Rodriguez is proving that he can win in his long game as well as his short game. He even held his own in the ITT last week which has always been his undoing. Contador is competitive in his first Grand Tour since his suspension and looking like he’s back to being human. Froome may be still tired from the Tour or he’s facing some competition he can’t control without a team of super-domestics. I’d guess both. Either way he’s still up there in the GC but he’ll have to wait another season or two before he wins his first Grand Tour.
And how about Nocholas Roache? He’s the sleeper who is quietly developing into a sensational Grand Tour rider. Twelfth in this year’s TdF, and currently sitting quietly in seventh overall at the Vuelta. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) is also putting in a remarkably good ride turning himself inside out for Gensink who are both sitting in 9th and 6th respectively.
GreenEDGE are salvaging a mediocre first year (aside from Gerro’s early season successes) and finishing in front of the finishes with an awesome win by homeboy Simon Clarke (as well as 4th in stage 13 and leading the mountains classification), while Cam Meyer and Allan Davis are inches away from getting a victory in Spain.
Tomorrow is a rest day but there are still six stages left with SBS broadcasting stage 16 (Mon), 19-21 (Fri-Sun) and I believe all stages are being streamed live on their website. The mornings are getting brighter, the air is getting warmer, the magpies are out to kill, and summer is on its way! If you’re up early to ride and you can’t stay up late to watch, check out SBS website every morning for their highlights packages. This is turning out to be a race not to be missed!
2012 Vuelta a España Results
Stage 15 | Stage 14 | Stage 13 | Stage 12 | Stage 11 (ITT) | Stage 10 | Stage 9 | Stage 8 | Stage 7 | Stage 6 | Stage 5 | Stage 4 | Stage 3 | Stage 2 | Stage 1
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- Valverde gets off to a great start in the first hilltop finish beats Rodriguez to the line of Stage 3 to take the overall lead
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- Alejandro Valverde on the podium about to receive the red leader’s jersey
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- The Vuelta takes no time to hit the high mountains in stage 4. Movistar takes control in the final climb while protetcing overall leader Alejandro Valverde
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- Local Melbournian Simon Clarke takes his first Grand Tour win in style after dropping all his breakaway companions and out-foxing Tony Martin to the finish in stage 4
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- Simon Clarke on the winners podium celebrating the biggest day of his career
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- John Degenkolb (Argos – Shimano) on his way to having an incredible Vuelta racking up four sprint finish wins so far.
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- John Degenkolb and Koen de Kort in the team bus keeping cool with their thermal vests before stage 6
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- Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver shows us his trademark race winning kick on the ridiculously steep climb finishing in Jaca in stage 6.
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- Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador sprint to the finish up Collada la Galina in Andora where Valverde ultimately takes the win. Froome, after setting much of the pace, is unable to keep up and looses 15 seconds on the stage but still holds onto 2nd place on GC
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- The peloton rides through the arid rolling landscapes between the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean in stage 9
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- The peloton coming into the finish at Sanxenxo on the Mediterranean after a flat “rest day” after the previous rest day where Degenkolb sprints to his fourth win before the ITT the next day.
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- Rodriguez and Contador light it up in stage 12 on the finish of Mirador de Ezaro which reached grades of 30%.
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- Rodriguez takes stage 12 ahead of Contador and Valverde and begin to distance themselves from the other GC contenders.
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- Steve Cummings put his pursuit skills into good use when he broke away to victory in the final four kilometres of stage 13 of the Vuelta a España last night. He was part of a seven-man break where he attacked wisely by riding clear just as the bunch’s unity was beginning to fragment. Cameron Meyer leads the chase for second and is inches his way closer to winning his first Grand Tour stage.
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- The peloton beginning stage 14 which was fast and furious 150km long mountain stage.
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- The break of the day pictured on stage 14 on the +10% climbs before the inevitable chase
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- Alberto Contador attacking on the final climb of stage 14 distancing himself from a select group containing Rodríguez, Valverde and Dani Moreno (Katusha), with Chris Froome struggling to hang on.
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- The peloton climbing on stage 15 with the Bay of Biscay in the background
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- Robert Gesink on the finishing climb of stage 15, the “Lagos de Covadonga”. The Vuelta has used this climb 17 times making it the Alpe d’Huez of the Vuelta
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- After stage 15 Simon Clarke still holds onto the Mountains Classification ahead of Rodriguez
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- There are six stages remaining which look to complete a thrilling Vuelta a Espana which could still be anybody’s race. Can Rodriguez hold his lead?
