2nd and 3rd, bah.
Interesting, boring, both really. Another 2 team fight, 7 teams overall, that's good, but only 2 teams in the fight for the win again, that was nice in the Giro (ok, 1 clear favorite, but then a bit more with chances) and Tour (3 teams) here we are back to 2... boooring. Can't wait to have decent groups with more contenders again. Even if I'll win even less than now.
So while being boring the fight between the 2 teams was quite interesting. Never spectacular, but that has a lot to do with the suckiness of the route of this Vuelta.... Basically it came all down to 1 question each time: Can Basterretxea follow Agirrezabala?
He could on stage 4+6. Not on stage 8+9. My guess that probably I had form a bit earlier than Agirrezabala? I was on stage 6 I think. Agirrezabala then on stage 8 possibly? As Kwick said, I probably stayed with the gambling too follow for too long, was thinking about the Payot attack on both stage 6 and 8 but decided not too, after following on stage 4 try again on 6 seemed nice, then at 8 already feared a bit that maybe Agirrezabala had later form? So off with Payot then I risk losing more with Basterretexea. In between Unai lost some time due to an ill timed attack on stage 5. 10" After stage 6 so it looked pretty good for me. Should have stopped helping Mobster riding for stage wins there, but why not, the Donkey is nice after all.
TT the expected loss, after the untimely training of Unai... grrrr. And would fit with the later form for him too, 32" lost, it really should be 27" with same form, but of course fully within the realistic result including the chance. With 3,5 difference of course it fits even better though.
Then stage 12, 19" lost, plus 4" bonifications, the most decisive stage of them all finally. 1. September, new form, Asier on Sierra Nevada, expected Unai there too, which Mobster confirmed, Unai goes on a 8% and Asier can't follow. Was confident to follow there really, ok, you never fully are with one less mountain, but with same form often you do. And 8% seemed pretty safe, I'm much more worried on 6-7% than on 8%. Was doing my usualy gambling, he goes, I gain some time back, but that time loss was too big finally.
2 days later I followed, even gained a second, Unai not wanting to risk reg problems
Sierra Nevada I finally did the Payot attack, 8" gained for Basterretxea, Payot caught then loses some time. Back at 2" in GC. Earlier attack and I might get red again actually, so small mistake there again, but ok, 2" is in striking distance.
Stage 17, rode all day, needed to follow and win the sprint, Asier on the 8% again doesn't follow. Bah... It must have been close each time, sometimes enough, sometimes just not, I probably should have gone for not following but Asier block here, then counter and win solo in the last km... but not clever enough for such stuff clearly.
Stage 18 was good, can't follow, but Guilllaume wins a little, and here I was not confident to follow at all anyway. If ahead of course I have to ride tempo and hope to lose 1", not more, like this being back already 10" that made no sense anymore, risk.
Stage 19 + 20 the ones to attack, 19 I sort of tried but made a rather big mess out of it
But would most likely not have worked anyway, Mobster had good following. Stage 20 then Mobster off at first, so we started the fight late... and when he then within 5 minutes complained about some Lula tempo with Rossi in his wheel in an easy controllable escapes, the Lulas weren't fit since I caught 2 of his attacks I think (one seemed to be the precursor to more attacks immediately, the other was when I wanted to ride anyway) I decided to give him some shit... after all if anything his being offline helped him. No problem, real life, so we can wait a bit for the fight, but then immediately whine? No no no, he'll get shit and I'll try to sour his enjoyment of his first GT win a bit. Not that I think I would have really had good chances anyway, if he's on from the start I attack immediately with Pecci and Meucci, he chases with his dead guys, after the first Navacerrada it's either 9 Donks 6 Mobsters or 8 Donks 5 Mobsters. And then soon the next attack, Short-Meucci most likely, when Orter basically kills that Carpinteiro-Rossi, then when the mountains restart more... and then hope to somehow manage to get a guy on top of the Morcuera to ride Payot down with 2' advantage OR with Agirrezabala already used and thus a chance for Basterretxea in the final climb. But with classics that at c4f are really favored on this stage thought it all had maybe a 2% chance of somehow working. Even without the classics that should help him at some point it's only 3%. But with the late start it goes down to 1%. Hm, 50% less chances
Huge difference!!!!
So no problem really, I "lost" the Vuelta earlier, not here, but don't start whining for really nothing (that Lulu-Lula escape with Rossi wasn't going anywhere anyway, and even if, Rossi with reg my least fit already helping classic anyway). Or you get some Donks shit back, should be known that it's the whiners like Hansa-Manghi etc that piss me off most... the type that tells a newcomer to let the favorite work even when that semi newcomer has the best sprinter AND a decent flat team... Anyway, congrats to MObster for winning the Vuelta with the brilliant strategy of being of for 60km
Can't resist, sorry. Didn't really change anything though, no problem.
My team, ok, of course missed Rrurrambu sometimes, but then no Pecci. And just frustration with Rrurrambu, no flat, doesn't get his wheels, most sprint, has to work, and with the avowed trick sprint supporter Kwick in the peloton.... brrrr. Ok, Kwick never did actually use the trick sprint... strange, maybe he was afraid of "Big Trek: The wrath of Donks" as he would put it. Of course Pecci was mostly useless too, TTT, but I actually didn't ride that that well, excellent start due to Mobster mistake, then I overestimated the impact of more power in the last 10 or so km, so changed to fast too late, should have done it when Mobster got his settings right, probably gain 5" or max 10" more than with my ok ok, I keep the settings and go fast only at the end. A flat guy with reg would have been more useful overall, but don't really have that except downtraining Tran.
So quite fun, but not really super exciting Vuelta, waiting for the attack, is it follow or can't follow today? Was not follow at least once too often... and I wasn't sharp enough to adapt at all it seems, the let him go and catch sounds much better in retrospect, at least after Sierra Nevada.
Actually pretty happy to be back to 1 day races! 20 riders and use only 9 for 3 weeks, blah, what if my other guys forget me and refuse to follow my orders?