Vuelta Stage 3 Review - Exciting Mountain Racing Returns (Thanks Contador)

Today's Stage: A stage 3 Mountaintop finish. And it ended up being great racing, better than anything involving the GC men at the Tour de France.

Who won today's stage? Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) beat Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) in a photo finish after Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff) attacked six times climbing up the mountain. There were only four riders at the end but a false flat near the end allowed a group of 10 riders to bridge back to only a six second gap.

What matters in the GC race? Valverde also took the red leader's jersey with his stage win as he was on the winning team in the opening TTT and also got a 12 second time bonus for the stage win. Valverde teammate Benat Intxausti is second as he finished with the second group. The other three lead group riders, Rodriguez, Contador and Tour de France runner up Chris Froome (Team Sky) are 3^rd-5^th. Most of the other contenders for top positions are still in good position as they finished in the second group. That included the Rabobank pair of Robert Gesnik and Bauke Mollema, Igor Anton (Euskatel) and key domestiques Daniel Moreno (Katusha) and Rigoberto Uran (Team Sky). Of note among those losing time were John Gadret (Ag2r La Mondiale), Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) and Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil)

What matters in the other competitions? This section will be hiatus until after the summit finish on stage four.

Biggest surprise: The sheer amount of aggression. There was more aggression amongst the GC men on this final climb than there was the entire Tour de France (minus Nibali). While most of that was Contador, Valverde also put in a couple of digs as did Rodriguez. Even Anton, despite finishing in the second group upped the pace at the front at one point.

Biggest disappointment: Defending champion Juan Jose Cobo (Movistar) hasn't been in good form. We know that. Still, he was out of the front group before Contador started his digs. Given his teammates Valverde and Intxausti are 1-2 overall, Cobo should be ready to be fetching water bottles and pacing his teammates up the climbs for the rest of the rest of the race.

Other items of note: Many of the top riders in the world are at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. That is starting today with an interesting stage that will likely end in a select sprint amongst GC men. Part of that is the climbing on the stage (there is a lot) and part of that is the altitude as the sprinters who can climb normally could make it on this type of stage... Tactically, this stage was very interesting. The job of chasing the breakaway was left to Movistar who had the race leadership. Once it was evident the break would be caught, Team Sky came to the front to try their train thing that worked so well at the Tour de France. It didn't work. Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez are just the type of riders who will uncaringly attack the train in high risk moves. With more than one of them (only Nibali fit that bill in the Tour), the train is much more likely to crack and while Froome was never isolated (Uran was in the second group), he certainly won't be getting to the final climb of each stage with five domestiques at his disposal like his teammate Bradley Wiggins did at the Tour.

What is coming tomorrow? More mountains. Tomorrow is summit finish number two. It is not terribly difficult, but it is longer than today's finish was. Expect more aggression especially as it is a true summit finish as opposed to toady when the summit was 2 km from the finish.

Tomorrow's Prediction: Alberto Contador, Joaquin Rodriguez, Robert Gesink (Rabobank)

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Final Race Review

Race Winner: Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) won stage 1 on the climb to Crested Butte to take the lead, lost it on the Independence Pass descent in the rain and then regained it on the Veil time trial the next day. After that, he held on for a victory by 11 seconds over Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo)

Best stage: Stage 5 from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge was one of the best days of racing of the entire season. It's not often riders the caliber of Andy Scheleck (Leopard-Trek) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), normally Grand Tour contenders, are in breakaways working together to stay away from the peloton. Then, neither was the strongest man as Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) was attacking in the end after recovering from his horrifying Tour de France crash. Ultimately, none would win as the peloton took advantage of the attacks and feigning attacks to catch the break with under 1 km to go giving Italian sprinter Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) the chance to win a second stage after his stage 4 victory.

Worst stage: The stage 4 run to Steamboat Springs was about as dull and by the number as can be. My opinion may very well be colored by having watched a similar stage at the Vuelta a España earlier that morning, but there was a feeling of inevitability here. Race starts. Attacks happen until breakaway gets away. Breakaway gets lead up to five or six minutes over leisurely peloton. Peloton wakes up and chases break. Stage ends in sprint finish. Many stages in many races all over the world play out like that and this was no exception. Viviani got the stage win.

Biggest surprise: Patrick Gretsch (HTC-High Road) takes the prologue time trial. Gretsch is a good time trialer, but he was not a favorite at all with strong American time trialists and Tour de France champion and time trial specialist Cadel Evans (BMC) in the field.

