Vuelta a Espana

Unlucky with Groves, I was planning to bring him back in but it meant using 2 transfers. I was lucky to get van Eetvelt in for Kron, only just beating the deadline.

I wasted a few transfers the last few stages, I lost Kron and I Schmid crashed yesterday too, nothing from Narvaez either.

Vacek a star again and Kung too.

I thought it would be touch and go for Groves, he came 3rd in the Giro last year after a similar climb near the finish but with longer to get back on.

It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow. I think Roglic will go for it, he was after bonus seconds today. Although they may want to save energy for Stage 9.

Hopefully we will see some aggressive riding in the next few days. There is only one rider with an excuse to ride defensively now.

Interesting to see you have kept Vacek in.

I was originally planning the same but I read/heard that he didn't sprint on stage 5 because he wasn't well. I wish I hadn't heard/read that now.

You also have a lot of confidence in O'Connor.

I just felt that, with a lot of flat at the start, he was a decent shout for the break. As we now know, that didn't happen! Your man Schmid looking good though. He will probably get combativity too as he was the driving force behind the break. I went with O'Connor because he carries  decent points and is unlikely to collapse in the next few days (famous last words!) 

I think you may be taking the lead after this stage, despite O'Connor.

Choosing Almeida was a disaster for me. Zero points and another transfer wasted when I take him out for tomorrow.

Schmid did too much work early in the stage and faded, Tejada most combative for me.

O'Connor quite possibly out of the top ten by the finish of tomorrows stage. Today he made the same mistake he made in the Giro - trying to follow a faster rider and going into the red.

I'm not falling for these mind games.... I think you have actually scored a couple more than me 😆! I agree with you about O'Connor. He was looking good near the end so he would probably have been better riding more conservatively rather than exploding and losing a lot of lot of time very quickly. Tiberi is an odd one for me. In my head he isn't a GC rider but this season he keeps proving me wrong! 

I like Tiberi, he has consistently improved over the last couple of years.

I didn't pick him for my purist because he has had very bad days early in races and then has to play catch up. But this time it looks like he had his bad day in Vuelta a Burgos.

It will be interesting to see what UAE do now. Del Toro is their top rider on GC 1 minute off the top 10, with Sivakov 30 seconds further back.

I guess Almeida was ill today.

Covid they are saying. UAE need a plan C urgently. Soler in every break? 

Soler and Vine were way down today, it could be that several UAE riders are ill.

Soler is certainly in my thoughts for the next few stages, maybe even tomorrow but if there is a risk of illness through the team.......

It has definitely become a very interesting race - and Roglic hasn't had his customary falling off yet! 

When he doesn't crash he usually wins.

I think the team are riding more protectively of him in this race and keeping him much nearer the front all the time and surrounding him.

I see Almeida is a DNS. Hopefully UAE try something to get a rider back up in GC contention.

UAE do need to get their priorities sorted quickly - GC  or stages. I suspect the latter. I bet they wish they hadn't excluded Ayuso now! 

Yates, Vine & Soler in the break, they could get Yates back in GC contention & win the stage.

Decathlon handing the red jersey to Gaudu at a rival French team !!

Although very early days in this stage yet.

At least we know what the UAE plan is now! Shaping up to be an exciting stage.

No my finest move taking out O'Connor today & bringing Tiberi in (and using 2 transfers to enable it)......panic transfers because everyone else seemed to have Tiberi. My gut feeling that he is inconsistent was proved right. Oh well, cracking stage non the less.

Oh God !! And I thought it was a disasterous stage for me.

UAE say Tiberi had heat stroke and DNF.

Riders should be taught to recognize the symptoms, heat stroke can be very dangerous if you carry on when you are overheating.

I thought O'Connor would struggle with the heat but it looked like he coped with it better than most, Roglic looked as though he was struggling.

I'm telling myself just to relax regarding the game and enjoy a really competitive Grand Tour. It is shaping up brilliantly. Does anyone believe Adam Yates saying he isn't interested in the GC? Is Carapaz for real? He came second on the stage after chasing down the breakaway and then having a good shot at Yates. Only the points jersey seems settled currently. 

Carapaz is probably the best 'racer' out there and the team are set up to race like that, they do things differently.

Yates could quite easily drop out of GC again on stage 13 along with others.

The next 3 stages will see other riders moving back up GC from the break.

Sort of like 'Wacky Races'.

Wacky Races is a perfect description!! 

Penelope Pitstop in EF colours

Ready for the breakaway lottery ?

So many top riders not concerned with GC race it will make it difficult for the regular breakaway riders.

I hate weeks like this in the game. Just rolling the dice. I know Dick Dastardly will scupper whoever I pick! 

But you are doing very well in Spanish Riders only competition

I entered, picked a team and forgot to edit it.

I am quietly very excited about being top of the Spanish riders only! I've never really bothered spending much time picking a team and only occasionally look at how I'm doing, so was surprised to be joint top. Won't last I fear! 

I took a bit of a risk today and praying the break makes it.

Peloton has given up by the looks of it and you should score big points. Fortune sometimes does favour the brave. I did think of Van Aert but he said the last week suited him better....

I read an interview with van Aert on the Danish site Feltet. He said the 3rd week suited him better but he would still try and get in breaks this week.

Soler was a late change for O'Connor, Soler was almost certain to get in the break in one of the next 3 stages and probably out-score O'Connor as a result.

Although O'Connor could pick up extra points if the breaks are small like today.

Van Aert is the big one.... 70 odd points and likely combativity to take it up to 80. My overall lead taking a huge hit today! 

No WVA for me either, I am hoping there are are not too many that picked him.

It's funny how you can't enjoy a great ride because you haven't got a particular rider. I hated every minute of that! To add insult to injury, the peloton rolled in so not even minor points to be had. 

There were a couple of others had WVA in the top 10.

I make it 86 points he scored.