Vuelta al País Vasco 2014 **Spoilers**

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

Here is one place to start:
http://velorooms.com/index.php?topic=46 ... #msg127432
Worth noting that I am not sure how accurate this is. Inrng, who is more credible, has Sky 2012 at 24.5m. You can be pretty sure current figures will be higher.
http://inrng.com/2013/10/finances-team-sky-accounts/

The latest figure I saw for Sky was 26.5m (2013)
BMC and state funded Katusha and Astana are somewhat close but I suspect still several million lower. Even if they have more it doesnt matter much.
They have a tremendous amount of money compared to other teams and compared to history.

Well, apart from the fact it changes your previous assertion that 'Sky have more money than any other team'. They either have or they haven't.

There will always be some teams with more than others. I suspect the likes of Panasonic had substantially higher funding than some of their rivals back in the day, sport is never a level playing field.

Crankbrother

In addition to the published budget, SKY also get the benefit of the 'state' funded BC infrastructure ...

Pross

Crankbrother wrote:

In addition to the published budget, SKY also get the benefit of the 'state' funded BC infrastructure ...

Is what they get out higher than the funding Sky puts into British Cycling? I'd love to see some figures.

BTW I know it probably comes across that I like Sky but whilst I like many of their riders I really don't like the sponsor company or the Murdochs, I just feel that people want to attack them for anything they can think of whether or not there's any logic to it. In corporate terms there may be worse companies ethically but in cycling terms I reckon there are certainly many teams with worse ethics that get off lightly. I'm not sure if this is just an English speaking thing or if it is throughout the whole of the cycling community.

Anyway, we've gone way off track again and I apologise for my part in that. What's happening in the race?

Richmond Racer

^well put

The race: Fernandez still on his tod out front +3'36", with 65.5km to go

frenchfighter

Pross wrote:

BTW I know it probably comes across that I like Sky

Yes I'd say this was the case. You are first to jump to their defence.

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

Pross wrote:

BTW I know it probably comes across that I like Sky

Yes I'd say this was the case. You are first to jump to their defence.

So be it but ultimately there are riders I like and riders I don't like and that includes that particular team. I just hate seeing unsubstantiated rumour and downright lies getting thrown around. If this was happening to OPQS, BMC or Garmin I'd react just the same but for some reason it doesn't.

Give me more

I'm guessing we'll just coast along till 30k to go and then maybe a few people will start looking to jump away on the climbs. Will be interesting to see if Movistar try position for anything given how eager Valverde has been to attack so far. Can't say I'd expect him to get away but it will certainly liven things up a little if he tries again.

Crankbrother

Pross wrote:

Crankbrother wrote:

In addition to the published budget, SKY also get the benefit of the 'state' funded BC infrastructure ...

Is what they get out higher than the funding Sky puts into British Cycling? I'd love to see some figures.

Even assuming the SKY BC funding does cover everything the pro tour team get out of it, that's still eqiivelant to additional funding/budget ...

joelsim

Give me more wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Give me more wrote:

Goodness me Andy Schleck tried to get into a break.

Current status is just Ruben Fernandez out on his own about 7 1/2 minutes away from the peloton

Nice margin. Going to be hard to sustain it. For a winner of the Tour de l'avenir his results so far this year have not been the best. Early days though.

No way he stays out. The sprinters are salivating at actually getting a look in! A nice reminder of his existence though...

Isn't he 21 years old?

frenchfighter

32ks, all together. Sky setting pace, they have been reading this forum.

Last climb summits 9km from the line and although it is not too steep it will likely see some attacks. Would be great if one stuck.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

“In my whole life, I have never experienced similar feelings that I did today. It was very strange. I had no strength to push the pedals,” Betancur told Biciciclismo.

“After yesterday’s stage I was unable to ride anymore. I had no energy.”

“The knee did not hurt. I think it is typical response for the antibiotics I took,” Betancur tried to explain his weakness.

“My goal was to leave the Basque Country with good sensations. It is a setback and it’s somewhat difficult for me. Now we have to wait several days and see how I would recover.”

“Those races were very important to me and such a situation had happened…It made me realize more than ever before that this is also a part of cycling.”

RonB

Wonder if Rui Costa fancies it today. His team are pretty conspicuous at he front. Less than 20km to go now.

mroli

Looks nice there doesn't it?

mroli

People falling off back - 4 saxos, 2 trek...

RonB

Well the speed is still high (too high for attacks?) and this last hill is over half done. The road in to the finish sounds tricky if we get a full on bunch sprint. Just over 10km to go.

jam1e

All together for the descent.

RonB

TM and Bakelants both in the break yesterday get everyone over the last climb. Now for some risky descending down to the finish.

mroli

Hill done - all together. Kwakker looked good.

jam1e

Swift quite far back, Bakelandts ends up on the verge not paying attention.

RonB

Bakelants lost it on one of the corners. Looks like he's ok. Lucky at that speed!

RonB

Hope the teams have done their homework with these roundabouts.

mroli

Good sprint. Much more exciting than the other. Mathews FTW - good work by Gerrans.

RonB

Matthews takes the sprint. Good job by Gerrans to get him there. Swifty in the mix, but I'm not sure of the placings.

ddraver

Hell of a job by Gerrans!

frenchfighter

Great long lead out by Orica. MM finishes it off nicely.

Give me more

Missed the finish after watching all the dull bits =(

Crankbrother

Bit hairy that, but OGE knew where to be for the final few corners ... Strong sprint by Matthews, no-one came back to him once he went ...

mroli

Mathews/Reza/Kwakker/Swift

RonB

Spot on