Vuelta 2014 Stage 11 *SPOILERS*

milton50
milton50 Posts: 3,856
edited September 2014 in Pro race
Vuelta-a-Espana-Stage-11-1408958082.png

Vuelta-a-Espana-Stage-11-1408359443.png

These are photos of the road surface on the final climb. Taken last weekend apparently:

stage11_san_miguel_road.png
«13456

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Seems like a real man's climb... today we will lose someone in the GC. Movistar have to decide which horse to bet on... Valverde for podium or Quintana for a comeback and potential win...
    Day of truth for Froome too... does he have any form at all?
    left the forum March 2023
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Proper climb that, don't find them in France. Odd road surface...I hope it doesn't cause problems and thank goodness they are not going down it!

    From Conde:
    Alto de San Miguel de Aralar has never been used in professional cycling before. Seeing the road, you will understand why. Due to the poor road conditions, the city council has decided that no vehicle (bike, scooter, car etc.) is allowed to ride faster than 20 km/h up the climb. The cement surface is in very bad shape. It’s bumpy to ride on and there are numerous big cracks in the road. There have already been several accidents involving cycling tourists. Hopefully, there won’t be any misfortunes today.

    Never used before, going to be exciting. Narrow road all the way up. Very green everywhere. Worth checking out on street view.

    Surface reminds me of Bola del Mundo used in 2010:
    http://www.steephill.tv/2010/vuelta-a-e ... /stage-20/
    Contador is the Greatest
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Surface reminds me of Bola del Mundo used in 2010:
    http://www.steephill.tv/2010/vuelta-a-e ... /stage-20/

    Aah, that's the climb that I was thinking of when I said Contador had an off day in the 2012 Vuelta. He only lost around 45 seconds to J Rod in the end but I can remember thinking that if J Rod had attacked earlier then he could have won the race.

    It's a beast of a climb.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,708
    Don't know why the organisers would feel that this is an acceptable challenge to insert.
    Fits in with Rich's opinion that the lesser GTs are constantly looking to include the ridiculous
    as promotional gimmicks.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Milton50 wrote:
    stage11_san_miguel_road.png
    When Cancellara sees that he's going start taking hostages.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,314
    By the time Candelabra - and all the other moaning old dears (Millar, etc) wend their miserable way up to the finish, most of the cracks will be filled with titchy climbers.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    The way the road has been marked up would suggest that are planning on getting some repairs done even if it's just pouring a bit of goo (technical term for us highway engineers!) into the cracks.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    edited September 2014
    Delete
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,031
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Don't know why the organisers would feel that this is an acceptable challenge to insert.
    Fits in with Rich's opinion that the lesser GTs are constantly looking to include the ridiculous
    as promotional gimmicks.

    Because as a professional sport it relies on people watching it. I'm looking forwards to the stage - it's less gimmicky than sending people up the Alpe twice in one day. Anyway a few cracks in the road is hardly an issue for pro cyclists on a steep climb - it isn't that long ago that many high mountain passes were unpaved and people still raced up and down them like that.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Pross wrote:
    The way the road has been marked up would suggest that are planning on getting some repairs done even if it's just pouring a bit of goo (technical term for us highway engineers!) into the cracks.
    Those pink bits are where Quintana fell in while training in his Giro kit.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    They should thank themselves lucky there's no cattle grids; I had an 'interesting' moment cycling over one last weekend on Great Dun Fell
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Supposedly the cracks that are marked in the photo have been 'patched up' since last weekend but there are still some remaining.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,314
    dsoutar wrote:
    They should thank themselves lucky there's no cattle grids; I had an 'interesting' moment cycling over one last weekend on Great Dun Fell

    You do know you're meant to go over them in a direction perpendicular to the bars?
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    RichN95 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    The way the road has been marked up would suggest that are planning on getting some repairs done even if it's just pouring a bit of goo (technical term for us highway engineers!) into the cracks.
    Those pink bits are where Quintana fell in while training in his Giro kit.

    Peerless Imlach on wincing at Quintana crash: "...consider this - there's a limited number of body parts that can dislodge a saddle"
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • d_o_g
    d_o_g Posts: 286
    Froome dog to give it a go, but then get destroyed by Contador.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    D O G wrote:
    Froome dog to give it a go, but then get destroyed by Contador.
    No he'll sit tight, I reckon. He needs a couple more days to get over his crash and find form. He's only 1'18 down - no need for desperate measures yet.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    RichN95 wrote:
    D O G wrote:
    Froome dog to give it a go, but then get destroyed by Contador.
    No he'll sit tight, I reckon. He needs a couple more days to get over his crash and find form. He's only 1'18 down - no need for desperate measures yet.

