster you baby.

    Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
    Winter Alan Top Cross
    All rounder Spec. Allez.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    wombly knees wrote:
    What's the GC like? And what of Peraud? Barely saw any of the race on a crapulent stream.
    1º 15 HENAO, Sergio Luis COL SKY 21:04:07
    2º 51 QUINTANA, Nairo Alexander COL MOV a 6
    3º 11 PORTE, Richie AUS SKY a 6
    4º 91 CONTADOR, Alberto ESP TST a 10
    5º 76 SPILAK, Simon SLO KAT a 10
    6º 128 WEENING, Pieter NED OGE a 35
    7º 83 BETANCUR, Carlos Alberto COL ALM a 37
    8º 1 SÁNCHEZ, Samuel ESP EUS a 47
    9º 72 CARUSO, Giampaolo ITA KAT a 51
    10º 102 ULISSI, Diego ITA LAM a 1:03

    Sadly Peraud had a mechanical with 5km to go and ended up losing over 3 minutes.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    alex howes ‏@alex_howes 1h
    Had to climb down out of a tree today after flying of the road here in Pais Vasco. First time for everything I suppose. #ADayInTheLife
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Macaloon wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Porte has dropped Quintana and Contador :roll:
    On the flat whislt they were watching each other. Not really sure that warrants raised eyes.

    :roll: at a pro peloton that gets thrashed by 4 Sky guys despite a powerful breakaway, and plenty of numbers in reserve sheltering in the group. That was pathetic.

    Have to agree with that. All I can think in their favour is that with conditions as they were the other riders just decided it wasn't worth risking a crash with the GT season approaching 'just' to have a chance at winning this race.

    Kiryienka is fast becoming my favourite rider. I just hope he is cut loose to ride for himself in the remaining spring classics - real shame he isn't on the start list for Sunday.
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    frenchfighter wrote:
    What a rubbish stage.



    Contador needs to re-find his balls.


    Nothing to do with balls .....Contador is displaying what kind of rider he is when he is not juiced up........... good but miles removed from 2007-2010 .
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    Fair play to Alexsandr Dyachenko who came in on his own at 16:19. It must have been awfully tempting to call it a day.

    Tony Martin finished so presumably fancies a stage win tomorrow. Andy Schleck, surprise surprise, abandoned.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Just got done watching the highlights. Was rooting for Fraile to make it, but Kiryienka was clearly sent back from the future to crush his dreams. Bet Movistar are wishing they'd matched the Sky offer.

    I always thought Porte would turn into a really good one day rider, rather than a stage racer, and today re-piqued my thoughts. Though to be fair only Sanchez and Henao from the front group are good one day riders.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Pross wrote:
    Kiryienka is fast becoming my favourite rider. I just hope he is cut loose to ride for himself in the remaining spring classics - real shame he isn't on the start list for Sunday.

    I don't think we'll be wasting our time with stage races next year 8)
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Macaloon wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Kiryienka is fast becoming my favourite rider. I just hope he is cut loose to ride for himself in the remaining spring classics - real shame he isn't on the start list for Sunday.

    I don't think we'll be wasting our time with stage races next year 8)


    Maca, making your preferences clear with new avi?

    Christ, Pross, the thought of Kiry and Stannard in the same race....ARE YOU SOME KIND OF SADIST??
    :)
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Macaloon wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Kiryienka is fast becoming my favourite rider. I just hope he is cut loose to ride for himself in the remaining spring classics - real shame he isn't on the start list for Sunday.

    I don't think we'll be wasting our time with stage races next year 8)


    Maca, making your preferences clear with new avi?

    Christ, Pross, the thought of Kiry and Stannard in the same race....ARE YOU SOME KIND OF SADIST??
    :)

    Yep, but don't tell anyone on the Sagan / podium girl thread!
  • dangerousdave.
    dangerousdave. Posts: 57
    Macaloon wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Kiryienka is fast becoming my favourite rider. I just hope he is cut loose to ride for himself in the remaining spring classics - real shame he isn't on the start list for Sunday.

