Just been looking at remaining stages.
The TT is relatively short and has a big hill in it.
Quite a few hilltop finishes to come.
Looks like too many hills for Froome to win.
What can you do against a 5foot7 56kg rider given the course ?

Anyone think he will do it ?

Amazing performance if he does.
2nd in the tour,win in vuelta.From a guy who recently sufferred from bilharzia and 18 months ago would probably have been described as an average domestique. 😯

No.

Sadly no.

Unlikely.

It’s possible but IMO unlikely. Team Espana (which appears to be made up by members of various teams) is too strong, pitching in with killer stop-start attacks on the ascents which will give Rodriguez or possibly even Contador the GC win.

What can you do against a 5foot7 56kg rider given the course ?

Be a better rider? Beat him? Size is no excuse.

No the Spanish will work against hom to ensure a Spaniard wins

Bit too steep as well I reckon and probably second again

No
He’s lacks something – not sure what it is

What can you do against a 5foot7 56kg rider given the course ?

stop him taking drugs?

this is an endurance race; don’t forget that Sky will know exactly what Froome is capable of and will be planning where to attack and gain time and where to suffer losses but minimize them.
Sky have Uran Uran and Henao to support Froome, who does Conatador have? One rider?

There are still big unknowns. How is Contador’s time trialling at the moment? Does Rodriguez actually have the legs for the longer mountains?

The Vuelta is a great race so far – really looking forward to the rest.

Boring stage today but then TT and then 3 hilltop finishes in a row!

Oh yeah, I reckon he has a big chance of winning, but needs team support to combat riding against Team Espana, needs it to cool down a bit, and for Alberto to have some more off-days like he had the other day when he was dehydrated.

No the Spanish will work against hom to ensure a Spaniard wins

Don’t think they will, they all want to win. There just happen to be far more Spanish contenders, makes it look that way. And they’d all be happy to eliminate a strong rival, but no happier than if it were Contador or whoever.

Purito for the win.

Gilbert seemed to think the Spanish would work together.

of course they’ll work together if it’s in their interests.
it’s not the fact that they will work together but that they work against Sky and Va Va Froome?

He’s fighting for it and its fantastic to see, but I don’t see him taking this one this time.

of course they’ll work together if it’s in their interests.
it’s not the fact that they will work together but that they work against Sky and Va Va Froome?

What I meant is that it’s not some kind of Spanish mafia, working against the plucky Brit to guarantee a Spanish win, but more that they’ll work together on a given stage to eliminate a strong rival with a decent team behind him.

No
He’s lacks something – not sure what it is

A Spannish passport?

he still has a pretty good chance

I agree with the above – he needs to cool it and ride with his head a bit more. Attacking when he didn’t really need to, messing about with Contador, pushing the pace leading out Swift, etc, etc. Makes it interesting though.

He’ll be in the lead by tomorrow night anyway so that will make a difference.

The No’s seem to be getting it.
The route seems to have been designed for the strong climbing Spanish riders.
While I remain sceptical on his chances, all it takes is one bad day from joaquin rodriguez to leave Froome in pole position.
Feeling a little like the 1985 vuelta.
Robert Millar 1985
The Scottish climber took the jersey at the end of the 10th stage and held it until the 17th of 19 stages.
Millar led a Colombian rider, Francisco Rodriguez by ten seconds, with Pello Ruiz Cabestany third, a minute back. On stage 17 to the Dyc distillery near Madrid, Millar punctured, and Pedro Delgado, who was six minutes down overall, attacked with a Colombian, Jose Recio.
After that there are several versions of the story. Millar, left with little help from his Peugeot team, who had all got dropped, was isolated. His directeur sportif, Roland Berland, alleged that time checks were infrequent. No one would work with Millar to chase the leaders. There are even suggestions that a level crossing came down in front of them, but no train ever came.
When he crossed the line, Millar had lost more than six minutes and the race lead to Delgado. Millar was second overall.
Exciting either way.
Wiggins to support froome in years tour ??

No
He’s lacks something – not sure what it is

He’s lacking a Froome.

What I mean is that Wiggo had Froome, but Froom doesn’t have anyone with quite the same caliber to pace him on the hills. The stages where he looks weakest are those where he should look good – but instead of pacing himself up there he’s been drawn into the Spaniard’s trap of trying to chase down short hard bursts on the climbs. if Sky are to use the same plan as Le Tour they need to settle him down a bit – he cannot beat them at this game.

So far, the climbs have been short and steep – the organisers even shortened a classic climb to play into the spaniard’s hands. Once they get on a long grind Froome needs to maintain his pace, ignore the attacks to a certain degree and ride his own race. he should put some time into them on the TT, but I can’t see it being enough. The longer climbs are where it will be won or lost for him.

