Vuelta 15:00

[Lizard]

Pretty sure I'll start here. SK seems safe too, who else is in?

[Samurais]

Bin von Reha zurück und werd wohl auch hier starten . Team stellt sich von allein auf hoffe das meine beiden wunderknaben weiter so gut trainieren dann kanns ne gute tour werden.

[Team ABC-Polsat]

me too

[Ronson]

Sure, will be ride the 3pm tour ... was a really hard decision between 3pm and 10am.

Hope to see Wiz(already here), BSE, ELITE, Heid, Elko here as well

[ELITE TEAM]

Sorry Ronson, but ELITE is riding Portugal - but the Vuelta would be a mess for my team ... really senseless Profiles to do anything in Spain - so HF GL for you all.
Maybe we talk to each other if ABC or someone else is searching for a Sitter

[Lizard]

Probable line-up there:

Zachary Soneau 82-71-61-53-58, 61 Reg
Pakke Adlung 47-89-66-57-60, 41 Reg
Alan Bosh 46-85-51-49-54, 35 Reg
Bronco Bruni 55-80-77-54-46, 44 Reg
Gerard Glazemaker 53-59-79-54-91, 43 Reg
Stephané Morel 52-78-72-57-48, 46 Reg
Renzo Spezilezziatti 55-83-72-45-43, 35 Reg
Wilco Westermans 67-79-77-51-53, 60 Reg
Tim Wintersted 69-81-61-54-63, 49 Reg

[Ronson]

Will post my line-up and the fav-check by Monday the latest.

Wish you all a nice tour

[Lizard]

You make the favo-check? Awesome, I'll comment when it's online.

[Lizard]

Don't wanna wait. Here's the favo-check:

General classement:

*** Jakub Lewandowski, Yoshihiro Tanaka
** Julien Pineau, Abdul Haqq
* Francisco Soares

To be honest, this tour has many many climbs. I don't really think Soares has a realistic chance here, because 40kms of time trial just seems not enough to me. On the other hand he has opponents with good secondary skills, most with almost or even 60 flat, far over 70 downhill, plenty of reg - some even over 60 - and mid-50 time trial skills aswell. Soares' team will surely ride as long as he is in front, he got a minute already, he will make more on his day aswell, but right afterwards comes another devastating mountain finish. Very very open!

Points' classement:

***
** Jakub Lewandowski, Abdul Haqq, Zachary Soneau
* All mountain riders?

7 sprints are possible, but due to some climbers' stages titled as "flat" the climbers will make plenty of points. Just putting Soneau here because I might try to go for the jersey with him, but I think sprinters won't have a chance here.

Climbers' classement:

*** 85+ climbers
**
* Who wants it

As always: Climbers will make plenty of points, some will probably try to go for the jersey with their climber, it will be just very very open here I assume.

Young riders' classement:

*** Yoshihiro Tanaka
**
*

No one will be able to beat him.

Team classement:

***
** Team ABC-Polsat, SK Blu-Bardhe
* Ceriale

These teams have the strongest squad in the mountains and will probably fight for this. Ceriale is missing a good classic rider, so he's probably out at some time during this tour.

[Ronson]

Young riders' classement:

*** Yoshihiro Tanaka
**
*

No one will be able to beat him.

Don't think that Yoshi will have a chance at all. More details at a later time.

[Ronson]

Please find the line-up of SK Blu-Bardhe below:

#1 Francisco Soares - the leader!
#2 Pieter McLeod - the important and strong helper
#3 JoséMaria Bonilla - young classic, his task should be to make race fast in hilly parts
#4 Salvador Murillo - one of the man who can the race quick in the hilly parts
#5 Antonio Zamora - the important and strong man who can the race really fast in the hilly parts, the heart of the team
#6 Paul Gamito - important helper for TTT and the team-gc
#7 Mauricio Osvaldo - Ossi, he will care about Soares in the mountains
#8 Augustin Chacon - really needful helper with very good skills in downhill
#9 ManuelJosé Colina - just a helper

Goal: Soares should be the man for the gc. Too bad that the Vuelta isn' so hard ... so Soares have to fight to get a Top3. The line-up is not so strong then the tours before ... will see

[Ronson]

Please find below my favorite check.

General classement:
***** Abdul Haqq (Ceriale)
**** Jakub Lewandowski (Team ABC-Polsat), Yoshihiro Tanaka (Samurais)
*** Stefan Feuerbach (MTV Weferlingen)
**
* Francisco Soares (SK Blu-Bardhe)

Usually Ceriale have the best team to support Abdul, but the experiance of the team manager could argue against him. In the case Yoshi will gain one more mountain skill hill has really good chances. Jakub and Stefan are really strong (reg) ... furthermore Feuerbach is able to participating of Ceriale. Too bad that the Vuelta is to easy, no really chances for SK to lead the trump of the strong team. Most of the mountain stages are flat at the beginning and ends witch a mountain finish ... really good for Jakub. With one more TT of appr. 10km Soares could go for the triple.

Points classement:
*** Zachary Soneau (Wizards Cycling)
** Jakub Lewandowski (Team ABC-Polsat)
* any other

To tell the truth, I have no clue.

Mountain classement:
*** a climber
** another climer
* Most likely a rider/team he is fighting for

Youth classement:
*** Octav Optimus (Hueso)
** Szilad Neftorion (Rake Racing)
* *gähn*

Never it was so easy to win the youth classement at a gt.