    I don't think we'll be wasting our time with stage races next year 8)

    +1

    This man is fast becoming my hero! Driving the peloton for the final 50km what seemed like every day in Paris nice was awesome.

    What's happening with jtl? Didn't see him all day?

    While I admire sur brad, mr Porte looks in much better form ahead of the giro
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    dangerousdave. wrote:

    While I admire sur brad, mr Porte looks in much better form ahead of the giro
    Is Richard doing the Giro though? Tour + potential Vuelta seems a more likely schedule to me.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    RichN95 wrote:
    dangerousdave. wrote:

    While I admire sur brad, mr Porte looks in much better form ahead of the giro
    Is Richard doing the Giro though? Tour + potential Vuelta seems a more likely schedule to me.


    Yep, no Giro but Tour for Mr Tassie

    Brad had better win the Giro so that Richie can go for it next year, perchance

    *SkyFirstWorldProblems*
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Brad had better win the Giro so that Richie can go for it next year, perchance
    I expect Gerry Ryan is searching down the backs in the Greenedge sofas to get a little carrot for Richard, so we'll see where he ends up next year.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Why go elsewhere when it's increasingly obvious that the rest of the big teams couldn't organise the proverbial shag in a brothel let alone a sustained campaign to regularly beat sky?

    Whilst the sky "domestiques" are witnessing 90% of the peloton riding along behind them with no clear direction or motivation what incentive is there to leave?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    RichN95 wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Brad had better win the Giro so that Richie can go for it next year, perchance
    I expect Gerry Ryan is searching down the backs in the Greenedge sofas to get a little carrot for Richard, so we'll see where he ends up next year.


    Fair point, but as none other than Simon Gerrans pointed out in an interview after P-N, OGE arent set up right now to really support a serious GT assault, its not just a question of recruiting your GT contender. Some interesting points made (though a cynic might say that it might not be in Gerro's best interests to have OGE focused on big time GC as it might stymie his free hand in races).

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/ ... 014_277903


    My gut instinct is that Porte really likes it at Sky, he's no 3 at the no 1 staging team, with unmatched support, and incredible domestiques wherever you look to support you as leader. Brailsford knows he'd need to resign him for considerably more than the 800k euros he's supposedly on now. As long as he can match other offers, or at least ballpark (and let's face it, Surdave would get the nod to stretch the budget to keep him), he'll stay - but he needs the promise of a GT next year.

    But...who knows....
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    deleted post due to dumbness
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Fair point, but as none other than Simon Gerrans pointed out in an interview after P-N, OGE arent set up right now to really support a serious GT assault, its not just a question of recruiting your GT contender. Some interesting points made (though a cynic might say that it might not be in Gerro's best interests to have OGE focused on big time GC as it might stymie his free hand in races).

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/ ... 014_277903


    My gut instinct is that Porte really likes it at Sky, he's no 3 at the no 1 staging team, with unmatched support, and incredible domestiques wherever you look to support you as leader. Brailsford knows he'd need to resign him for considerably more than the 800k euros he's supposedly on now. As long as he can match other offers, or at least ballpark (and let's face it, Surdave would get the nod to stretch the budget to keep him), he'll stay - but he needs the promise of a GT next year.

    But...who knows....

    It'll be interesting how it all pans out at Sky

    Froome seems to be no.1 at the moment
    Wiggins has the palmares, but likely knows his limitations. If he wins the Giro, I can see him going for the cobbles in 2014.
    Porte. Obviously talented and has a winning mentality. Friends with Froome. But after being screwed over by Riis may prefer to stay where he is.
    Henao & Uran. (Mostly Henao). Conti's Colombia team hasn't really made enough of a mark to get to the big races and it will take a lot of money to get them. Movistar is an alternative, but they didn't take Betancur - the fact he's at AG2R says a lot.
    Dombrowski - this kid may eclipse them all. But what are the alternatives? BMC perhaps?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • dangerousdave.
    dangerousdave. Posts: 57
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    dangerousdave. wrote:

    While I admire sur brad, mr Porte looks in much better form ahead of the giro
    Is Richard doing the Giro though? Tour + potential Vuelta seems a more likely schedule to me.


