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Personally I'm not convinced Froome gifted that to Rodriguez. Yes he let him past, as Joaquim is clearly stronger on steep sections so he's a good wheel to follow.
Tactically it would have been worth Froome holding his wheel and attacking if he had it in him. Crossing the line 1st is worth 4 seconds, and there is only one 40km TT to make time back.
Froome will probably say he didn't see Rodriguez 'till after the race.
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You are wrong. I am right
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almost like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
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Who can say who is wrong and who is right? Only Froome I guess. You obviously don't buy the idea that he didn't want the "burden" of the race leaders jersey then?
Just Froomdog and his dweebs (me)*
It's usually pretty obvious if a win is gifted (and much closer). Froome was putting time into Contador there so every second is worth taking.
Maybe they didn't want red? Sky don't usually mind leading from the front. You could argue they'd wanted to save legs for today's sprint and a possible stage win for Swift but I don't buy it.
*obscure 90s cartoon reference.
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Rude Dog! They had that here?
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Sorry yes, carry on.
watched it again last night and just before the turn Froome looks back, sees he's distanced Contador, then looks at Rodriguez and then swings out, allowing Rodriguez the inside of the corner. If he wanted the stage why not make Rodriguez go around him at least? As I said I think there may have been some deals done.
Considering Ben Swift got tenth not sure whether Sky made a right cock-up in yesterday's stage. Then went to hard so such a long way out with Froome doing multiple turns at the front. It looked impressive when Stannard split the pack but ultimately got swamped by the cannier sprint teams who surged much later. Sky were cooked and it looked a bit silly in the end, especially considering today's parcours
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FFS SIDI. 4 years running the same thing really?
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Just wonder if Sky are being too bullish: trying to win the sprint yesterday then doing most of the chasing today. Those efforts may have cost Froome at the end today, should have tried to have Henao or Uran up there as well. Isolated by the Spaniards and then punished
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holy shit this was some sick racing. what a great stage that was! 18 hairpins to the finish!
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That was fantastic racing, the top 4 are on fire.
watched it again last night and just before the turn Froome looks back, sees he's distanced Contador, then looks at Rodriguez and then swings out, allowing Rodriguez the inside of the corner. If he wanted the stage why not make Rodriguez go around him at least? As I said I think there may have been some deals done.
Because Rodriguez is much stronger and capable of going much faster on steep ramps. It's better to hold his wheel early and (if you've got anything) then attack before running out of road.
I've feel like I've explained this to death now so I wont dwell on Thursday's stage.
Today illustrates exactly why Froome can't allow any of these other top three much time.
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Fine you're right and I'm wrong
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To be honest that's a relief. I wouldn't want another meekly contested Grand Tour win for Sky. It strikes me this is a cobbled-together team but there's lots of talent there, but I think they are getting the tactics wrong. And in Froome you have a rider that IMO is being too gung ho.
And by cobbled together I'd don't mean ill-thought out, more lacking the meticulous approach they had to the Tour
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@Jimmy, this Vuelta is the one where SKY get to see if Froome is all talk and no trousers, or if he can actually win it all. Personally think SKY were focused totally on the TdF and the Olympics, and the Vuelta and Froome's opportunity to win it, was very much on the back burner..
I think what we're seeing is a rider gaining experience on the job as a leader of a team, and a possible winner of a grand tour/long stage race. Something that Froome hasn't done before. Remember all the winning that Brad did upto the Tour, Paris-Nice, Tour of Romandie, etc, that got him used to leading Tours and confidence in situations that a grand tour leader will have to face.
Froome has had none of that preparation so is learning on the job. He's also watching his racing over the last stage a bit of a loose cannon, who seems to be relying on his gut, and instinct of what he should do, rather than look coolly, longer term over the rewards that are there for him. There was no need for him to get embroiled in that four way bunfight, with the spainards, and then to try and get contador out in front when you're trying to take time out of the leader and get yourself into the leaders jersey seemed like foolishness of the highest order...
Maybe he believes he's that much better in the TT that it doesn't matter, but it seems a bit arrogant to assume so. Who knows how he'll feel when it comes, or how much he'll be able to take out of them..
But it does make for interesting racing.. Though I'm not sure I like the flat stage/mountain stage juxtaposition, though I suppose it has made the race for the vuelta win, exciting from the get go, rather than having a weeks worth of flat stages before you sort out the GC standings..
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Good post. You make a good point about the psychology of the Tour win. I know they looked to get Brad very used to being in yellow, in the lead, to give him the confidence to go on and win. By extention of that the Tour team was one designed to get the Yellow jersey as early as possible, and I'm sure they saw Belles Filles as that opportunity, and then keep it.
This Vuelta attempt is more of a wildcard, and will certainly be more opportunistic, but they are up against arguably better opponents in this Tour but without as powerful a team (again arguably). Looking to boss the race like they did when trying to set Swift up for the sprint win on Friday, and chasing down the breakaway yesterday both look like unnecessary expenditures of energy. They could have tried to get swift to the front with a late surge, and yesterday they really should have left the chasing to Katusha: they're defending the red jersey and Rodriguez was on home soil, very motivated to take the win.
Froome should put time into both Rodriguez and Valverde in the TT, Contador is more unknown because we have no idea what his form is like. But around that Froome is up against 3 home riders who are all very talented climbers. Sky's tactics of burning up the domestiques on the early parts of the climb didn't work yesterday, think they needto be more subtle, let other teams do more of the legwork and try to have Haneo and Uran supporting Froome in the latter stages of the climbs so he's not so isolated against the Spanish
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2012 Vuelta a España - Tour of Spain
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@peter_v
^^ that