[Closed] vuelta, poss spoiler

annoyingly i switched the tv on about fifteen minutes too late. but yes, that was brilliant

Been a while since I shouted encouragement at the telly. Feel totally knackered after watching that.

I got funny looks at work as I was standing shaking my fist at my monitor. Awesome stuff.

Guess it's clear who's the Sky leader now. But can he do it ? Have to be time bonuses from sprints and stage wins to make the final difference I think.

Are there any stages left for wiggins to make up a minute plus?

Thought he had blown it when Cobo got back to him. Did well to get back in front - winning overall might be tough but you never know.

wiggins is out of it, Froome, that is a very difficult one, 20secs for winning a stage and intermediate sprints offering time bonuses.

I think it is over, but, it is possible

If there had been a time trial on the last stage, perhaps! (LeMond v Fignon, anyone?)

Froome....crikey. When you look at the depth of talent in British cycling now, it's awesome!

I think it is over, but, it is possible

Agreed, but that's the beauty of the situation.

+1 for tv shouting.

i am sure they were saying Froome was out of contract, i wonder what has happened to his market value?

I think it is over, but, it is possible

cobo is spanish, he will win....

Whilst Wiggo may be out of it, Sky could play the 1-2 card. It could and probably would ruin Wiggo's chances of a podium.... If Wiggo attacks and attacks trying to get into a break Geox will have to chase (with Sky trying to spoil any chase) - he's not far enough down for them to ignore it. In turn knackering out the Geox riders.

Froome in the meantime sits in watching the carnage of knackered Geox riders trying to pick up a few seconds here and there from intermediates or maybe the odd bonus seconds at the finish.

Or Sky could try and force a split in the wind and hope Cobo is the wrong side of it.

Dream world I know but it's possible, there's still plenty of racing to go. The final stage could be tasty if the time gaps are as they are. No champagne drinking (or whatever they'll drink in Spain) on the run in to Madrid!

Forgives me for asking, is Froome a rising star of British cycling? Was this a totally unexpected challenge? You know what I mean. Guess I'm a little cynical.

[url= http://www.teamsky.com/profile/0,27291,17543_6638000,00.html ]Chris Froome, Sky biography[/url]

yossarian if you aren't cynical about Froome then you are either naieve or a helpless optimist

Cobo is almost 100% suspicious and Froome has done nothing like this before therefore...

So don't feel guilty - it's just experience and wisdom

I think Froome should have the benefit of doubt.... Wiggins changed from grand tour nobody to podium contender (in a more competitive race) in a year.

2 years ago Froome finished 38th in the Giro as a young rider with a very average Barloworld team. He's still relatively young, and this was his targeted race for the year - he was supposed to lead the team in the Vuelta until Wiggo took a tumble at the Tour. As a well trained rider, for a well drilled team there's no reason why he couldn't perform.

Had Froome grown up as a British rider, with the support of British Cycling rather than growing up a Kenyan with probably very little support then everyone would probably know a bit more about him.

Cobo though.... well Geox=Saunier Duvall - who he rode for. Done nothing for a couple of years and he's Spanish. Definitely dodgy 😆

You're probably right hammerite. I guess it's just the sustained level of performance that makes me a little suspicious. I doubt anyone has worked harder in this race.

Hope I'm wrong

It's horrible to think it but Froome's performance just doesn't stack up

Wiiggo switched disciplines as an elite elite

Froome would have won the Tour riding like this. And he is ahead of the obviously doped Cobo on the road...

I'll be surprised if Sky renew his contract. He isn't taking the piss like Cobo did on stage 15 but his performance is 'unbelievable' and in pro roadying that only means one thing...

cobo is spanish, he will win....

Didn't take long for the doubters to come out then.
Team Sky is clean - cleaner than almost every other team out there and they had a well publicised drive to recruit only riders with no links to doping. That's why Millar will never ride for them in spite of being perfect for the team.

Surely Sky wouldn't "allow" that to happen considering the media & public profile of the team, let alone the sponsors and the association with British Cycling

The following isn't intended to reflect on Froome whose background I know too little about to make any comment on.

Despite the best intentions of Sky, Brailsford and British cycling it's still quite possible for a rider to seek outside assistance and to dope without their knowledge. The rider would have to be exceptionally well organised, and the dosing pretty small but it would be possible to dope without it being sanctioned or known by the team.

not known directly but the internal testing would show it.

Wiggins changed from grand tour nobody to podium contender (in a more competitive race) in a year.

Aracer - Have you seen Wiggins' palmares before he finished 4 at Le Tour? Apart from some Time trial wins there isn't much in there away from the track. Froome has always been a road specialist. Why is Froome's transformation any more spectacular than Wiggins'?

Just watched it, great finish.

Have a fiver on Froome each way for GC, looking good!

Cobo looked a little more human yesterday, what he did on Sunday was literally unbelievable though.

Froome has always been one to watch, his debut for Barloworld showed that he was a young but world class climber, his performance this year just clarifies that early promise. Bradley is another British nearly, he'll never win a 3 week stage race, good though he undeniably is.