Vuelta a España 2016 - Stage 14 - Urdatx-Dantxarinea › Aubisque

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 12:49pm #1

Either I'm blind or there is no thread for the queen stage of the Vuelta...

Stage 14 - Urdatx-Dantxarinea › Aubisque (196km)

What a day we have in store. It’s the Vuelta a España, but we’re heading across the border and into France for what could be one of the most spectacular stages of the whole race. The Col d’Aubisque – sound familiar? Up there is where stage 14 finishes, but there’s the small matter of three first-category climbs before the riders even reach the foot of the final climb. A big, big day.

Weather:
At the start and in the valleys, temperatures rise to 30°C. Weather at the Aubisque when the riders arrive, is 22°C and very cloudy but dry. Weak wind (8km/h) from the NW.

GC standings after 13 stages:
1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 4:56:29
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:54
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:05
4 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-BikeExchange 0:02:34
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team 0:03:08
6 Leopold Konig (Cze) Team Sky 0:03:09
7 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange 0:03:25
8 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:03:34
9 David De La Cruz (Spa) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:03:45
10 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team 0:03:56

Live TV coverage on Eurosport2 NOW. Hightlights on ITV4 at 7pm and 2am. Highlights on Eurosport2 at 5am.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 12:53pm

135km to go and the 41-rider breakaway have a 4'47" lead over the Sky lead peloton.

Why are Sky leading the peloton... well it's because Movistar have Dani Moreno in the break who is 12th in GC (5'38" behind).

The group composition: Ruben Fernandez, Dani Moreno and Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar), Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff), David Lopez (Team Sky), Tejay Van Garderen (BMC), George Bennett, Victor Campenaerts and Robert Gesink (Lotto NL Jumbo), Simon Gerrans, Jens Keukeleire and Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica - BikeExchange), Dario Cataldo (Astana), Kenny Elissonde, Odd Christian Eiking and Alexandre Geniez (FDJ), Haimar Zubeldia and Julien Bernard (Trek - Segafredo), Jan Bakelants and Quentin Jauregui (AG2R - La Mondiale), Alberto Losada and Egor Silin (Katusha), Bart De Clercq and Sander Armée (Lotto Soudal), Gianni Meersman (Etixx - Quick Step), Moreno Moser, Pierre Rolland and Davide Villella (Cannondale - Drapac), Omar Fraile and Jacques Janse van Rensburg (Dimension Data), Mathias Frank and Larry Warbasse (IAM Cycling), Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre - Merida), Romain Hardy and Rudy Molard (Cofidis), Christoph Pfingsten (Bora-Argon 18), Pello Bilbao and Sergio Pardilla (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Romain Sicard, Lilian Calmejane and Perrig Quemeneur (Direct Energie).

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 1:07pm

The breakaway are descending from the Col Inharpu. The roads are very narrow. Geniez nearly goes off the road at a corner. Jacques Janse van Resnburg does fall at the same spot.

retalivity · 03-09-2016 1:36pm

Great stuff...movistar attacking from the front

neris · 03-09-2016 1:36pm

https://twitter.com/jensonfan1983/status/772042860657045504

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 1:47pm

The scenery looks beautiful

MPFGLB · 03-09-2016 2:02pm

SKY burning matches

Lusk_Doyle · 03-09-2016 2:05pm

MPFGLB wrote: »

SKY burning matches

Yea but they are big matches that burn forever!

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 2:12pm

Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Davide Malacarne (Astana), Johan Le Bon (FDJ) and Angel Madrazo (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) have abandoned.

Gilbert hadn't featured in the race at all apart from 4th place on Stage 7. Very disappointing year from him... No Giro or TdF, poor in the Ardennes and other Spring Classics. Only highlight was winning the Belgian National Championships.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 2:57pm

64km to go and the breakaway have a 5'47" lead.
Dani Moreno (Movistar) is the virtual leader of the race.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 3:26pm

With 45km to go, the breakaway are starting the penultimate climb, the Col de Marie Blanque (9.2km at 7.5%). 6'23" back to the peloton.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 3:35pm

Leo Kónig Luis Koning... Oh Séan! :pac:

Daroxtar · 03-09-2016 3:53pm

Simon Yates having a go! Opened up a minute gap on the peleton on Col de Marie Blanque and has two team mates with him.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 3:53pm

Simon Yates attacked on the ascent of the Marie Blanque.
He has a lead of 1 minute over the peloton as he reaches the summit.
And he has two team mates with him.
Impressive stuff so far.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 4:48pm

Quintana is going for it.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 4:51pm

Go Simon Yates!!

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 4:52pm

Froome catches Quintana again.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 4:55pm

And Bertie decides to have a go.
Counter-attack from Quintana.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 4:57pm

This is great viewing

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 4:58pm

I have a feeling Gesink is going to get mugged by Elissonde at the finish.

Tigerandahalf · 03-09-2016 4:59pm

Quintana doesn't seem to have the confidence to really stretch Froome. You know if you stay with him for a minute he will give up. He doesn't seem to have the legs to put in a long break.

neris · 03-09-2016 5:01pm

what a stage that was some finish

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 5:02pm

Well done Gesink. I didn't think he would win. Well deserved as he did so much of the work.

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 5:04pm

Yates gains about 1'07" on Quintana and Froome.

Inquitus · 03-09-2016 5:09pm

Looking alot like Froome is going to do the Tour Vuelta double, seems to have the legs to match Quintana now, and the TT will be worth at least a couple of minutes you'd think.

neris · 03-09-2016 5:16pm

does chaves ever stop smiling?? he must have an angry/unhappy face somewhere

dastardly00 · 03-09-2016 5:26pm

Valverde has had an absolute nightmare.
He finished 43rd, he's lost over nine minutes to Quintana.

1. Quintana
2. Froome +54"
3. Chaves +2'01"
4. Yates 2'17"
5. Konig 2'38"

eagle eye · 03-09-2016 8:33pm

I watched that stage today and it was great viewing. Deffo in the top 10 stages that I've ever watched. There was just so much going on from start to finish.

Froome v Quintana was awesome.

retalivity · 03-09-2016 9:26pm

When was the last time Froome had an off day? He's been imperious for the last 2-3 years, and never blows up

fat bloke · 03-09-2016 9:55pm

For the first time in years or maybe even ever, I actually watched the whole stage in its entirety. And it was fascinating to watch the breakaway form and develop from the start and see how the whole stage played out.... right up until my frickin eurosport recording finished with, are you fcukin kidding me, 300 metres to go. :eek::mad::rolleyes:

Tigerandahalf · 03-09-2016 10:00pm

fat bloke wrote: »

For the first time in years or maybe even ever, I actually watched the whole stage in its entirety. And it was fascinating to watch the breakaway form and develop from the start and see how the whole stage played out.... right up until my frickin eurosport recording finished with, are you fcukin kidding me, 300 metres to go. :eek::mad::rolleyes:

Surely with technology these days programmes should be able to edit the finishing times of recordings when they overrun. That's a pain.

Vuelta a España 2016 - Stage 14 - Urdatx-Dantxarinea › Aubisque

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