Stages 14, 15 & 16 will be key for him.

Jerome,

It was also claimed that Delgado was paced behind the TV bikes who’s cameras lost their ability to broadcast live pictures.

Brilliant race this year, I’m really enjoying it. Froome’s still there but I can see him slipping down over the next few days. These summit finishes have got to take their toll on even Rodriguez though…?

Rodriguez and Contador are still full of riding’ Froome looks like he has already ridden the 3 weeks. I expect Froome to finish high but not in the top 3.

I have switched off Froome and am now looking at the strong men, currently supporting Contador!

Good race so far and still hoping Froome will win. But it seems unlikely. Agree that he needs a ‘Froome’. The Spanish riders do seem to gang up against SKY . The Tour and Olympics was also one too many ride for him to be able to be his best in the Vuelta.

Reckon Contador will struggle in the last week too. Can’t quite see him winning it. Froome will be lucky to finish top three. Maybe if he had his tour form he could, but he looks knackered and, as has already been said, doesn’t have a Froome to help him. Good Vuelta to watch though. Looks much harder than the tour this year.

Tell you what, I have really enjoyed the vaulta, shame there is not slightly longer coverage, a 2 hr slot would be nice. Maybe next year.

Been some great roads so far, it’s amazing how different to feels from the tdf.

sky “causing” movistar to crash and attacking their leader whilst he was down gave Team Espana every extra motivation to gang up on Sky. The fact that valverde was far more diplomatic the morning after suggested to me he was happy with how things were panning out peleton-wide, not that he had slept on it and mellowed out.
The parcours seems designed to suit the spanish riders and Froome looks tired. Cracking racing though.

Can’t see him winning, and would rather see Contador win. Something about Froome that gets up my nose, probably the twitter feed: VaVaFroome? ZoomFroome?

Yes i would rather see an unrepentant drug cheat win the race as well. It will be another great day for cycling if he does it 😕

Froome is highly unlikely to win …perhaps just tired, perhaps not as good as he[we] thinks. only time [ in another race] will tell.

Got to agree with Junkyard. An unrepentant drug cheat working for a team led by Bjarne Riis. A win win there 😕

Maybe he’s unrepentant because he’s not a cheat?

Anyway, I’m settling in with a bowl of popcorn and Eurosport for the next hour or so 🙂

Maybe he’s unrepentant because he’s not a cheat?

Yes just like LA – I mean both have been convicted for doping offence by the relevant anti doping authorities – like that matters – and what reason could they have to lie about drug cheating.

Shame tbh as I was more upset by this from Bertie than LA as so many more cheated in LA era than now [ hopefully].

Yes i would rather see an unrepentant drug cheat win the race as well. It will be another great day for cycling if he does it

Thought hard about this, and TBH I couldn’t give a toss if he’s apologised or not. The amount of anti-Spanish sentiment (not just on here) is getting on my tits, and Contador seems a decent enough guy. Would rather see him win than Froome.

Contador seems a decent enough guy

I couldn’t give a toss if he’s apologised or not

😕

I’ve got no idea whether Rodriguez might be a doper or not, but I like the cut of his jib and would be happy to see him win if Froome can’t manage a comeback.

Heard enough interviews with Contador, would be quite happy to go for a ride or beer with him. Seems a nice guy, humble, and I love the way he attacks. Enough for me.

Froome strikes me as a bit of a tosser, the way he was accelerating despite Wiggins, look-at-me-look-at-me.

Wiggins vs Contador, I’ll go with Wiggo. Froome? No.

IMHO Froome isn’t coming out of the Vuelta too well, saying they weren’t aware that Valve’ had crashed in the interview as the excuse for not slowing only to have his DS contradict him shows a lack of class. If you’re going to attack a man down then at least have the balls to stand by the decision, if he didn’t hear AND he heard go instead of slow on the tour then maybe he needs to go to get his ears checked.

I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t have the support, with Flecha, Stannard, Porte, Henao and Uran he should be able to control stages better. It’s more that he doesn’t appear to be managing Sky that well and gets distracted into playing games with the Spanish on their terms on the hills. Wiggins was making similar mistakes when he moved to Sky and started to ride as team leader not just super domestiqe, team leader requires some learning.

i would agree …if he was clean …shame though as i thought he could be the first clean great cyclist.
edit: you are right about his style though

Another good finish to todays stage , thought Contador was going to nick It. The Vuelta has been much more entertaining than The Giro or TdF. Froome to be top 5 at best I’d say.

Great finish by Rodriguez and glad he pipped Bertie to the post. Froome’s attack was bizarre, if he hadn’t done that I reckon he would have hung on to Valverde.

EDIT – it’s been a long and hard season for Froome and IMO he’s doing amazingly well to still be in contact with the top riders.

Contador went too early?