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Stage 11 » Andorra la Vella › Cortals d´Encamp (138k)
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Difficult to know how to preview this stage except to say that this is a simply astonishing amount of climbing. Coming after the rest day, this short brutal stage, that Joaquin Rodriguez helped plan, will go a massive way towards deciding this Vuelta. The forecast is for bad weather, but even if the weather is fair this will be very hard. There is more than 5,000m of climbing on this day that sees the peleton take on 1x Cat 2, 4 x Cat 1s and an ESP climb.
There are 3 Cat 1 climbs in the first 70kms, with the Collada de Beixalis, the Coll d'Ordino & the Coll de la Rabassa. The Beixalis is 6.5kms at nearly 10% with 3kms in the middle at over 12%. The Ordino and Rabassa are longer, steadier climbs at 9kms and 13kms. The Ordino rarely drops below 7% but has a maximum gradient of 8.5%. The Rabassa has some steeper slopes of around 11% and 12% but it gets easier towards the summit. At the top of this climb the riders are about at the halfway stage, and already most of the domestiques will be out the back door.
The ESP climb Gallina is an extraordinarily difficult climb. It has over 1,000m of climbing and averages over 8.5% over 12km with ramps up to 18%. This road has been newly resurfaced but it is still a horrible climb and will see all but the specialist climbers in real difficulty. It will be very interesting to see how riders like Tom Dumoulin compete on this test. If he can remain with the big big favourites he can become a genuine Grand Tour contender.
After the Gallina, there is a long descent, the Cat 2 Alto de la Comelia which is 4kkm at over 9% but which will seem like a walk in the park in comparison to some of the other climbs today. The final climb, the Alto Els Cortals d'Encamp is another horrendously steep climb. Anyone that is struggling at this stage will not be recovering on this tremendous finale. It is nearly 9km long, and has 800m over vertical gain and averages 9.3%. However, the average belies the difficulty of this climb. The first 4km average almost 11%. Even when the gradient drops off in the final 5km it is still 8%.
Needless to say, this stage will be won by a tremendous climber, which bring people like Froome and Quintana to the front of all calculations. Aru, Rodriguez and Majka would also be contenders for this stage. Its difficult to know whether a break could win this stage. It is conceivable that all the contenders out of teammates well before the final climb and in this case we might not see the mountain trains that can sometimes bring a breakaway back. In this instance, decent climbers like Mikel Landa who are already out of the GC picture could win this stage.
Map
Profile
Difficult to know how to preview this stage except to say that this is a simply astonishing amount of climbing. Coming after the rest day, this short brutal stage, that Joaquin Rodriguez helped plan, will go a massive way towards deciding this Vuelta. The forecast is for bad weather, but even if the weather is fair this will be very hard. There is more than 5,000m of climbing on this day that sees the peleton take on 1x Cat 2, 4 x Cat 1s and an ESP climb.
There are 3 Cat 1 climbs in the first 70kms, with the Collada de Beixalis, the Coll d'Ordino & the Coll de la Rabassa. The Beixalis is 6.5kms at nearly 10% with 3kms in the middle at over 12%. The Ordino and Rabassa are longer, steadier climbs at 9kms and 13kms. The Ordino rarely drops below 7% but has a maximum gradient of 8.5%. The Rabassa has some steeper slopes of around 11% and 12% but it gets easier towards the summit. At the top of this climb the riders are about at the halfway stage, and already most of the domestiques will be out the back door.
The ESP climb Gallina is an extraordinarily difficult climb. It has over 1,000m of climbing and averages over 8.5% over 12km with ramps up to 18%. This road has been newly resurfaced but it is still a horrible climb and will see all but the specialist climbers in real difficulty. It will be very interesting to see how riders like Tom Dumoulin compete on this test. If he can remain with the big big favourites he can become a genuine Grand Tour contender.
After the Gallina, there is a long descent, the Cat 2 Alto de la Comelia which is 4kkm at over 9% but which will seem like a walk in the park in comparison to some of the other climbs today. The final climb, the Alto Els Cortals d'Encamp is another horrendously steep climb. Anyone that is struggling at this stage will not be recovering on this tremendous finale. It is nearly 9km long, and has 800m over vertical gain and averages 9.3%. However, the average belies the difficulty of this climb. The first 4km average almost 11%. Even when the gradient drops off in the final 5km it is still 8%.
Needless to say, this stage will be won by a tremendous climber, which bring people like Froome and Quintana to the front of all calculations. Aru, Rodriguez and Majka would also be contenders for this stage. Its difficult to know whether a break could win this stage. It is conceivable that all the contenders out of teammates well before the final climb and in this case we might not see the mountain trains that can sometimes bring a breakaway back. In this instance, decent climbers like Mikel Landa who are already out of the GC picture could win this stage.
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Replies: 136
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Eurosport scheduled to come on air at 12.30pm BST. Great news.
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Landa seems a) out of form (badly) and b) sacrificed to help Aru, surely?
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Yes you're probably right on both accounts
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Smallish each way bets on Landa and Pozzovivo at 40/1 & 33/1 each way in case in comes back together but had plays on Atapuma 80s, Goncalves 70s and Elissonde 100s because I think it's likely that the break makes it and I've got a couple more to get matched.
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This stage will be some spectacle!
