- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
After the drama of the individual time trial the peloton head for the climbs of Nothern Spain for a rolling parcours with a bite. Join The Roar for live coverage of tonight’s eleventh stage of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana from 12:00am (AEST).
Beginning in famous city of Pamplona, Stage 10 features just two categorised climbs packed in to the last third of the race. With the 153.4 kilometre-long stage set to finish atop the climb of the first category Alto de San Miguel de Aralar.
Prior to the Alto de San Miguel de Aralar, the peloton will have to tackle the slopes of the third category Puerto de Lizarraga. Thanks to some flat sections within the climb the average gradient is only 2.6%, however, the actual climbing sections average around the five to six per cent mark.
The Alto de San Miguel de Aralar will be a quirky climb for both the riders and us viewers, with the road surface actually concrete rather than the usual bitumen used elsewhere. The narrow road width will favour those riders positioned closest to the front and the condition of the road will make the climb a hard old slog.
Measuring 9.9 kilometres in length with an average gradient of 7.5 per cent, the Alto de San Miguel de Aralar would be considered a challenge even without the additional challenges the unusual road surface poses. Hopefully the road surface is not a cause of any severe crashes, with any cracks in the concrete reportedly patched over just a few days before the arrival of the race.
With Alberto Contador’s rivals, especially Nairo Quintana, needing to claw back time in the General Classification on the Spaniard today’s stage seems poised for a showdown. However, we cannot discount the chances of a breakaway going all the way if the right riders are involved and the peloton muck around behind them.
Given his form during the last couple of stages it is understandable that many see Alberto Contador as the favourite for today’s stage. While Tinkoff – Saxo might currently hold the red jersey they are yet to claim a stage victory and even the overall victor likes to win at least one stage during the race to assert his dominance.
Challenging the Tinkoff – Saxo team and Alberto Contador will be Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Chris Froome. In the past Chris Froome would have been considered the favourite for a stage like today, however, his poor performance in the individual time trial has seen further doubts over his form appear.
The steepness of the Alto de San Miguel de Aralar will certainly suit Joaquim Rodriguez, with the gradient reaching a maximum of 14 per cent. The veteran Spaniard, who rides for Team Katusha, will be aiming to use his light weight and explosive power to explode away from his rivals and ride solo away to both a time gain and the stage victory.
After a nasty crash during yesterday’s individual time trial it will be interesting to see what tactic Team Movistar adopt. Nairo Quintana may ultimately be deployed today to protect the interests of second placed Alejandro Valverde, whose superior sprinting favours him if he can stay with the others until the finishing line.
Given the topsy-turvey nature of the Vuelta a Espana it would not surprise me to see Nairo Quintana try to break free on the Alto de San Miguel de Aralar, putting the pressure on his and Valverde’s rivals to close his moves down. However, realistically, the Colombian could well be too sore after his crash to be a contender for today’s stage.
Fancy a wager on your favourite sport? Head on over to PlayUp for great odds and friendly customer service and pick a winner. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.