La Vuelta 2017 - Stage 8
What no Vuelta thread today on such a potentially decisive stage? I came back from a long ride today expecting to catch up on events and nothing! Froome took time on all his GC rivals aided by Bertie's attack again it seems.
If anyone's interested here's the result anyway:-
Stage 8 Results
FRA 1 ALAPHILIPPE, Julian (QUICK - STEP FLOORS) 4:37:55
SLO 2 POLANC, Jan (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 2
POL 3 MAJKA, Rafal (BORA - HANSGROHE)
BEL 4 PAUWELS, Serge (DIMENSION DATA) + 26
POR 5 OLIVEIRA, Nelson (MOVISTAR) + 28
NED 6 KREDER, Michel (AQUA BLUE SPORT) + 32
BEL 7 MONFORT, Maxime (LOTTO SOUDAL)
BEL 8 DE CLERCQ, Bart (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 34
ESP 9 LOSADA ALGUACIL, Alberto (KATUSHA ALPECIN) + 37
GER 10 BUCHMANN, Emanuel (BORA - HANSGROHE) + 1:04
NED 11 OLIVIER, Daan (LOTTO NL - JUMBO) + 1:06
BEL 12 VLIEGEN, Loïc (BMC RACING) + 1:17
ESP 13 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TREK - SEGAFREDO) + 1:27
GBR 14 FROOME, Christopher (SKY)
ESP 15 HERNANDEZ BLAZQUEZ, Jesus (TREK - SEGAFREDO)
ITA 16 NIBALI, Vincenzo (BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 1:44
ITA 17 ARU, Fabio (ASTANA)
RUS 18 ZAKARIN, Ilnur (KATUSHA ALPECIN)
NED 19 POELS, Wout (SKY)
COL 20 CHAVES RUBIO, Jhoan Esteban (ORICA - SCOTT)
RUS 21 CHERNETSKI, Sergei (ASTANA) + 1:52
FRA 22 CHEVRIER, Clement (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 1:55
GBR 23 YATES, Adam (ORICA - SCOTT)
CAN 24 WOODS, Michael (CANNONDALE DRAPAC)
NED 25 KELDERMAN, Wilco (SUNWEB)
IRL 26 ROCHE, Nicolas (BMC RACING)
ESP 27 DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, David (QUICK - STEP FLOORS)
NED 28 OOMEN, Sam (SUNWEB)
USA 29 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING)
RSA 30 MEINTJES, Louis (UAE TEAM EMIRATES)
General Classification after Stage 8
GBR 1 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) 32:26:13
COL 2 CHAVES RUBIO, Jhoan Esteban (ORICA - SCOTT) + 28
IRL 3 ROCHE, Nicolas (BMC RACING) + 41
ITA 4 NIBALI, Vincenzo (BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 53
USA 5 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 58
ITA 6 ARU, Fabio (ASTANA) + 1:06
ESP 7 DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, David (QUICK - STEP FLOORS) + 1:08
GBR 8 YATES, Adam (ORICA - SCOTT) + 1:18
CAN 9 WOODS, Michael (CANNONDALE DRAPAC) + 1:41
RUS 10 ZAKARIN, Ilnur (KATUSHA ALPECIN) + 1:57
POR 11 OLIVEIRA, Nelson (MOVISTAR) + 2:03
NED 12 KELDERMAN, Wilco (SUNWEB) + 2:13
SLO 13 POLANC, Jan (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 2:29
GBR 14 YATES, Simon (ORICA - SCOTT) + 2:34
NED 15 POELS, Wout (SKY) + 2:40
NED 16 OOMEN, Sam (SUNWEB) + 2:42
ESP 17 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TREK - SEGAFREDO) + 3:10
NED 18 BOL, Jetse (MANZANA POSTOBON TEAM) + 3:12
RSA 19 MEINTJES, Louis (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 3:23
COL 20 LOPEZ MORENO, Miguel Angel (ASTANA) + 3:40
NED 21 KRUIJSWIJK, Steven (LOTTO NL - JUMBO) + 4:07
ESP 22 ANTON HERNANDEZ, Igor (DIMENSION DATA) + 4:29
POR 23 FARIA DA COSTA, Rui Alberto (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 4:55
If anyone's interested here's the result anyway:-
