Vuelta 2018, Stage 19: Lleida > Andorra. Naturlandia - 154,4 km *Spoilers*

hypster

Yates riding away from Valverde 30 seconds up now.

hypster

Quintana has a mechanical, sprints back onto the Valverde group and then they just leave him for dead. You couldn't write this stuff!

hypster

Yates and Pinot working well together. Over a minute up now. 3K to go.

bobmcstuff

At the moment Yates stands to get over a minute on Valverde.

blazing_saddles

Looks as if we are going to lose the close GC, without a lot really happening.

Really not sure what is going on behind.
Surely Valverde, Mas and Lopez are not all suffering?
Are they thinking ahead to tomorrow?

blazing_saddles

Now they are attacking all together...

bobmcstuff

Valverde looking a bit laboured getting back on to Mas etc

blazing_saddles

Kruijswijk struggling too.
Valverde definitely in trouble.

hypster

Valverde actually doing some work now, but too little, too late.

bobmcstuff

Valverde is dropped.

Kruijswijk has been dropped by pinot/Yates too

hypster

Valverde cracks!!

bobmcstuff

Kelderman misjudged that, went too early I think, if he'd held off a bit I reckon he could have done well.

bobmcstuff

Pinot wins - Yates plus 4 - then Kruijswijk.

bobmcstuff

Valverde at 1'11" not inc bonus seconds.

Mad_Malx

valverde loses around 75 sec inc bonus

thegreatdivide

The unrepentant doper’s retirement announcement is imminent. Thank f@ck for that.

hypster

GC
Yates
Valverde +1:38
Kruijswijk +1:58

hypster

I think it's about time Movistar had a clearing out.

blazing_saddles

Another stage, another win for a non GC contender.
Once again, Movistar's tactics backfire and result in them ripping the legs off their leader, rather than anybody else.
Lopez seems more interested in looking good in the sprint to the line, than a podium spot.
Mas better on the shorter steep stuff.
So, the GC close battle for the top spot ends in more of a whimper than a bang.

Still, at least tomorrow will now be about the all important battle for the KoM jersey.

TheBigBean

Podium is still quite open. Lopez messed up today.

kingstongraham

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Another stage, another win for a non GC contender.
Once again, Movistar's tactics backfire and result in them ripping the legs off their leader, rather than anybody else.
Lopez seems more interested in looking good in the sprint to the line, than a podium spot.
Mas better on the shorter steep stuff.
So, the GC close battle for the top spot ends in more of a whimper than a bang.

Still, at least tomorrow will now be about the all important battle for the KoM jersey.

It's like Yates' loss of 38 minutes on one stage in Italy never happened.

Pross

I hope Lopez misses the podium, that way he might not ride so negatively in the future although I suppose it might just be a sign that he was never as comfortable as he tried to appear.

blazing_saddles

KingstonGraham wrote:

It's like Yates' loss of 38 minutes on one stage in Italy never happened.

This ain't the Giro though and Yates has been careful, burning his matches.
Tony Gallopin is still climbing with the best.
If he hasn't cracked.......

blazing_saddles

Once again, come the high mountains and Valverde cracks...
Kruijswijk also said he suffered with the altitude, today.

DeadCalm

I thought that was a really good stage. That was a big move from Yates to put in such a strong surge and bridge to the Quintana group. It effectively nullified the Movistar plan of attack (which was obvious but needed strength and guts to counter) and looks like it won him the race, although every time he's taken time out of Valverde, Valverde has struck back.

Great effort by Kruijswijk to regain the podium. Very pleased for Pinot to get a second stage win.

Clearly not a race for those who can only enjoy it when Sky are dominating but lots to like for the rest of us.

DeVlaeminck

Nice stage, Yates really becomes a real top TdFcontender today, Pinot made me think *maybe* he could win a grand tour one day, otherwise it was a good day for Landa !

blazing_saddles

DeadCalm wrote:

I thought that was a really good stage. That was a big move from Yates to put in such a strong surge and bridge to the Quintana group. It effectively nullified the Movistar plan of attack (which was obvious but needed strength and guts to counter) and looks like it won him the race....
Clearly not a race for those who can only enjoy it when Sky are dominating but lots to like for the rest of us.

Did somebody mention dominance again?

DeadCalm wrote:

Something of interest has happened on virtually every stage of this Vuelta whereas the Giro had way, way more dull stages.
On top of that, the Giro mountain stages were all won by a clearly stronger rider (Yates until his collapse, Froome thereafter) smashing the rest of the field.

Yates also clearly the strongest rider here, no? Negative for the Giro, yet positive for the Vuelta. MMmm

So that, as you are at pains to point out, just leaves the issue with Sky, then.

DeadCalm

Blazing Saddles wrote:

DeadCalm wrote:

I thought that was a really good stage. That was a big move from Yates to put in such a strong surge and bridge to the Quintana group. It effectively nullified the Movistar plan of attack (which was obvious but needed strength and guts to counter) and looks like it won him the race....
Clearly not a race for those who can only enjoy it when Sky are dominating but lots to like for the rest of us.

Did somebody mention dominance again?

DeadCalm wrote:

Something of interest has happened on virtually every stage of this Vuelta whereas the Giro had way, way more dull stages.
On top of that, the Giro mountain stages were all won by a clearly stronger rider (Yates until his collapse, Froome thereafter) smashing the rest of the field.

Yates also clearly the strongest rider here, no? Negative for the Giro, yet positive for the Vuelta. MMmm

Proven on today's stage after a ding dong battle with Valverde where both have gained and lost time on numerous stages.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

So that, as you are at pains to point out, just leaves the issue with Sky, then.

I've never denied I don't like Sky. Watching them win detracts from my enjoyment. And?

You came back from wherever at the end of the first week (by which time Sky were blatantly making up the numbers) and have since been unremittingly negative about what has been a good race that many have enjoyed. If you can only enjoy cycling when Sky are winning, fair enough.

Pross

That was a decent stage, I'd wondered if Pinot and Yates came to an arrangement but watching Pinot won it fair and square. Good to see him riding well but I wish he could put his head together, sort out his TT and descending and become a GC contender as he should be with his talent.

Yates looks like one of those old school riders of the 50s in the same way Scarponi did, he looks like he should be riding with spare tubs around his shoulders.

larkim

Go on Bury lad!!

Enjoyed that even more as I didn't know anything about it before watching the highlights.