I really want to see Sepp win this. That being said, I think Jonas' move tactically was the right call. Like I said before, it put more time to fourth place. I'm sure the team would love to see Sepp win, but he's also doing his third grand tour of the year - there's no way TJV can 100% trust that Sepp isn't going to fall apart in this brutal last week. It will be interesting to see how they play today's stage and who attacks first.

I guess you can see the logic of JV taking their lowest place GC guy and sending him up the road, letting the other teams bridge up, then hit them again with either Rog or Kuss. Just using team tactics to work over your rivals. Problem is, Venga (unlike during the first week of the Vuelta) was just too strong and rode so hard no one was going to be able to follow. As a result, instead of guys like Mas or Ayuso pulling the JV guys back up to Venga, the gap just grew, and Venga is just a ruthless competitor who has no chill when he's let off the leash, so the result was what it was, even though it may not have played out the way JV imagined it. At least I hope that's what happened, rather than the team just abandoning Kuss.

Today will be telling in terms of what JV's intentions are for Kuss. It won't be popular if Rog/Venga leave Kuss in the dust.

The Donck's news is terrifying though I'm happy that he seems to be on a good trajectory.

I think we see some big rides on this climb and a few people are going to get close...even though I suspect a few could potentially trouble what Heras did, I'm not sure they will want to if they don't need to. We have 3-4 guys here who if they are on their best day, have the power profile to nuke this. I guess we will see how its raced.

Edit: Just watched GCN. I guess my new favorite for the stage is Alberto over 7 w/kg for 20 minutes Contador.

I do see the logic in it. I'd be more comfortable with Wilco of Gesink up the road, though. But it is rarified air to get them there. Just pulling big time for the Colorado kid. He'd be the first American to win the Vuelta...... that I like.
:)

You mean the HornDog is not a fan fav? ;)

Today should be interesting. I'm thinking a Remco on Venga stage win. Remco is doing Remco things already.

Sepp don't fail me now! Sepp's words on Jonas and Rogla: 'In principle they will help me, but if I fail they don't have to wait for me. For me, it's fair.'




https://x.com/writebikerepeat/status/1701928136198275489?s=20

Jimmmmmaaaaay McNulty can't be counted on to remember what transpired 10 years ago. Funny enough, that edition had a climb of the Angliru as well, and Vincenzo Nibali was well beaten on that climb by the winner.

Only thing more appropriate would be a clean American winner (either of an Angliru stage or the race overall) in 2028, 15 years after 2013.

Cattaneo and Gesink in close competition for domestique of the stage.

Soler doing Soler things.

Ooph, don't think Remco is gonna hold that lead. Brave of him to try.

I'll be curious to hear the full story of his collapse should he share it, but one thing is for certain, he has shown grit. Remco is a deserved champion.

Kid can suffer but pretty tall ask.

Bardet with a little payback to Remco.

Looking at how spectators are dressed, I'd say it's quite cool on the mountain (as things often are), perhaps no more than 65F; yet Remco was fully unzipped as if it were a sunny 95 F day.

Nobody left up front who matters so TJV better ride for Kuss.

Looks like they are riding away from Sepp.

I don't find anything untoward with what's happening today. Strongest rises, no intra-team attacks; and Kuss merely fell off the pace.

And Vingegaard turned it down a notch by not claiming the win (so 6 bonus seconds instead of 10), which resulted in 18 second time gap and 2 second bonus gap.

Can't figure it out if I agree or not. They could have dialed it back to win but not put 20 seconds on Kuss.

Time wise, it looked like a 41:46 min climb for Roglic and Venga. So the second fastest time ever.

Yes, get it. Everyone rides to their capabilities.

But as a pure fan, watching every other challenger go backwards and seeing Sepp solidify his lead, it was disappointing. Maybe Sepp really is that chill and understands it fully. He is same old chill relaxed dude sitting on the trainer shooting the breeze on the cool down.

Also, wonder if Roglic went to try and neutralize Venga trying another assault.

Edit: Just heard his interview. Nope. Winners want to win. Full Stop.

Interesting. Riding hard and letting the road decide to a degree, but Sepp still holding onto rojo. Looks like Sepp told them to go on without him in the team radio (and it seems like Sepp's comments to Rog after the stage confirm this). It's possible Rog didn't go flat out (and neither did Venga) hoping to keep Sepp in the lead, but still building the team's lead over the other guys.

Good battle for top Spaniard shaping up.

Quite a good race between 4th-6th for first non-Jumbo! It's gonna be lit tomorrow between Movisar-UAE-Bahrain.

Sepp rode one hell of a ride and praise be Landisimo for riding with him to stay in red. GC Kuss lives!

I have to add: Sepp still managed a smiling sprint with a salute to someone over the barriers.

I'm getting them in the mid 42:xx range. Maybe 42:29; need to check some things.

Not to sound snide, but disagreement is perfectly fine.

I guess I've seen it all even in my amateur racing days, and such behaviors are completely expected when viewed through the lens of game theory. When I say "honour among thieves", I really did mean it.

In my last year of cat-3 racing, the team to which I belonged created a special sub-team, for the more "exalted" riders whom the team leadership believed would garner better results. These riders had significant discounts on bike purchases that weren't available to rest of us "schlubs", yet we were supposed to do the same cat-3 races and play nice. And the kicker was that none of the special riders at the start of the season even raced enough on the road to hold a cat-3 license, as they were all cat-1/2 CX riders. On paper, they were supposed stronger (~5.0 w/kg FTP and the ability to repeatedly punch efforts), but I wasn't too far off and read races a lot better (not to mention I was a lot more aero).

It was a case of "some are more equal than others", and I raced accordingly, feigning support while taking every chance to ruin their chances of success and then striking out on my own. And in one of the bigger races of the year, I did successfully pull rank, using other riders to chase down moves of an "exalted" rider (without him ever knowing about it) and then finishing on the podium and ahead of him. The team leadership who had always been chilly toward me then all the sudden tried to act cozy. Bunch of vipers.

My own tale is a mere child's play compared to things when serious money is involved, and I wouldn't expect rational actors motivated by self-interest to abide by any sense of decency and saying "I've had enough". The proven GC leaders (Roglic and Vingegaard) are effectively more equal than Kuss, even in terms beyond issues of remuneration, and Kuss is perhaps unwilling to pull rank too much (though no one would fault him if he were to). Kuss is certainly no Stijn Vandenbergh, someone who tried to pull rank but is on a level a lot lower compared to his respective team leaders.

I agree with you. I am a huge fan of Kuss and overly supportive of him potentially winning, but he is a paid employee who is paid to work for others.

These athletes don't get to the top typically by being overly passive and non-aggressive with their desire to win.

I will still whine incessantly if they are the one's to steal his lead. That's my own personal problem though.

Despite what I want it to be, I think it is all fair play. They have the three strongest guys so they can choose whoever they want to end up in red.

Realistically, if Kuss were in another team, Venga would have likely put more than 20 seconds and smashed his hopes. One final mountain stage and not as hard as the epic Angliru (it never disappoints) I suspect Kuss should be able to stay within 8 s and keep red all the way.