Competitive Cycling

[Nickslikk2112]

Well done to Joseph Blackmore for winning the Tour de l'Avenir yesterday, just hung on to win by 12 seconds!

[Nickslikk2112]

UAE played a blinder today with plucky Brit Adam Yates. Pity he couldn't keep the 6 minutes advantage over the GC group he had at the top of the last climb, but 58km solo takes it out of you.

Carapaz went for it too. Could be big fun in the week to come.

[Thenop]

Will be big fun indeed. Still impressed with Mas, also the way he managed to not fall after that scare in the descent.. Brrr..

Roglic not very good today.. I'd say we have 5 or so contenders now, much more interesting than the Tour this!

[Nickslikk2112]

Back racing again and it's been van Aerticised again. Not only is WvA in Green but level in the Polka dot standings. He's a big, green all terrain machine.

[Thenop]

He is in top form, that poor Pachet.. Had to bow his head quickly. But fair play to him for playing ball and helping WvA extend the gap.

GC riders booooring all looking at each other. Tomorrow same amount of height meters but steeper ascends, nice!

[Nickslikk2112]

Another Belter of a stage today! Eddie Dunbar poached it at the end with his attack, plucky Brit Max Poole came in third.

Nice to see Victor doing Victor things and Xandro Meurisse on his own in the break for so long - he has plenty of decent Strava segments on my local roads, probably fron when he rode for An Post.Chain Reaction.

And Roglic got a bit of Roglification in putting time into Ben O'Connor.

[Thenop]

Real good win for Dunbar here, surprising the rest who were lurking when to go. Too bad losers!

Roglic winning back some time he should have never lost to begin with.
Still liking Mas, he is looking strong!

[Nickslikk2112]

Well done Pablo Castillo, took his chance and got the Victory. Out of contract at the end of the season - bu supposedly off to Ineos, hope he's not signed, should be able to get more cash out of them now!

Plucky Brit Max Poole went a place better than yesterday, can he get a win at some point?

No GC action. There's plenty of chance for that yet.

[Thenop]

What a win for Castrillo, at the day when they announced the teams founder has passed away and wore black ribbons to commemorate this. Always special for a Spaniard to win a Vuelta stage. Impressive.

Disappointing performance from the GC riders.

All in all a decent stage.

[Nickslikk2112]

Well done Michael Woods, not too bad for a 37 year old. Mauro Schmid second and Marc Soler third. But how would it have panned out if Brandon McNulty hadn't disappeared ubder crash barriers and down a mountain.

WvA now in Polka Dot too.

Now to wait for the Roglification damage,

[Nickslikk2112]

O'Connot still in Red. For how long now though? Enric Mas dropped by Roglic, did he suffer for Movistar doing a long pull at the front?

Bring on tomorrow.

[Thenop]

Nice for Woods, not so nice for Vine and McNulty who took a tumble.
WvA looking very strong again, I'd like to see a green polka dot now;D

Roglic will win this thing for the fourth time, I don't see who else would really.

All in all a very enjoyable Vuelta this year!

[Nickslikk2112]

All in all a very enjoyable Vuelta this year!

Apart from all the suffering for the riders through endless climbing! Sean "King" Kelly thinks it's too much. Robbie McEwen thinks it's too much - but great to watch!

[Thenop]

Sprinting in a mountainstage. Groves before WvA. Seems he is human after all.

[Nickslikk2112]

Bit of a damp squib before tomorrow's fireworks.
But a proper sprint finish on a Mounatain stage, Kaden Groves edging out WvA.
Roglic puncturing on the last descent and coming in on a bike slightly too small for him, but no time lost.