The Vuelta is one of my favorite races because of crazy stages like this. I have no idea what will happen, but I am going to go with a breakaway. GC guys are probably going to look at each other when there are basically 3 weeks left to race.

If a GC guy goes for it, I am betting it is Contador. Last race and he is good at this kind of crazy shite.

I was thinking, first, that if someone doesn't know which Grand Tours came earlier and needed to be informed, then they are really not going to understand most of the rest of the post. Then, I realized that you don't know what Grand Tours came earlier this year.

But please don't let my editorial deter your great daily GT posts.

Edit: I don't expect much to happen. Break to take it.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Any idea how technical those last 2 descents are? The sort of place where a solo rider throwing caution to the wind can make up some time?

Hey, look it was just before bed time and I was just writing fast before getting the thread up for the next day....of course I (and anyone opening this thread) know what Grand Tours happened earlier. Hey if you had just said, "I think you meant TdF right?", that would have been better because clearly that is what I meant (I was putting up the daily thread for the TdF, so kind of impossible to have forgotten it happened right?). Anyway I fixed it, so now let's move on to actually discussing the race rather than complaining about other posters as there are plenty of threads on ST that take care of ensuring that there is an endless supply of hammering others.

No idea how technical they are. I don't recall anything hyper technical at other Grande Tour visits to Andorra. Now there is a break up front with 4 min after the first climb. DeGent in the break AGAIN. The guy is a monster. I don't know who else is in the break (there appear to be around 10 of them).

The last descent looks pretty technical. Maybe Nibbles can put some time into his GC rivals there?

That looks like it had the potential for a fun free fall drag race between Nibbles, Bardet and Froome!!! I don't think any of these guys can get away form each other, but I think they can get away from Aru

Sorry, I posted right before bedtime myself, and that came out harsh instead of tongue in cheek as I was intending. As I said though, please keep up the good work with your daily race posts.

Meanwhile, we have reduced bunch approaching final climb. Somebody will try something, but will Sky train make it impossible to get away?

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

I am at the physio so if you post play by play on the final climb it would be awesome. I cannot see anyone getting away, but I am interested to see whose legs are dead after a long season.

Two KM to go on last climb, Sky train. Contador dropped. Not looking like anyone will go on the climb due to Sky train.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Barguil dropped as well.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Love watching Froome, the guys races with balls, first big day and he is ripping it.

Froome and Chaves attack group 1 km from top about 8km to go.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Sky hit the final climb with a massive surge, caused an instant selection, froome attacked half way into the climb and Chaves followed, bardet and aru following.

Group of 7 chasers splintering. Carnage.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

On the descent, group is totally blown apart, froome chaves still up front, aru in 3rd, bardet following right behind, contador is already 2;10 behind.

Aru and Bardet in sight of Froome and Chaves. Looks like winner will come from this group of four.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

looks like froome, chaves, aru, bardet are about to come together on the descent. Nibali, Zakarin, TVG chasing behind.

did the cameras just not cover nibali's return to the front group/???

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All come back together with 1k to go, froome did an early attack but caught with .7k to go, nibali countered and won. Froome, Bardet, Aru, Chaves, TVG, de la cruz right behind. Zakarin lost some time, contador is done.

Nibali group of 5-6 came back from 16 seconds behind on descent to catch lead group in final KM. Nibali goes with about 200 meters to go to take the win.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Awesome Vuelta so far, only thing stinks for me is missing any weekend stages.

Olympic Channel is not part of my cable package so no primetime replays, and missing the key stages over Labor Day weekend.

thanks for the updates. It sounds like Nibali does not have his legs "yet" and may have a tough time contending and the only reason he won was due to his descending....Contador and Barguil relegated to stage hunting already? I did not think most of the climbing today would be steep enough to drop those guys "that easily today".

We're on day three and the entire race is already wide open. Super to see Teejay hanging on today and also my local boy Mike Woods from Cannondale (he's from our city) in the top 15 overall. Woods only fluked into riding as detour from his olympic running dreams while injured and some local tri guys taking him out for some riding and he was dropping all the best local studs on a $100 bike and running shoes

I follow Woods since this years Tour de Suisse and his heartbreaking breakaway. The swiss reporter told his story and that made me chear for him even more. When did he take up cycling? At 24?

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10k - 30:48 / half - 1:06:40