Awesome finish to stage 8 today, Attapuma disappearing off the leaderboard and incredible climb to finish!

Bank Holiday ? I noticed here was no GoPro vis today as well.

Complete nonsense reporting from the beeb.
Stage 8 (today) was the day where the GC battle actually started, and Quintana put real time into Froome by dropping him on a climb. That may well be the defining feature of this race – in the GC anyway. Here’s what the BBC said:

Britain’s Froome still third in Vuelta
Britain’s Chris Froome remained in third place of the Vuelta a Espana after Sergey Lagutin won stage eight.

Uzbek Lagutin formed part of an 11-man breakaway and powered through a steep climb to win the first mountain stage.

Axel Domont finished second, with Perrig Quemeneur third and Briton Scott Thwaites in seventh.

Froome is 27 seconds back on Colombian overall leader Nairo Quintana, who took the red jersey from compatriot Darwin Atapuma.

The Briton is aiming to become the first man in 38 years to win the Vuelta and Tour de France in the same season.

Quintana said: “We have achieved our principal objective which was to get the leader’s jersey and take some seconds off our rivals.

“We controlled the climb to see how it would start. We started with a lot of caution because we expected the attack from Froome, he attacked and we knew how to respond.”

“Chris Froome still 3rd” misses the point so spectacularly. Who is writing this shite?

Thanks

Who is writing this shite?

TdF and Olympics finished, Bank Holiday Weekend. Junior sports hack.

YEs he has the legs on Froome and everyone saw it.

One of those it’s too hard to peak for them both i guess is what we should learn

Sorry, been busy! Will try and do better tomorrow.

Crap reporting but I would be reluctant to write Froome off on the basis of a short very steep climb. There is a long way (and a time trial) to go. Also I’m aware there isn’t much love for Bertie hereabouts but that was a gutsy showing.

Sorry, been busy! Will try and do better tomorrow.

No need to apologise its B/H weekend, more a question of why we saddo’s are on STW 😳

YEs he has the legs on Froome and everyone saw it.

One of those it’s too hard to peak for them both i guess is what we should learn

I think it was probably a stage better suited to Quintana to be honest. As good a climber he is, Froome is still a relatively big guy, and on the 25% gradients they were on today I think he was pretty brave for attacking where he did!

There’s a lot more to come, I reckon. So far, it’s showing all of the ingredients for a good race. Especially with Contador coming right back into it. Could potentially be a close battle right to the end.

Froome looked to overcook his effort. Thought Millar’s analysis was good – he’s still thinking like he was racing in the TdF without having the same form.

Given how strong Quintana looked I think he’d have countered even if Frome left the attack later. Goog finish and good to see a race developing

Must catch up, not seen the stage yet. Though Froome did say he thought his form would be dodgy at the start of the race and he’d come good later on. Good to hear Quintana on form though after a poor Tour (by his standards!)

Have to see how Quintana goes on tougher days to come. Froome may not have been “faster” than him at the tour but the tough days there may have seen him slow up less. Still a lot to find out yet.

Great finish, made it a much more interesting race than expected.

Must admit I’d written quintana off a bit, glad to be proved wrong.

🙂