Basque tour Spoilers

specialgueststar

And Alaphillipe getting a double!

Dorset_Boy

Two good stages from Roglic and Alaphillipe. The final climb on each stage has had some brutal sections.

PolderRider

Watching this tour for the first time.

The first stage was a great watch not least for the awesome terrain and spectacular early spring weather. The looping stage had it all - flat coastal roads bordered by some cracking beaches, rolling hills, tasty 20% ramps with inevitable nerve-fraying descents, and a masterclass in attacking by alanphillipe!

As you can see i'm rather taken with it, so much i'd like to plan a trip. With beaches and clifftop churches and potential for surf (always a bonus), it looks like a quality cycling destination.
Anyone been? Would you recommend it?
Also interested in stuff to look out for in upcoming stages?

Vino'sGhost

Seeing the guys at the front of Flanders and then turning up the next day to this, mental. Must be a training race

specialgueststar

Vino'sGhost wrote:

Seeing the guys at the front of Flanders and then turning up the next day to this, mental. Must be a training race

Pretty hard from his Nibs. Flanders attack next day Basque v hard stageand works fof IzaG. All after winning Milan St Remo Froome =no action since Tirreno

And Bardet showing recovery although it was etched on his face after Mondays stage

knedlicky

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

Vino'sGhost wrote:

Seeing the guys at the front of Flanders and then turning up the next day to this, mental. Must be a training race

Pretty hard from his Nibs. Flanders attack next day Basque v hard stageand works fof IzaG. All after winning Milan St Remo. Froome =no action since Tirreno
And Bardet showing recovery although it was etched on his face after Mondays stage

Yes, pretty impressive of Nibali (and Kwiatkowski and Bardet. And ..… anyone else?)
Nibali flew at 20.30 on Sunday from Brussels (50 miles from Oudenaarde) to Bilbao, then had over another 50 miles to travel to the start town of the Basque Tour, so probably needed overall at least 6 hours of (very well-planned) travel-time. Maybe they all travelled together.

Bardet's been up there near the front at the finish on both days so far, which is remarkable. Nibali was yesterday too, but fell off a bit today. But Nibali's said he's not in Spain to contest victory, rather as he sees the Basque Tour as ideal training for the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Kwia lost over 8 mins today; I suppose the tiredness from Flanders and the travel does eventually kick in.

knedlicky

PolderRider wrote:

Watching this tour for the first time ..... i'm rather taken with it ..... it looks like a quality cycling destination.
Anyone been? Would you recommend it?

I know the area where they were on Monday and Tuesday, and where they'll be for the first part of stage 3 very well, and also (if somewhat less well), where they'll be for the last part of stage 5 and much of stage 6. So more or less the area within 25-30 km of the coast between San Sebastian and Bilbao. And I can highly recommend it for landscape, beaches and quiet roads. Although the constant up and down, with short but steep climbs, is hard work (as you will have gathered from watching the Basque Tour so far).

PolderRider wrote:

Watching this tour for the first time ..... i'm rather taken with it ..... interested in stuff to look out for in upcoming stages?

The profile for stage 3 suggests it will be similar in its latter half to the first two stages (maybe suit Matthews).
Stage 5 will have a couple of larger climbs in its second half, and stage 6 eight (moderately) larger categorised climbs along its whole length, the last not quite a mountain-top finish (3 kms at 12.7% average, but followed by 2 kms of flat to the finish) – should be a good climax to the Tour.
Stage 4 (where Roglic should take over the yellow jersey) at Lodosa is pan-flat, but in compensation Lodosa grows, and is well-known for, an intensely-red variety of red-peppers.

Vino'sGhost

Yep a lovely area indeed for racing

poptart242

PolderRider wrote:

As you can see i'm rather taken with it, so much i'd like to plan a trip. With beaches and clifftop churches and potential for surf (always a bonus), it looks like a quality cycling destination.
Anyone been? Would you recommend it?

Can't speak to the cycling bit, as I only spent a long weekend in the region and didn't bring the bike.

Definitely go - the food alone is worth the trip. The culture is very different compared to other places in Spain too (no surprise given the Basques)

Dorset_Boy

Thomas de Gent in yet another break.
Astana rider attacked on incline 25 kms to go, and Kwia and De la Cruz went with and past him, have bridged to the break - but looking like the motos will pull the peloton back.
21 secs with 15 kms to go.

Dorset_Boy

TdG goes pop with 13.5 to go, but has the KoM jersey.

Dorset_Boy

Kwia pops with 12.5 to go

Dorset_Boy

D Theuns attacked out the peloton but brought back.
de la Cruz and Mitchelton Scott rider (Juul Jansen) still out front. 9 secs ,6 kms to go

Dorset_Boy

Finally caught with 2.7 to go.

gweeds

How many motos? Jeez.

Dorset_Boy

Jay McCarthy takes the sprint
Kwia in the mix - what a rider! - 3rd on stage after bridging to the break then getting reabsrobed.

Frank Wilson

It would appear not many of us are watching what is a very enjoyable race.

wiznaeme

Frank Wilson wrote:

It would appear not many of us are watching what is a very enjoyable race.

Agreed. Today’s stage was a treat to watch. Get the highlights tomorrow people.

RichN95.

I'd never seen this until just now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNRYgKyZBAI&sns=tw

(Warning features ski-jumping crash)

ridgerider

My man Roglic is smashing this race.

knedlicky

Ridgerider wrote:

My man Roglic is smashing this race.

Roglic looked troubled today - but that was a steep last climb, 13% average. Lovely countryside beforehand, though.

Landa looked determined for once, and I thought Quintana's help for Landa a sign of how Q has developed.
Pity De Gendt has achieved so little for all his efforts (not just this stage or this tour, but over the years).

And QS won again!

RichN95.

knedlicky wrote:

Roglic looked troubled today - but that was a steep last climb, 13% average.

I'm not sure he did. He looked like someone who knew he had two minutes in the bank. But maybe I'm a little bias as I really rate him as a future Tour challenger.

ridgerider

Reading the reports of of the last stage, it seems he managed to hide his fatigue till the last climb, and by then, there wasn't enough road left for the others to claw back enough time to beat him. Clever lad.

m.r.m.

Is Movistar the strongest Tour team? With Nairo, Landa, Valverde, Winner Anacona, Betancourt etc.

Vino'sGhost

M.R.M. wrote:

Is Movistar the strongest Tour team? With Nairo, Landa, Valverde, Winner Anacona, Betancourt etc.

It looks pretty strong doesnt it. I wonder if they'll ride as a team though, I cant see a QuickStep style dominance working in a GT.

My money is on Sky again. (with or without Froome) Landa may yet live to regret leaving.

m.r.m.

No way Sky will dominate without Froome.