9/5/13 9:39 AM

Yeah I expected him to lose time, but admittedly not as much as he did.
While is he climbing well so is Nibali, I think it's going to be tough to unseat Nibali but I think that he can get 2nd place.

9/5/13 3:36 PM

http://gritandglimmer.com/chris-horner-gives-fallen-rider-and-bike-a-2k-ride-to-the-finish/

9/5/13 5:56 PM

46 seconds isn't too much for Horner to overcome. When Nibali went into claw-back mode on Monday he only sliced 2 seconds from Horner's max advantage.

The TT wasn't exactly climber's territory, Cancellara and Martin are proof of that. It was a cat 3 climb for less than the first half and a descent the rest of the way.

There are still 9 1st cat climbs, 3 of them stage finishes, 2 HC climbs - the last of which is the Angliru ending the penultimate stage. So 4 mountain top finishes to go.

Before the race one of the past winners said essentially "It's not over until the Angliru."

Go Chris Go!

9/6/13 2:52 PM

Interesting Article here
http://www.pelotonmagazine.com/Feedzone/content/6/2619/Can-Chris-Horner-win-this-Vuelta

9/7/13 7:46 AM

“Our most dangerous rival remains Chris Horner”, added Astana’s DS Giuseppe Martinelli.

9/7/13 7:49 AM

Check your regular NBC coverage, 3:00 Sunday for an hour of coverage

9/8/13 1:10 AM

Most unusual cornering style I've ever seen from the winner of the very rain-soaked stage 14. On just about every corner of the descent off the cat 2 before the final climb, he would unclip his inside pedal and stick his leg out sideways with his foot down near the road surface as he cornered. A couple of times, when left and right corners came in quick succession, he was having problems clipping one leg back in and the other leg out quickly enough.

It really looked very comical, but didn't seem to slow him down, though. His time gap at the foot of the descent was pretty much what it had been when he started the descent.

9/8/13 7:11 AM

...when cornering on sketchy surfaces. It shifts your center of gravity slightly toward the inside of the turn, though I'm not sure what advantage there is to that. More importantly, it positions your inside leg to catch a rear-end slide.

One thing I don't understand about Horner's ride was why he went wide in the final turn. He was on Nibali's wheel, but by going wide, he gave him a gap that ended up costing him 2 seconds.

9/8/13 7:48 PM

several top-level guys do it in MotoGP. nobody quite knows the physics or kinesiology, but lots of theories...but the riders say they do it because it gives them confidence in unstable braking situations.

i personally think it has to do with increasing the bike+rider moment of inertia, and thus resistance to undesirable/unplanned movements when cornering. same reason tightrope walkers use those long balancing bars.

9/9/13 5:12 AM

...and it make sense. All I can say is it feels like the natural thing to do off-road. It may look ungainly, but it seems to work.

9/9/13 7:10 AM

That outstretched leg could (in theory) help as a balance tool (like the cat's tail help the cat rotate in mid air)? Easier to fine tune the weight by swinging that leg than shifting the whole body weight?

9/9/13 9:44 AM

Perhaps just making damn sure to stay on the low side 'in the event...' Getting catapulted over the top in front of the bike is never good...

9/9/13 7:01 PM

He took back some seconds today but I doubt he will get another chance. He has put in an impressive ride. Well done this far.

I think the steep mountains are over. Too bad.

9/9/13 7:59 PM

I only got one stage on TV here, and not the last one either. Meh!

9/9/13 9:00 PM

Still thinking that Saturday's stage, finishing on the Angliru, has the potential to change the GC placings. Rest day comes at a good time for Nibali, and the rest of the peloton.

9/9/13 9:01 PM

Angliru is stage 20. This thing could completely change on the second to last day!


Not over yet....

http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-20

9/9/13 9:05 PM

quote:

---

Angliru is stage 20.

---

9/10/13 4:16 AM

I completely forgot about that one. The climb that forces pros to triple chain rings. I stand corrected.

9/10/13 8:50 AM

On paper Thursday looks tougher than Monday.

Longer, more categorized climbs.

Extra rest / easy days might help the 41 year old.

This this might help locating video. It's the stage-by-stage - page - of Walter's excellent Spanish video feed link from above.

9/10/13 9:02 AM

It looks like the Spanish link is using the wrong profile, with the correct markers. All the peaks are botched.

http://img.irtve.es/css/deportes/vuelta2013/perfiles/grandes/etapa18.jpg

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2013/08/25/2/18_perfil_670.png

9/12/13 11:41 AM

Looking good now, Nibali has cracked...

9/12/13 11:46 AM

So close, so close... will Nibali recover for Friday and Saturday?

Do the doping chaperones do their job? :)

Sandiway

9/12/13 12:40 PM

Nibali is only going backwards, the team said as much on the rest day when they admitted his watts were down.

I predict a party in Bend on Sunday.

9/12/13 1:52 PM

Man this is going to be close...

9/13/13 5:46 AM

...the most exciting of this year's grand tours!