La Vuelta 2013 (24 Aug - 15 Sept) **SPOILERS**

[thom]

This is a shocking thing to say but.........Liggett's commentary is actually good in this race. It must be the pairing with Sherwin that turns him into a Muppet but so far, correct identification of riders, insightful calls, good history of the riders......That's all.

 

[VamP]

I was wondering if Kreuziger might not withdraw after yesterday's purgatory, but apparently there have been no withdrawals.

Edit: spoke too soon - Bart de Clerq has withdrawn after a crash in the neutralised zone. Talk about bad luck!

 

[Noodley]

This is a shocking thing to say but.........Liggett's commentary is actually good in this race. It must be the pairing with Sherwin that turns him into a Muppet but so far, correct identification of riders, insightful calls, good history of the riders......That's all.

Nurse, Mr Crackle seems to have been allowed to wander out of the ward on his own...

 

[The Couch]

On a depressing note: Bart De Clercq has fallen in the neutral zone before the official start and had to give up, a bit of a shame since he was my biggest and frankly (just about only hope) for some good Belgian results in the mountains

On a even more depressing note: I guess that de facto makes Francis De Greef (and Vanendert) de Lotto-Belisol leader(s) of the remainder of the Vuelta

 

[The Couch]

Konig in trouble (after 35 km)... apparently he was feeling sick this morning (again)

 

[The Couch]

That fall before the official start must have been horrific... it's raining people who are abandoning
(and I am assuming many people to at least want to make the rest day to assess the damage)

 

[VamP]

Konig in trouble (after 35 km)... apparently he was feeling sick this morning (again)

Was he?

The live ticker on lavuelta.com just inferred he stopped for a mechanical but was back up and running with the pack. Looks like today might make a real selection, it's been a brutal day of racing before they even got to the climbs.

 

[smutchin]

You want to hear something shocking?

This is how the description of today's stage on the official website of the Vuelta starts:
"This is the first mountain stage of this year’s Vuelta..."

I've been away for a week, only been able to catch odd bits and pieces of stages 1-9. Looks like I'm back just in time for things to start getting interesting...

Although it sounds like I've missed some pretty good racing already. And so has my pre-race favourite Betancur from the looks of it. Ho hum!

 

[The Couch]

Was he?

The live ticker on lavuelta.com just inferred he stopped for a mechanical but was back up and running with the pack. Looks like today might make a real selection, it's been a brutal day of racing before they even got to the climbs.

According to Brian Smith "Konig feeling sick this morning #LaVuelta Let's hope he gets through the stage....."

And since he was struggling again at the top of this climb, there might be truth in it

 

[VamP]

According to Brian Smith "Konig feeling sick this morning #LaVuelta Let's hope he gets through the stage....."

And since he was struggling again at the top of this climb, there might be truth in it

Ah well fingers crossed he'll get through today...

 

[The Couch]

Horner looking like he is 24 again

 

[raindog]

Horner again
another good ride from Nico Roche

 

[Hont]

Horner looking like he is 24 again

 

[smutchin]

Leaving out Nibali, the rest of the top 5 on GC have an average age of 36.

 

[VamP]

I don't have a good feeling about this...