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Personally think this will come down to the gc riders, primarily Froome and Quintana, and going on the last stage you would have to think Froome will be the strongest. The 6/1 with pp looks a fair price to me.
The fly in the ointment could be Landa a serious climber who is now out of contention, it does look like he hasn't got the legs here, but it does stick in the mind how impressive he was on the big climbs in the giro just a couple of months ago. He could have free rein to get in the break or to go from the main group early on the final climb. small ew 40/1. |
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On stages with multiple climbs a breakaway rider can be overlooked and stay away to the end, on account of the chaotic nature such stages cause. Riders in the breakaway attack each other, some reform, others fade and rejoin the selective peloton, and yet others bridge across to previous attackers and form a new breakaway group. There are groups and riders all over the road and each other are either going backwards or or forwards. However, there are not that many talented climbers outside of the GC riders who can survive over such an epic stage, and I think that brings it back to a winner coming out of the GC riders. I will be closely monitoring the GC market also as today's results may have substantial impacts on the big picture.
** Purito Rodriguez He looked to be going very comfortably on the previous stages with climbing portions, without much theatrics or putting himself into unnecessary energy debt. He is the one responsible for effectively selecting the climbs on this stage and he knows the climbs like the back of his hand as he is based in Andorra and trains here. Moreover, he is a highly experienced campaigner and will play a patient long-range game of survival off the back of the GC bunch. Currently 17/1 with WillHill, but is as low as 10/1 with various. Some E/W value. 20s being matched on here. One of the main contenders. Likely to figure in the finale. Keep safe. Good luck to all, SP |
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Still recovering after having backed Froome at 60's on stage 9. I've taken a few riders I think can win from a break today, namely Duarte and Bilbao.
I've also taken Quintana at 4.8 on the exchange. Surely this stage will be crucial for riders like Quintana and Aru who need to put time into the riders who are stronger time trialists. This stage, stage 16 and stage 17 will be the key stages that decide the podium. |
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Froome in a smal crash
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Froome lucky Nibali has been sent home.
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Froome was very lucky in Tdf to be in right spot after the crash on the 2nd stage. Team Sky wasnt interesting in slowing down the race then. Pathetic that he accused Nibali for the later attack.
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There's a difference between bad positioning in cross winds and deliberately attacking the race leader after a mechanical.
Nibali has built a rod for his own back with his subsequent comments on the issue. |
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Agree with that entirely.
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That's Landa in the front group, not Cataldo. Still available at 20s is good value as he'll want to put in a big effort, and can stick on when it gets tough -- gap growing nicely.
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Astana worked that whole climb, was Nibali to waste his teammates efforts just because Froome had a mechanical.
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Landa matched at 30 & 40 -- but AST on the front of the select GC group -- the breakaway is not being treated seriously but if it goes on with it Landa is going to be a fresh passenger.
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I don't understand why Astana are chasing when Landa is in that front group. Perhaps Landa is staying in the SKY motorhome tonight?
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I agree with SK there -- the GC riders will essentially call a truce till the final climb on account of the fear they're feeling of cracking out of the GC race.
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Haven't been paying close attention to the sectionals. Appears that AST were setting a false tempo?
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Sicard sitting in 18th overall 4:47 down on the race leader is in the break
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Fully expect SKY to take over from AST on the next climb.
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If SKY do take over than it conforms that AST were setting a false tempo to give the breakaway every chance with Landa involved.
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4 mins still not enough, though.
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SKY taking it up now. Maybe a bluff?
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Called the AST bluff more like CJ -- breakaway nicely away now.
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Traded out of that Landa position -- get to work on another angle now.
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I'm watching via 4" mobile at the moment, so not seeing anything subtle.
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SKY going visibly faster that AST were on similar gradient on the last climb -- they're not making great inroads into the break, though.
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checking in. could be an epic stage here. not made any bets yet. need to work out whos a formidable decender more than likely in the rain. Sanchez?
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If you take away the one rider then the break is now less than 3 mins up the road, so sky seem pretty serious about this. Still think this coming down to the gc riders.
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Imanol Erviti (MOV) -- leading by 1 minute.
Then the breakaway group: Nelson Oliveira and Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida) Darwin Atapuma (BMC), Matteo Montaguti and Mikael Cherel (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Javier Moreno (MOV), Romain Sicard (EUC), Omar Fraile and José Gonçalves (Case Rural-Seguros RGA), Pawel Poljanski (TCS), Alberto Losada (KAT), Mikel Landa (AST), Damien Howson (OGE), Jerome Coppel (IAM), Romain Hardy (COF), Carlos Verona ( EQS), Ian Boswell (SKY), George Bennett (TLJ). |
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Erviti seems to be descending well. Not sure anyone in the peloton is going to go clear on the descent, don't think they would risk it, especially if the rain comes, which is likely.
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At 5-6 mins the breakaway might start looking good.
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You said so yourself that Landa looked impressive at the Giro -- we know he can bury-mode, so if he is given 5-6 mins than I think he wins -- but a long way to go still.
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HB, I mean.
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Yes SP if Landa gets 6 mins they wont catch him and he is just starting to work on the front for the first time so he must be starting to fancy this, whether he does have the legs though is another thing!
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He has gone up the road, Landa, break attacking itself to bridge across.
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Yep, definitely feeling it, is Landa, but SKY keeping this at 4.30 mins so it is still with the peloton -- granted!
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