Rest Day 2

I was looking for a Mr Epidural but couldn't find him

Ah. I know who it is sounds like a drug of some sort but AFAICT it isn't one.

She used Poles? then she van der WALLE'd in pain and you've been nothing but de Greef to her since?

I haven't got that one so you might need to give us another clue

I still aint made any changes yet, just dont know who to drop

and for my random DS pick I am banking on what my mother used to alleviate pain during childbirth . . .
. . . My crypticness is getting bad as you keep guessing them . . .

Mollema or Cobo? I'm stuck.

Quite right Gkam84, there are 15 climbs left but only one uphill finish. Think they're going to have to attack now for a stage win at some point. If they hadn't f'cked up the TTT they might still be in 1 and 2.

Also there are those int. sprint time bonuses as well although I'm not sure how seriously Sky will take them.

As far as fantasy is concerned the mountain points comp certainly isn't Moncoutie's yet and we're entering the Basque country in 19 and 20 so EUS will do something as they've been pretty quiet so far. Anton was 7th on Angliru so maybe he's got his legs back. Might go for a stage win or could be Nieve or Martinez or Txurruka.

Playing to improve my consistency score by going for big risky scores rather than playing safe. At about 160 points behind I'm not going to win it or even get top 10 by 'playing the game'.

Its interesting to see what everyone is changing, but dont forget, there are still quite a few climbs left, including 3 cat 1's and then of course the time bonuses, so dont write froome and wiggo off yet

Greg van Avermaet might be useful in 17 I think. Had him for all the first week but he did nothing but eventually he must try something. Sticking with Bennatti for 16 and maybe 17 as well as I'll be putting in some break guys and maybe mountain point riders like Montaguti who's got some points to catch up.

I thought about putting Veelers in but a) if he's in the sprint Nuyens will probably end up as LT again if he's not in the front group and b) will he be up in the sprint if he's not needed to lead out Kittel?

In the end I didn't bother and left Nuyens in.

Stage 81 IN:Greg VAN AVERMAET OUT:Manuel QUINZIATO
Stage 81 IN:John DEGENKOLB OUT:Fredrik KESSIAKOFF
Stage 81 IN:Peter SAGAN OUT:Daniel MARTIN
Stage 81 IN:Juan Jose COBO ACEBO OUT:Bauke MOLLEMA

Fairly obvious choices, I think. I did think about Haedo instead of Van Aver, he did rather well in the last sprint stage.

On another note, pity about Kessiakoff being ill. Was hoping for something from him yesterday.

I've given up on Petacchi. Got the 3 you mentioned plus Lastras.

Thanks Dave, that means I've slightly cocked up one of my transfers (and overestimated my 'guaranteed' minimum score)

Back to tomorrow, now that Kittel and Freire have retired who's your bet for a sprint finish? Degenkolb, Sagan and Bennati look like the obvious choices but Pettachi hasn't won much this year so might go for it.

I've done mine, three in for the sprint, 1 in for extra GC points. Hoping that any breakaway gets pulled in before the finish otherwise I'll be stuffed.

On another note, is there no young rider comp in the Vuelta? I thought the white jersey was for young riders as in the TdF but it's a 'combined award' for which I don't think there are any fantasy points, am I right?