    Yep, no Giro but Tour for Mr Tassie

    Brad had better win the Giro so that Richie can go for it next year, perchance

    *SkyFirstWorldProblems*

    appreciate that Richie might not being competing in the giro I was trying to imply the Richie ought to be in the giro.
  • dangerousdave.
    dangerousdave. Posts: 57
    RichN95 wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Fair point, but as none other than Simon Gerrans pointed out in an interview after P-N, OGE arent set up right now to really support a serious GT assault, its not just a question of recruiting your GT contender. Some interesting points made (though a cynic might say that it might not be in Gerro's best interests to have OGE focused on big time GC as it might stymie his free hand in races).

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/ ... 014_277903


    My gut instinct is that Porte really likes it at Sky, he's no 3 at the no 1 staging team, with unmatched support, and incredible domestiques wherever you look to support you as leader. Brailsford knows he'd need to resign him for considerably more than the 800k euros he's supposedly on now. As long as he can match other offers, or at least ballpark (and let's face it, Surdave would get the nod to stretch the budget to keep him), he'll stay - but he needs the promise of a GT next year.

    But...who knows....

    It'll be interesting how it all pans out at Sky

    Froome seems to be no.1 at the moment
    Wiggins has the palmares, but likely knows his limitations. If he wins the Giro, I can see him going for the cobbles in 2014.
    Porte. Obviously talented and has a winning mentality. Friends with Froome. But after being screwed over by Riis may prefer to stay where he is.
    Henao & Uran. (Mostly Henao). Conti's Colombia team hasn't really made enough of a mark to get to the big races and it will take a lot of money to get them. Movistar is an alternative, but they didn't take Betancur - the fact he's at AG2R says a lot.
    Dombrowski - this kid may eclipse them all. But what are the alternatives? BMC perhaps?

    Been impressed with henoe but slightly disappointed with uran, hasn't seemed to kick on from previous years, that said as super domestique he probably hasn't been given chance to do so
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    dangerousdave. wrote:

    Been impressed with henoe but slightly disappointed with uran, hasn't seemed to kick on from previous years, that said as super domestique he probably hasn't been given chance to do so
    He's Sky's best hilly classics rider. That's his future.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    He was also one freak stage away from a top 5 at the Giro last year. I could see him on the podium of a Giro, or winning a Vuelta. He's still only 25 or 26 too.

    But definitely a top notch hilly classics guy.
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    Turfle wrote:
    He was also one freak stage away from a top 5 at the Giro last year. I could see him on the podium of a Giro, or winning a Vuelta. He's still only 25 or 26 too.

    But definitely a top notch hilly classics guy.

    If all else fails he could become a model.
    http://www.twitter.com/InTheGC http://www.InTheGC.com http://www.facebook.com/intheGC
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    LeicesterLad wrote:

    If all else fails he could become a model.

    For god's sake. Have you not heard about this Sagan problem? Modelling is on lock-down.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Pross wrote:
    All I can think in their favour is that with conditions as they were the other riders just decided it wasn't worth risking a crash with the GT season approaching 'just' to have a chance at winning this race.
    I agree with this and think some of the expressed disappointed opinions about today are unwarranted given the weather. Movistar did try something early on, it didn’t work, and then probably the only objective for most was to get home safely without too much time loss, and hopefully not soaked to the bone.
    Someone here wrote about how, in such conditions, he wouldn’t go to the garage to get his bike out, never mind ride, and I’m sure professionals sometimes feel like that too.
    Pross wrote:
    Kiryienka is fast becoming my favourite rider. I just hope he is cut loose to ride for himself in the remaining spring classics - real shame he isn't on the start list for Sunday.
    Apart from the WC last year and his national championships, Kyrienka has never shown himself to be a one-day rider, so if I were you, I wouldn’t be too sorry he won’t be there on Sunday.
    I wonder what state he’ll be in tomorrow, after leading so long.
    And why just him.

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