Vuelta

Fantastic GC battle today. Same tomorrow?....i thought a few looked like the rest day can't come soon enough already...

Any thoughts?

4 transfers left after today....welp.

Hmmmm - Good luck from there Condor Andy.  I am struggling with 4 after todays transfers.

Breakaway's can really screw you up in this game in more ways than just trying to pick them.

I went for Enric Mas in my Spaniards only team. I felt certain he would do well (shame about no white Jersey) by being one of the best GC riders and getting assists for Viviani's wins. Sadly he made up most of his times on breakaway days before this week so lies third and has been a real points dodger.

Pffft.

7 transfers left for the last three days for me...but...i have to confess i missed two deadlines that, by sheer luck, turned out to be breakaway days with minimal points all round...so i'm claiming no credit.

Mas has picked up 5 points for each of the last two stages for the young persons award, before him it was Lopez. Shame it's just an award and not a full jersey, but hey-ho.

I have a feeling a breakaway might get tomorrow, but it might not be as big as ones we have been seeing. There are a few people who have gone empty handed despite being in nearly every mountain breakaway and they should do well tomorrow.  Anyone interested in the KOM jersey will wait until Saturday.

So tomorrow's breakaway might include Teuns, Zakarin, De La Cruz, Majka, maybe King and Saturday will be De Gendt, Mollema, Mate (if he has anything left), and anyone else who hasn't fought for a stage win. I still fancy the GC to take Saturday, so tomorrow might be the last chance for a breakaway.

Not sure how it will pan out Andy. The best Valverde can hope for (if he wants to win it) is only about 5/10 seconds from open play, so to speak, in a race to the line atop either/both summits...he certainly won't ride into the sunset over Yates for sure. So a GC finish finish for both stages is surely his only hope. That narrow lead is a game changer on both stages....if it was a minute or more then it may be different. I'm going for GC finish for both stages driven by Movistar...or at least that should be their plan.

Seems like you might be right. Movistar are really controlling this one today. Maybe my lack of transfers isn't a bad thing with all the major players (except Quintana) present. I've kept one for tomorrow to bring in Captain Obvious for the KOM points, and then I have two for the Madrid sprint.

Well done Andy calling it right today by dropping Valverde and jumping on the Mollema/TDG double up.

I had that pair earmarked for big points for a while and then bottled it and only did TDG in. They actually had the potential to bring home a 300pts day today if Lopez hadn't chased them down.

Good call by you. 

Ivan Garcia Cortina appears in the game selection panel as I. Cortina.

It really should be I. Garcia - or I. Garcia Cortina. I prefer I. Garcia. His father's last name is  Garcia so that should be his last name. The way it's displayed in the game it's almost as if Garcia was his middle name....

Yeah...I won the Vuelta game...yeah again...

Well Google maps were right, only difference was the new tarmac up that lane.

Well if the finish is at the lighthouse it's real, unless Google maps have it wrong.

There's a lot of lumps today for the sprinter types to get over ,not sure how this is classed a flat stage but we will see in a few hours time.

That's some  finish for Stg 12, no wider than a farm track, going to be fun.

'Tis a most perplexing guessing game. Tomorrow looks like great fun. A hell of a lot of climbing means they'll be lot's of action. I'm going for a big break, 15+, De Gendt, Fraile, Conti, Teuns maybe. Bit of a lottery so I may save my transfers, but I just know some lucky person is going to nail it.  I fancy Thursday to come down to a sprint again, or at least a reduced bunch.

Mmmm....Back to back "traps" coming up. Let the guessing games begin (11/12)...Nibali, Kuss, Mollema, Gorka, Porte, Fraille...blah blah blah....it's a long list. Any thoughts?

Thanks to all those who have made suggestions regarding the sites to read and the discussions on transfers and stages. I’ll have a look at them.

I like the Vuelta Fantasy a lot, less predictable then the other grand tours.  The lumpy stages keeps the thought processes working overtime, rarely can you set and forget. Even the flat stages aren’t!

I’ve been guilty of chasing the breakaways this tour and I’ve overspent on the transfers so I think the last two weeks might be a bit lean. I look at those above me and shake my head at how they get there with so few transfers.

I have been trying to pay more attention to those non core points this time, the climber and sprinter bonuses for instance and this certainly makes a difference when you get it right. 

The game certainly is a learning  process.

Kwia with decent odds for tomorrow. Surely it's too steep for him isn't it?

Just seen that Archie...thanks. Stil got my sprinters and I'm gonna sit on my hands again. Too hard to pick a puncheurs outside of Kwia Valverde and Sagan (Fraille?).  Once again so much "sprinter" advice on line that I can't think too many will sell them again...so plenty of teams will all be on the wrong horses. 

Further into this race transfers will become precious with plenty of turn arounds between sprinters and Summit finishes.