You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
That last climb was a brute – classic Rogla !!
Yes and more like that to come in the Vuelta. Still ridiculously small gaps in GC given how hard it's been so far. Which is good.
Nathan van Hooydonck is a good addition to the commentary team – insightful.
Indeed.
Could someone explain what Israel were thinking with all the work they did?
Could someone explain what Israel were thinking with all the work they did?
Well following INEOS collapse as a viable team, someone has to be responsible for Pointless Pedalling and IPT drew the short straw.
Off-topic - did you see the interview with Matt Richardson? His thighs are HUGE ! I could fit my entire body in one leg of his jeans, and I’m not slim !!
The experts were saying that IPT had missed the breakaway, therefore hoping that they could bring up maybe Michael Woods or George Bennett. But in my little mind all they were doing was helping Redbull BORA Handsgrohe. All very odd.
Slight diversion - it's funny how cycling sponsors make such mundane products - Hans Grohe (very nice) taps etc, Soudal make the stuff our roofers were using last year, various supermarkets. It's always been like that - Jacques Anquetil's iconic Bic shirt, Moltemi coffee machines and so on and so forth !!
For all the best updates and punditry on the Vuelta follow @ukcyclingexpert
https://twitter.com/ukcyclingexpert/status/1827368520151073180
But in my little mind all they were doing was helping Redbull BORA Handsgrohe.
They helped Bora win the stage but they more helped Decathlon defend the leaders jersey by controlling the break.
They helped Bora win the stage but they more helped Decathlon defend the leaders jersey by controlling the break.
Why did Decathlon want to control the break?
To protect the leaders red jersey, if no one rides they lose it.
I think Decathlon would have been happy to let the break go within reason. It would have avoided Rog getting 10 secs bonus and potentially have brought another rider into the mix (Tejada) for the other teams to stress over.
I think Decathlon would have been happy to let the break go within reason. It would have avoided Rog getting 10 secs bonus and potentially have brought another rider into the mix (Tejada) for the other teams to stress over.
Exactly this. Decathlon would have been happy for the time bonuses to be taken by the breakaway riders ... and Roglic not to get any. And if Bora/Roglic wanted to get time back from O'Connor they would have to put the effort in and do the riding whilst Decathlon tried to sit on them.
Yea Decathlon didn't want to bring the break back but they would have needed to control it to stop the gap getting beyond six mins or so which is why the were riding on the front before Decathlon decided to pull the break back so that Roglic could win. I think Bora would have been happy sitting back and watching Decathlon ride and then letting Roglic attack the final climb without the 10s time bonus. Roglic seemed a little surprised at the finish that it worked out so well for him at the end. Israel pulling the break in was utterly pointless for them.
Looking forward to today's stage cos I've ridden that area a fair bit.
Also missed much of the last 3-4 days so I have little idea of what's actually happening! Might have to find a detailed stage summary and catch up before the TV coverage starts.
[img] https://img.aso.fr/core_app/img-cycling-vue-jpg/9/20897/0:0,1500:2121-960-0-90/182f0 [/img]
Cycling stage does reasonable write ups for each stage
https://www.cyclingstage.com/vuelta-2024-results/stage-8-spain-results-2024/
Today is interesting, couple of big hills including a loop, finishing with a downhill into Granada. Breakaway day?
Almeida out, COVID.
Almeida out, COVID.
Cycling seems to have quite a relaxed attitude to COVID. Presumably he tested positive some time ago and has been riding with symptoms?
He lost a minute or two yesterday - seems to be a pattern, rider has a rubbish day, then tests positive and (sometimes) pulls out.
Super close call for Enric Mas on that descent, he did very well to hang onto that and not disappear over the barriers!
New bib shorts required after that…. ?
I've ridden that descent. Sadly when there was traffic on it but even then it was ridiculously quick. We were touching 50mph, these guys are doing nearly 60!
It's good that the GC is still very open, it's nice to have a race where there's a lot going on. Annoying that the coverage didn't start until about 90km to go, I missed all the roads between Motril and the mountains that I've ridden.
Although I'll be 200 places further down the Strava lists after today. 😉
It's going to be very interesting now that Carapaz has got a sniff!!
Josh Tarling out after a crash we didn't see on coverage
@crazy-legs have you been out there with Cycle Sierra Nevada by any chance? I've been there a few times and ridden the first bits of todays stage a fair bit too.
I'm delighted that Carapaz is back in the game. He's always a fun guy to watch racing and now he has a tache he looks like a hitman as well.
Yates, Soler and Vine - that break was really the Ugly Bugs Ball 🙁
I'm so pleased for Adam Yates. He's got himself into the GC top ten (now Almeida is out). It's been a superb season for Yatesy and at the age of 32 there should be a few more yet.
Sad for Josh Tarling, but he's struggled with confidence since his puncture during the Olympic ITT. He was in my Vuelta team and I was hoping he would show his true worth at the last ITT, in Spain, c'est la vie.
Two out of my team gone, nearly at the bottom, gonna make other league players improve;)
Let's hope it stays interesting, better for the sport...would really like to visit/cycle in Spain, but obviously a wet BH taking!!
Great stage yesterday. Going to be interesting to see if Carapaz and EF hold a grudge after being taken out by AG2R yesterday
Congratulations to Eddie Dunbar. What a finish. The front group had a few seconds looking around, playing cat and mouse, then whoosh Dunbar goes, full gas and wasn't spotted. A top rider and about time he had his day of glory.
