La Vuelta a España 2014

its gotta be a Bouhanni win today.

Any overhead footage of the sprint today? Bouhanni is not happy.

Looked pretty clean from the overhead shots. Dekengolb rode in a straight line, Bouhanni rode towards the barriers.

The commentators and I couldn't work out whether he was annoyed with Degenkolb or with the crowd and pointing their 'sausage-like things' into his path.

Given the direction in which he was concentrating his very Gallic arm-waving I'm pretty sure it was directed at Degenkolb.

Probably. I think Bouhanni just picked a poor line and couldn't get himself out, didn't look like Degenkolb did a lot wrong.

Sounds like an interesting finish today: (from INRNG):

the best is saved for last. Officially 4.6km at 7.8%, the first part of the climb is a soft 5% before a mid-section of 3km that averages over 10% before a final kilometre of 9%. Those two or three percentage points make all the difference: it’s short and steep but long enough to provide the first test of climbing legs.
As climbs go this is unusual, there are no bends in the road, it is almost straight from one end to the other

Sprint yesterday - Bouhanni fucked it up. Degenkolb sprint is messy (who would want to come around that?!) but the line is straight. Bouhanni was looking for room on the outside which wasn't there, should have come inside. Mugged off.

Better get more interesting today. I fell asleep 3 times watching the "highlights" last night (I had raced track league and drunk 3 pints after though..).

@_dan_which cat are you racing at track league? And I think we chatted a bit on the track day, but I struggled to put forum names to faces.

edit: disregard

^^^ Yeah, today should be better.

I think the 1st week of the Giro (backtoback rain/tumbles) was more interesting.

B's.
Riding a df3, usually in grupetto kit.

My early season fantasy choice of Carlos Betancur isn't looking too bright currently.

Fat fuck.

a right ding dong that

couldn't happen to a nicer cunt, really warms the cockles every time he wins

Quintana getting distanced, not so mountain goat-y are we now?

Is the vuelta still on? Did someone win a stage? Sounds shite.

It's better than that race in France

Pretty sure Quintana let his teammate have that and watched his rivals burn a few matches along the way. He looked pretty comfortable on the climb.

Valverde. Just fuck off.

If he was so calm surely he would've just stuck on the last mans wheel and limited his time losses?

Throw the dog a bone init.
Going to bury V in the real mountains.

I think he's quite calm because he knows he can do damage later in the race. No point surging into the red jersey now and defending it for the rest of the race.

Pretty sure there will have been a nod to let Valverde take the stage.

valverde asked quintana something just before he moved to the front for a massive pull. quintana just shook his head

If he was so calm surely he would've just stuck on the last mans wheel and limited his time losses?

Indeed. Quintana didn't have his usual mask like poker face when Valverde was setting pace further down the climb. First time I've seen that.

To be fair to Valverde, he smashed that. Pulled everyone up the climb then covered Purito's attack before taking the sprint. Pretty impressive. Gutted that J Rod didnt win though. Forever the bridesmaid and all that.

First remotely interesting stage so far. Should get better in the mountains though.