It’s a
tricky route and even though the last kilometer if flat on the big Avenida de
la Paz there are some difficult turns the riders need to pay attention to. About
two kilometers from the line the route turns right in roundabout before turning
left in another one 500 meters later. The last turn comes just before “flame
rouge” where the riders turn right in a 90° curve.
It seems to
be another hot day in Spain and with an expected head win the last kilometer,
the sprinters need to save energy for as long as possible. My pick is once
again Ben Swift who is strong in a tricky finish like this one and who I still
see as the fastest guy in the race. On stage 2 he was in a terrible position in
end and had to come from behind and got out in the wind way too early. Allan
Davis and John Degenkolb took his wheel and only managed to pass him on the
last 50 meters.
Swifty’s only problem is that Team Sky’s focus is on Chris Froome and the overall classification and that means he will only have Flecha and Stannard to help out in the end. Still, Swift showed to have an incredible kick on stage 2 and if he manages to arrive in a good position he shouldn’t have any problems taking his first (of many?) stages in this Vuelta.
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| Last 4 km - click for larger view! |
Swifty’s only problem is that Team Sky’s focus is on Chris Froome and the overall classification and that means he will only have Flecha and Stannard to help out in the end. Still, Swift showed to have an incredible kick on stage 2 and if he manages to arrive in a good position he shouldn’t have any problems taking his first (of many?) stages in this Vuelta.
My joker
for the stage is Manuel Cardoso who’s been good in the Vuelta before. Cardoso’s
team mate Marcos Garcia got world famous when he celebrated his 4th
place on stage 4 as had he won it and it would be nice for the little Caja
Rural team if they got some real success now. I doubt Cardoso can beat guys
like Davis, Degenkolb and Swift but he’s used to the warm temperatures and he
knows how to perform in a bunch sprint after a tough mountain stage. Furthermore, without a team to take control in
the finale, the sprints will get very chaotic and that could be just what
Cardoso needs to surprise the pack like he did when he won in Tour Down Under a
couple of years ago.
Winner
pick: Ben Swift
Joker:
Manuel Cardoso
To make this Vuelta a little bit more interesting I’ve challenged Eurosport blogger Blazin' Saddles to a winner pick duel during the race. You have my winner and joker picks above, here you have Felix':
To make this Vuelta a little bit more interesting I’ve challenged Eurosport blogger Blazin' Saddles to a winner pick duel during the race. You have my winner and joker picks above, here you have Felix':
Winner pick: Ben Swift
Joker: Klaas Lodewyck
Explanation: The return to the Spanish plains should give the sprinters another rare chance to do battle in this year's mountains-heavy Vuelta. Swifty missed out on stage two but I expect him to draw level with Degenkolb on Wednesday. But Belgian youngster Lodewyck has been zesty so far and you get the impression he's enjoying being the joker of the pack.
Overall score:
Felix 3 points
Mikkel 0 points
Right winner pick gives 3 points, if the joker wins it's 5 points while it's 1 points if the joker makes top3 on the stage.
Overall score:
Felix 3 points
Mikkel 0 points
Right winner pick gives 3 points, if the joker wins it's 5 points while it's 1 points if the joker makes top3 on the stage.
0/5 your picks ....
ReplyDeleteNot as good as in the Tour this year. I don't think you are right that Ben Swift is the best sprinter :D I know you were unlucky in the first 2 or 3 stages, especially when you had Rodriguez to win...I hope you find the right one tomorrow! When will the preview be online?
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