La Vuelta Stage 3

1,2,3 and Talansky and Moreno. 165 and 8= on the stage. Valverde is really doing the business for me. Won stage 17 with him in TdF (started using the Bryton I won for that now - not bad at all although only just learning how to use it), now dug me out of a hole today after messing up yesterday (only had Swift and not a lot else).

A real race today, good to see Contador's aggression (let's hope it's clean aggression). Froome struggling but hung on. Cobo lost a lot of time, looks like Valverde is the leader now as I don't think he was just stage hunting today. Purito well in the mix. Not sure Froome will win this one though, reckon it's between the 3 Spaniards.

2-3-4 for the second stage in a row...

OK, they found Machado (and 50 other riders.) He finished in 66th today, 3:22 down.

http://www.lavuelta.com/12/en/resultados/index.html?e=3

Had Contador, Froome, j rod and inxtausti so think I did okay...

Yeah, I'm concerned about Machado too... 149 riders listed on the Vuelta site, and he ain't among 'em. The Withdrawals list only has Gasparotto.

I wonder if he got lost along the way today?

Yeah, I have De Gendt is both my teams, So expect him to be in a break now

Oh yeah - combativity doesn't score. I hadn't noticed that either, never mind. I had Valverde but not a lot else (Mollema, Anton). However, there were a number of interesting losses...
De Gendt - lost 2:07
Quintana lost 2:57
Van Den Broek lost 3:23

Oh yeah, got a bit confused

Winner, 1st in GC and Points, 2nd in KoM

But just looking, Combat doesn't score?

So around 60 points

Wonder what happened to Machado? A lot of us had him in, but the top 140 or so are now confirmed, and he ain't among them...

Top 10 GC

Valverde
Intxausti
J-Rod
Froome
Contado
Mollema
Gesink
Uran
Moreno
Anton

Valverde
J-Rod
Froome
Contador
Moreno
Mollema
Capecchi
Intxauati
Talansky
Gesink
Roche
Anton
Anacona
Uran
Marczynsku
Ten Dam
Niemiec
Verdugo
Henao
Kessiakoff

Bah, I thought Valverde might win today but figured he wouldn't score tomorrow, at least I have Froome, Contador and Rodriguez so should do ok today.

defy makes for good racing! makes it easy to pick riders if that's the way these stages are gonna go!

Awesome! Say what you like about Contador but climbs are more exciting when he's in there. Photo between J-Rod and Valverde - Valverde takes red jersey either way. Froome 3rd, Contador 4th.

I nipped out to the shop and its all exploded.

At least my purist team is looking good

Go on Froome dog! show the drugmule how it's done!

13km to go - gap under 30 secs. Looking forward to the next half-hour...

Gone safe-ish
Froome
Swift
J-Rod
Degenkolb

Terpstra
Castroviejo
Talansky
Astraloza
Florencio

The breakaway
Christophe RIBLON (018)
Sergio CARRASCO GARCIA (022)
Andrey ZEITS (039)
Philippe GILBERT (041)
Nico SIJMENS (069)
Dominique ROLLIN (088)
Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU (176)
Pim LIGTHART (214)

First climb

Alto La Aldea
1. Pim LIGTHART (214)
2. Philippe GILBERT (041)
3. Andrey ZEITS (039)

Second Climb

Puerto de Vitoria
1. Pim LIGTHART (214)
2. Philippe GILBERT (041)
3. Andrey ZEITS (039)

Contador
Froome
Rodriguez
Henao

(in for Swift, Viviani, Davis and Degenkolb)

Bouhanni
Quintana
De Weert
Santambrogio
Rasilla

Went safe by picking the GC guys who should top 20 today and tomorrow then I'll bring the sprinters back in. My risky picks would probably have been Valverde, Mollema, van den Broeck and Anton, maybe Meersman too.

Was tempted to leave in Viviani and save a transfer but plumped for Henao instead hoping he has the chance to go for it or at least keeps up.

Although my finger hovered over the confirm button more than once when considering Jeannesson

Used all 4 transfers to get a team of climbers

Out:Swift,Gilbert(watch him breakaway and win now),Bouhanni,Bennati

In:Contador,DeGendt,Uran,DeLaFuente(CajaRural look like they're going to put someone in the break every day)

They join

Froome,Talansky,Quintana,Florencio and Machado.

Fingers crossed for a contribution from everybody today!!

I've brought in the big guns;

Contador
J-Rod
Froome
Viviani
Quintana
Cardoso
Florencio
R.Kreder
Bouhanni

Suprised I'm the only person with Contador so far...

Laurens ten Dam
Fredrik Kessiakoff (for Boom)
Thomas de Gendt
Daniel Moreno
Bart de Clercq
Johan Vansummeren
Paolo Tiralongo
Gorka Verdugo (for Weening)
Rinaldo Nocentini