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Vuelta al Pais Vasco - Stage 4
Tough decisions to make today, will Txurruka go in the break again? Will the same people be racing for the win or will the slightly easier finale make for a different selection.
My transfer decisions are basically which 2 of 3 riders do I drop for which 2 of 3 I want?
I can either drop Fuglsang and Barguil for Ulissi and Didier or another sub 6 credit rider or I can drop Peraud and Barguil for Ulissi and Txurruka.
I don't really want to drop Peraud and I'm worried that Txurruka pretty much has the jersey sewn up now so won't go in the break today but he's a guaranteed 10 points whatever happens.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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121 comments
Especially if Cancellara keeps falling off!
I'd score it too. Go on Dave, you know it makes sense!
Looking back at my palmares, and the results from that stage, I think the climb was scored. Froome took 34 fantasy points which I can only make work if he was given the 2 points for 4th over the climb. (3rd on the stage and 4th on GC for 32 + 2 for the climb)
Its discretionary because every stage is different, what if the summit is 500mm before the finish line, or 1km? Surely 500m is too close to the finish, that's practically a summit?
Sprint 1
1 Montaguti
2 Velits
3 Vorganov
Eurosport time!
30 metre visibility in the fog is going to make the descents a bit hairy
1st mountain
1 Ratto
2 Montaguti
3 Vorganov
adv 5 mins
Montaguti was almost a permanent fixture in my team last year. not touched him this year
Typical, I knew this would happen, first day I have Txurruka in my team he isn't in the break
+1 is Montaguti
adv 2.20
Egoitz Garcia was a DNF yesterday actually. I only noticed because he was in both my teams and I thought he might have been last man home. Ratto in the break today would make up for it tho - a bit of a bonus for my purists if it sticks...
Same for me with Ratto in my purists, hopefully will take the sprints
Ratto going well - won the second sprint and will be in the top three over the cat 1 climb here...
I don't think this will be allowed to go to the finish. Velits is only at 1:49
Yeah, I meant sticks as in becoming the day's break, which it looks like it is. I'm sure it will all be back together before the last climb, but hopefully not until after the last intermediate sprint...
I realised that was what you probably meant soon after I posted but it was too late
Maybe, just maybe
A group of five have 30 secs
Velits
Vorganov
Ratto
Taaramae
+1
Typical. Just after I said that, 5 riders start to get away and Egoitz Garcia abandons.
Can't be a very interesting race today. No escapes allowed and both diariovasco and biciclismo have had nothing to say for 20 mins or so.
roche in there so saxo don't have too chase and sets up bertie
8km later caught
7 on a break
Izagirre (3)
Martinez
Schleck
Vorganov
Roche
Vanendert
Preidler
Don't think the peleton will let that many go
Van den Broeck abandoned
I'll be keeping Betancurt, possibly Txurruka if I can afford to then bringing some of the mid-price TTers at around 15-20 credits. Dropping Contador allows me to do that. In fact I may not bother with Talansky/TJVG if I think I can spread the credits around better but it'll depend alot on GC points available.
Also, I don't want to take too much of a hit on penalty transfers.
I agree, there aren't many sub-10 points riders worth picking for the TT. I think that's just the way the values fall on these short races. One TT stage in amongst 21 in a Grand Tour means it's has less weight and therefore TTers would be cheaper, one TT stage in 6 means it's considerably more important.
Just looked at my team and there will be no real benefit in me dropping Contador, due to the other changes I will have to make
It will look something like this I think
Peraud (for Henao)
Porte
Fuglsang
Martin (for Quintana)
Contador
Sanchez (for Spilak)
Serry (for Pineau)
Txurruka
Betancurt
Dropped Spilak, Barguil and Fuglsang, drafted in Cardoso, Txurruka and Ulissi
Contador
Peraud
Porte
Sanchez
Quintana
Ulissi
Cardoso
Txurruka
Betancurt
In the end decided that Spilak was boring and steady enough to get rid of, can't see him getting more than 15 points today. Plan is to keep it broadly the same tomorrow then bring in Martin, Talansky and a couple of others and drop Contador, maybe Quintana and possibly Sanchez.
Drop Contador, really?
Possibly, he's my most expensive rider and I don't know what form he's in for the TT, Martin though is a banker and TJVG is a good bet, as is Talansky. Keeping Contador means I can't bring in all of those guys.
Yeah Contador may be up there in the top 10 but since coming back he hasn't look as good as he was in his beefed up days.
EDIT: Some stats, this season Contador has raced two TTs as far as I can tell, a 19.2km one at the Tour San Luis and a short 9.2km one at Tirreno-Adriatico.
San Luis, Contador was 13th, a minute down on winner Svein Tuft. Tirreno, Contador was 17th, 30 seconds down on Tony Martin.
You can't really take anything from either of those except that Contador is no longer capable of ripping up TTs as well as mountains. He should top 10 because there aren't the same depth of TT specialists in Pais Vasco but Martin will certainly be worth more points than Contador.
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