Another hilly stage that played out much like a one day classic, especially with the finale. It was a twisty, uphill finish, one spot having a 23% gradient. You expect days like this in the spring classics, but not necessarily in the 4th stage of a grand tour. Come to think of it I may have said the same thing about the 4th stage of this year's Tour. The first of the big name contenders cracked today. Carlos Sastre lost over a minute today. His form had improved in the Tour, but too late to make a real showing and I believe now that he was unable to carry that form through to the Vuelta. My guess is he'll get stronger as the race goes, but it will be too little too late. All the other big names are right there and so this will be a fun Vuelta. You really should check out the video of today's stage it's a crazy finish.
From an Americans perspective the big surprise is Tejay Van Garderen who currently sits 6th overall. He has been right there in the mix these past two days and I have to say I have no idea who he is. I'll have to do a bit of research and find out more about him.
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