Volta a Catalunya 2015 *Spoilers*

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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Team Sky's pr team don't think it is an issue that Froome couldn't hold the pace and don't even bother to give some insight as to why. My man Chaves in that group after getting held up by the Movistar crash.

    In any case he managed to hang on and finish at the back of the 2nd group at 22 secs.

    Unfortunately, Alaphilippe and Barguil both finished in the third group at 1.34.

    Majka finished at 6mins down. Landa and Konig at 8.40 along with my man Fernandez but presume he was doing the lion's share of the work to bring back Valverde.

    Sepulveda got pumped at 12mins. Not sure what is the problem with TJ but he came in down 15mins. Which is still better than half the specialist climbing team Colombia.

    Caleb Ewan DNF.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Also now predictable: Valverde has a problem, everybody puts the boot in. :D

    Valvevader is one epic ride from retiring as a folk hero. (Looking for that pic of him being interviewed after the final TT, 2014 Tour, in full TT helmet.)

    But in searching I did notice that the Stage 5 (cobbles and Froome) spoiler is 86 pages long.
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12974982
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,660
    85 of those were people swinging their d1cks about though. That was not one of our finest hours as a forum....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    Looks like Pozzovivo was on Sram Wireless today. First win for the new groupset?

    sptdw403_670.jpg
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,382
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Team Sky's pr team don't think it is an issue that Froome couldn't hold the pace and don't even bother to give some insight as to why.

    I guess they assume people's memories are good enough to remember that Froome had to pull out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to illness
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Not sure what is the problem with TJ but he came in down 15mins. Which is still better than half the specialist climbing team Colombia.
    I think I read somewhere TJ crashed into/over a barrier during the period where TS were drilling it on the front, possibly along with a few others.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    adr82 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Not sure what is the problem with TJ but he came in down 15mins. Which is still better than half the specialist climbing team Colombia.
    I think I read somewhere TJ crashed into/over a barrier during the period where TS were drilling it on the front, possibly along with a few others.

    Tejay van Garderen @tejay_van · 5h 5 hours ago
    That was the most horrifying moment of my career. Over the guardrail and into the bushes. Nothing broken, hope everyone else is ok.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,810
    r0bh wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Team Sky's pr team don't think it is an issue that Froome couldn't hold the pace and don't even bother to give some insight as to why.

    I guess they assume people's memories are good enough to remember that Froome had to pull out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to illness

    Frenchie's not 'people' though. He's his own man
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Maybe he was on the phone when Sky were trying to call him.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Will be interesting to see if Froome repeats his Andalucian recovery following the off-day, when he battered Contador. He's only 22" back. If he's on form it could be chaos, with Garmin monkeys Talansky & Martin, Aru and Porte, all on the same time as Contador. Pozzovivo only needs to decide which wheel he needs to follow.

    But I'm not getting my hopes up.
    Stage-1426531621.jpg
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Macaloon wrote:
    Will be interesting to see if Froome repeats his Andalucian recovery following the off-day, when he battered Contador. He's only 22" back. If he's on form it could be chaos
    I doubt it. In Andulacia his loses to Contador on that stage were largely down to being badly positioned on the descent rather than form. Admittedly it took him a bit of time to get going but he started pegging Contador back when he did.
    He'll be better than yesterday, but I would expect Sky to back Porte.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    After 100km,

    Thomas Danielson (Cannondale)
    José Herrada (Movistar)
    Jerome Coppel (IAM)
    Riccardo Zoidl (Trek)
    Loic Chetout (Cofidis)

    have 3mins.

    Zoidl and Tom D could do something if they have a decent advance.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    If they want to beat Rolland, someone important is going to have to kick off on the penultimate climb. Garmin probably, which would explain Danielson in the break.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Peloton Watch ‏@PelotonWatch 1m1 minute ago
    #VoltaCatalunya Froome dropped from GC group and Rolland is also now reported dropped with 8km to go of La Creueta (penultimate climb

    2WheelTonio ‏@2WheelTonio 2m2 minutes ago
    UK Postal pulling the faves #VoltaCatalunya

    Door opens for Porte.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Live video should be up right about now...sounds like they should have come on air earlier.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    40ks
    Danielson (Cannondale) and Zoidl (Trek)
    Herrada (Movistar)
    1:00 Group Accountant, Porte, Uran, Pozzovivo, Aru
    2:00 Rolland

    Account = Contador. Apparently there are only 20 or so with them.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    And we have coverage...
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Looks chilly out. Where's the peloton's resident social worker, Fabian?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Danielson still rides a bike?

    Oh.

    And great, coverage starting with 29k to go. Blinking useless coverage for this I must say.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Sky at front of main group 1:10 back from breakaway, Rolland apparently crested summit approx 50 seconds down said group.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Carlton shilling for the online gambling community. Class.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Tom D will hold polka dots regardless of who arrives at summit finish.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    edited March 2015
    It's definitely cycling season proper, I've just seen the first Tour D'Azerbaidjan advert!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Same climb last year gave small gaps:

    Stage 3 Results
    ESP 1 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Joaquin (KATUSHA) 4:50:55
    ESP 2 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF-SAXO) + 5
    COL 3 QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander (MOVISTAR) + 9
    USA 4 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 11
    GBR 5 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) + 13
    ITA 6 POZZOVIVO, Domenico (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 14
    NED 7 KELDERMAN, Wilco (BELKIN)
    USA 8 TALANSKY, Andrew (GARMIN SHARP)
    FRA 9 BARDET, Romain (AG2R LA MONDIALE)
    POL 10 NIEMIEC, Przemyslaw (LAMPRE - MERIDA) + 20
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Thankfully Sky have been helping out a lot. Gap now 20 secs.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Garmin Danielson takes a turn in the break. A flagrant violation of team orders.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    A 14 km to go:
    Sky Strip Squad.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    5 Sky riders in the bunch.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • keef_zip
    keef_zip Posts: 295
    Macaloon wrote:
    Garmin Danielson takes a turn in the break. A flagrant violation of team orders.

    Why on Earth should he take a turn? He won the 2014 Tour of Utah, you know. ;-)
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Rolland not in the main group and only has 1 team-mate with him.

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