Stage 10 is the last one before the rest day, and is likely one for the sprinters that can handle a climb, although a good attack could steal the race as well.
A new leader for La Vuelta and he claimed it in style with a dramatic victory for Tom Dumoulin over two superstars of the climbs in Chris Froome and Joaquim Rodriguez. He is developing into a superstar himself, combining his already formidable time trialling ability with powerful climbing legs, he will be a force to watch out for on any race.
Stage 10 is the last one before the rest day, and is likely one for the sprinters that can handle a climb, although a good attack could steal the race as well.
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Crashes, attacks and general mayhem in Stage 8 produced a fluctuating race at La Vuelta, with three riders abandoning after a nasty crash, stage favourite Sagan got taken down by a motorcycle and got in a vehement argument with organisers, and Jasper Stuyven took a breakout win in a messy sprint. Stage 9 will be one for the mountain goats again, with a sharp climb to finish the racing for the day.
A breakaway gave Bert-Jan Lindeman the chance to take an unlikely win atop the summit of the last stage, but it will be one for the sprinters today, and it seems that the break will kept on a lot shorter leash. In GC news from yesterday a number of riders lost time on the steep finale, with Chris Froome the biggest name to show weakness. He's far from out of it however, and in some way expected that he wouldn't be at top form at the start.
It has already been a successful Vuelta for Esteban Chaves and Orica-Greenedge, two wins for Chaves, 4 days in red, and another win for Ewan, and the memories of the Tour de France are fading fast. There's no reason the pint-sized Colombian can't go well here again, with the summit finish likely to suit the pure climbers.
Orica-Greenedge continue their excellent Vuelta to date, snaring another stage victory with Caleb Ewan, the only downside being that Chaves missed a split in the sprint, and lost the red jersey. He will have an opportunity to take it back in the finale here however, and Dumoulin will have to be attentive to ensure that the in-form Colombian doesn't take a second on the summit finish.
It will be a different day for the riders here, with no climbs throughout the stage, but the finish will mean that the same riders are likely to be the main players. It's a frustrating day for the pure sprinters, with the whole day being flat, until the final 800 metres, which slope upward at 5% into the finish. It will be one for the climbier sprinters and perhaps even the sprintier climbers, but 5% isn't too hard when it's only for 800 metres.
Peter Sagan took a win which may set the tone for a lot of stages to come, but the finish in this stage may be even too tough for him. Indeed it is difficult to pick out a favourite, which will make it a good opportunity for the breakaway to last to the finish.
A impressive win for Esteban Chaves and an interesting GC battle kicked off this edition of the Vuelta. Now we head into what will be a consistent theme of this year's course, hilly stages which end on the flat. It should come down to a reduced bunch sprint, but there's always the possibility that an aggressive move will win the day.
Well, the Vuelta is here, with a farcical start on the Team Time Trial which didn't matter, and consisted of a lot of teams not racing. Hopefully it only improves from here on, and it should do so with a top quality line-up, with almost all of the best GC riders in attendance. Few will be in absolute top form, and it might even be one for an outsider to win, like in recent years, where Juan Jose Cobo and Chris Horner have achieved the unlikely by beating more fancied riders.
Tim Wellens again took charge of the race with a win in the last stage, putting about a minute into most of his rivals, almost an exact replica of his performance last year. He now has a handy buffer on GC and looks almost certain to win the race overall. However, Greg Van Avermaet isn't in the habit of giving up easily, and if there is a stage where Wellens will be most in difficulty, it is over the cobbles here.
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AuthorI'm Jamie Finch-Penninger, better known as Fishy, the best DS to ever sit a couch. Anything which I don't cover for a bigger site will be up here. Archives
October 2015
CategoriesCome here for the previews of all the World Tour races this season, plus any Pro Continental/NRS/tricycle races that take my fancy. Along as it's pro cycling I'll have some sort of opinion on it. I'm Australian, so be prepared for a healthy Orica-Greenedge bias. Please feel free to request any changes or previews, and stay up to date on Twitter and Facebook.
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