Stage 8 Results
FRA 1 ALAPHILIPPE, Julian (QUICK - STEP FLOORS) 4:37:55
SLO 2 POLANC, Jan (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 2
POL 3 MAJKA, Rafal (BORA - HANSGROHE)
BEL 4 PAUWELS, Serge (DIMENSION DATA) + 26
POR 5 OLIVEIRA, Nelson (MOVISTAR) + 28
NED 6 KREDER, Michel (AQUA BLUE SPORT) + 32
BEL 7 MONFORT, Maxime (LOTTO SOUDAL)
BEL 8 DE CLERCQ, Bart (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 34
ESP 9 LOSADA ALGUACIL, Alberto (KATUSHA ALPECIN) + 37
GER 10 BUCHMANN, Emanuel (BORA - HANSGROHE) + 1:04
NED 11 OLIVIER, Daan (LOTTO NL - JUMBO) + 1:06
BEL 12 VLIEGEN, Loïc (BMC RACING) + 1:17
ESP 13 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TREK - SEGAFREDO) + 1:27
GBR 14 FROOME, Christopher (SKY)
ESP 15 HERNANDEZ BLAZQUEZ, Jesus (TREK - SEGAFREDO)
ITA 16 NIBALI, Vincenzo (BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 1:44
ITA 17 ARU, Fabio (ASTANA)
RUS 18 ZAKARIN, Ilnur (KATUSHA ALPECIN)
NED 19 POELS, Wout (SKY)
COL 20 CHAVES RUBIO, Jhoan Esteban (ORICA - SCOTT)
RUS 21 CHERNETSKI, Sergei (ASTANA) + 1:52
FRA 22 CHEVRIER, Clement (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 1:55
GBR 23 YATES, Adam (ORICA - SCOTT)
CAN 24 WOODS, Michael (CANNONDALE DRAPAC)
NED 25 KELDERMAN, Wilco (SUNWEB)
IRL 26 ROCHE, Nicolas (BMC RACING)
ESP 27 DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, David (QUICK - STEP FLOORS)
NED 28 OOMEN, Sam (SUNWEB)
USA 29 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING)
RSA 30 MEINTJES, Louis (UAE TEAM EMIRATES)
General Classification after Stage 8
GBR 1 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) 32:26:13
COL 2 CHAVES RUBIO, Jhoan Esteban (ORICA - SCOTT) + 28
IRL 3 ROCHE, Nicolas (BMC RACING) + 41
ITA 4 NIBALI, Vincenzo (BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 53
USA 5 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 58
ITA 6 ARU, Fabio (ASTANA) + 1:06
ESP 7 DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, David (QUICK - STEP FLOORS) + 1:08
GBR 8 YATES, Adam (ORICA - SCOTT) + 1:18
CAN 9 WOODS, Michael (CANNONDALE DRAPAC) + 1:41
RUS 10 ZAKARIN, Ilnur (KATUSHA ALPECIN) + 1:57
POR 11 OLIVEIRA, Nelson (MOVISTAR) + 2:03
NED 12 KELDERMAN, Wilco (SUNWEB) + 2:13
SLO 13 POLANC, Jan (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 2:29
GBR 14 YATES, Simon (ORICA - SCOTT) + 2:34
NED 15 POELS, Wout (SKY) + 2:40
NED 16 OOMEN, Sam (SUNWEB) + 2:42
ESP 17 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TREK - SEGAFREDO) + 3:10
NED 18 BOL, Jetse (MANZANA POSTOBON TEAM) + 3:12
RSA 19 MEINTJES, Louis (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 3:23
COL 20 LOPEZ MORENO, Miguel Angel (ASTANA) + 3:40
NED 21 KRUIJSWIJK, Steven (LOTTO NL - JUMBO) + 4:07
ESP 22 ANTON HERNANDEZ, Igor (DIMENSION DATA) + 4:29
POR 23 FARIA DA COSTA, Rui Alberto (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 4:55
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At the front, it was a great performance by Alaphilippe, and it was also good how assured and relaxed he came over in the interview. Bora must be feeling disappointed after doing everything right at first (i.e. Emu and Majka shredding the breakaway in the first half of the climb). Great spirit by Polanc too.
