La Vuelta 2020 - Stage 10: Castro Urdiales > Suances - 185 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
edited October 2020 in Pro race
La Vuelta 2020 - Stage 10: Castro Urdiales > Suances - 185 km
Friday 30 October, 11-45 GMT.

At 185 kilometres, stage 10 on La Vuelta travels on flat to bumpy roads close to the Bay of Biscay. The race runs from Castro Urdiales to Suances. The stage is likely to unfold another sprint finish. Yet, the fast men should take note of the last 2 kilometres.
It has been a long time since La Vuelta last visited Castro Urdiales. In 1958, the race started in the town on the Bay of Biscay and traveled to Santander, where Frenchman Jean Graczyk took the spoils.



The route traverses the Cantabrian coast in easterly direction.



At kilometre 117, the riders move through Torrelavega, which lies 10 kilometres south of Suances ligt. Yet, the route continues a little further east to tackle the only KOM climb of the day. The Alto de San Cipriano is 5.5 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 4.4%.



Still 60 kilometres to go at the crest of the Alto de San Cipriano. The route once again runs along the coast. Despite being far from flat, strong sprinters should be able to hold on. Especially since the last 10 kilometres are flat.



Sprinters should be able to survive those sections before their teams could reel in the breakaway in time for a bunch sprint in the streets of Suances.
The intermediate sprint – at kilometre 135.5 – comes with time bonuses of 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Paolo Bettini is the last stage winner in Suances in 2008.
In an all Italian affair, he outgunned Davide Rebellin and Damiano Cunego.

Favourites 10th stage 2020 Vuelta a España

*** Sam Bennett, Pascal Ackermann,
** Jasper Philipsen, Jon Aberasturi
* Gerben Thijssen, Jakub Mareczko, Max Kanter, Magnus Cort

Castro Urdiales

2 stages of La Vuelta have departed from Castro Urdiales
31.977 inhabitants

La Vuelta has not had a stage departure in Castro Urdiales for the last 60 years. The last time a stage took off from this Cantabrian village was in April 1958. The stage ended in Santander and was won by French rider, Jean Graczyk. 20 years later, the city was named as Historical Complex (1978) for its emblematic city centre that dates back to Medieval times, made up of streets and buildings that have been very well-preserved by local institutions.



Its chief industries are tourism, fishing, and the preservation of fish, especially sardines and anchovies, in oil. The Lolin and La Castreña anchovy canning factories serve as a reminder of the town's closeness to this industry and its proximity to the sea.



Suances

1 stage of La Vuelta have had finale in Suances
8.716 inhabitants

Deceuninck-Quick Step’s dominance in La Vuelta began with one name: Paolo Bettini. The Italian rider, a two-time world champion, won five of the first seven stage victories of the Belgian team in La Vuelta. The last one was in Suances (2008). Bettini proved his world champion prowess in the coastal municipality’s steep slopes, finishing off his legendary victory tally with what would be his final triumph as a professional rider.

Due to the beaches and the hotels, Suances is the most important centre of tourism in the central coast of Cantabria. The touristic season starts in June and ends in October.





Basque Dish of the Day.

Txipirones

Txipirones are baby squid cooked in their own ink. The ink is often mixed with white wine and garlic to give it more flavour.



Bacalao a la Vizcaína

Another cod dish, bacalao a la Vizcaína is from the Vizcaya province of the Basque Country, of which Bilbao is the capital. It’s a piece of cod smothered in a tomato sauce, made from onions, garlic and roasted red peppers.











"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
«1

Comments

  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    There is one thing you can learn from food pictures is that as a veggie the Giro is the race rather than Vuelta or the Tour. :)
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,479
    I have to admit I hadn't paid much attention to the Vuelta route this year. It was only when looking at this stage and thinking how they're still up north that I took a look and realised how northern biased the race is this year. Was it rejigged to minimise travel or was it always due to be over such a small area?
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 591
    The cod looks good. The scenery will be even better over next 3 days.

