Stage 10 will begin in Torredelcampo before passing through Granada and concluding at Guejar Sierra atop the Alto Hazallanas. Join me tonight from midnight for what will be one of the most pivotal stages of this year’s Vuelta a Espana.
People so often label the Vuelta a Espana as the ‘lesser’ of the Grand Tours and this is sad for them, because I suspect these same people miss out on the action packed drama that makes this three week trek around Spain so fabulous to watch.
You can take your Tour de France with its winner in yellow for 20 of the 21 stages.
You can also take your Tour de France with the green jersey awarded to a rider who barely wins a sprint.
You can take your Tour de France with your polka dot jersey with its invisible winner.
What you can’t take away from the Vuelta is action packed excitement.
The overall winner of the Maillot Rojo is not decided early.
The riders often ask themselves, are we bike riders or monkeys on display for a public baying for the spectacle of multiple gradients well in the double figures?
Riders by the end of today may well be asking this question.
Today’s 186km stage is tagged as ‘the first of the mountain stages.’ Hmm, I’m not sure about you but I do seem to recall seeing a few mountains already at this year’s Vuelta. Then again, I have a head cold and am as juiced up on cold and flu tablets now, as Armstrong was for all seven of his TdF ‘wins’. I may even be hallucinating. Something fellow Roarers I hope I don’t do during tonight’s call.
Back to the preview, so, there officially will be mountains today.
I have vertigo just looking at tonight’s stage profile.
There are two sprints, about 6 km apart near the beautiful city of Granada. Once these have been fought the stage really then becomes all about the GC contenders.
It is in the final 36km that the riders are going to be in world of climbing pain, unless of course you are a mountain goat. Then, this could well be heaven.
The Alto Monachil has an average gradient of 7% but some parts in the middle are around 15%. It is 8.5km to the top and once summited, riders will make a left hand turn and then go immediately into the final climb of the day.
The Alto de Monachil is a 15.8km ride and it’s really only the last 8km that are steep. But, it’s steep. It has an average gradient of 9% and the best way to get to an average gradient of 9% is to have some sections at 18%.
Today should be an incredibly important stage before heading into a well earned rest day tomorrow.
If any of the GC contenders have a bad day today it could well be game over for overall victory. Today is not a day to wakeup with average legs.
Join me from 00:00 AEST for live coverage of Stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana.
Kate Smart
Expert
Thank you so much for joining me for what has been a fantastic stage. Chris Horner takes red but Nibali is breathing down his neck and he looks to be in some excellent form, too. Tomorrow is a rest day but do be sure to check in with us for all of the analysis and live blogs of the 2013 Vuelta a Espana. Thanks and good night.
Kate Smart
Expert
The top 7 place getters: 1. Chris Horner 2. Vicenzo Nibali +52" 3. Alejandro Valverde +16" 4. Ivan Basso 5. Joaqin Rodriguez 6. Thibot Pinot 7. Nicholas Roche
Kate Smart
Expert
Valverde finishes 3rd, Basso, Rodriguez and Pinot come across next with Roche a few seconds further back.
Kate Smart
Expert
Horner is the new race leader. Nibali finishes 48 seconds behind to come in second.
Kate Smart
Expert
Horner wins the stage.
Kate Smart
Expert
Nibali is chasing Horner down like a madman but I think Horner will hold on. Nibali just gone under 1km to go banner. Horner has over 30 seconds on him.
Kate Smart
Expert
1.5km to go. Roche has got back to Basso, Rodriguez, Valverde and Pinot group but they aren't going to catch Nibali. Horner has 20 seconds on this quartet. Horner has just passed under the 1km to go banner.
Kate Smart
Expert
Nibali was so busy attakcing he took his eyes off the road and almost ended in disaster! Nibali 9 seconds behind Horner. Roche has fallen back.
Kate Smart
Expert
2.5km to go and then this pain will all be over for these riders. Basso and Rodriguez and friends look a little all over the road. Horner is keeping to his line and he does look so much stronger. Nibali attacks and Basso, Valverde and Rodriguez can't follow.
Kate Smart
Expert
Basso and Rodriguez seem the most likely two to mount an attack. Roche and Valverde are in this small group. I probably shouldn't be cheering on any riders as I'm blogging, but I'd really love to see Rodriguez win a grand tour. He's probably one of the best riders to never win one.
Kate Smart
Expert
Sammy Sanchez has a team mate and he also has Danny Moreno but sadly they are a fair way down. Horner is looking very strong. He still has around 28 seconds.
Kate Smart
Expert
Horner has about 28 seconds on the group of fellow GC contenders. Horner is 42 yrs old and is coming back from a knee problem. Pretty good going, really. Moreno is over a minute down.
Kate Smart
Expert
Chris Horner has passed the 4km to go banner.
Kate Smart
Expert
4.5km to go. Marczynski has a 34 second lead. Basso, Nibali, Rodriguez, Horner are all together. Valverde and Roche have just lost touch with them. Horner's attacked.
Kate Smart
Expert
Roche may be losing touch with the Horner, Nibali group. Valverde seems to have fallen back and is rallying to get back to the lead GC men.
Kate Smart
Expert
With Moreno in trouble, Rodriguez is without a team mate. Roche is also with the main GC contenders. Sanchez really struggling.
Kate Smart
Expert
There's some shade. I bet the boys are loving that. Heneo in difficulty and a correction from my last post. Sanchez is not with the leaders, he's with Henneo. Moreno is in trouble.
Kate Smart
Expert
We have Nibali and Rodriquez catch up to Anton. Basso is there and Valverde too. Horner is also there, although without a team mate and I think I saw Sanchez.
Kate Smart
Expert
Igor Anton is having a go. Good on him. You can always count on Igor or another man in orange to have a go.
Kate Smart
Expert
This is torture. The gradient is between 17 & 20% The riders are grinding up the mountain. All of the GC contenders are together. The stage leaders have 1'07" as gaps are beginning to form.