2012 Vuelta a España - Tour of Spain

Is this still on?

Has it been resolved yet?

You should all check out Great British Bake Off where the real action is..

Don't quite agree with the assumption that Contador must be on the steak if he is beating Froome. Frankly, it would be astonishing (not to say bewildering) if Froome had held his TDF form right through the Vuelta.

This. Froome is a handy time-trialler but inconsistent. On it for the TdF and Olympics, but indifferent in the early season races like the Dauphine (if memory serves). He looked laboured today, while Contador looked fresh, like someone who has done fuck all racing

Looks like Froome is tired. Thrown away the opportunity to win the Vuelta - mind you it would be nice if I am wrong.

Definitely not thrown away, and certainly not lost yet. I think their was a chunk of hyperbole about Froome's TT ability. He's good but there are a chunk of riders above him, an elite bunch to which Contador and Kessiakof have added themselves, on a parcours that certainly favoured them.

There are some very long, lumpy climbs ahead. Froome needs to box clever, use his team better to protect him on the climbs rather than burning them up early.

I do think he'll be something eventually including Sky's #1 sprinter next year but in fairness he won the scratch race bridging to a break and then dropping them with a lap to go - not out of a bunch sprint. His points race silver probably told more insofar as he led until Mayer got the lap up. Seems less of a pure sprinter and maybe will turn out to be something more like Goss, Zabel or Thor - the last sprinter to hang on on tough days.

Firstly I like the fact you describe Goss as 'not a pure sprinter'. Good other points as well re swift, but he has snagged 2 stage wins in the Tour of Poland recently, and didn't he come second to Cav in the 2011 Champs Elysee? Or I am imagining that?

What is sad for Swift is that in a GT field that lacks probably the top four or five sprinters in the world is that he is regularly coming tenth. His legs are fucked IMO

Froome had never ridden the course and Contador had ridden it 8 or so times.

No bother. Froome is a solid position going forward. Also Saxo will now have to front up more work and porte, fletcha, uran can rest up a bit.

Firstly I like the fact you describe Goss as 'not a pure sprinter'. Good other points as well re swift, but he has snagged 2 stage wins in the Tour of Poland recently, and didn't he come second to Cav in the 2011 Champs Elysee? Or I am imagining that?

What is sad for Swift is that in a GT field that lacks probably the top four or five sprinters in the world is that he is regularly coming tenth. His legs are fucked IMO

Was it not Renshaw who got second? or was that 2010? I think Swift is perhaps a little bit Gorilla when it comes to following wheels and picking gaps and what have you.

My biggest sprinting disappointment of this Vuelta has been Allan Davis - 2nd on the first sprint and with a team fully behind him then nothing. Another non-pure-sprint-last-fast-guy-left type of man (3rd in a tough worlds and 2nd in MSR once...) but I thought the route would suit him a bit and GE would be giving it everything.

I just remember there was a Sky rider that surged and got level with Cav's rear wheel, before Cav kicked again and left him. I thought it was Swift but it might have been EBH. Renshaw would have been leading Cav out

Anyway, Sky will be wearing Rapha next year and so they won't care if they win or not, just so long as they look good.

Unfortunately, it also means that all of the TV footage will be in black and white, with long lensed vista shots, to capture the epicness and the sufferingness of the riders.

Anyway, Sky will be wearing Rapha next year and so they won't care if they win or not, just so long as they look good.

exactly, they will have the air of smugness that only one bedecked out head to toe Rapha can have as their photographer takes gritty black and white photos of the team leisurely climbing mountains in the Alps.

Unfortunately, it also means that all of the TV footage will be in black and white, with long lensed vista shots, to capture the epicness and the sufferingness of the riders.

I'm predicting rain for the entire length of the TdF next year. Slow-motion rain too, the best kind

• lots of stopping and sitting on the toptube.
  

Whole of team sky repeatedly stopping at cafes along the route, sitting around and sipping espresso.

I just remember there was a Sky rider that surged and got level with Cav's rear wheel, before Cav kicked again and left him. I thought it was Swift but it might have been EBH. Renshaw would have been leading Cav out

yeah, you're right - EBH. The kick was well captured by that side on camera (which they totally fucked this year using it, not for the replay, but the live action shot meaning any perspective was lost).

2009 it was a Columbia one-two with Renshaw leading out and holding onto second. Google may well be your friend but Wikipedia is a really interesting bloke you see down the pub fairly often.

I enjoyed that stage - bonuses are shaking it up and making it interesting. Think it will swing about a bit and still be up for grabs on Bollo del Mundo. A race in 4 since stage 3 pretty much but intriguing non the less. Could be the most interesting GT since Basso's Giro a couple of years back.

I'm expecting Froome and Contador to make a bit of time up on these longer climbs but Rodriguez hasn't put a foot wrong so far.

Also... go Gesink – who has stayed upright and seems to be finally finding some form.

^ this just about sums it up. well done Froome too, maybe tired after such a big effort and good result in the TdF, but still keeping up. Incredible climb by (Contador and) Rodriguez again

i think froome will do well to podium from here. which is a shame. I would love to see top form froome vs contador. maybe TdF next year

also purito is a legend. I hope he wins. I know people are worried about him in the big mountains but i think he can do it

Rodriguez after the Giro said his season was all about the Vuelta, and he's used the time since then very well. His climbing was impressive in the Giro, and his combativity, there like here winning plenty of the MTF with late surges to grab points and time bonuses, which of course saw him win the overall points classification.

Froome looks tired: short, sharp climbs ought to suit him but he looks laboured and the team looks a little unsure of how to approach these climbs. There was a the strange sight yesterday of Henao bridging with Froome several metres behind. Apparently, according to the clinic, it's 'doper's fatigue', apparrently very distinct from everyday fatigue.

Contador looks to getting better as he gets more racing into his legs. Should be a good ding-dong battle over the next week and a bit. I hope the high mountains might bring the best out of Froome

Froome looks tired: short, sharp climbs ought to suit him

I don't think that is right. Long steady climbs you can TT up suit him a lot better. He looked explosive at the tour compared to Wiggins, but that isn't a revealing comparison.

Well he was very strong on Roches de Belles Filles, and he did well on some of the steeper climbs in the Vuelta last year. On form I don't think Purito and Contador would have gapped him on such a short climb

Awesome win by Cummings, a proper 4km pursuit.

I put him in my fantasy team thinking he'd want to have a bash after towing Cadel around france and BMC not really having a GC rider in Spain. And he only cost 4 points...

...I didn't actually think he'd do anything!

That was a great race all round, but a brilliant win