La Vuelta, Stage 2, *Spoilers*

2»

Comments

  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Elaborate.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Astana and Movistar both look strong in numbers, Sky much less so.
  • dortmunder
    dortmunder Posts: 101
    Delighted for Nico Roche. He looked strong all the way up that final climb and deserved that win
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Henau 2.49 down. That'll be that then. Uran it is.

    Betancur over 11 mins down, wonder if he will just spend the next couple of days trying to recover and then go for stage wins/KOM.

    And I'm also pleased I put a tenner on Zubeldia to finish in the top 10 at 9/1. Seemed like a mistake to me as he was 2/1 for the same bet with another bookie. Come on Haimar, you top bloke, you...
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    Pleased for Roche but not holding out much hope for this as a race.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    good start to the vuelta. 2 good stages in a row. I don't think this can turn into a walk in the park for Nibali, Valverde and Rodriguez + time bonuses should see to that.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    I get the feeling this will have far more twists and turns than the Giro or the Tour. It's an open race to me at the moment, the Spanish won't give in easily esp Valverde and J Rod, and Kreuziger is in with a shout.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Not much of a climb for a 1st cat in the Vuelta was it? Sky looking like a team that's knackered themselves out riding at the front of every stage race this season (or there's a bug doing the rounds). I would have expected 3 or 4 of that squad to be in he front group until a couple of kms out. Real surprise to see Sanchez get dropped so early -has he picked up a new team for next season yet? Also one of the most bizarre crashes I've seen on the final climb. Why had the AG2R rider just stopped in the middle of the road?
  • PuttyKnees
    PuttyKnees Posts: 381
    Bit of a surprise to see Henao dropped. It wasn't as if it was a proper selection as there must have been 20-30 riders still in that group. Can't see Nibali troubled by this at all, particularly as the three main other contenders have all come from the Tour. Can't help thinking there's one too many GTs - we're essentially being denied a decent race in any of them. Well, I hope I'm wrong.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Purito and Valverde made 2 seconds on Nibali today. That didn't happen in the Giro. I'm not entirely sure he's on top form, I guess we'll see when it gets tough.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    In response to Nico Roche winning a Grand Tour stage, Satan has turned up the central heating.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Joelsim wrote:
    Purito and Valverde made 2 seconds on Nibali today. That didn't happen in the Giro. I'm not entirely sure he's on top form, I guess we'll see when it gets tough.

    He just made the mistake of being behind Basso who managed to let a gap go, it really doesn't give any glimpse of form.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Maybe not, but he doesn't look quite as imperious as he was earlier int he year.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    He's only ridden 2 stages, he won the first and is in the red jersey after the second!