La Vuelta 15 #10 Valencia / Castellón **SPOILERS**

imatfaal

First an update on poor Kris Boeckmanns http://www.lottosoudal.be/update-kris-boeckmans/?lang=en

More than 24 hours after the severe crash of Kris Boeckmans in yesterday’s Vuelta stage, further tests showed that the serious injuries are under control and that there is a small positive evolution.

Withdrawals before and during yesterdays stage (hope that's all - cannot see any others rumoured)
215 STUYVEN Jasper TFR DNS
209 SAGAN Peter TCS DNS
94 DEGAND Thomas IAM withdrawal

Valencia / Castellón


No images of the mountain passes on La Vuelta site - think this is the correct version from a spanish fan site



Would be a perfect stage for those who can get over a climb and yet still sprint it out later - Sagan, Bouhanni...ahh perhpas not.

It is 17 km from the summit to the finish line - a minute gap over the top, hell-defying descending, and no sprinters teams to chase; go on be brave in you PTP choice and go for a breakaway specialist - TdG to score one for his injured colleague?

kingstonian

Thanks for posting the update, glad to hear there have been some positive signs for Boeckmanns.

EnacheV

Sky has 3 riders (Boswell, Puccio, Henao) in a 40 man break. Earlier Kirienka tried to.

Nice from Froome not to confiscate this team for himself and let absolutely everyone (except Knees till now ) do whatever they want. Free for all at Sky.

EnacheV

and it's shaping as another epic day

frenchfighter

Dario Cataldo, Matteo Montaguti, Sergio Henao, Carlos Verona, Riccardo Zoidl, Tiago Machado, Daniel Navarro, Peter Velits, Lawson Craddock, Rubén Plaza, Martijn Keizer, Luis León Sánchez, Larry Warbasse, Imanol Erviti, David Arroyo, Natnael Berhane, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Romain Hardy, Tsgabu Grmay, Andrey Amador, Pello Bilbao, Eduard Vorganov, Carlos Quintero, Maxime Monfort, Ian Boswell, Salvatore Puccio, Benjamin King, Kenny Elissonde, Stephen Cummings, Cameron Meyer, Amael Moinard, George Bennett, Darwin Atapuma, Ángel Madrazo, Mickael Cherel, Davide Villella, Rodolfo Torres, Johannes Frohlinger, Jérôme Cousin and Jay McCarthy

inseine

Plaza is my PTP pick so glad to see him there, but all the usual suspects as well; big group.

frenchfighter

Caught. Trek and Giant the chasers to do so.

frenchfighter

3rd youngest rider in the WT, Ewan, has retired.

frenchfighter

If there are bonus seconds at the sprint then Froome just took some I think.

frenchfighter

BMC's De Marchi goes for it on the climb with Sicard in pursuit. Sky, Tinkoff and Movistar have all their leaders at the front.

frenchfighter

FDJ's Kinky Kenny gives it a twerk and is in hot pursuit. Some old chap from IAM is snapping at his heels.

frenchfighter

22km, 13 secs to those to and 37 secs to the peloton.

frenchfighter

The old chap is fellow Frenchie Coppel and is now leading the charge with Elissonde hanging on to his rear for all he's got.

frenchfighter

The Frenchman has dug deep and the gap to the two advance party is crumbling.

Just as little Elly has had enough and decides to give it some gas. Poor Coppel is caught holding the bag.

frenchfighter

Killer Kenny is riding on fury - he catches the two interlopers and spins his little legs to drop them.

Angliru winner is now solo with a 50m gap and 35 secs on the peloton with 20ks.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

Craddock turned himself inside out for the 90kg Dutch leader of the Vuelta, who comes up, taps him on the side and then takes over the front of the race to crush them a la 100kg Indurain.

Just as Brambilla goes for one off the front of the peloton.

frenchfighter

Umm, so now the red jersey leader is...dropping them on the descent. I suppose his bulk is coming in handy here.

Pross

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19691775#p19691775]EnacheV[/url] wrote:

Sky has 3 riders (Boswell, Puccio, Henao) in a 40 man break. Earlier Kirienka tried to.

Nice from Froome not to confiscate this team for himself and let absolutely everyone (except Knees till now ) do whatever they want. Free for all at Sky.

At what point does a break become a split in the peloton?

frenchfighter

The plucky French kid from Longjumeau (long twin) has been caught by Sicard and De Marchi.

According to the gps, Tom D is going 62 km/h and has halfed the gap to the three leaders...

frenchfighter

Heano crashes hard. Kiriyenka has stopped for him.

Pross

Henao down and a bit cut up. Kiri waiting for him but can't see him getting back by the finish.

frenchfighter

A 50 rider peloton is 10 secs behind the three leaders with 6km to race.

frenchfighter

5 secs with 5km. Good effort boys, thanks for the show Kenny Elly.

Mad_Malx

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19691837#p19691837]frenchfighter[/url] wrote:

Craddock turned himself inside out for the 90kg Dutch leader of the Vuelta, who comes up, taps him on the side and then takes over the front of the race to crush them a la 100kg Indurain.

.

Thanks for the race and weightwatcher's updates all, little else to follow with today.

frenchfighter

Tom D is chasing all the moves here. Either he fancies himself in the sprint or Degenkolb is lurking.

Mad_Malx

^all being mostly ff.

frenchfighter

1.5km, 30 riders.

frenchfighter

Final km and a Jumbo goes for it but spends more time looking backwards so is inevitably caught.

frenchfighter

Interestingly it is a MTN rider who wins the sprint.

above_the_cows

That was a little lacklustre in the sprint department.

Was that a win for MTN though?