Time gaps shouldn’t open up too much on Stage 7 of this year’s Vuelta a Espana but it won’t be a pure sprinter standing atop the podium after 169 km from Alhendin to Alcaudete. Join The Roar for live updates from 12:00am AEST.
On Stage 6 Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), who claims to be working for teammate Nairo Quintana, attacked in the final straight to win the stage and take back the red jersey which he briefly held earlier in the race.
In doing so he took Alberto Contador (Saxo) and Chris Froome (Sky) with him, while dropping Quintana and causing him to lose time to Froome and Contador.
It will be interesting to see how the Movistar story develops throughout the Vuelta.
It has become clear that Cadel Evans either doesn’t have the legs or is working for Samuel Snachez as he lost a minute to Sanchez on Stage 6.
A major success story however during Stage 6 was that of the young Orica-GreenEDGE climber Esteban Chavez, who finished seventh on the stage and moved into fifth overall.
Stage 7 rolls up and down all day, and in the heat of Spain it looks to be prime for a breakaway. Orica-GreenEDGE could end up chasing it down as they have a number of options for the end of the stage in Michael Matthews, Adam Yates or Chavez.
Giant–Shimano could also be confident about John Degenkolb’s chances, but the stage victory might be beyond both him and Matthews, with the final uphill.
It will of course depend greatly on the speed of the peloton throughout the day, however the repetition of ups and downs should be enough to get rid of the sprinters.
Stage 7 has about 2500 metres of vertical gain. If the peloton manage to catch up with the breakaway Joaquim Rodríguez will be the favourite, although any of the general classification riders could go for the win and the time bonuses it affords.
The GC riders are set to battle to not lose time, and the sprinters who can ride up hills will be hanging on for the finish line.
Catch all the action live on The Roar from 12 midnight AEST.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thankyou for joining me this evening on the Roar for the Live Blog of Stage 7 of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana! Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage and i'll be back tomorrow night for Stage 8, which is the longest of the race at 207km, however it is mostly flat. Goodnight!
Scott Pryde
Expert
And the top 5 on GC 1. Alejandro Valverde (MOVISTAR) 26hr:52min:20sec 2. Nairo Quintana (MOVISTAR) + 0:00:15 3. Alberto Contador (TINKOFF - SAXO) + 0:00:18 4. Christopher Froome (SKY) + 0:00:19 5. Johan Chavez (ORICA) +0:00:44
Scott Pryde
Expert
This is the top 10 for the stage, as expected the time gaps are not major but a couple of seconds could come back to haunt riders later: 1. Alessandro De Marchi (CANNONDALE) -> 4hr:01min:52sec 2. Ryder Hesejdal (GARMIN SHARP) + 1:35 3. Hurbert Dupont (AG2R LA MONDIALE) 4 Johann Tschopp (IAM CYCLING) 5. Phillipe Gilbert (BMC RACING) + 2:17 6. Daniel Martin (GARMIN SHARP) 7. Chris Froome (SKY) 8. Gianluca Brambilla (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) + 2:20 9. Alejandro Valverde (MOVISTAR) 10. Alberto Contador (TINKOFF-SAXO)
Scott Pryde
Expert
So Chris Froome managed to take 3 seconds off the rest of the GC contenders at the line apart from Dan Martin who was given the same time as Froome.
Scott Pryde
Expert
So it looks like Dan Martin will pinch a few seconds for sure and there is uncertainty as to whether Froome gaine anything out of his dig at the end.
Scott Pryde
Expert
A Giant Shimano rider also fell on the straight. Its their young climber and GC hope Warren Barguil.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Dan Martin was actually the rider on Gilbert's shoulder. Don't know how I saw a Cannondale jersey! Appologies.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Phillipe Gilbert looked to win the sprint to the line for 5th. A Cannondale rider was just behind him on the line who I assume was Peter Sagan. Chris Froome then pushed for a time gap and might have even got a second or 2.
Scott Pryde
Expert
The sprint for second place is on. Hesejdal has lead them the whole way up and leads them over the line even creating a gap. It's Dupont in third and Tschop in 4th.
Scott Pryde
Expert
BMC dissappeared as quickly as they arrived at the front of the pack.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Alessandro De Marchii now crossing the line! There it is his first ever Grand Tour Stage win
Scott Pryde
Expert
Now BMC coming up to the fron.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Pace looks to be back on in the pack, set by Sky now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Very rewarding victory for De Marchii who spent what seemed like the whole tour de france in the pack.
Scott Pryde
Expert
1.5 km to go now for De Marchii with a 3:20 gap to the pack. He looks over the shoulder and gives a high five to the car. He knows he has it now!
Scott Pryde
Expert
Pace looks to be pretty slow in the pack, plenty of teams on the front across the road and no one looks overly stressed.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Tschopp, Dupont and Hesejdal have now joined together at a minute and a half behind De Marchii with 3 km to go. That should be the sprint for second while the peloon will fight for 5th place and time on each other.
Scott Pryde
Expert
4 km to go. De Marchii in the lead, Tschopp at about a minute and the pack at 3:18. Hesejdal is somewhere in between
Scott Pryde
Expert
The climb now just continually gets tougher all the way to the line until the last kilometer which is the hardest parr of the climb to the finish today.