🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️ With 42 riders in front, almost all the teams are represented except: @IntermarcheW, @decathlonAG2RLM and @euskaltelteam. The Basque team are leading the chase. 🫡 Están representados 19/22 equipos. Faltan @IntermarcheW, @decathlonAG2RLM y @euskaltelteam. El equipo vasco…
Enric Mas - Mikel Landa alliance to win the Vuelta a España? Alberto Contador: "To beat Roglic is necessary"
CyclingThursday, 05 September 2024 at 15:10
Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España 2024 has served as a rest day for the men in the general classification, who from Thursday (but especially Friday and Saturday with the two high mountain stages) will begin the final fight for the red jersey.
Ben O'Connor is still leading, but with 5 seconds over Primoz Roglic. Enric Mas is 3rd at 1:20 behind the Slovenian. The Movistar Team rider knows that his chance to win the overall of the Vuelta a España will depend on creating many differences in the high mountain days, because in the final time trial in Madrid Roglic will surely be better.
For this reason, in the microphones of Eurosport after the end of stage 17, Alberto Contador explains the strategy that Mas will have to follow to beat the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe star, taking advantage of the fact that Mikel Landa wants to overtake Richard Carapaz and go for the Top 3 in the final general classification.
"Alliances are needed," Contador begins by explaining. "Roglic is a rider who we already know has won the Vuelta a España three times. He's very solid and the time trial on the last day favors him. If you want to make a difference with him you have to try to have alliances."
"The problem is that carrying them out is very difficult. It always is, even if the interests are common. I think it can't be ruled out, but we'll have to see," concludes Alberto Contador.
A Top 3 of the Vuelta a España that could cause sparks to fly
It would certainly be a surprise to see Enric Mas and Mikel Landa team up, especially since Ben O'Connor, even if he has a hard time winning the general classification in Madrid, is still aiming for at least a top 3 finish. This means that there would only be a gap left for Mas or Landa if Roglic ends up winning the race. Would it be in their best interest to team up?
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- Obviously there is the question of enormous willpower but some injuries are extremely specific. A torn meniscus for example can function pretty well during cycling whilst making it close to impossible to go up or down stairs or walk normally.Mistermaumau24-11-2024
- First of all, I hope now all is ok with your baby!. Yeah, about to not accept foreign phone number is a big problem also for me. I have economic interests in 2 countries, I think that all can be ok with my Italian number... but NO! The world is globalized but not for bureaucracies.
maria2024202424-11-2024 - First of all, calm, this is a site to share point of views, doubts, intuitions about cycling. Let's think about it: if someone tells you that he is very tired but is going to run unimportant races immediately, ignoring a world championship much further away in time that would give him the opportunity to rest, there is something very contradictory. Maybe it is fair, but as a simple spectator I (and many others) do not understand it, it does not make sense.maria2024202424-11-2024
- I think the other side has said plenty, given comments about her reputation like what Renz said above. Perhaps this is her chance to speak up against that reputation? I have no idea but her comments seem pretty human, even if each person has their own version of the story.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Give her a team built around her with no competing leaders, like Pogacar has at UAE or Vingegaard has at Visma (seeing how Roglic left), and I wonder how Vollering would do. She’s already so good, and a team dedicated to her could make her even better.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Those injuries, an ability to manage pain and push himself, probably a load of TUEs to help him get back from an awful moment, and competing that hard without the long exercise base that was the norm - no wonder he was exhausted. We’ve now had two consecutive seasons of the second place rider having an injury that interrupts training, and it shows to what level their bodies are tuned for the insane task of winning the Tour. I certainly hope both (and their teams!) are healthy next year. It would be a first, after 4 years.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Winners seem to be like this. Win or lose, it is always on to the next thing. They don’t celebrate the big win, they don’t worry about the painful loss. They move on. It’s an amazing skill. But to be able to ride (and win) while not being able to walk? That’s a level of pain management that boggles my mind. Of course they have it, given what they put their bodies through, but it’s just crazy.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Poor Demi. But she behaves the same way when riding for the national team. Bring me my tiny violin.Renz24-11-2024
- good pointsmij24-11-2024
- Yes, please tell us based on your superior expertise about why JVs training and race schedule is wrong 🧐Crashjames24-11-2024