Vuelta a España

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http://www.steephill.tv/vuelta-a-espana/

BMC RACING (BMC)
VAN GARDEREN Tejay USA

KATUSHA (KAT)
RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin ESP

ASTANA (AST)
NIBALI Vincenzo IT

MOVISTAR (MOV)
QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander COL

SKY (SKY)
FROOME Christopher GBR

TREK FACTORY RACING (TFR)
CANCELLARA Fabian SUI

 

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MTN - QHUBEKA (MTN)
CUMMINGS Stephen GBR

And a bloke from the Wirral called Steve...

 

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Taking of which, i managed to watch the last bit of this stage - first one i've been able to so far - today.

Rooting and ing for the bloke from the Wirral called Steve -

- right at the start of the ^above you can see him go for it...

... fast forward to 14:45, when Chaves catches him, and he completely blows - almost literally comes to a standstill.

Finishes 73rd @ + 03' 12''.

Early days, but it's looking a bit like the Vuelta is going to be the Tour that everybody wanted...

 

[monkey bidness]

..and without niggling Nibali! What goes round comes round.

 

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..and without niggling Nibali!

Haven't been able to properly keep up with events thus far, so had wondered where the blazes he was.

LOL @ naughty Nibbles -

- that's some turn of pace, what?

Reminds me of the Worlds a few years back in Italy when it proper pissed it down and His Nibs took a tumble - received 'treatment' for injuries while holding on to the team car and amazingly made it back to be in the running with the last four - the year that Rui Costa won it. I wondered then what would have happened had he won it, it was so blatant.

Shame really, i rather like Nibali - the Vuelta won't be quite the 'Tour that wasn't' without him.

See Froome lost 30ish secs to Quintana today - Roche a stalking horse?

 

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More LOLs today @ Sagan's angry shenanigans -

- Peter had a point(er) though, this seems to be happening a bit too frequently.

TJ and Dan Martin for early baths - big shame, really like Martin, 'separated shoulder' doesn't sound like the kind of thing you'd really want.

 

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Excellent finish today - Froome finds his legs.

Nice video from inside ORICA GreenEDGE of yesterday's stage -

Might have to watch the rest of them now...

 

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Well deserved rest day tomorrow.

Wednesday looks... interesting... -

- men from boys, sheep from goats, wheat from chaff, boys from the blackstuff, bloke from the Wirral.

 

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That's Froome frucked - will he abandon or carry on? Perhaps he should spend a bit more time looking at the road rather than his stem, what?

Quintana +4 on the stage and +3 overall looks cooked as well.

Aru has got to be a good shout for the win. Only problem i have with him, apart from the whole Astana thing, is that i can't hear his name in any other way than voiced by...

... Nixon's pickled head!

 

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So as expected Demoulin made gains in the TT but has only 3s on Aru. Purito over a minute down, everyone else 2mins double+

^Here's where it will be won or lost - smart money has to be on Aru, don't it?

Looking forward to Saturday - has been a great race so far.

 

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