2004 La Vuelta a Espana

Perro Loco

The mountain TT will be very interesting. Heras has not always dominated on the Sierra Nevada. The Gradient-except at the bottom is not particularly steep (steep enough to kick my butt).

gntlmn

The average grade from start to finish is an even 5%, but if you refigure it from 6.2 km to the end, the average is 5.5%. There are a couple of 12% and 13% grades, but they are only shortly after the first 6 km and not near the end.

On the one hand, Heras is a great climber. On the other, he is a lousy time trialer. We'll see if this is steep enough for him not to lose ground on the time trialers. I think he'll do pretty good on it. Actually, I think Landis will too, but I don't think he will dominate because it's not flat.

Sprinter_989

Hey,
just wondering does any1 know whats happened to Cadel Evans?

Bad form, injury........???????

__________________
http://www.goldstars.4t.com/

Roadrash Dunc

Not the best of form but could be due to the illness/food poisoning that afflicted T-Mobile.
Also hasnt had any help in the mountaints as T-Mobile were down to only a few riders due to the number that pulled out after the bug.
But i dont think he was lighting it up on the first TT - 1min 49sec down on Tyler over that distance.

Miguel_garcia83

the first 6kms are terrible, and the highest grades reach 15% and whole kms over 10%, the last 10 kms are the easiest ones, average 5,6%, it will be the decissive stage

renoster

Heras won the Vuelta last year because of his performance during the final time trial.

Virenque

Yes, but it was mountain TT, where he is good! He must increase his lead enough, if not, I think he will have problems with Mancebo in flat TT in Madrid!

Roadrash Dunc

This is most defintely a mountain TT aswell.

I reckon he will win by 30 seconds.Whats that put him at over Valverde and Mancebo ?

Perro Loco

I wouldn't be so sure, Heras I think is the favorite but it is an interesting ITT.
The first 6.7 Km are nearly flat.
The next 6 is really steep averaging ~9.5%
The remainder is mixed with the last 6 Km all 5% or less.

Virenque

About 1 min to Mancebo, but there are still some mountain stages, where he can increase his lead too! I think he will do it, he is just too strong in the mountains and in first TT he lost 40 secs to Mancebo..

gntlmn

That's interesting. The route profile shows the first 6 km being the easiest. We're talking about the next ITT on Sunday, right? It shows a net gain of only 130 m in the first 6.2 km, which is only 2%. Oh, I think I know what you mean. After the first 6 km, the real climbing begins, and the first 6 km of the real climbing is hellatious, just like you say.

Yeah, it ought to be a good stage. But it's not that long though--only 29.6 km. So even if a rider cracks pretty bad, the time gap won't be extreme.

gntlmn

You're right about that. It was an uphill time trial. I'm trying to find the standings for the stage on that day. He took the yellow jersey from Nozal that day.

This year, the final time trial is flat, but it is not long enough to allow Heras to lose it, as long as he keeps building his lead. But I'm glad you pointed that out because I didn't remember that Heras was exceptionally good in uphill time trials. I thought he was better, in fact the steeper the better, than he is on the flats.

But this confirms in my mind that he will probably put more gap on the other leaders this Sunday in the uphill ITT.

keydates

Top 10 finishers from 2003 Stage 20: (from cyclingnews.com)

1 Roberto Heras (Spa) US Postal-Berry Floor 25.08
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.14
3 Felix Cardenas (Col) Labarca-2-Café Baqué
4 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Milaneza-MSS 0.15
5 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Domina Vacanze-Elitron 0.22
6 Roberto Laiseka (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0.32
7 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.34
8 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Rabobank 0.48
9 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.58
10 Unai Osa (Spa) iBanesto.com 1.03

Looks like Hamilton dropped out.

gntlmn

Did you see today's final standings on the flat stage? Petacchi won it, of course, but the first 142 riders were clocked in the same time--not even a few seconds here or there gapped. I'm glad to see Petacchi back in great form again. He is an incredible champion in the sprints, and I have to hand it to him. He continues to drag himself up over the hills to allow him to continue to win these flat stages. He's won 4 now this Vuelta. This just goes to show how bad his luck was in the Tour de France.

There are still a lot of mountains left in the Vuelta. Ok, it's Mancebo now that's the good time trialer out of the top leaders. Well, he's in second, and indeed he is only 35 seconds back after today.

General classification after stage 13

1 Roberto Heras (Spa) Liberty Seguros 48.52.45
2 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Banesto 0.35
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme 0.49
4 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Liberty Seguros 1.12
5 Floyd Landis (USA) US Postal Service p/b Berry Floor 2.19


Hamilton went home before the start of the stage. It sounds like he has a virus. He's the first American to win stages in all three grand tours after he won the time trial in stage 8.