Sky rider needs to put in a huge performance to overhaul Cobo’s 13 second advantage
For some, the time bonuses animate the racing and ensure the big guns push all the way to the finish when there are seconds up for grabs. For others, they distort the general classification and can hand an advantage to a rider who didn’t actually cover the whole route faster than his rivals.
There’s mixed feelings about the bonuses in this year’s Vuelta but the rider who has lost out most because of them, Chris Froome, accepts their inclusion. He also pledges to try to use the same time bonuses to win the race overall today.
Removing the bonuses awarded to date from the general classification, Froome would be 19 seconds ahead of race leader Juan Jose Cobo (Geox TMC) rather than 13 seconds behind. “The time bonuses are there for a race to be more exciting but it doesn’t play in my favour this time around,” he said prior to the start of today’s final stage to Madrid. “I can only say that I don’t really agree that so much time bonus is given at top mountain finishes, but we all know the rules prior to racing and we have to race accordingly.”
Rather than waste energy talking about what he can’t change, he pledges to try to use the remaining kilometres to turn things his way. “I’m not here to complain about the rules. There’s still a possibility for me to win. We’ll keep going all the way through. We’ll keep the pressure on Cobo until the very end,” he promised.
Today’s final leg is 95.6 kilometres in length and features three opportunities to gain time. The first is 51.3 kilometres from the finish, coming the third time over the finish line, while the second comes five laps later, with 22.8 kilometres to go.
Both of those offer sprint bonuses of six, four and two seconds. The final sprint for the stage win awards 20, twelve and eight seconds, giving a total of 32 seconds up for grabs.
Froome tried to reduce his deficit yesterday but got his timing wrong for the final intermediate sprint, making his effort a couple of kilometres too soon due to a misunderstanding. “It was a mix up but we tried again. We’ve kept pressure on Cobo with the commitment of the whole but once again, he didn’t crack,” he said.
Surprisingly, the team didn’t attack on the day’s first category climb. Although it was nearly 50 kilometres from the finish, many anticipated that Sky Procycling would try something. Instead, Froome and the others remained in the peloton.
Everything comes down to today’s final stage, and Froome said that he’ll keep trying. He said that he has extra motivation to do so. “My father and my brother have followed me for a few days and they’ve just decided to accompany me until Madrid. I’d love to please them with being the winner of the Vuelta…”
Cobo recognised yesterday that it was too soon to celebrate, even if he’s the most likely winner of the race. “Mathematically, I’m not the winner of the Vuelta yet. There are two remaining intermediate sprints and the finish in Madrid. That makes a total of 32 seconds up for grab but fortunately, Froome isn’t a sprinter. I’d love tomorrow’s final stage to be a party but Froome has the right to race for winning.”
The race has now passed the first of those two intermediate sprints, with a breakaway group mopping up the bonus seconds. That makes things even more difficult for Froome, who must either win the stage with Cobo finishing outside the points, or score highly in the two remaining sprints.