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Vuelta al Pais Vasco - Stage 5
So, is today a breakaway stage or will the GC guys bring it back together for a big finish?
My money is on a select group reaching the finish together (mainly GC people) similar to the crazy stage during Tirreno-Adriatico.
My 1,2,3 for today is Sanchez, Quintana, Henao. Sanchez has something to prove and Euskatel need a win, Quintana and Henao are both in great form and I can't see any group with Porte in making it to the finish at the front, why would you tow along Porte when he's just going to smash you to bits in the TT?
At this points in time Txurruka has pretty much sewn up the mountains and sprint jerseys so will he bother racing today?
No changes for me so I'll announce my team:
Contador, Porte, Quintana, Sanchez, Peraud, Ulissi, Txurruka, Cardoso, Betancurt
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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Kloden abandons and I suspect many more to follow. They are about to hit the place where it snowed this morning.
Points for my standard from Txurukka and another point for Ratto in purist
Glad I got rid of Pineau if abandoned (which I hope, not happy if in the break)
My bad Spanish tells me that Txurruka was first over the first cat 3, followed by Pinot and Ratto. The next 2 are the ones that they might be missing out, depending on the weather. I think the peleton is all still together...
According to biciclismo, Nordhaug, Pineau and Hupond are in a break. Meanwhile, according to diariovasco, Nordhaug, Pineau and Hupond didn't sign on this morning and the order over the first climb was ...
Txurruka (202 - Caja Rural),
Pinot (155 - FDJ),
Ratto (146 - Cannondale).
They didn't sign in. I think fuga in this instance would mean they escaped from the race and baja can also translate as sick note.
Mountain 1
1 Txurruka
2 Pinot
3 Ratto
I'm pretty sure at least one of the Izagirre brothers will feature in the break today.
I agree, if anyone actually wants to win this race other than Porte they need to throw everything at him today. The problem is that with Henao up there too between them they can track the moves and keep Sky in a strong position.
I think Sanchez may do something today, both he and Euskatel need a win and I'm sure they'd like to take in this race.
I've given up on Sanchez and Talansky. Hoping for something from them yesterday but nada! Not sure they'll even do well in the ITT. Played safe and brought in Contador and Spilak, bring in 2 or 3 for the TT tomorrow. I expect a fairly small group over the last climb, maybe 20 max and mostly GC favourites. Contador might try something today on the descent otherwise he's handing the race to Porte on a plate and he said he came here to win. Tomorrow's TT suits him better than the one in Catalyuna as well.
Crap, that throws a spanner in the works then.
Dodgy translation is as follows:
Difficult to understand but at the minute it appears as if they're just saying it's going to make today much harder.
I'll offer good odds on Schleck not finishing today's stage
My Spanish is not brilliant but I think Diariovasco is saying that there is snow above 600 metres and so the high mountains are not passable, so there may be three transitions today
Ooh, forgot about that (Peraud's skid) - hope so!
Looks like a Fuglsang/Weening 1-2 would do me nicely as everyone seems to be axing Fuglsang. Im gonna keep him for the ITT too as I don't see anyone of the same price range that is guranteed to be better, may bring in Sanchez for him though. Will drop Henao and Quintana for Martin and Peraud tomorrow and take the gamble on Contador as he should still be the best of those 3 a an ITT
Dropped contador leaving my team looking like this
Porte for Beefy
Henao
Sanchez
Quintana
Spilak for Fugslang
Peraud For Madrazo
Txurruka
Ulissi
Betancurt
prop drop Henao & Betancurt tomorrow but don't know who for yet
Got rid of fuglsang and brought in Sanchez, only need 1 point to break the 5k barrier.
I hovered over a couple of gambles for a break (BMC?), but there were just too many (equally unlikely) options, so ended up being boring and bringing in Peraud for Ulissi. So I have the top 7 on GC, plus Txurruka and a 3-credit guy to give me enough credits for the team I want tomorrow. Wonder what the weather's like out there?
Is Peraud 100% after hsis skid across the line yesterday
I'm sticking with
Contador
Sanchez
Porte
Cunego
Fuglsang
Txurruka
Quintana
Spilak
Schleck(tried to go yesterday but reeled in easily).
5 transfers for the TT tomorrow but will porobably only use 3 taking out Cunego,Shrek and Sanchez and see what I can afford unless Contador gets shelled out of the back today(unlikely).
My perfect wildcard would be Intxausti but at 30+ credits he's just too expensive.
Someone like Albasini, Pinot or Fuglsang might feature (I reckon a couple of distanced GC guys might try a strong break) but only if you think the break will reach the finish, I don't.
Maybe Cunego and Anton might feature if you think it'll come back together before the finish, they're more affordable too and Cunego hit the break on the similar Tirreno stage. Anton too might try to break away in order to ease the pressure on Sanchez a little.
But today is too unpredictable for me so I'm just going leave things as they are.
Couldn't predict who would go in the break, so 1 transfer for me today. Will be annoyed if Pineau goes in the break now
Henao
Porte
Quintana
Contador
Spilak
Betancurt
Fuglsang
Txurruka
Weening (for Pineau)
Expect a sprinter finish of a select group of 30 odd riders, so expect Weening and Fuglsang to finish highly
Agree with your synopsis drh, a couple of them thar hills near the end look pretty steep. I've been toying with the idea of dropping Ulissi in favour of a wildcard for the breakaway, as there's a bundle of KOM and sprint points available. Will probably decide to play safe given my position.
Still, the following are tempting to the long-odds gambler inside...
Albasini (can't afford him anyway)
Voight (ditto)
Kadri
Roche
Clarke
Anyone from Blanco
Cannot see any group making it to the finish without Porte...
Similar result as yesterday for me....Sanchez should feature well with the GC top 6....Loads of 200 points fantasy teams again....
THINK I CALLED THAT ONE PRETTY WELL....
Exactly my thinking. Tempted by one change - putting Peraud in. I'd do that for tomorrow, anyway, but can't decide what he'll do today.
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