La Vuelta 2013 (24 Aug - 15 Sept) **SPOILERS**
- Thread starter smutchin
- Start date
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Stonechat
Guru
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex
Horner has a face that reminds me of one of the characters from International Rescue
Noodley
Guest
It's definitely not Brains
To fill the resting day....
Anybody wants to have a guess a what the top 5 will be at the end of the Vuelta
Can someone nibble Nibbles' lead away?
Will it that Nibbler be Old McDonald or will his legs (finally) start asking to sit the f*** down?
Can the Spaniards do what comes natural to them and peak in the last week?
Can Roche scratch those few seconds loose from Pozzovivo?
Or can someone come back from even further behind (like a certain Pinot, who has shaken his fears away)?
Anybody wants to have a guess a what the top 5 will be at the end of the Vuelta
Can someone nibble Nibbles' lead away?
Will it that Nibbler be Old McDonald or will his legs (finally) start asking to sit the f*** down?
Can the Spaniards do what comes natural to them and peak in the last week?
Can Roche scratch those few seconds loose from Pozzovivo?
Or can someone come back from even further behind (like a certain Pinot, who has shaken his fears away)?
OP
OP
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Peña Cabarga and Angliru still to come, this race is far from over...
My predictions:
Nibbles will win overall - he had his bad day yesterday, he'll come back strong tomorrow.
Horner is just taking the piss now, so he'll probably finish 2nd.
Next three places will be between Pinot, Purito, Pozzovivo and Valverde. I'll go for them to finish in that order - Pinot or Purito to nab the third podium spot, Valverde to get found out on the big climbs and slip to 6th place by the end. I admit this is possibly just wishful thinking.
Sanchez and Moreno will probably climb a few places on GC but have left themselves too much to do. Konig and Roche aren't strong enough climbers to deal with the Angliru so I think we'll see them slide - maybe even finish outside the top ten, though I hope I'm wrong on that.
Scarponi and Uran are both riding aggressively and getting stronger as the race goes on but are far too far behind on GC to be a threat. Kangert and Kiserlovski are looking strong but are riding for others.
My predictions:
Nibbles will win overall - he had his bad day yesterday, he'll come back strong tomorrow.
Horner is just taking the piss now, so he'll probably finish 2nd.
Next three places will be between Pinot, Purito, Pozzovivo and Valverde. I'll go for them to finish in that order - Pinot or Purito to nab the third podium spot, Valverde to get found out on the big climbs and slip to 6th place by the end. I admit this is possibly just wishful thinking.
Sanchez and Moreno will probably climb a few places on GC but have left themselves too much to do. Konig and Roche aren't strong enough climbers to deal with the Angliru so I think we'll see them slide - maybe even finish outside the top ten, though I hope I'm wrong on that.
Scarponi and Uran are both riding aggressively and getting stronger as the race goes on but are far too far behind on GC to be a threat. Kangert and Kiserlovski are looking strong but are riding for others.
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
I'm not confident Nibali is secure yet - Horner has taken good time off him on a couple of occasions and with time bonuses, may well be able to do so again, particularly on something like the Angliru.
I just think it is an indication that Nibali has had an exceedingly long season performing at a high level and may show more signs of that in the last week.
I don't think the Giro or Tour were this close in the final week - the Vuelta has managed to serve up some interesting if less serious results again.
OP
OP
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Yeah, you're right - Cobo*cough* Horner could well do something like that.
It's kinda mind-blowing that we are considering the monster - that is the Angliru - to be best suited for a guy who is about as old as Snoop Dogg
(and who is about 7 years older than the recently retired Sandy Casar - who I have the feeling off that he has been around forever)
I'm gonna go for the wildest guess:
Valverde wins it,
Horner 2nd,
Nibali 3rd place
Purito misses the podium by an inch
Although Roche takes 5th place back (on the Pena Cabarga), Pozzovivo ends on a distant 5th place since he takes this spot back on the Angry Lou
(Which would mean my pre-race favourite doesn't even make the podium
... but hey, he's anyway going to do much better than Henao 
)Can't see Sanchez or Konig doing much... they have consistently been the worst on the final climbs
Pinot has shwon eagerness to attack on the climbs, but he doesn't seem to have a good grasp yet of his strength to spread his efforts across the whole mountain and therefore often cracks in the last kilometer(s)
OP
OP
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
(Which would mean my pre-race favourite doesn't even make the podium
At least your pre-race favourite is in the top 100.
I'm gonna go for the wildest guess:
Valverde wins it,
Horner 2nd,
Nibali 3rd place
Purito misses the podium by an inch
Although Roche takes 5th place back (on the Pena Cabarga), Pozzovivo ends on a distant 5th place since he takes this spot back on the Angry Lou
(Which would mean my pre-race favourite doesn't even make the podium
Can't see Sanchez or Konig doing much... they have consistently been the worst on the final climbs
Pinot has shwon eagerness to attack on the climbs, but he doesn't seem to have a good grasp yet of his strength to spread his efforts across the whole mountain and therefore often cracks in the last kilometer(s)
Might be worth pointing out that Konig had a viral infection last week, and is now making a recovery. It's his first three week tour and he himself says he has no idea what his body will do in the last week. I wish him well.
Monsieur Remings
Guru
- Location
- Yatton UK
Time for a wild (and wishful) guess:
1. Purito
2. Nibali
3. Horner
4. Valverde
5. Pinot
I haven't seen much of the race due to work commitments but I'm not sure that Nibali is safe either after yesterday's stage where he was left rather isolated and unable to contend with the pace.
I also can't help thinking - maybe down to disappointment otherwise - that Rodriguez has a cunning plan (that probably involves riding fast up a mountain somewhere in Asturias). You heard it here first...
1. Purito
2. Nibali
3. Horner
4. Valverde
5. Pinot
I haven't seen much of the race due to work commitments but I'm not sure that Nibali is safe either after yesterday's stage where he was left rather isolated and unable to contend with the pace.
I also can't help thinking - maybe down to disappointment otherwise - that Rodriguez has a cunning plan (that probably involves riding fast up a mountain somewhere in Asturias). You heard it here first...