Biggest disappointment: The coverage had all sorts of issues, especially early on in the mountains. On the big early stages, the camera feed froze many time and was very jumpy. Most notable among the problems was something largely uncontrollable: the airplane relaying the feed to the satellites from the race had ice on its wings. The ice caused the plane to have to leave, making coverage impossible on the descent from Independence Pass. While coverage was out, Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-High Road) attacked in the rain and when coverage resumed, Van Garderen, George Hincapie (BMC) and Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo) were driving a small group to the finish having dropped Leipheimer and Evans. Hincapie ultimately took the stage.

Other competitions:

Green Jersey (Points, Sprinter competition): Viviani won this competition easily, doubling his nearest competitor. After his impressive showing, he will likely head to the World Championships in Denmark next month.

Red Jersey (King of the Mountains): Rafael Montiel (Gobernacion de Antioquia) took the win in this competition on the final climb up Lookout Mountain during the final stage. All of the top four riders were Colombians.

Blue Jersey (Best young rider): Van Garderen took this jersey on the prologue and held it all the way to the end. His only day not wearing it was because he was the overall leader wearing the yellow jersey.

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 6 Report

Today's stage: Finishing stage into Denver with an early climb to soften the legs a little bit. Probable bunch sprint stage.

Who won today's stage: Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) was so quick on his leadout for double stage winner Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) that they gapped the field and Viviani gifted his teammate Oss the stage win as a thank you for the lead outs to victory the last two days.

What matters in the GC race? Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) finished 6^th on the stage to confirm his overall victory. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo) finished second overall and Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-High Road) finished third overall and easily took the young riders competition.

Biggest surprise: Rafael Montiel (Gobernacion de Antioquia) got away on the Lookout Mountain climb and got enough points to steal the King of the Mountains jersey.

Biggest disappointment: Nobody challenged Oss and Viviani. I enjoyed their team up over the last few days, but I also enjoy chaotic bunch sprints. Today was not that as Van Garderen broke the field in the final km and no other sprinters were left to contest the stage win at the end giving the Liquigas guys an easy 1-2 finish.

Other items of note: Viviani easily won the points competition with his two stage wins and a second... Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek) put in a good ride again today, trying to bridge to the breakaway very late in his attempt to get a stage win...

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 5 Report

Today's stage: Uphill run from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge expected to decide the overall victory or end with a successful break.

Who won today's stage? Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) took his second straight stage in a surprising bunch sprint after a big name loaded breakaway stared at each other and allowed the peloton to catch them in the final km.

What matters in the GC race? Nothing and everything. There were no changes in the GC. At the same time, there is little chance of changes tomorrow so it appears Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) will win the race overall.

Biggest surprise: This stage finished in a sprint. That is just a shocking outcome on such an uphill stage with a late climb.

Biggest disappointment: The breakaway threw it away. There was a four man breakaway that looked like it was going to win and it had some of the bigger names in the sport in it. Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek), Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) and Tom Peterson (Garmin Cervelo) were the leaders and they gave it all away by staring at each other allowing the peloton to catch them. Also, which name doesn't fit with the others there...?

Other items of note: Viviani likely has this competition locked up. Only Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-High Road) can possibly catch him and it's not likely considering he is not a sprinter and tomorrow's stage is a likely sprint finish.

What is coming tomorrow? Sprint stage to finish the race, but with an early mountain that could cause it to be a smaller, more select group though that mountain is very early in the stage. I expect a full bunch sprint with Viviani favored to take stage win number 3.

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 3 Time Trial Report

Today's stage: Time trial day. Uphill. There aren't too many of these normally so it was an interesting day.

Who won today's stage? Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) took the stage by under a second from Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo), who rode the best time trial of his career.

What matters in the GC race? Leipheimer is now the leader again followed by Vande Velde in second place. Overnight leader Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-High Road) is now 3^rd after finishing the stage in sixth place.

Biggest surprise: Vande Velde's ride. When he was on course, he was visibly faster than everyone in front of him including Tour de France champ and time trial specialist Cadel Evans (BMC). Considering he had not shown form anywhere near this level since 2008, the high placing is a total shock.

Biggest disappointment: Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek) once again was underwhelming. Considering he needs to be working on his time trialing and the uphill nature of this should have given him some help, getting beat by brother Frank is just an awful result considering that Frank is a terrible time trial rider (If Frank could do anything at all in the time trial, he would be the likely Grand Tour winner instead of brother Andy).

Other items of note: Whether he wins the race or not overall, Leipheimer appears to have locked up the Green Points jersey... Van Garderen has pretty much done the same with the Blue Young Riders jersey though he wasn't wearing it today because he was the overall leader... Versus still is having some technical problems with its broadcast, but it was generally much better today.

