Froome has been great to watch. A few stages now where he's looked completely done, and genuinely been spat out the back, only to reappear and start bossing it!
I think it's been interesting because everyone's so closely matched. Contador has been pretty good, but there's no clear winner yet. It's a shame Quintana's out though.
Gutted for Zaugg! He must've thought he had it.
No live coverage tomorrow...am I missing something, dropped in favour of the ToB?
I think Nibali would be winning.
No live coverage tomorrow...am I missing something, dropped in favour of the ToB?
Bit of a poor show that by Eurosport, could be one of the most important stages in the race too. May still be live on the player. Though the published schedules aren't always the same as what's screened. I think tomorrow they have ToB on one of their channels and the Vuelta on the other.
And another great finish. 😀
Jeez, there's been a punch-up. 😯
Handbags
The last 3 days have been brilliant. On the first stage it was good to see everyone on their limit. Friday and more likely Saturday will be the decider. Froome still has a chance I think
That handbags ^^ incident today was a joke. What a pair of muppets
It seemed to take a long time for the Tinkoff rider to be told to stop, especially after he had helped get contador back to the group
Yeah, that was a bit dodgy, only pulled over after doing some sterling work for Contador. Great race though - much prefer it to le tour this year. Real shame Froome and Contador had to withdraw.
Another good day, really enjoy the Vuelta.
so much better than the tour has been for the past 3 or 4 years..
Friday and more likely Saturday will be the decider. Froome still has a chance I think
Or could a three week stage race really come down to a 10k time trial?!
great racing today - always admired Froome and enjoyed watching him, now I'm starting to actually like him!
Contador is looking majestic though.
Froome just comes across as a really humble guy (really enjoyed his autobiography as well). I lol'd at Valverde's comments about AC, Purito and he being the best riders before today's stage. He was obviously thinking it was game over after yesterday for Froome. AC looked great today but really suffered on Saturday. Who knows if he can he win...
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Or could a three week stage race really come down to a 10k time trial?!
I thought the ITT was on Sunday? Pointless stage really. Would only ever be exciting if there were 15 secs or so splitting the lead.
Froome looks like he can suffer like no other.
Coming round to Bertie as well, great to watch.
Coming round to Bertie as well, great to watch
Tainted though he is he remains a racer through and through.
He's great to watch, but I find myself sitting there watching with a look of 'Hmmmmm' on my face. He does make it look rather easy.
He's great to watch, but I find myself sitting there watching with a look of 'Hmmmmm' on my face. He does make it look rather easy.
Sitting there at the back of the group, carefully studying his stem, and then from out of nowhere he attacks. He does make it look a bit too easy at times...
just watched the highlights of st16
never mind the riding, that's a bloody lovely region !
never mind the riding, that's a bloody lovely region !
Amazing valley / gorge they ride up at the end - nearly did a (running) mountain marathon there this year, time/work/money ruled it out though... but next year...
"It seemed to take a long time for the Tinkoff rider to be told to stop"
Indeed, but if i was the DS as soon as i heard about the spat i'd have had working like a dog, riding my no1 riding up to the front after a bike change then leading out the group until he was kicked out.........oh hang on a minute............unfair? good management yes.
much better than this years TDF which quite frankly once contadaor, froome and no quintaro was absolutely boring!
this has been class to watch the last few days
froomes on his limits, but still has the edge over everyone bar contador, who looks like hes not even trying most of the time
I do think if froome hadn't been injured/missed tdf etc he'd be on better form, but of course the same goes for contadaor too
great viewing the last few days though, would love to see a little twist in the end now, but cant see past contador given his performance yesterday
Bertie's got it in the bag, barring a crash or something. Should be a good contest between Froome and Valverde for no 2 though, really contrasting riders.
much better than this years TDF which quite frankly once contadaor, froome and no quintaro was absolutely boring!
Really? I thought the absence of the Sky train and the emergence of several big talents like Rafal Majka (sp) and the Frenchies made it fascinating.
Plus Nibbles is really likeable and straightforward compared to tortured Froome or dirty Bertie.
I've found the Vuelta the most entertaining of the Grand Tours the last few years and this one is no exception.
Still struggling to 'believe' the Bertie phenomenon though - broken leg at the TdF, bugger all time on the bike since etc yet comes in to this race looking like he's on a training ride with his less fit mates.
It's been interesting to see the contrast between Froome & the other contenders mind - the spin your way up @ XX watts is maybe less exciting than attack/cruise/attack but it seems pretty damn effective.
Froome obviously had a plan for the last 3 days and stuck to it. Not going to be enough to win baring a Bertie disaster. He's got a good chance of 2nd I guess but Valverde isn't going to roll over for it.
What I don't get is Bertie.
Either
(1) He was in incredible form at the tour and would have breezed it. His form now in the Vuelta is the tail end of that.
or
(2) He is a big baby and that broken leg in the tour was anything of the sort so he used it as an excuse for poor form to focus on the Vuelta.
or
(3) Special steak on the menu
In any case I don't believe what I'm seeing.
Please don't let it be (3)
Well Bjarne and Oleg were both claiming that Contador was on his best ever form at this years TdF and would have breezed it. Looks like they may have not been far wrong. Still suspect there's a bit of (3) though. And the recovery does seem miraculous.
How could he have doped his way back to that kind of form in a few weeks though? Is it possible?
And he'd be caught if he was using bloodbags to stay so strong during the race wouldn't he?
He’s a Spaniard leading the Vuelta, the doctors in the doping tent are probably weeing in the pot for him
A rest day video interview with Froome...
Got to be Degenkolb today surely?
mrblobby - MemberA rest day video interview with Froome.
Get those sideburns cut! Hippy
Lets not forget that Froome was targeting the TdF as well, Valverde isn't a pure climber and shouldn't be able to win a Vuelta like this.
We've seen all of the main GC boys crack at some point, I can't see how you'd see that as evidence of doping?
If Quintana was still on his bike then i'm pretty sure that we'd have a right old scrap on our hands (not like Mondays, but you know what I mean)
If Quintana was still on his bike then i'm pretty sure that we'd have a right old scrap on our hands (not like Mondays, but you know what I mean)
Would have definitely made it interesting. Quintana being more in the Froome mould of climbing than Valverde or Rodriguez. Bertie seems to have the measure of all of them at the moment though, reckon he'd still be leading.
Good stage today. Though it did look a lot like the three Spaniards were being motor paced back to Froome towards the end of the stage... shades of the Vuelta of old!
Well it wouldn't be the same would it!
Awesome ride from Froome today, intermediate sprint was a complete farce too
Just caught up with today's stage. Brilliant ride by Froome. I thought Valverde and Purito would put one over on him but he proved his tempo riding works again. This is turning out to be a great attacking Vuelta. I did thing Alberto Clembutarol would drop AV and Purito after their respective attacks but its proving theyre all on their limit.
ummm that sky rider didn't look good
shit, I hope he's ok but that looked really bad 🙁
Helicopter shot showed his head hitting a tree.
Horrible. Hope it was just a bump and nothing more serious.
Looks like it was Cataldo. Hope he's ok.
Hansen meanwhile will want to be framing that finish line photo with the peloton behind him!
Cataldo, nothing more known at the moment.
Yeah great ride from Hansen, love his style.
Looks like [url= https://twitter.com/TeamSky/status/510453357736394752 ]Cataldo is ok[/url]. Phew.
