2011-08-20 - Vuelta a Espana: dates / route

Cancellara was also moaning on twitter about the heat.

So who are the favorites to win this year?

Anton is suffering like a dog out the back...

Again..

Good work by liquigas, riding off the front with nibali

Awesome work

Massive fuck up in not getting him the time bonus though.

Saw my first day of action on itv4 and that aussie commentator is getting my goat. He is sucking the life out of the action. It's painful to watch/listen to...

Massive fuck up in not getting him the time bonus though.

Only in that Nibali wasn't fast enough to take the stage ahead of Lastras.
They'd have looked a right bunch of bellends if he'd snaffled the stage from under the noses of three Liquigas riders. Sagan saved the teams blushes.

Nasty crash.

Looks like Farrar moved to his right too quick and blocked the guy behind him.

Nasty crash.

Is Nancy OK?

;-)

Tyler Farrar is crash magnet. Even other pros are retweeting comments about him being a liability.

Pro cyclists are a bunch of fucking schoolkids sometimes. Farrar made a mistake in going for a gap that wasn't there, but he's not dangerous in the way, say, Graeme Brown is.

Cavendish's take on it:

"Just watched yesterday's crash in the sprint of #vuelta. I wonder who's going to be first person to blame me for it."

Cavendish's absence from the race caused a dangerous vacuum that the other sprinters get sucked into. It's all his fault.

I have just found out that Cavendish has been docked 10 points for causing the crash.

Wiggins to win.

Of course it's his fault! If he was still in the race there would have been a leadout train for Cav going full steam ahead and Farrar would not have been anywhere near the finishing line for the sprint.
Your fault Cav!

So predictions for Monday's time trial... how much can Wiggins take out of the 12 guys in front of him over the 47km? From what I can tell there doesn't look to be a man in that bunch that can beat him. Froome isn't a bad tester either.

1 157 MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB 37h 11' 17''
2 81 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT + 1''
3 1 NIBALI, Vincenzo LIQ + 9''
4 131 KESSIAKOFF, Fredrik AST + 18''
5 127 VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen OLO + 27''
6 85 MORENO, Daniel KAT + 35''
7 103 FUGLSANG, Jakob LEO + 37''
8 148 SEELDRAYERS, Kevin QST + 42''
9 209 ZUBELDIA, Haimar RSH + 42''
10 61 COBO, Juan José GEO + 46''
11 104 MONFORT, Maxime LEO + 55''
12 196 MARTIN, Daniel GRM + 55''
13 188 WIGGINS, Bradley SKY + 1' 00''

Monfort can TT well. Nibali not as good but he can defend. Rodriguez will slip down.
Nibali or Rodriguez for overall win.

Monfort can TT well. Nibali not as good but he can defend. Rodriguez will slip down.
Nibali or Rodriguez for overall win.

Joaquin Rodriguez Blows Up in Time Trial - from Universal Sports - Video

I'll just leave this here - similar distance to today's stage (J-Rod ended up fourth on the GC at four minutes odd)

Can't believe there are not any threads on Froome! What a time trial, what a mountain stage yesterday. Now he has achieved what no other Brit has ever done (I think) - red jersey in the Vuelta. Big mention to Wiggins as well who having broke the field yesterday, put in another top time trial.

I suggested Wiggins a few days ago for the title, I think he is in an amazing position. Wednesdays finish is on a cat 1 climb - but tFriday, Saturday and Sunday are the killer stages.

Ah, shite--I just assumed it was a rest day today. That was one I would have wanted to watch. D'oh.

Froome isn't a bad tester either.
'

Correct

Oliver Schick

It was awful, you didn't miss anything, probably one of the least exciting time trials ever.

[Oliver, I would advise you stop reading now.]

Everyone else - what a top day for cycling. That was about as exciting as Time Trials get. Its a shame the BBC thought it was a rest day too - it could have done with a bit more widespread coverage from them.

I went an ordered a pointy helmet from Chain Reaction Cycles, I may look a tool on my Brompton with it on, but I don't care - I am a time trialler from now on.

Oliver Schick

It was awful, you didn't miss anything, probably one of the least exciting time trials ever.

[Oliver, I would advise you stop reading now.]

Oh, no problem, vintage Vuelta, eh? ;)