I wonder how many other riders will be out today with covid (looking at INEOS mostly).
Going to be interesting to see if Carapaz and EF hold a grudge after being taken out by AG2R yesterday
I saw an interview with Ben O’Connor saying he’s not as much of a dick as he appeared on Netflix (my paraphrase) but that protestation looks a bit hollow today.
I wonder how many other riders will be out today with covid (looking at INEOS mostly).
Given that the whole peloton shared buses and planes for the 1,000km transfer from south to north the other day, I suspect there's potential for pretty much any team to cop it tbh. A master-stroke by the organisers 🙁
Fabulous scenery today. Galicia is beautiful- too bad it’s so difficult to get to for us ( NE England).
Loved that!
DrJ
Full Member
I was shouting at the TV – “stop looking round, pedal !!!”
Same here "FFS just pedal"
One of the best finishes of the Vuelta so far.
I haven't really been following this, so please excuse potentially eye-rolling question.
Is the Alto de L'Angliru on the route this year - and if so, which stage?
I don't think the Angliru features this year. They do finish at Lagos de Covadonga on Stage 16.
Disappointed to learn that Lennert van Eetvelt didn't start yesterday, covid I guess? He'd had a fantastic first week
https://www.lavuelta.es/en/withdrawal
Is the Alto de L’Angliru on the route this year – and if so, which stage?
No. It was used last year though. They tend not to use the same "signature" climbs each year, it's one of those ones they visit every once in a while. Kind of like how the Tour doesn't do Alpe d'Huez or Ventoux every year.
Just checked the Velogames STW league - I'll be taking a screen shot before all my scoring riders randomly catch Covid...
I think today is a breakway day - I'm half an hour behind live coverage but the break already has an 11 minutes advantage...
My masterplan is failing miserably.
Cracking stage! Great race among the break and lovely to see the win, then another race among the gc with a super comeback from more than one rider we thought had been dropped
The Brandon McNulty crash could have been so much worse. So pleased that he got back on the bike. He'll be sticking to the bed sheets for the rest of the race.
Superb ride by the stage winner.
Loved seeing the finishers ride back down the mountain past those still climbing. Well done Ben, great defence of the jersey.
A lot of talk on EuroSport about "de braaaaak-awaaaay" and if it is in fact "de braaaaak of de daaaay" or just a preliminary braaaak before de real braaaak-awaaaay forms.
I imagine tings will continue on for a nooom-ber of kilometres before we can tell.
This might not age very well but made me laugh
What a finish. Tactical bike change for Roglic onto what looks like 1:1 1x 10-42 cassette for the 25% finish into zero visibility.
Apparently it cost him a 20sec penalty for drafting the team car on the way back to the peleton. Not sure those rules are uniformly applied ...
Apparently it cost him a 20sec penalty for drafting the team car on the way back to the peleton. Not sure those rules are uniformly applied …
Seems pretty fair as it was tactical not a mechanical or crash.
If you’re going to draft the team car like that, do it when the cameras are off. And yes tactical not mechanical, so got what he deserved. Faded too considering the gear he had.
Just realised I posted my earlier comment in the wrong thread:
No comments on today’s stage yet? That was the best battle of sheer will and pain faces I remember seeing for a long time. Absolutely brutal.
No wonder there weren't any comments.
Was also pretty nuts that Roglic thought O'connor had finished in front of him.
Tour of Britain starts tomorrow, if you're in the velogames league for the vuelta you'll be in for the ToB
Wout Van Aert crashed and out on descent in the Picos, sorry DrJ. Seems Red Bull doesn't give you wings
More fog at the finish. Another epic stage, Spain really delivering this year
Rogla closing in !!
Wout Van Aert crashed and out on descent in the Picos
That was a bloody shame, he was going like a train.
That was a bloody shame, he was going like a train.
My last post couldn't have aged worse! Gutted for him.
Eddie Dunbar - you beauty. Roglic didn't look too well yesterday, maybe there's illness in the Redbull team (Danni Martinez abandoned).
The ITT coverage starts at 3.00pm today.
There was salmonella poisoning in the Bora camp. One of the staff was hospitalised. No idea if Roglic was affected, he was strong enough on a tough day yesterday, but I guess we'll find out today.
So, in the end a convincing victory for Roglic. Much as I like Sepp Kuss I don’t think he did much to advance the idea that he’s a grand tour winner for the future.
Much as I like Sepp Kuss I don’t think he did much to advance the idea that he’s a grand tour winner for the future.
He's not really been good all year. There's been lots of speculation whether 3 grand tours last year was perhaps a bit too much. The human body has limits.
Last year was Sepp’s year. Everything aligned and team orders took him over the line. The strongest rider last year has just won this year. Vingegard would have been the VLaB leader but he’s at home with a newborn. There was no way he was going to defend his win with a weaker team than last year. Remember that Ving and Rog were Sepp’a domestiques!
delighted for Ben O’Connor to finish second. And also pleased that Mas held on for third. He was looking strong in the hills and was really one more mountain stage away from second. Rog was, however, playing with the rest of the field.
Congratulations to FORZA FAZZINI coming 185 out of 15,886 in the STW league VeloGames.
Rog just loves the Vuelta