It’s amazing these guys are capable of actually talking at the same time as galloping flat out up a climb like that!
Poor Magnus Cort who was caught in sight of the finish line… the winner of stage 6 almost became the 4rd rider to win a second stage in this tour, but Roglič did that for him!
Primož Roglič shows his superiority again by making more seconds on his rivals Mas, Haig, Bernal, and Yates, he’s unlikely to be too concerned by Eiking and Martin in 1st and 2nd knowing that the mountain stages to come will probably resolve their positions in a downwards trend in GC, although it’s great the teams Intermarché and Cofidis are making a fist of holding them up there.
With the absence of Jasper Philipsen, who abandoned felling unwell and feverish, Roglič sneaks up into 2nd position in the points clarification.
If you’ve got the legs cycling is easy. If you haven’t it’s hell. Roglic is clearly the strongest rider- unless something unexpected happens this Vuelta is as good as over.
Last few days have been hugely surprising / confusing for me given the stage profiles. I liked the YouTube summary of the weirdness of Stage 10 by Chris Horner… good analysis and humour. Certainly feels like Roglic isn’t worried, but it’s not an obvious strategy! And falling…?!? Really?!? Lotta risk on that descent for extremely small potential returns. Glad he seems okay and hope that lasts through the bigger climbing days to come.
Really glad for Storer, a bit sad for Cort but being pipped at the post happens and that last section was way steeper than advertised in the live feed race centre app!
More to come… maybe this is the tour of exciting stages, rather than a locked down team strategy (and does Movistar actually have a team strategy?), but it’s got plenty of excitement each day.
Simon Carr (EF Education) did not finish yesterday which brings the original total of 184 down to 168 riders on the start line today. (Only 155 riders started Stage 12 in this year’s TdF!)
Two non-starters today: Omar Fraile, with a back injury according to reports from Astana-Premier Tech, and Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) who has not recovered from yesterday’s stage.
Today’s course is flat, it’s going to be hot at temperatures going over 35ºC, and with some fear of side winds although they may not be strong enough to cause mayhem.
Stage 13 was all about sprint points and the green jersey, Jakobsen won the prime at 192.5km to gain another 20 points and extend his lead, however he didn’t have the legs to compete in the mass sprint at the finish which was won by his team mate Florian Sénéchal.
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Saturday 28th August
Stage 14 : Don Benito > Pico Villuercas (165.7km) Mountain
Today’s mountain stage should bring changes to the top GC, and will this be the final red jersey day for Eiking (?), it’s a close call for the white, and polkadot jersey’s too!
@Debs After viewing the highlights (and surprises) of stage 13, I will be watching today’s race Live, expecting to see the usual suspects be successful.
Wow, that end climb is going to be absolutely brutal.
STAGE 14 Results : DON BENITO TO PICO VILLUERCAS (165.7KM)
Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM, in 4-20-36
Jesús Herrada (Esp) Cofidis, at 44s
Jay Vine (Aus) Alpecin-Fenix, at same time
Tom Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-12
Clément Champoussin (Fra) Ag2r Citroën, at 1-14
Matthew Holmes (GBr) Lotto-Soudal, at 1-16
Andrey Zeits (Kaz) BikeExchange, at 1-19
Kevin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ, at 1-46
Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Ag2r Citroën, at 2-04
Jan Tratnik (Slo) Bahrain-Victorious, at 2-15
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 14
Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, in 55-03-17
Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis, at 54s
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 1-36
Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, at 2-11
Miguel Ángel López (Col) Movistar, at 3-04
Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, at 3-25
Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-21
Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadies, at 4-49
Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma, at 4-59
Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 5-31
MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 14
Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM, 50 pts
Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious, 31 pts
Michael Storer (Aus) Team DSM, 17pts
(no other jersey changes)
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Romain Bardet won the stage in spectacular fashion, but he also collected the maximum possible 23 mountain classification points for being the 1st rider over each of the three climbs, a super effort which puts into a commanding lead with the polkadot jersey!
No changes to the top 17 positions but some seconds lost and gained here and there, Odd Christian Eiking lost a few seconds but he’s still doing well hanging on in there, and will be wearing the red jersey again in tomorrow’s mountain stage which is even longer and harder than today.
Jay Vine would have been my pick for today’s combatively award after his awkward crash with his team car, but to then to get up off the road, get to the front again to finish in 3rd. Tremendous!
Apart from Bardet and Jay Vine’s exploits, it was a bit of a damp squib. Is there going to be a competition for the GC, or have they already submitted to Roglic? None of the others seem to be able to sustain the pressure over a number of stages. I was surprised to see Jay Vine’s crash with him sitting dazed in the road and then come back a while later and see him up near the front again.
I didn’t see any dampness at all today, thought Bardet was outstanding and enjoyed seeing a bit more of riders v course, rather than riders v riders, for a change.
Be interesting seeing how Romain Bardet will perform today, although his new polkadot jersey may inspire him. Not much in the way of viciously steep today but a lot of climbing and descending kilometers lay ahead.
The Puerto de Mijares is over 20km of relentless climbing
On the day after Richard Carapaz abandoned, his Ecuadorian compatriot Jonathan Caicedo (EF Education Nippo) is also out of La Vuelta 21. There are 163 riders on the start-line.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Astana-Premier Tech, at 1-43
Gino Mäder (Sui) Bahrain-Victorious, at 2-26
TEAM STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 15
Ineos Grenadiers (GBr), in 79-53-03
UAE Team Emirates (UAE), at 3-40
Bahrain-Victorious (Bhr), at 6-48
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Miraculously no jersey changes after such a mountainous stage, and no top GC position changes bar Adam Yate snatching a few seconds, the highest GC change being position 17 in which stage winner Rafal Majka now finds himself.
Like Romain Bardet yesterday; Majka scooped the maximum available 28 mountain points for being the first rider to go over each and every top of the four climbs, this is sensational performance, and to happen twice in a weekend is amazing!
Majka takes the express elevator to go up 30 places and to overtake Michael Storer into 3rd place for the polkadot jersey (KOM)
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Two riders abandoned today’s tough stage: Jhonatan Narvaez Ineos Grenadiers Kiel Reijnen Trek-Segafredo
Yes, i was expecting Roglič to rocket up the Puerto de Mijares and smash the race apart, but i guess the going was jolly fast already. There still is three very hard mountain stages to come next week, plus a 33.4km time trial which probably isn’t Eiking’s strong point.
On the other hand Odd Christian Eiking maybe very underestimated, this situation could have him very focused on winning the tour and determined to go the distance with a very willing team in support. Would be an interesting twist in the whole saga
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 11
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 11
MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 11
YOUTH STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 11
Team Classification
Ineos Grenadiers
Trek-Segafredo
