Vuelta a Andalucia 2014 *SPOILERS*

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Comments

  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    15 seconds over Porte. Has Valverde got this in the bag already? Will be good to see some of the teams on the attack in the next stages.


    God, I hope not

    Tomorrow's a rude start. Straight out the door and almost immediately up a cat 1
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,561
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Valverde definitely been spending time on his tt position - very smooth and no slipping up and down the saddle as seen in past years

    New bike as well... Canyon beats Pinarello... :wink:
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    Valverde much faster than all the rest.
    Not that being up the police motorbike's exhaust and taking
    a short cut would make much difference! :lol:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Valverde much faster than all the rest.
    Not that being up the police motorbike's exhaust and taking
    a short cut would make much difference! :lol:

    haha indeed although it also looked like he was slowed down there.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Damn, I finish teaching just as the action finishes.

    So Valverde eh?

    Uphill from the off tomorrow...

    Vuelta-a-Andalucia-Ruta-Ciclista-Del-Sol-Stage-1-1388131009.png
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    See? That start is just rude
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Valverde much faster than all the rest.
    Not that being up the police motorbike's exhaust and taking
    a short cut would make much difference! :lol:

    I thought he was going to get on for a bit - it did take him off the line of the roundabout though
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,329
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    See? That start is just rude

    That's such a rude morning start you could wake up fondling it.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    See? That start is just rude

    That's such a rude morning start you could wake up fondling it.


    I name that start Morning Glory
  • MartinGT
    MartinGT Posts: 475
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    See? That start is just rude

    That's such a rude morning start you could wake up fondling it.

    :lol:

    Impressive from Sky today

    4 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 0:00:13
    5 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:14
    6 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky
    7 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 0:00:15
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Valverde much faster than all the rest.
    Not that being up the police motorbike's exhaust and taking
    a short cut would make much difference! :lol:

    I thought he was going to get on for a bit - it did take him off the line of the roundabout though


    :) Pillion...
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Don't get carried away ... SKY's placings reflect the field ... Not a single other heavy hitting TT'er on display ...

    Italy's favourite tourist won by a margin ... Maybe he'll try for P-R as well ...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Valverde much faster than all the rest.
    Not that being up the police motorbike's exhaust and taking
    a short cut would make much difference! :lol:

    I thought he was going to get on for a bit - it did take him off the line of the roundabout though

    Indeed, though given they had only just entered the roundabout when Valverde had to get on his outside,
    suggests that he must have been pretty close to the motor's rear wheel.
    Not that I'm surprised.

    So, sceptics are now questioning Sky getting 4 riders, 2 of whom are track pursuiters, in the top 10
    of a 7km TT?
    This hate lark is getting even dafter.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Not seeing the scepticising Blazing ... 3 of the 4 SKY riders were expected to be tnere ... Kiryienka, I didn't know enough about (but after a Google he's a pursuiter who finished 4th in the TT at WC last year so he's got previous so make that 4/4 ...)
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Valverde much faster than all the rest.
    Not that being up the police motorbike's exhaust and taking
    a short cut would make much difference! :lol:

    I thought he was going to get on for a bit - it did take him off the line of the roundabout though

    Indeed, though given they had only just entered the roundabout when Valverde had to get on his outside,
    suggests that he must have been pretty close to the motor's rear wheel.
    Not that I'm surprised.

    So, sceptics are now questioning Sky getting 4 riders, 2 of whom are track pursuiters, in the top 10
    of a 7km TT?
    This hate lark is getting even dafter.


    Le rolling of the eyes

    They make themselves more ridiculous every day that passes
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    BS, RR ...

    Who exactly is creating this imaginary drama? I've been through the thread and no-one is questioning anything other than Valv's surprise performance ...

    It's almost like you're inviting the recent problems to continue ...
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    edited February 2014
    Don't be silly

    I am responding to Blazing - and his comments are referencing nonsense elsewhere
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Crankbrother wrote:
    BS, RR ...

    Who exactly is creating this imaginary drama? I've been through the thread and no-one is questioning anything other than Valv's surprise performance ...

    It's almost like you're inviting the recent problems to continue ...

    Maybe it's on Twatter, The Clinic is discussing Movistar
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    LutherB wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    BS, RR ...

    Who exactly is creating this imaginary drama? I've been through the thread and no-one is questioning anything other than Valv's surprise performance ...

    It's almost like you're inviting the recent problems to continue ...

    Maybe it's on Twatter, The Clinic is discussing Movistar

    Most of whom aren't questioning Piti's performance, but actually making sensible replies.

    Fact is Valverde rode it like a nutter; took quite a few risks in the technical sections.
    I doubt anybody else did.
    Tis but the Ruta del Sol and mid-February, all said and done.

    As to the other bit, CB, not so much imaginary as implied.
    Pointless.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Maybe because Valverde looks like Dick Dastardly thanks to that visor.

    proxy.jpg?t=HBheaHR0cDovLzI1Lm1lZGlhLnR1bWJsci5jb20vZDlmNGNkMjg0OWFkMzc3NDA3YTdhNjIxMTg0NTEwYTcvdHVtYmxyX24xOTd2a1YxcTAxcm9wcmV5bzFfNTAwLmpwZxTABxSiCwAWABIA&s=ND6G2PjZwmOEJWYl97-MLoUF6kZA3cNtqvh51gHQuu0
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    edited February 2014
    Double postage
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    OK, problem solved ... It was a conversation referencing something happening elsewhere ... Which is always helpful ...

    edit: apolos. to RR/BS ... just getting fed up of the arguing/stirring ...
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I remember Valvderde doing an excellent prologue in the Tour of Romandy some years back.

    This one is a home roads training race, no?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    He managed to beat Wiggins, Kiryienka, Rogers, Kloden at Tour of Basque Country a few years back ... Mind you so did Horner, so make of that what you will ... (in fairness, I googled the details but remember being surprised at his TT at the time) ...

    Also won the Dauphine TT against a decent field ...

    Seems like his lack of TT skills in a GT might be down to stamina over 3 weeks ... maybe gets mentally tired, which explains his poor positioning a lot of the time ...
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    This one is quite important to him? There was certainly a real "buzz" (well for the race) when he went off and you saw people running to the finish to see him in....
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Blazing Saddles wrote:

    Fact is Valverde rode it like a nutter

    :lol: Best kinda riding when it pays off
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Looking at Dowsett's recent Facebook posts it looks like Movistar have been working a lot on time trials. Quintana's position improved massively if you look at comparison photos. Dowsett seems happy with the bike too.

    Valverde rode it like he stole it and was possibly aided slightly by the local constabulary (And then nearly taken out by them) He definitely smashed it today though, some nimble handling, especially on a TT bike.
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Interesting you mention about a lot of TT work being done...they were always good tt riders but have noticed an improvement so far this year. The Canyon bikes are superb TT bikes too.

    Excellent photo RonB. He looks in shape there as he did when they interviewed him.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    They've been riding on racing circuits as a TTT, I would hazard a guess at some wind tunnel testing or at least some work on the posture judging by the improvements in position on Quintana and Valverde. If Quintana can get a better time trial he's got much more chance of getting GC in whatever he enters this year (Can't remember if he was going to ride the tour or not?)
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    Txoperena (Euskadi), Venter (MTN), Owsian (CCC), Ezquerra (Active Jet), Poulhies (Cofidis), Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen), Aramendia (Caja Rural-RGA), Guerin (Etixx), Hofsteda (Rabobank), Lozano (Novo Nordisk) y Sijmens (Wanty-Gobert) all in the break with a 2:54 advantage with 42km to go

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