    Definitely not great for veggies in the north of Spain.
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Pross said:

    I have to admit I hadn't paid much attention to the Vuelta route this year. It was only when looking at this stage and thinking how they're still up north that I took a look and realised how northern biased the race is this year. Was it rejigged to minimise travel or was it always due to be over such a small area?

    Think they have had a lot of criticism from the riders the past few years when they've started down south (Malaga etc) and it's been touching 40'C in August. Start this time was meant to be in Netherlands then down to Spain.
    Obviously they didn't know it was going to end up being an October / November race this time....
  • "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • 4 man, small time break have a large lead of just under 12 minutes with 123kms remaining.

    Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal), Alexander Molenaar (Burgos BH) and Pim Ligthart (Total Direct Energie)
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Bennett struggling to stay in the bunch.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    Totally irrelevant Q: how do we have basque dishes today? While Castro Urdiales is half basque, and used as a commuter town for many in Bilbao, the local joke is that the basque invasion will begin there, as it is actually not basque. Not yet.

    Other than that, having driven around there a few times, my congratulations to the organisers for finding a flat route in the region. Not easy to do!
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183

    Bennett struggling to stay in the bunch.

    Not looking at all good. More than just an off day?
  • Mad_Malx said:


    Bennett struggling to stay in the bunch.

    Not looking at all good. More than just an off day?
    He bumped his head yesterday.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    Kirby telling us that the word gaudy comes from someone who was born 400 years after it entered the language
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,581
    Sam out the back and not looking very well.
  • Cavagna having yet another go. Lost count for this race.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,581
    Roglic special - attacks from 150m out to steal the stage.
  • I thought it looked like a Roglic finish. Uphill sprint
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    Oof. Roglic.
    2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
    2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
    2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
    2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
    2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
    2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,255
    Bonus seconds should just be renamed Primos
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Roglic with ease in the second consecutive sprint stage. :D
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,613
    Roglic making that look far far too easy. Riders behind him blowing out of their arses, he seemed effortless.

    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • Roglic into red
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,581
    3 secs + 10 bonus vs Carapaz
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    Tied for red.
    2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
    2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
    2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
    2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
    2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
    2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,255
    larkim said:

    Tied for red.


    I think the tie breaker, in the absence of a TT is the sum of all their finishing positions.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Stage timing been adjusted - now all same time. Carapaz in red.
  • We have another Giro situation going into the weekend that will probably decide the race.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    edited October 2020
    Having originally decided G Martin finished a full second ahead of J Philipsen (hence the 3-second stage gap), they've changed their minds and the following riders including Carapaz get m.t. for the stage (as mentioned earlier); therefore he still leads the overall by 3 seconds.

    Not that it matters now, but I do wonder how Bennett would have fared were he in top condition. Today's finish was a fair bit more testing than the one in stage 14 last year (which he won).
  • Having originally decided G Martin finished a full second ahead of J Philipsen (hence the 3-second stage gap), they've changed their minds and the following riders including Carapaz get m.t. for the stage (as mentioned earlier); therefore he still leads the overall by 3 seconds.

    Nope.
    This being the Vuelta, they changed it back again.
    Red Roglic.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    edited October 2020
    Yeah, just noticed. Third time this season the top two in Grand Tour GC have been tied (though having two GT champions in that position is unusual).

    Also, Großschartner was second today and got a 6-second bonus.

    Bennett finished over 12 minutes back. I don't think he'll put himself through a week of lumpy/mountainous stages for the Madrid finale (assuming the Vuelta makes it that far); same goes for at least some of the other sprinters too, I think.
  • That's 3 stage wins (out of 10 raced) for Roglič now. 10 GT stage wins in all.

    There can't be many GT champions who've won more than 3 stages en-route. He could become the latest to do so if his usual third-week fade doesn't manifest.