Weather has been properly grim in Andorra today; cold, rainy and misty.

Went down to see the stage pass through la massana and the riders looked In a right state. Total respect for racing 150 odd km (loads of climbing) in such awful conditions. Some guy from radioshack got taken out of team car with what looked like hypothermia. I don’t think he was the only one.

Weather for tomorrow is forecast to be equally bad, I can’t imagine how crap they must feel knowing there is more of the same tomorrow 🙁

I shall look forward to watching the highlights then! Conditions sound dreadful and wasn’t there some really mega-steep climb?

Looked absolutely horrendous. Basso and one of the Belkin riders both abandoned with hypothermia.

Top tripod action from the stage winner! 🙂

Foot out flat out innit! 8)

5degs at the finish, soaked through and zero body fat plus 4000 mtrs climbing?!. Earning their wage on days like this!

no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit. Plenty of riders didnt quit, apparently Gilbert (who crested first major summit first and fleetingly took KOM) didnt even use arm/leg warmers.

Harsh conditions undoubtedly and I’m not saying they are wusses, but some of them were blatantly underdressed, and would rather risk quitting a race than lose 30seconds in a 5hour stage stopping to put appropriate kit on.

remember the Giro?…….

or Milan San Remo

And notice how many of em were better prepared for todays stage…

remember the Giro?…….

Whilst what you say is true, I’d take snow and sub-zero conditions over pissing down and just above zero. The former doesn’t really get you wet, which is a massive difference. The latter is about as bad as it gets, in my experience.

End of the season too, riders are tired and have less natural insulation, fat. Pros can’t wear nice thick fleecey waterproofs and gloves with heating elements.

one other major detail, if you race all week at 30degrees and then are faced with 10degrees you will suffer.

yeah, I heard them saying that on the telly and wondered why?

Pros can’t wear nice thick fleecey waterproofs and gloves with heating elements.

Why not? You exaggerate for effect, but when the alternative is quitting the race whilst vying for stage win (LL Sanchez) or a GC contendor (Basso), whats 30 seconds kitting/de-kitting with wet weather kit on a 5hr stage? For every “worst day ever” hyperbolic quitter there were 10 finishers. Gilbert crested the first major summit climb first, taking virtual KOM, and apparently didnt even wear arm warmers.

They knew the forecast and possible conditions, and knew they were going to be descending from 2400m, probably on wet roads so unlikely to get dropped by the peleton doing 100kph if they kitted up.

I sound harsher than I am, I follow road racing for the romance, suffering and heroics, but being too cold to control a bike on a descent and being taken away for medical treatment is down to choosing the wrong kit at the wrong time. Notice how many had thermals/arm warmers today? In the spring races everyone wore (often re-badged) Castelli Gabba jerseys as they are race-fit tight but waterproof. Left them back at HQ for the vuelta I assume!

Nico Roche was honest in his interview, effectively saying “it was too cold for me” not “it was too cold”.

Not sure pros start the season with much fat, to be honest….

perhaps you’re right and some just underestimated the conditions, their own ability to stay warm, the exertion after 2 weeks of racing. perhaps they took a gamble on the weather.

yeah, I heard them saying that on the telly and wondered why?

you get used to riding at a certain temp, your body adapts, I found it cold today yet in the spring i would have been warm, but the temperature was the same.

How much is physical and how much mental not sure, but having gone from cold, 15degrees to hot 35degrees in the past over a few days and felt like crap would expect the reverse to have an effect. Then throw in how people react to altitude.

Would also have been an element of missing kit, you can’t have everything you might want.

Then you don’t tend to see the spanish and Italians in the northern spring classics, ( you see some just not many)

Then you don’t tend to see the spanish and Italians in the northern spring classics, ( you see some just not many)

That’s more of a cultural thing than any weather adjustment – despite the image many have of Spain it’s bloody cold here in winter, apart from the Canaries of course!