2008 Vuelta : Stage 4 : Córdoba - Puertollano, 170.3 km. Tuesday, 2nd Sept

From LaVuelta.com...


The Vuelta leaves Andalusia behind after three stages and enters Castilla-La Mancha. With the start in Córdoba and finish line in Puertollano, this 170 kilometre stage is very similar to the one in the 2005 Vuelta, but the race today will start off with two 3rd category climbs: Villares and Chimorra.

The final kilometres will hardly present any problems, so the sprinters know that the finish at Puertollano is the first one where they won’t run into a “trap”. That makes it a day for the faster racers in the main pack. And few races can boast of having so many top-calibre fast racers as habitually come together for the Vuelta a España.

History: Puertollano made its debut in the 2005 Vuelta with a stage won by Alessandro Petacchi and repeated in 2007, with victory going to Colombian racer Leonardo Duque. This will be the third finish in the city in the past four years, an unmistakable sign of the passion Puertollano holds for cycling and the Vuelta.

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Odds for Stage 4 from Sportingbet.com...

Daniele Bennati 21/10
Tom Boonen 21/10
Oscar Freire 6/1
Erik Zabel 11/1
Paolo Bettini 16/1
Koldo Fernandez 20/1
Danilo Napolitano 22/1
Leonardo Duque 25/1
Alejandro Valverde 33/1
Filippo Pozzato 33/1

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Results

1 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
3 Koldo Fernández (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
4 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre
5 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram



Not generating much interest so far it seems.

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I'm keen, I missed today though. Mostly the usual suspects up there again today. When do we hit some bumps?

It's amazing how much the top sprinter's get paid... and how much regular punters are disinterested by the sprint stages compared to the GC sensitive bumpy stages. It must be all about the podium shots and news headlines for the sponsors...

42.5 km flat ITT tomorrow. First mountain stage is this Saturday (Stage 7)... straight after the rest day.

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You're probably right, the sponsors want to see a few of their biggest reps to have a few easy wins.

I don't mind a sprint finish but I want to know that everyone has worked to be at the front and a slightly bendy last few kilometres gives the crafty guys a few places to attack. I guess it means crashes too. I suppose that's why I'm a consumer and not a competitor.