When it was mainly a Majka-Alaphilippe dual going up the last climb, their battle reminded me a bit of that famous photo of Poulidor and Anquetil.
He's a very exciting rider and gave a great interview on ES. He's full of character and ability and is becoming my new favourite.
I do hope the 'Boremeister' from SKY reires soon. :oops:
Yeah, let's give all the second-raters a chance!
That does nothing for our sport
That the Vuelta has such a good field these days has a great deal to do with Froome riding it after winning the Tour. Prior to him only Sastre had ever done so. Now riders who had a good Tour go to the Vuelta not just ones who had failed.
As for Alaphilippe, didn't he wheelsuck Majka the whole way up the climb. It doesn't bother me but I wouldn't call it exciting.
Another cracking stage. Alaphillipe was immense, Majka threw everything at him on the climb but couldn't break him. Polenc also put in a very brave ride.
It's a shame I'm only able to watch highlights as it's been a good race so far.
Froome lay down a little marker on Contador, and dropped him over the top of the climb, just to show whose boss.
Twitter. Transalp Blog. Surrey Hills Project.
I just watched the ITV4 highlights.
I agree, when Contador (et al) attacks it's exciting, when Froome does it, it's boring.
Hats off to Alaphillipe taking the stage but he wasn't exactly setting the race alight was he? Following Majka practically to the line and then just jumping him to take the win, well...
Imagine the howls of derision if any number of other riders had done that.
I've been trying to keep in the dark, so as to watch a bit of the race for when I got back off hols.
Manage to see today's stage, though somewhat bleary eyed and have to say that I agree with the rest of South Wales.
The only guy who made a determined attack and wasn't looking for another wheel to follow is not only boring, but does nothing for our sport?
The only thing negative here is the way in which some folks are compelled to view and paint Froome's exploits.
What the heck happened to Bertie on the road to Andorra? He looked his old self today.
El Pistelero determined to go out with a bang but left a chamber empty.
I see that the stage threads haven't been faring to well.....
Ah, is that what happened? I don't know if it was ITV's cutting, or the fact I was trying to wrestle my daughters into bed (or at least give that impression whilst trying to watch the TV), but it looked like Froome had burst clear yet suddenly Contador was back on.
I'm willing to put rather a large amount of money on Contador's fans whinging about the difference in style between Froome and Contador when they were riding together. The contrast is rather stark, to be fair.
Hat
He looks like perfect Sky material at the moment and they seem a bit light with the riders who are leaving but it might be better for his own career to go somewhere else.
Edit: then again he's 31 so a decent 2 year deal as a domestique might me a good shout for him.
Twitter. Transalp Blog. Surrey Hills Project.
These two points sum it up for me. Froome reminds me of my feelings towards Ed Sheerhan.
I don't think I'll ever like what he does, but I respect that he does what he does very well.
I love watching cycling - but riding takes precedence; all day out on the bike Saturday (as it should be), Sunday a quick 100km before getting in the car for a family party , I should be able to get something done today (but I cannot start till I have ccaught up with yesterday's stage so feel free to do so)
edit
Apart from it being rest day today
Maybe he's experimenting with dosages again. As he announces his retirement every year these days it doesn't really matter if he gets caught again and banned. He can say he was retiring anyway.
And whilst I'm exploring theories, if he's retiring, maybe he won't be tested regularly as the authorities won't want another top-level drugs scandal to hit the headlines.
Well they said it was the same stomach bug as Degenkolb.