2013 Vuelta a España

[Chro Mo]

I think he will be more of a challenge to Froome next year.

 

He is very impressive - in the classic sense of the word - as one would describe riders form the 50s and 60s.

 

He and Rodriguez are a joy to watch.

[kosmonooit]

They tried ...

 

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/09/astana-v-horner-553x440.jpg

 

 

and tried

 

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/09/Horner-NIbali-1-505x440.jpg

 

 

and try as he may

 

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/09/Nibali-attacks-2-541x440.jpg

 

 

Chris bought it home

 

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/09/Horner-683x440.jpg

 

 

from Velonews

['Dale]

http://d4nuk0dd6nrma.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CORVOS_00021917-050.jpg

[r0adrunner]

Was an awesome finish.

 

Was good to see Nibali try so hard! Quitters never win

[Ozzie NL]

http://climbing-records.blogspot.com...set-great.html

1. 2000: 41:55 Roberto Heras 18.32 km/h

2. 2013: 43:06 Chris Horner 17.82 km/h

3. 2008: 43:12 Alberto Contador 17.78 km/h

4. 2000: 43:24 Pavel Tonkov 17.70 km/h

5. 2000: 43:24 Roberto Laiseka 17.70 km/h

6. 2013: 43:34 Alejandro Valverde 17.63 km/h

7. 2013: 43:34 Vincenzo Nibali 17.63 km/h

8. 2008: 43:54 Alejandro Valverde 17.49 km/h

9. 2002: 43:55 Roberto Heras 17.49 km/h

10. 2011: 43:57 Juan Jose Cobo 17.47 km/h

 

Best time since early 2000's ie end of dirty period. And producing w/kg LA was chasing when prepping for latter tours (as per Tyler Hamilton's book).

 

Does anyone else smell a rat?

[Ozzie NL]

Was an awesome finish.

 

Was good to see Nibali try so hard! Quitters never win

 

Can only agree. Viinzento is a true champion. He was buggered when he started the climb and somehow found the strenght to put in 6 attacks ( or were there more?)

 

Apperently he s planning on riding worldchamps as well

[GrumpyOldGuy]

...and Horner is still without a contract.? Hmm wonder why, surely someone who breaks all grand tour riders records for the toughest climbs, rides some of the worlds best climbers off his wheel like they were pedestrian and wins a grand tour 5 years older than the previous oldest man to win a grand tour in 1922 who was 36 at the time should at least have a few team managers camped outside his door pen and paper ready.?

 

Personally I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago, great TV maybe but I reckon the peleton know what a rider is physically capable of and whats normal, but like when Froome had fingers pointed at him the peleton supported him, yesterday opposing teams supported Nibali and helped him where they could, they cant come out and point fingers for obvious reasons, but they make their own statements which are just as loud.

 

Sorry, as far as I am concerned "when it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are good........it is a duck."

[Ozzie NL]

...and Horner is still without a contract.? Hmm wonder why, surely someone who breaks all grand tour riders records for the toughest climbs, rides some of the worlds best climbers off his wheel like they were pedestrian and wins a grand tour 5 years older than the previous oldest man to win a grand tour in 1922 who was 36 at the time should at least have a few team managers camped outside his door pen and paper ready.?

 

Personally I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago, great TV maybe but I reckon the peleton know what a rider is physically capable of and whats normal, but like when Froome had fingers pointed at him the peleton supported him, yesterday opposing teams supported Nibali and helped him where they could, they cant come out and point fingers for obvious reasons, but they make their own statements which are just as loud.

 

Sorry, as far as I am concerned "when it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are good........it is a duck."

 

Hmm interesting theory. Was wondering why Spanish opponents were helping out an Italian

['Dale]

Hmm interesting theory. Was wondering why Spanish opponents were helping out an Italian

 

It was very interesting to see a few riders, like Flecha, pace Nibs up the climb for as far as they could.

Not even teammates.

Interesting the loyalty amongst the European PROs.

[Squier]

Just got an sms from my wife. She's next to Columbus Square in Madrid waiting for the peleton to come by. #jealous

['Dale]

Just got an sms from my wife. She's next to Columbus Square in Madrid waiting for the peleton to come by. #jealous

 

[T-Bob]

just great watching the top 5 duke it out in incredible conditions. I'm holding back judgement on the rumour mill, at least for the next few days I want to remember the crazyness and brilliance of this last week of racing.

[Christie]

 

 

Personally I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago, great TV maybe but I reckon the peleton know what a rider is physically capable of and whats normal, but like when Froome had fingers pointed at him the peleton supported him, yesterday opposing teams supported Nibali and helped him where they could, they cant come out and point fingers for obvious reasons, but they make their own statements which are just as loud.

I agree, esp. Since a lot of those miracles came from the same place - 7 TDFs after cancer, a 150km solo break, now the oldest ever GT winner.

