2008 Vuelta : Stage 5 : Ciudad Real - Ciudad Real (ITT), 42.5km. Wed, Sep 2nd

Pan flat 42.5 km ITT.

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What a dufus... it's September 3rd.

I hope that error doesn't dissuade posters...

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So who are you guys picking?

An Astana sweep perhaps?

Look for a surprise performance by Bennati, I'm thinking top ten if he goes all out.

Schumacher? Bruseghin? What kind of form is Klodi on? can't wait.

Here's some current odds the bookies are offering...

Levi Leipheimer 2/1
Andreas Kloden 7/2
Stefan Schumacher 5/1
Alberto Contador 6/1
Alejandro Valverde 18/1
Sebastian Lang 20/1
Evgeni Petrov 33/1
Mikhail Ignatiev 33/1
Robert Gesink 33/1
Stef Clement 33/1

So an Astana sweep is not out of the question.

They're quoting Bruseghin at 40/1
Bennati's not even quoted... so he's outside of 100/1 by their estimation. Mind you these are odds to win the stage.

If Valverde is the fifth favourite though... the field isn't that deep.

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I'll say Lang, because his form on the bike is damned good. And I can't bring myself to pick one of the others.

1 Klodi
2 Leipheimer
3 Lang

What will be interesting is if Klodi or Levi gets the jersey, whether or not Contador will attack in the montanas.

Contador will still be team leader... unless he falls off the bike in the ITT and breaks his clavicle. I'm probably missing the nuance of your scenario/point though.

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Klöden was unlucky on stage 4, and is now 5:10 down on GC. So it will be interesting to see if he saves himself in the TT to help the two others later.

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Results From Cycling News

Finish - 42.5km

1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 50.57
2 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 0.12
3 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 0.33
4 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0.49
5 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0.59
6 Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.06
7 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.07
8 Martin Velits (Svk) Team Milram 1.15
9 Dominique Cornu (Bel) Silence - Lotto 1.19
10 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
11 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.21
12 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 1.24
13 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 1.27
14 Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.28
15 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.30
16 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 1.52
17 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1.52
18 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems 1.53
19 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Astana 1.57
20 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 1.59
21 Andry Grivko (Ukr) Team Milram
22 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence - Lotto
23 Matej Jurco (Svk) Team Milram 2.00
24 Stef Clement (Ned) Bouygues Telecom 2.04
25 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank
26 Volodymyr Diudia (Ukr) Team Milram 2.07
27 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 2.08
28 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 2.09
29 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 2.10
30 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 2.11
31 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 2.20
32 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.21
33 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 2.23
34 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre 2.25
35 Sergio Miguel Paulinho Moreira (Por) Astana
36 Mathieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux 2.26
37 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2.32
38 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2.35
39 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre 2.41
40 Christophe Kern (Fra) Crédit Agricole

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Looks like Kloden stepped off the gas a little bit probably under DS orders... Chavanel was a bit of a surprise to me. Not that he isn't a great cyclist and good TT'er... just that he hasn't come that close to Levi in recent times... I think().

Schumacher looks like he is off his master Tour de France medical build-up and back to his expected performance levels before the Tour de France began.

What was Boonen doing pumping his legs with lactic acid unecessarily?

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Yeah Tom almost catching Klodie was a surprise. I suppose he's got a bit of pent up energy. Do his teenage girlfriend's parents still let her go out with him?

Maybe it's related with Worlds build-up.

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Gotta love Boonen

Went for the jersey.