Getxo > Balcón de Bizkaia 12/09/2018 - Stage 17 - 157 km - Hilly

Inquitus

One of the decisive 3 stages remaining tomorrow with a short steep climb to the finish before we transition to Andorra on Saturday and Sunday for the 2 remaining mountain stages of this year's Vuelta. It seems a 3 horse race now between Yates, Valverde and Kruijswijk.

Classification - Mid-Mountain. Unprecedented finale, with a very “Vuelta” profile. The riders must overcome over 3000 metres of inclination, with an explosive finish-line in Mount Oiz and slopes of up to 17% and 18%.

Route



Profile



Final Climb


GC Standings



The Bookies Take

Could be one for the break potentially unless Astana or Movistar want to work for a GC race up the final climb. If I were Mitchelton Scott I'd happily let the right break go and save my energy.

Miguel Angel Lopez 11/4
Simon Yates 5
Nairo Quintana 7
Rafal Majka 11
Alejandro Valverde 14
Thibaut Pinot 14
Enric Mas Nicolau 25
George Bennett 33
Michal Kwiatkowski 20
Dylan Teuns 40
Omar Fraile 33
Pello Bilbao 40
Steven Kruijswijk 40
Vincenzo Nibali 40
Davide Formolo 33
Fabio Aru 50
Oscar Rodriguez 50
Alessandro De Marchi 50
Ben King 50
Igor Anton 50
Ilnur Zakarin 40
Richie Porte 66
Wilco Kelderman 66
David de la Cruz 66
Hermann Pernsteiner 66
Bauke Mollema 40
Gianluca Brambilla 33
Laurens De Plus 80
Michael Woods 66
Mikel Bizkarra 80
Pierre Rolland 66
Mark Padun 100
Richard Carapaz 66
Jack Haig 125
Sergio Luis Henao 125
Alexandre Geniez 125
Floris De Tier 150
Franco Pellizotti 150
Louis Meintjes 150
Merhawi Kudus 125
Nicolas Roche 150
Rigoberto Uran 150
Rudy Molard 150
Sepp Kuss 150
Sergio Pardilla 150
Stephen Cummings 150
Thomas De Gendt 150
Tiesj Benoot 150
Adam Yates 200
Daniel Moreno 200
Gorka Izagirre 200
Ion Izagirre 200
Sander Armee 200
Tao Gheoghegan Hart 200
Valerio Conti 200
Dario Cataldo 250
Davide Villella 250
Emanuel Buchmann 250
Jan Hirt 250
Edward Ravasi 300
Nick Schultz 300
Tony Gallopin 250
Fabio Felline 300
Ivan Garcia Cortina 300
Cristian Rodriguez 400
Ian Boswell 400
Lluis Guillermo Mas Bonet 400
Maxime Monfort 400
Mikael Cherel 400
Nikita Stalnov 400
Simon Clarke 400
Simon Geschke 400
Winner Anacona 400
Amanuel Gebreigzabhier 500
Dries Devenyns 500
Jesus Herrada 500
Jhonatan Restrepo 500
Jose Herrada 500
Jose Mendes 500
Stephane Rossetto 500
Andrey Amador 600
Andrey Zeits 600
Antonio Molina 600
Ben Gastauer 600
Brent Bookwalter 600
Eduard Prades 600
Hubert Dupont 600
Jai Hindley 600
Joey Rosskopf 600
Luis Angel Mate 600
Martijn Tusveld 600
Michael Storer 600
Mikel Iturria 600
Pavel Kochetkov 600
Pieter Serry 600
Tiago Machado 600
Alex Aranburu 750
Aritz Bagues 750
Hector Saez 750
Imanol Erviti 750
Jesus Ezquerra 750
Jonathan Castroviejo 750
Jonathan Lastra 750
Jordi Simon 750
Jorge Cubero 750
Leo Vincent 750
Nans Peters 750
Nelson Oliveira 750
Oscar Cabedo 750

neris

There's something about movistar and the valverde/Quintana set up where I could see them coming away on Sunday with nothing. I don't think they'll get Quintana working for valverde tomorrow a this could play into the hands of lotto & quickstep

manafana

Usually spend my time on cyclingnews forum but less so these days. 
Did anyone setup a boards velogames "tour of spain" league or pre existing boards leauge?

Todays final climb is a brute, they go up what would be considered a decent leg sapper at 6% + then turn off and soon head for 4km at bloody 12%, and worse of all it has a flat spot near the top between two kickers.
I thought Mas at 25s looked a tad over priced given his legs are on it, but chance for break here. Take a team who has no reason to ask riders to work for leader or wait up on final climb to help.

manafana

double post.

dastardly00

Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 has just started

dastardly00

Should be a good battle for KOM jersey today as well...

1. Luis Angel Mate - 64 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt - 57 pts
3. Been King - 56 pts
4. Bauke Mollema - 50 pts

Expect to see all four riders in the breakaway!

Mate seems to be struggling in the peleton. Only minor points today though I think. Can de Gendt take the jersey today?

dastardly00

Deleted User wrote: »

Mate seems to be struggling in the peleton. Only minor points today though I think. Can de Gendt take the jersey today?

De Gendt won the first Cat. 3 KOM, so he is on 60 points now, with Mate on 64.

Remaining are a Cat. 3, Cat. 2, Cat. 3, Cat. 3 and a Cat. 1 summit finish so ample opportunities for De Gendt to take the jersey today.

Mollema picked up 2 points so that's him up to 52. No Ben King in the breakaway.

dastardly00

Another Cat. 3 completed:

1. Mate - 64 pts
2. De Gendt - 60+3 = 63 pts
3. King - 56 pts
4. Mollema - 52+2 = 54 pts

De Gendt has it now.

dastardly00

The summit finish is covered in cloud... could be a disaster with picture break-up

dastardly00

4'30" to the breakaway with 18 km to go

dastardly00

The break have started the final climb... let the action begin

neris

Fabian arrow down and half naked. Not a happy camper

Kelly saying he was shouting about the bike. Half moon in his bibs.

dastardly00

neris

Quintana still sucking wheels. Why have movistar for valverde leading them up the climb

at1withmyself

neris wrote: »

Quintana still sucking wheels. Why have movistar for valverde leading them up the climb

What do you expect, everyone is "sucking" of Astana??

Someone from the break stopped and waiting for Uran.

dastardly00

Teuns, Woods, De La Cruz, or Majka

dastardly00

We need split-screens!!!

neris

The longest 250 meters ever in a bike race. That looked painful

dastardly00

neris wrote: »

The longest 250 meters ever in a bike race. That looked painful

Woods looked like he was in wet cement

dastardly00

Kirby is earning his crust today trying to call out riders crossing the finish line :pac:

neris

dastardly00 wrote: »

Kirby is earning his crust today trying to call out riders crossing the finish line :pac:

And he's not got 1 wrong






YET

neris

Kruiswijck losing a bit of time and superman aswell.

dastardly00

Valverde maybe gains 7 seconds on Yates.

Quintana and Kruijswijk lose about 1 minute

Quintana lost a minute or so.

marvin80

Good thinking having volunteers at the line to push the riders safely away from the finish - some of them look like there about to collapse.

dastardly00

A lot of the riders are absolutely fcuked!

at1withmyself

Delighted for Valverde, I wonder can he take the overall as Simon started to struggle at the end?