@Wiz
Really sure that Yoshihiro Tanaka (Samurais) will have no chance to win this classement

Team classement:
*** SK Blu-Barhe
** Ceriale
* Team ABC-Polsat, escartinos

[Hoegaarden]

I start here as well, first GT in 2 years for me...
Normally I won't be able to participate during the week-ends, but I'll try and find a sitter if it gets interesting for my team

Regarding the team, not much to say as I only own 9 riders.
2 honest climbers (75+) with very good sprint abilities
2 div.6 classics guys who could get lucky during one stage
2 decent helpers
3 crappy guys who can keep the budget under the limit

So, my objectives:
- earn money and get out of div.6
- win a stage
- a top 5 in the points classification

[Ronson]

In the case Yoshi will gain one more mountain skill hill has really good chances.

I just realized that Yoshi get one mountain skill ... so he will have very good chances to win the vuelta.

[Lizard]

Oh man sure, he'll be 25 next month

[Alkworld]

Youth classement:
*** Octav Optimus (Hueso)
** Szilad Neftorion (Rake Racing)
* *gähn*

Never it was so easy to win the youth classement at a gt.

Check out 10am

[LENNAO]

But Beloki is a hero - so it would be everywhere that easy for me

[Lizard]

Hmmm. 2 weeks no postings here, so I will renew the favocheck according to the standings now.

General classement
*** Jakub Lewandowski
** Francisco Soares
* Abdul Haqq

It might be decided already, since Soares lost plenty of important seconds two days ago. So Lewandowski needs to be mentioned first here. Also, because ABC has been riding quite intelligent to keep all riders in the race. But, so far Soares is ahead, and it is not fully decided until now. After today's stage we surely know more! Haqq on 3rd here because I simply think Ceriale is doing a fine job (though a little too passive with his 2nd climber) and will be 3rd at the end.

Points' classement
*** Jakub Lewandowski
** Gerard Glazemaker
*

If at all, Glazemaker has made most progress for this classement against Lewandowski. Since some sprints are still coming, he is not totally out for Green so far. BUT Lewandowski is far ahead still and will get chances aswell.

Climbers' classement
*** Jakub Lewandowski
** Wilco Westermans
*

Here it could become tricky. Westermans will go for other escapes, so much I can tell. And a gap of 12 pts is not enough to be through already.

Young riders' classement
*** Szilad Neftorion
** Octav Optimus
*

Three minutes seem to be too much to have a chance of getting back, but who knows. Decision not done so far.

*** SK Blu-Bardhe
** Rake Racing
*

Four seconds split those two teams. Since in my opinion Blu is a little more experienced, he will get this classement. But fact is, that Rake has a higher mountain level at top, so he will have a chance of taking other seconds.

[Ronson]

Hihihi, funny stage today. This leads me to the issue why the teams with a dual leadership like Rake or Ceriale don't accept my gifts last week to ride ABC out of gc. Finally good "trash" talk from e.g. Samu to bring Soares to the fav every day(if he is online). Maybe this misguided ABC to focus on me every stage. So it was hard for me today to decide if to punish the teams like Samu, MTV and Ceriale for ther inactive and off riding the first two weeks and save a place of the podium or let ABC die of starvation ... here I had required help from someone. So I decided to steer a middle cours to make it more interesting and wear the pink one more day ... but I missed it because of the fucking time bonification

Although I never ride/ rode for places behind the 1st, today I should had rode for the palmar entry and the money and reward so ABC for his daily presence and work!

Furthermore a little blemish happend, let fall Colina one mountain to early and so he is out of race

Nevertheless, too bad that we had to wait more than two weeks to get a bit action. Anyway, the most boring GT I ever rode

[Ronson]

Would be nice if some experts, especially who watched the race (Alk & Alla), could share their opinion. What would you have done in this situation?

[Alkworld]

Would be nice if some experts, especially who watched the race (Alk & Alla), could share their opinion. What would you have done in this situation?

I only started watching the race between the last two mountains and there weren't much tactics left. But I assume there was a big group in the beginning and a mountain rider attack at the 1st or 2nd big mountain, right? The safest thing to do on such stages is to keep groups with possible helpers for mountain riders close, which is especially easy on stages before a rest day, or send your own flat helper with them Then those 50 or 60 mountain helpers don't make it over those mountains, if you speed up (easy to see yesterday at 10am).

[Ronson]

Would be nice if some experts, especially who watched the race (Alk & Alla), could share their opinion. What would you have done in this situation?

I only started watching the race between the last two mountains and there weren't much tactics left. But I assume there was a big group in the beginning and a mountain rider attack at the 1st or 2nd big mountain, right? The safest thing to do on such stages is to keep groups with possible helpers for mountain riders close, which is especially easy on stages before a rest day, or send your own flat helper with them Then those 50 or 60 mountain helpers don't make it over those mountains, if you speed up (easy to see yesterday at 10am).

Thanks for your thoughts but this not really give me an answer, if I were ABC I had done it this way. But I had just the option to ride for ABC or let the other win the tour. My decision was a half way of this, and I think it was the wrong

One day later I had ride for place two, take the money and give the Vuelta to Jakub.

My team was strong enough to close the 2min gap by it's own with McLeod and Bonilla I had still two fit riders to do so. If I had 1min more time to ABC I had easily close this gap.

[Ronson]

Will not be here the last stages, hope you will enjoy the stages with my sitters. Thanks for the tour. Will be interesting who will win te gc ... good luck @ll