Join us for live coverage of Stage 9 of the Vuelta a Espana from 8:25pm AEST, with comments added regularly throughout the stage.
With the 2012 Olympics now finished, it’s kind of nice that today’s stage finishes outside the Barcelona Olympic stadium and with a view out to the harbour. What won’t be nice for the riders is the 194kms it will take to get there from Andorra after yesterday’s harder stage and before their rest day where they’ll transfer across the country.
With around a kilometre of uphill finish coming after a Category 3 climb up Montjuich and the earlier Category 3 climb of the Alto de la Collada de Clara 65kms into the stage,don’t expect sprinter’s teams to chase a breakaway. Perhaps they’ll gobble up any sprint points left over at the 96km and 162km marks.
With nothing to excite the General Classification riders, don’t expect their teams to organise a chase either. While time may be pegged back on the 61kms – (or arguably 90kms) of rolling downhill/flat before the next lump, this stage should see a breakaway stay away and the General Classification unshaken.
Please join us from around 8.45pm AEST, your comments, questions, and opinions are very welcome.
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Well that's it from me. Good night all! Check out the Roar for all updates.
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Gilbert sprints past Rodriguez to get the win. His first for this season. Quite a contrast to last year! World Championship on his mind?
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About five seconds to the peloton
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Vacansoleil is out the front of the peloton with Contador second behind them. Gilbert and J Rod get the red kit and now it's uphill finish.
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Gilbert flicks his elbow to get J Rod to do some work and he obliges. Nicholas Roche is in no man's land between leaders and the peloton. 1.8kms to go
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Rodriguez and Gilbert will work together on the descent and into the finish.
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Alesandro Ballan breaks clear a little, but Rodriguez shuts him down who has also gone clear. Gilbert chases him. 3.4kms to go and the climb is over.
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They now hit the climb. Koen de Kort working hard for Degenkolb. Contador tries to break away but it comes to nothing. 5kms to go
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8kms to go. Contador keeping himself safe out the front of the peloton. About 3kms to go before the climb
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The peloton is getting a bit messy as they try to get into the right position before the final climb
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10kms to go and BMC trying to get Gilbert into position as are Lotto for Meersman
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13kms to go. Orica Green Edge move closer to the front. Breschel's team Rabobank are trying to sort things out for him
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15kms to go and all of katusha out the front. Keeping Rodriguez safe or he wants the bonus points and is going for the win?
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Teams with riders capable of taking this stage are organising themselves...BMC, Rabobank, Radioshack, and Katusha driving it out the front. 19kms to go
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And with 22kms to go, they're all together again.
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The break has been caught and another Andalucia rider tries to break away. 25kms to go
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31kms to go, gap at 47 seconds.
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Confirmed sprint points - Buffaz (4 points - cofidis), Lindeman (2 points, Vacansoleil), Chacon (1 point, Andalucia)
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Lotto, Rabobank and BMC riders putting some hard work in and the gap falls to just over 1 minute. 34kms to go. Leaders about to hit next sprint.
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37kms to go, 1.25 the gap.