    That's what an astute rider who knows when he's on the limit would do. We're talking about Chris Froome. I fully expect him to chuck a few violent attacks at everyone and then promptly blow up himself.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Milton50 wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    D O G wrote:
    Froome dog to give it a go, but then get destroyed by Contador.
    No he'll sit tight, I reckon. He needs a couple more days to get over his crash and find form. He's only 1'18 down - no need for desperate measures yet.

    That's what an astute rider who knows when he's on the limit would do. We're talking about Chris Froome. I fully expect him to chuck a few violent attacks at everyone and then promptly blow up himself.

    Haha yeah, not the most tactical or reserved rider around.

    I agree that 1mins is nothing though. To be honest I think if Quintana's subsequent performance is not damaged from the crash then his 3mins is not crazy.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Nobody talks about Uran... he has shown he can climb a mountain before... and a bigger one than this!
    left the forum March 2023
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    dsoutar wrote:
    They should thank themselves lucky there's no cattle grids; I had an 'interesting' moment cycling over one last weekend on Great Dun Fell

    You do know you're meant to go over them in a direction perpendicular to the bars?

    Top tip, thanks ! :lol:
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Nobody talks about Uran... he has shown he can climb a mountain before... and a bigger one than this!

    Now that Quintana has lost all that time, there's definitely a chance for Uran being on the podium at the end. In fact if Froome doesn't get much better form, the battle for third place might be the most entertaining GC battle there is as I can't see Valverde getting past Contador
  • ianwilliams
    ianwilliams Posts: 257
    dsoutar wrote:
    They should thank themselves lucky there's no cattle grids; I had an 'interesting' moment cycling over one last weekend on Great Dun Fell

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@42.953959,-1.981806,3a,75y,105.98h,90.18t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLdqrNwCiim1Ysf4Zr5aGDg!2e0
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Peloton Watch ‏@PelotonWatch 1m
    #LaVuelta Quintana has abandoned.

    ‏@Lotto_Belisol 1m
    #LaVuelta There was a crash in the peloton. Nairo Quintana was one of the victims and he has abandoned the race.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • specialized_nick
    specialized_nick Posts: 427
    Macaloon wrote:
    Peloton Watch ‏@PelotonWatch 1m
    #LaVuelta Quintana has abandoned.

    ‏@Lotto_Belisol 1m
    #LaVuelta There was a crash in the peloton. Nairo Quintana was one of the victims and he has abandoned the race.

    :(:(
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,541
    Macaloon wrote:
    Peerless Imlach on wincing at Quintana crash: "...consider this - there's a limited number of body parts that can dislodge a saddle"

    I really like Imlach. I'm always surprised he hasn't gone on to bigger things - although maybe he is happy with what he does.
  • jamie1012
    jamie1012 Posts: 171
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Macaloon wrote:
    Peerless Imlach on wincing at Quintana crash: "...consider this - there's a limited number of body parts that can dislodge a saddle"

    I really like Imlach. I'm always surprised he hasn't gone on to bigger things - although maybe he is happy with what he does.
    I wish he was the main commentator.
  • philwint
    philwint Posts: 763
    Specialized_Nick wrote:
    Macaloon wrote:
    Peloton Watch ‏@PelotonWatch 1m
    #LaVuelta Quintana has abandoned.

    ‏@Lotto_Belisol 1m
    #LaVuelta There was a crash in the peloton. Nairo Quintana was one of the victims and he has abandoned the race.

    :(:(

    Noooooooooooooo!
    Phil

    www.philwinterbourne.co.uk
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    All three of my Grand Tour PTP picks for this year abandoned.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Nightmare. Really like Quintana.
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Specialized_Nick wrote:
    Macaloon wrote:
    Peloton Watch ‏@PelotonWatch 1m
    #LaVuelta Quintana has abandoned.

    ‏@Lotto_Belisol 1m
    #LaVuelta There was a crash in the peloton. Nairo Quintana was one of the victims and he has abandoned the race.

    :(:(

    This is turning into another TdF :-(

    Hope he's OK although the fact that he's been taken to hospital doesn't sound good

    Morabito out too (same crash)

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