What is coming tomorrow? A largely downhill stage to Steamboat Springs that is likely to end in a sprint finish, if in fact there are any sprinters in this race.

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 2 Report

Today's stage: The queen stage. Independence Pass followed by a rainy descent into Aspen.

Who won today's stage? George Hincapie (BMC) took the stage win with a well-timed sprint from a small six man group after the Independence Pass descent.

What matters in the GC race? Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-High Road) took over the race lead by finishing second behind Hincapie and dropping previous race leader Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) on the descent. Hincapie is now second and third on the stage Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo) is now in third overall. Leipheimer falls to fourth, but he is still within a minute of Van Garderen.

Biggest surprise: Van Garderen and Danielson got loose on the descent. There were issues with the television feed all day and the feed went out just as a group led by Cadel Evans (BMC) rejoined a four man leading group. When the feed returned, Van Garderen and Danielson had led a six man group clear of Leipheimer and Evans in the rain.

Biggest disappointment: Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek) was dropped on the Independence Pass climb and once again will not win. Back at the Tour de France, I said Schleck should really race some of these smaller races to learn how to win. He isn't doing it here and it won't help him in the future. Remember that he has never won a stage race in his career despite his favorite status.

Other items of note: The feed issues today were caused by the plane carrying the satellite feed having ice on its wings so it had to depart the race for a little while... There was a large crash early on today. Among the headliners involved were Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale).

What is coming tomorrow? The dreaded uphill mountain time trial. Outside of the Giro d'Italia, riders don't see too many of these so it will be interesting to see how everyone reacts.

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 1 Report

Today's stage: 99 mile stage with a climb over 11,000 ft finishing with the only summit finish of the race.

Who won today's stage? Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) attacked on the final climb gaping the field to take the win over Sergio Henao (Gobernacion de Antioquia) and Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek).

What matters in the GC race? Leipheimer took over the race lead by winning the stage. He also took a 10 second time gap over the other contenders to establish himself as the overwhelming favorite in this race right now.

Biggest surprise: Leipheimer's attack. He even said it himself in the post race interview. He has never won a race in that fashion with an explosive attack. War of attrition, yes. Time Trial, yes. Explosive mountain attack, not until today when he followed Frank Schleck's wheel and realized they had gapped everyone else leading to his own attack.

Biggest disappointment: The race itself was long and boring until the end. Having a huge early climb can sometimes cause a great race, but sometime it ends up like today. Breakaway escapes, peloton meanders until they need to chase, peloton catches break before the end, sprint/climb to the finish. It ended up a by the books stage in every way.

Other items of note: Robert Gesink (Rabobank) along with Leipheimer continued the redemption from France we have seen at the Vuelta in Spain. Gesink and Leipheimer both had an awful time of it in France because of crashes... Former leader Patrick Gretsch (HTC-High Road) was with the group until halfway up the climb before being dropped. He lost over a minute on the day, but the GC was never his target.

What is coming tomorrow? A difficult stage headed to Aspen. The climbs include Cottonwood Pass and Independence Pass. Looks like a stage for a climber who can descend considering Independence Pass is 20 miles from the finish.

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Prologue Report

Today's stage: 5.2 mi prologue time-trial to get the race started.

Who won today's stage? Patrick Gretsch (HTC-High Road) got his second win of the season stunning everyone by winning the prologue over the more established specialists like David Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervelo), Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) and Cadel Evans (BMC)

What matters in the GC race? Leipheimer, winner of the Tour of Utah last week is the top GC guy in 7^th overall unless second place Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo) is in much better form than he has shown in recent years. Tour de France winner Evans sits right behind Leipheimer in 9^th right now. Further down, Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek), Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) all had weak time trials and dug themselves holes early on.

What matters in the other competitions?

With the first stage having been a time-trial, there are no other jerseys to speak of. Gretsch absorbed all of them (including the young rider jersey).

Biggest surprise: The early men on the course all rode very quickly. With the exception of Vande Velde, all of the major time trial specialists and GC contenders rode at the end of the day and all wilted on the final run in to the finish that was the only uphill portion of the course.

Biggest disappointment: The Schleck brothers, Andy in particular, haven't improved in the time trial. It's both of their Achilles heel and Andy really has a chance to improve and win a major Grand Tour at some point if he does.

Other items of note: The race pretty much turns uphill from now until the end of the race on Sunday.

What is coming tomorrow? Just like the Vuelta, mountain carnage. We summit a mountain over 11,000 ft and then finish on top of Mount Crested Butte. The lead should change hands as Gretsch is not a great climber at all.

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