La Vuelta 2021 - Stage 9: Puerto Lumbreras > Alto de Velefique - 188kms **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
edited August 2021 in Pro race

Stage 9: Puerto Lumbreras > Alto de Velefique - 188kms

22-08-2021
Start time 10-55am

The 188 kilometres between Puerto Lumbreras and the summit of the Vuelta’s first special-category climb, the 13.2 kilometres of Alto de Velefique, features around 4,500 metres of vertical gain, with the majority of the climbing packed into its final third. On rolling roads the riders travel in southwesterly direction, before turning West, where the climbing begins in earnest. Another turn towards the South, before that route does an about face, to head North to tackle the final climb.



Velefique is a former mining town in the Sierra de Filabres. Race director Fernando Escartín has said this stage resembles the one in 2009 that finished on this same summit. Victory that day went to Ryder Hesjedal, the Canadian finishing a second clear of Spaniard David García.



The Climbs:



Alto Collado Venta Luisa averages a benign 4.4 per cent but stretches for a whopping 29km, topping out at just under 2,000 metres.





Finishing Climb:
Alto de Velefique's opening kilometres are extremely difficult, the rest, fairly modest. So, hopefully attacks will start early.



As this stage comes before the rest day, expect the GC action to take centre stage. The likelihood is that the breakaway will be controlled as the battle for the red jersey intensifies.

Favourites 9th stage 2021 Vuelta a España

*** Egan Bernal, Primoz Roglic, Adam Yates
** Mikel Landa, Miguel Ángel López, Richard Carapaz, Giulio Ciccone
* Sepp Kuss, Mark Padun, Romain Bardet, Ion Izagirre, Rafal Majka

Puerto Lumbreras

3 stages of La Vuelta
15.780 inhabitants.
La Vuelta’s last departure from Puerto Lumbreras forms part of the race’s recent history. In 2018, Tony Gallopin won the stage that started in this locality and ended at Pozo Alcón. In 2021, the stage will conclude at the demanding Alto de Velefique, at an altitude of almost 2000 metres. Not quite at that altitude, but crowning Puerto Lumbreras, is the Astronomical Observatory of Cabezo de la Jara, a main attraction for researchers and astronomy lovers from all over the world.

Murcia is well known for its incredible gastronomy. The fertile valleys of the region produce high-quality fruits and vegetables which feature heavily in many dishes.
Pastel de Carne
This super traditional Murcian dish was made across the whole of Spain since medieval times. It more or less disappeared in the 19th century but Murcia kept the recipe alive.



Caballitos – The name literally means “little horses”, and probably comes from the fact that these deep fried battered prawns served on skewers look a little bit like seahorses.



Alto de Velefique

1 stage of La Vuelta
230 inhabitants.

This impressive Almería mountain pass will host a La Vuelta finale for the second time.









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

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited August 2021
    That’s me tapped out until the last week.
    Can’t do Tuesday that week either.
    I will try for Wednesday but no promises
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,580
    edited August 2021
    Sadly it looks like a perfect Roglic final climb, perfectly suited to his 200m sprint to the line.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,661
    blazing_saddles said:

    That’s me tapped out until the last week.
    Can’t do Tuesday that week either.
    I will try for Wednesday but no promises

    Thanks for your efforts!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • robnewcastle
    robnewcastle Posts: 241
    Looking forward to this and will watch it on the train back from London. Interested to see how this race develops and if Bernal grows into the race re the last week or if Rog just puts everyone to the sword......or fades final week
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,605
    robnewcastle said:

    Looking forward to this and will watch it on the train back from London. Interested to see how this race develops and if Bernal grows into the race re the last week or if Rog just puts everyone to the sword......or fades final week

    I'm struggling to get interested due to the feeling it's a foregone conclusion. Hopefully I'm underestimating Bernal. But with Roglic not having the tour in his legs this time around I can't see him crumbling.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Eurosport coverage not starting till 15.30. Harrumph.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,982
    salsiccia1 said:

    Eurosport coverage not starting till 15.30. Harrumph.

    Just realised this. It will be finished before coverage starts
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,377
    The race usually finishes around 16:30 so they are just saving you hours of Kirby tedium before the main event. 😉
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,240
    It's on the ES app now. And lo, Bardet in the breakaway....
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    There's only 45k left so ES TV viewers aren't going to get much.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    Watching on tiz ...buffering nightmare
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,178
    Force of habit, Majka getting a sticky bottle while descending towards a hairpin bend.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821
    Absloute joke. 9km to go by the time we get coverage. The car programme over running added insult to injury.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Ineos are trying but Roglic looks sooo comfortable
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • thejimmymethod
    thejimmymethod Posts: 458
    Ineos getting Movistar to work by dangling Carapaz off the front
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Cheers, camera bike 🤣
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    Fucking Movistar, Roglic isolated against two Ineos and two of them and their sole interest is neutralising Ineos.

    Comes back together, Carapaz goes and Movistar chase him down. Now Yates has gone and again Movistar lead the chase rather than trying to force JV's hand
  • thejimmymethod
    thejimmymethod Posts: 458
    Pross said:

    censored Movistar, Roglic isolated against two Ineos and two of them and their sole interest is neutralising Ineos.

    Comes back together, Carapaz goes and Movistar chase him down. Now Yates has gone and again Movistar lead the chase rather than trying to force JV's hand

    And now Mas is towing Rog up the mountain
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    Mas drags Roglic up to Yates and they drop him. Bernal struggling to. Movistar seem set on winning the Vuelta for Roglic again
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821
    Yates would be better off saving himself for one big attack rather than multiple ineffectual ones.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Movistar are shite at this tactics lark
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    Mas does seem to be putting Roglic under pressure now. As I say that he comes back and takes a turn. It does seem like Movistar have two aims in any GT, win the team prize and stop Ineos taking the GC.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    Bernal struggling, Yates leads the 4 chasers and starts closing the gap and Bernal goes out the back again. Curse of the PTP pick.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    Caruso looks out of it but will hopefully hold on with 1.3k and 1'50" lead. Spectacular climb.
  • thejimmymethod
    thejimmymethod Posts: 458
    Good lead out by Mas
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,478
    Superb solo victory for Caruso, not sure how long he was solo but was out front when I first turned on halfway up the long climb. Mas does a great job of leading out Roglic to second. Haig leads in the group of Yates and Lopez with Bernal shedding probably a minute or so.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    Ineos ... Mmmm
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    edited August 2021
    Jumbo are not super strong so the stratergy should be to get them to ride early in the stage ...not drag everyone across Spain. Ineos need to get one hitter in a break ... No way your going to drop roglic this early in the race ..week 3 maybe
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    What happened to Landa?
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    Landa got dropped bottom of final climb
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm

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