[Cippo]

Congrats to Horner. Good, entertaining racing over the last few weeks. I was rooting for Nibs but alas. I know everyone is sceptical of Horner's win

, but as I can remember he stayed with the bunch most of the way and took his time back bit by bit. His records are not really that better than others. Yes he is 41, suppose to be past his prime, but I really think the recent doping has overshadowed his victory. If he did dope he deserves to be banned for life, if he did'nt well done.

[SwissVan]

...and Horner is still without a contract.? Hmm wonder why,

 

Hmm interesting theory. Was wondering why Spanish opponents were helping out an Italian

 

Well lets face it Horner is reaching the end of his usefullness as a Pro tour rider despite his recent win its unlikely he will get any long term contracts with pro tour teams who would rather have a rider who will be able to perorm well consistently throughout the entire season.

 

Maybe they are suurtiet because Horner is linked to Alsonso Spanish team next year?

 

 

Congrats to Horner. Good, entertaining racing over the last few weeks. I was rooting for Nibs but alas. I know everyone is sceptical of Horner's win

, but as I can remember he stayed with the bunch most of the way and took his time back bit by bit. His records are not really that better than others. Yes he is 41, suppose to be past his prime, but I really think the recent doping has overshadowed his victory. If he did dope he deserves to be banned for life, if he did'nt well done.

 

Agreed, time will tell.

Its getting harder for dopers to get away with it and lets remember its a positive test that proves doping, not exceptional performances...

 

IMO Horner was simply the freshest of the main contenders.

[jcza]

All doped up (and nowhere to go) - from Gazetta dello Sport

 

Interviewer: How does it feel to be the oldest ever winner of a Grand Tour?

Chris Horner: Old. Very old.

Int: Many say you achieved it through doping.

CH: **** them. People want to know what I was on? I was on my bike.

Int: You must admit that age 57 is quite old to be dominating athletes in their 20′s and 30′s in the prime of life.

CH: Yeah, it is. (Chuckles).

Int: And you must admit that having spent the majority of your career during the “Golden Era” of blood manipulation makes your victory more than a little suspect.

CH: Yep. Sure does. But you know what?

Int: What?

CH: I’ve never tested positive. And I’m the second most-tested athlete in the history of sport.

Int: You raced alongside Lance Drugstrong while the team was being run by “Chuckles” Bruyneel, who is now being investigated by the Belgian Cycling Federation for violating the first rule in the charter of that nation’s cycling bylaws.

CH: What rule is that?

Int: Don’t get caught.

CH: Right.

Int: So what do you have to say about the estimated VAM of 2034 and a power-to-weight ratio of 6.83 watts/kg on the climb to the finish at Peña Cabarga?

CH: What’s a VAM?

Int: It stands for “Vaglia Antimorto Muscatini.” In English, it means “Analysis of power and output vectors normalized by the number of completely doped and dropped Italians and Spaniards.”

CH: Never heard of it.

Int: Your power-to-weight ratio at at Peña Cabarga and on the Angliru was roughly equivalent to that of a 2-stroke motorcycle. How is that possible?

CH: Training and proper diet.

Int: But you are famous for eating McDonalds …

CH: Like I said.

Int: Given your age, your close affiliation with Drugstrong, and your dominance in a clearly juiced field, how can the fans have any confidence in this outcome?

CH: The fans are people. And people are stupid.

Int: But you can’t expect to fool them forever, can you?

CH: I don’t have to. There’s an entire industry of cycling publications that are standing in line to trumpet my success. They could give a **** about my drug usage as long as I sell copy and pimp product.

Int: The “fanboys with typewriters”?

CH: No. They use Word now.

Int: This makes you only the third American, behind LeMond and Hampsten, to win a Grand Tour. How does that feel?

CH: Uh, aren’t you forgetting someone?

Int: No.

CH: Lance. Lance won the Tour seven times.

Int: All of those wins were stripped by the World Anti Doping Agency Hypocrisy Council.

CH: Look, Lance won those Tours. He might have been juiced to the gills, but it was an even playing field. Like Hitler.

Int: Excuse me?

CH: Hitler killed millions. But so did Stalin. And Pol Pot. And Idi Amin. See? It was a level playing field. Their records stand.

Int: The next-oldest winner of any Grand Tour was 36, and the oldest victor of the Vuelta was Tony Rominger at 33, during the “anything goes” days of unlimited EPO. You’re almost 300 years older than Tony. How do you explain it?

CH: What is there to explain? I’ve never tested positive.

Int: On today’s stage up the Angliru you were formidable and repelled each of the attacks by Nibali, who won the Giro on more drugs than a horse farm. How do you explain it?

CH: Two words. Marginal gains and volcano doping.

Int: That’s four words.

CH: What do you assholes want? Extreme athletic performances or parking lot crits? Throw me into a 21-day concentration camp with climbs that make the Dolomites look like a pasture and I’m gonna do what it takes to win. Throw me into a CBR crit and …

Int: And?

CH: (Grins) I’m STILL gonna do what it takes to win.

END