<figure ><img title="2015 Vuelta a Espana, stage 15: Rodriguez" src="http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2015/09/9-6-Purito-TDW-320x212.jpg"/><p>Joaquim Rodriguez barrels toward a stage win and closes in on the red jersey. Photo: Tim De Waele | <a href=http://www.tdwsport.com target="_blank">TDWsport.com</a>
</p></figure><p>ARENAS DE CABRALES, Spain (VN) — Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) has been Mr. Consistent over much of the past decade, winning important one-day classics and finishing on the podium in all three grand tours.</p>
<p>With a bit of luck, the rider nicknamed “Purito” might have won a Giro d’Italia, a Vuelta a España, and a world title.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Rodríguez made his own luck, attacking up the brutally steep closing kilometers to Sotres deep in the heart of the Picos de Europa. And it was nearly mission accomplished. He gapped time trial threat Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), now fourth at 1:25 back; he won his ninth career Vuelta stage; and he almost stole the red leader’s jersey away from Fabio Aru (Astana).</p>
<p>“We are in an ideal position,” said Rodríguez, who now sits just one second behind Aru on the overall. “We won the stage, and now we’re in position to try to win this Vuelta. Things couldn’t be going better right now.”</p>
<p>Can the 36-year-old Rodríguez finally win a grand tour? This could very well be his best, and last, chance.</p>
<p>With Chris Froome (Sky) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) out of the race, and with the Movistar duo of Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde lagging out of podium range, Rodríguez is hoping this could be his moment.</p>
<p>With only a second’s advantage, Aru nonetheless has a very powerful Astana team to support him. Dumoulin lost 51 seconds Sunday, but remains within striking distance going into Wednesday’s individual time trial at Burgos. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo), now third at 1:24 back, and Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), fifth at 1:34, are making things interesting.</p>
<p>Rodríguez has been down this road before, and knows that nothing is won until the final finish line of the final stage is crossed.</p>
<p>“It’s complicated to win the Vuelta,” Rodríguez said. “Recovery is the key. Right now, I am feeling good, and we have a very hard stage tomorrow, that is just as hard as the stage in Andorra. It depends on who can recover best.”</p>
<p>Rodríguez said he is taking it “day by day,” without looking too far ahead, but the Vuelta is reaching the boiling point. Monday’s intense climbing stage, with more than 5,000 vertical meters, and Wednesday’s 38.7km TT in Burgos, should decide everything.</p>
<p>“Right now I am ‘tranquilo,’” Rodríguez said. “Sure, I want to win this Vuelta, but it’s very complicated. Tomorrow is a very important day, and then the time trial. Whoever takes the leader’s jersey out of Burgos should win. I am not too worried about all that right now. I am staying calm.”</p>
<p>Rodríguez is right to be wary. He’s been in the lead before only to have everything come crashing down.</p>
<p>In 2010, he looked rock solid, but rode a horrible time trial at Peñafiel, bleeding six minutes, to lose the Vuelta to Nibali. In 2012, he underestimated Ryder Hesjedal, and lost the Giro to the Canadian by just 16 seconds.</p>
<p>The most bitter experience came in the 2012 Vuelta, when he was clearly stronger than Alberto Contador but got ambushed in a transition stage to Fuente Dé, which was just on the other side of the Picos de Europa mountains from this Sunday’s stage finale. And his biggest heartbreak was losing the 2013 world title to Rui Costa in Italy.</p>
<p>So no one can blame Rodríguez if he’s talking down his chances to the enthusiastic Spanish media, which would rather see one of its own win the Vuelta.</p>
<p>“The GC is all knotted up, and tomorrow there will be another shake up,” Rodríguez said. “Hopefully, tomorrow we have the possibility to take the red jersey. Dumoulin is racing very smart. He’s measuring his efforts, not going into the red, and he’s still there, and we need more time on him before the time trial. It’s impossible to predict who is going to win this Vuelta.”</p>
<p>Still, the stars may finally be aligning. If Dumoulin loses a lot more time Monday, he could be eliminated as a legitimate GC threat. Rodríguez, Aru, and riders such as Majka and Chaves are equally as bad — or good — against the clock.</p>
<p>It will come down to legs, will, and experience. Rodríguez is hoping that the numbers finally add up in his favor.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/09/news/rodriguez-rolls-the-dice-and-he-may-come-up-a-big-winner_384000">Rodriguezrolls the dice, and he may come up a big winner</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com">VeloNews.com</a>.</p>
