cactus-jack wrote:
Rodriguez isn't all that bad in a sprint himself. I am a little surprised by the fact that he didn't challenge Valverde in the final sprint. I don't know where he ended up, but i couldn't see him on the replay so I don't know wether or not he was blocked or something like that.
If he simply didn't sprint for it then I give him no credit whatsoever. After losing the red jersey partly by waiting way to long before he started chasing Contador on the deciding stage and losing the point jersey because he didn't try to follow Valverde (if that's what happend) then he doesn't deserve it.
Just to make it clear, I'm not saying he would have won the Vuelta if he had started chasing Contador earlier, but from my point of view he could have done more then he did.
I'd just like to say that Rodriquez is in a wrong team. He is not overly smart (didn't he lose the points jersey last year too) and it seems neither is the team's staff.
So I think it's fair to say that the Vuelta was by far the most exciting GT of 2012? (With the exception of the late domination of Contador, but that was still pretty good.)
I would rather say Purito domination with one/two lame days that costed him all. Others stole the glory with their tactics, when Purito was not looking...
J.Rod's VO2 (maximal oxygen consumption) would be 95 ml/kg/min, which is absolutely exceptional.
Then for most favourites, powers were around 420 W at Puerto de Ancares, more than 440 at Lagos de Covadongas (still far from Tonkov, Jalabert and Zülle who did 480 in 1997 ), but much above the mid 80's riders who did 420 W there.
In Citu Negru's stage, the favourites were around or slightly above 410 in the first two climbs, then above 430 (AC and Purito) or 420 (Piti) in the last one.
Fuente De wasn't steep enough for proper measurements.
Bola Del Mundo was slower : 381 W for Froome, 387 for A.C., 396 for Purito.
Overall, Rodriguez averaged 425 W in significant climbs, Contador and Valverde 420 on 30 minutes climbs. Froome and Moreno are around 410 (in the first week Froome was at the Spanish level), Talansky and Gesink 405 W, and the rest of the peloton was below that.
Covadongas is the maximum that was observed, but it was a _________/ profile.
Contador has shown a level matching his Giro 2011 one, but back then he didn't need to fight as much, so he didn't really show his maximum, so he's probably a little weaker right now.
Purito was stronger in Spain than in Italy. Froome was under his level from TDF, but should be able to match the other ones when in top form.
This was the strongest G.T. of the season (Hesjedal averaged 400 W in Italy, Wiggins 415 in France). In recent years, only Contador's victorious 2007 and 2009 TDF were at that level.
Aquarius wrote:
Then for most favourites, powers were around 420 W at Puerto de Ancares, more than 440 at Lagos de Covadongas (still far from Tonkov, Jalabert and Zülle who did 480 in 1997 ), but much above the mid 80's riders who did 420 W there.
), but much above the mid 80's riders who did 420 W there.
