Vuelta Stage 18

Yeah, you might as well have run your own live text updates.

I was more involved during the TdF but have been busier at work since (i never get to watch any cycling live ) and none of the other races (except the Giro) interest me quite so much.

Nah you are fine, I was messing, If I see you have it up then I don't bother with it.

I was slightly busier during the TdF but i'm back to doing nowt, hopefully for the rest of the year

I'm happy that others are getting involved in reporting stages, breaks, points, results and the like.

The reason I have over 4000 posts, I was doing that almost all of last season.

12th on the stage after going stage hunting

1, 5, 12. Even worse though Simon Clarke in the top 20 is going to really hurt my purist team

Sometimes I really hate this game

GC

1 201 CONTADOR, Alberto STB 72h 25' 21''
2 9 VALVERDE, Alejandro MOV + 1' 52''
3 101 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT + 2' 28''
4 181 FROOME, Christopher SKY + 9' 40''
5 107 MORENO, Daniel KAT + 11' 36''
6 161 GESINK, Robert RAB + 12' 02''
7 168 TEN DAM, Laurens RAB + 12' 55''
8 91 TALANSKY, Andrew GRS + 13' 06''
9 71 ANTON, Igor EUS + 13' 49''
10 4 INTXAUSTI, Beñat

Points

1 101 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT 170
2 9 VALVERDE, Alejandro MOV 159
3 201 CONTADOR, Alberto STB 152
4 191 DEGENKOLB, John ARG 124
5 181 FROOME, Christopher

KoM

1 152 CLARKE, Simon OGE 38
2 101 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT 36
3 211 DE GENDT, Thomas VCD 33
4 9 VALVERDE, Alejandro MOV 31
5 201 CONTADOR, Alberto

Rubbish. On to the next stage.

1,3,5,12,13 for me

1 173 BENNATI, Daniele RNT 4h 17' 17''
2 187 SWIFT, Ben SKY m.t. 1º
3 151 DAVIS, Allan OGE m.t. 1º
4 15 MONDORY, Lloyd ALM m.t. 1º
5 191 DEGENKOLB, John ARG m.t. 1º
6 119 VIGANO, Davide LAM m.t. 1º
7 163 BRESCHEL, Matti RAB m.t. 1º
8 192 DE KORT, Koen ARG m.t. 1º
9 154 DOCKER, Mitchell OGE m.t. 1º
10 178 RAST, Grégory RNT + 6''
11 32 BAZAYEV, Assan AST + 6''
12 129 VIVIANI, Elia LIQ + 6''
13 152 CLARKE, Simon OGE + 6''
14 65 DUQUE, Leonardo COF + 6''
15 75 PÉREZ, Rubén EUS + 6''
16 186 STANNARD, Ian SKY + 6''
17 94 KREDER, Michel GRS + 8''
18 148 TERPSTRA, Niki OPQ + 9''
19 97 MAASKANT, Martijn GRS + 10''
20 107 MORENO, Daniel KAT + 10''

1 173 BENNATI, Daniele RNT 4h 17' 17''
2 187 SWIFT, Ben SKY m.t. 1º
3 151 DAVIS, Allan OGE m.t. 1º
4 15 MONDORY, Lloyd ALM m.t. 1º
5 191 DEGENKOLB, John ARG m.t. 1º
6 119 VIGANO, Davide LAM m.t. 1º
7 163 BRESCHEL, Matti RAB m.t. 1º
8 192 DE KORT, Koen ARG m.t. 1º
9 154 DOCKER, Mitchell OGE m.t. 1º
10 178 RAST, Grégory RNT + 6''
11 32 BAZAYEV, Assan AST + 6''
12 129 VIVIANI, Elia LIQ + 6''
13 152 CLARKE, Simon OGE + 6''
14 65 DUQUE, Leonardo COF + 6''
15 75 PÉREZ, Rubén EUS + 6''
16 186 STANNARD, Ian SKY + 6''
17 94 KREDER, Michel GRS + 8''
18 148 TERPSTRA, Niki OPQ + 9''
19 97 MAASKANT, Martijn GRS + 10''
20 107 MORENO, Daniel

Unrelated question, if Swift can't win stages against generally not the best opposition out there (watch him go any win today) will Sky bother to keep him in their grand tour teams? A plan B is always useful to have if plan A (Froome in this case) doesn't work out but if Swift can't win stages is he worth having in there at all?

If he's not worth picking, do Sky need to go out and find a top class sprinter for next year who can work without a lead-out (assuming they'll lose Cavendish)?.

Geredmann has abandoned!

gone with
Contador
JRod
Swift
Degenkolb
Meersman
Florencio
Talansky
Quintana

Damn. I was mixed at taking Viviani in. My other change was going to be Anacona out for Smukulis....he's in the break, but not many points to be earned out there today

Quote:

BIG CRASH: Carlos Quintana (Movistar) and Linus Gerdemann (RadioShack) have gone down hard. There's a Lampre rider there too. It's Davide Comolai.

looks like a low scoring day for me... seems I made the rookie error, not confirming my transfers.
I think John Degenkolb will be today's winner though its a pitty he is not on my team.

Alberto Contador (SAX)
Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Alejandro Valverde (MOV)
Laurens ten Dam (RAB)
Mikel Astarloza (EUS)
Javier Moreno (MOV)
David De La Fuente Rasilla (CJR)
Simon Clarke (GRE)
Andrew Talansky (GRM)
Off to confirm changes for tomorrows stage

Kinda went all in

John Degenkolb (for Contador)
Allan Davis (for J-Rod)
Daniele Bennati (for Valverde)
Elia Viviani (for Ten Dam)
Winner Andrew Anacona
Javier Moreno
Simon Clarke
Tomasz Marczynski
Rafal Majka

Stage hunting attempt #2.

Degenkolb
Viviani
Bennati
Mondory
Meersman
Lithgart
Van Winden
Cardoso
Kreder

I thought Swift was worth a go for the same reasons but I'm the man who took Contador AND Tiralongo out yesterday.

Gilbert
Swift(for DeGendt)
Degenkolb(for J-Rod)
Valverde
Marczynski
Clarke
Talansky
DeLaFuente
Stybar(for Astarloza)

Rodriguez (guaranteed 17 points today, more than both Contador (14) and Valverde (15))
Degenkolb
Bennati (very nearly went Swift as Sky will want a stage win)
Viviani

Steegmans
Lodewyck
Meersman
Cardoso
Talansky

Hoping for a good result to move me back up the table but not expecting overly much, fingers crossed that both Davis and Swift do poorly today.