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</p></figure><p>ARENAS DE CABRALES, Spain (VN) — Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) has been Mr. Consistent over much of the past decade, winning important one-day classics and finishing on the podium in all three grand tours.</p>
<p>With a bit of luck, the rider nicknamed “Purito” might have won a Giro d’Italia, a Vuelta a España, and a world title.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Rodríguez made his own luck, attacking up the brutally steep closing kilometers to Sotres deep in the heart of the Picos de Europa. And it was nearly mission accomplished. He gapped time trial threat Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), now fourth at 1:25 back; he won his ninth career Vuelta stage; and he almost stole the red leader’s jersey away from Fabio Aru (Astana).</p>
<p>“We are in an ideal position,” said Rodríguez, who now sits just one second behind Aru on the overall. “We won the stage, and now we’re in position to try to win this Vuelta. Things couldn’t be going better right now.”</p>
<p>Can the 36-year-old Rodríguez finally win a grand tour? This could very well be his best, and last, chance.</p>
<p>With Chris Froome (Sky) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) out of the race, and with the Movistar duo of Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde lagging out of podium range, Rodríguez is hoping this could be his moment.</p>
<p>With only a second’s advantage, Aru nonetheless has a very powerful Astana team to support him. Dumoulin lost 51 seconds Sunday, but remains within striking distance going into Wednesday’s individual time trial at Burgos. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo), now third at 1:24 back, and Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), fifth at 1:34, are making things interesting.</p>
<p>Rodríguez has been down this road before, and knows that nothing is won until the final finish line of the final stage is crossed.</p>
<p>“It’s complicated to win the Vuelta,” Rodríguez said. “Recovery is the key. Right now, I am feeling good, and we have a very hard stage tomorrow, that is just as hard as the stage in Andorra. It depends on who can recover best.”</p>
<p>Rodríguez said he is taking it “day by day,” without looking too far ahead, but the Vuelta is reaching the boiling point. Monday’s intense climbing stage, with more than 5,000 vertical meters, and Wednesday’s 38.7km TT in Burgos, should decide everything.</p>
<p>“Right now I am ‘tranquilo,’” Rodríguez said. “Sure, I want to win this Vuelta, but it’s very complicated. Tomorrow is a very important day, and then the time trial. Whoever takes the leader’s jersey out of Burgos should win. I am not too worried about all that right now. I am staying calm.”</p>
<p>Rodríguez is right to be wary. He’s been in the lead before only to have everything come crashing down.</p>
<p>In 2010, he looked rock solid, but rode a horrible time trial at Peñafiel, bleeding six minutes, to lose the Vuelta to Nibali. In 2012, he underestimated Ryder Hesjedal, and lost the Giro to the Canadian by just 16 seconds.</p>
<p>The most bitter experience came in the 2012 Vuelta, when he was clearly stronger than Alberto Contador but got ambushed in a transition stage to Fuente Dé, which was just on the other side of the Picos de Europa mountains from this Sunday’s stage finale. And his biggest heartbreak was losing the 2013 world title to Rui Costa in Italy.</p>
<p>So no one can blame Rodríguez if he’s talking down his chances to the enthusiastic Spanish media, which would rather see one of its own win the Vuelta.</p>
<p>“The GC is all knotted up, and tomorrow there will be another shake up,” Rodríguez said. “Hopefully, tomorrow we have the possibility to take the red jersey. Dumoulin is racing very smart. He’s measuring his efforts, not going into the red, and he’s still there, and we need more time on him before the time trial. It’s impossible to predict who is going to win this Vuelta.”</p>
<p>Still, the stars may finally be aligning. If Dumoulin loses a lot more time Monday, he could be eliminated as a legitimate GC threat. Rodríguez, Aru, and riders such as Majka and Chaves are equally as bad — or good — against the clock.</p>
<p>It will come down to legs, will, and experience. Rodríguez is hoping that the numbers finally add up in his favor.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/09/news/rodriguez-rolls-the-dice-and-he-may-come-up-a-big-winner_384000">Rodriguezrolls the dice, and he may come up a big winner</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com">VeloNews.com</a>.</p>
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