The Flying Dutchman!

Vuelta Stage 9, Torrevieja - Cumbre del Sol:

Dan is tellin' it like it is.

Too bad but what a way to go. Ultimate mic drop.

Well that blows.

Dave Millar is not impressed with you.

Sounds familiar.

DOES HE???!!!

Among our breakaways are: G Force, Maarten Tjallingii, Alexis Gougeard, A Van Poppel, and 3 OPQSs.

5 minutes 14 the gap currently.

Organisers can do better and bring more safe-ity to the race, says Juan Antonio.

Not gonna ask questions, but THANK YOU GOD for the working Universal Sports feed.

Katusha leading the chase in a big way.

That moto driver is lucky he didn't get punched in the face after crashing Sagan. I think his kicking and car-hitting is rather tame given the circs.

Yeahhhhh, let's stop trying to justify that accident: statistically it doesn't happen very much, people have to be there to provide assistance and take pictures... Yeah yeah. Motorcycles and cars shouldn't hit bike riders. Point.

Just over 4 minutes for the break with 63k to go.

This break is so confusing. It's so big and G's in it and I keep thinking it's the peloton.

Did that FDJ just hand-sling that Caja Rual? That was odd. Maybe they were just holding hands.

Meanwhile Belgian Ted is trying to kill it over in Plouay.

G!

I think that Caja Rual just likes holding hands. He's embracing his DS now.

Penon de Ifach looks pretty effing awesome.

Didn't Purito win like 20 stages of the Tour de France??? Bike racing is SO HARSH.

Legit like the cutest thing ever in the world though.

Movistar to the front now. Ugh.

Gap coming down to under 3 minutes.

Perhaps the most offensive thing abut Peter leaving the race is that Valv.Piti now wears the green jersey.

Looks like the break is coming to the start of the climb.

Ooof it is steep from the off.

The French are distanced first.

Peloton onto the climb now, under 2 minutes behind.

OPQS are playing an interesting game here.

Bouet is trying to get away it would seem. OPQS surges everywhere.

Ugh BRUTAL. The back of the peloton is DECIMATED and standstill all over this climb.

Breakaway is splitting.

A Lampre leads with Bouet, everyone else dotted everywhere.

Bouet losing contact.

Peloton seems comparatively calm.

We have not seen Quintana really do his magic yet; you gotta wonder when it's coming. YEAH. Stop bigging him up as the greatest bike rider in the history of recorded time. Froome won the Tour (TWICE), Froome won the Mountains, SHUT UP.

HOH boy, that mountain leader Caja Rual was like 5 people behind and managed to drag himself up to get MAXIMUM POINTS for the climb. Nice one.

OPQS is having second place thank you very much.

Yeah pretty impressive on that climb. The gap went right down when the peloton was racing for the base of the climb but it's now back up to nearly 3 minutes.

Bouet is with G. Somewhere. Oh Grupo Perseguidor.

They seems to have joined those front three and now it's OPQS ATTACK AGAIN

Came to nothing.

G, Bouet, Serry, Lampre, Caja Rual and Cofidis ahead.

G legit cannot be killed. You always think he's dead and he just crests a ridge like NO CHAIN.

Think Bouet is telling everyone to work together.

Maarten and Songezo Jim are chasing

... and got them.

Katusha back on the front of the peloton now.

A Tinkoff has joined them too.

This break is so uncohesive it's hilarious.

I wish Iljo was there cuz I bet he'd have some dramatic things to say.

G just grabbed a bottle from the OPQS car. Pretty chill.

Serry didn't seem to mind so hopefully this won't be the start of a Sharks-Jets inter-squad gang war.

Look I like Esteban Chaves but let's all just calm down.

It's practically still the first week of the race isn't it? Did we forget that?

Also, it's the Vuelta. Let's not call him Froome's equal just yet, yeah?

20k to go. Gap at just over 1 minute.

Gap under a minute, Serry goes for it, G follows.

Maarten jumped ahead to take the sprint point.

Break sort of breaking but not really, everyone's just riding near each other but not together.

Onto a bit of a climb here and Maarten now being distanced.

Bouet going ahead at 11k.

With a Tinkoff.

G's playing the part of Iljo Keisse today. Ok, let's go! he's gesturing to his fellow chasers.

Now G is the medical car: Well fuck you too then! And he's off to bridge to the leaders SOLO

Gotcha!

Katusha still all over the front of the peloton. Bit of Astana, Sky doing their own train up the side.

OGE now to the front

Yowch they're gunning for them

The chasers are gettin' realllllll close now.

Bouet attacks!

G follows!

And the Tinkoff.

Three back together.

5k with negligible gaps between the three groups on the road.

Chasers catch the break and that's it, everyone's falling back.

Peloton swallows leaders

Valverde leads Chaves, Purito, Quintana

Quintana goes ahead, Purito follows

Aru's got his wheel now, with Rafal Majka

Valv.Piti goes again.

Back together

Froomey being distanced but not in trouble. Spinning back up

TOMMMMMMMMM

GO TOM

Valv.Piti follows

Those 2 ahead a bit

FUCK YOU I'M FROOME

He's back on the front of the group

Chaves chases Tom

Everyone near together but Tom leads

Valv.Piti distanced

All together across the road

Aru attacks, but nothing.

Froome separated but riding his own pace.

Tom goes again!!!

TOM TOM TOM

No one responds!

SKY RESPONDS

Tom is away alone!

Nico and Froomey at the front of this select group.

SKY ACCELERATION

Majka goes to attack but then a spectator nearly took out Chaves and blocks his way

Majka attacks for real this time!

Got the gap!

Sammy Sanchez trying to get to the back of this group

Froome goes again back there!

HE'S GOING

HE IS FUCKING GOING

FROOME IS A KILLER

Chaves down down down

GRINDING AWAY ON THE STEEPEST PART OF THE CLIMB

I AM A GRAND TOUR WINNER BITCH

Froome nearly on Tom's wheel!

Got him!

Purito goes around

Froome is after him!

Tom dropped behind

FROOME IS A FUCKING BADASS THERE AREN'T WORDS

YOU CANNOT KILL ME

HE IS SO FAR AWAY IT IS RIDICULOUS

HE IS JUST RIDING AWAY

150 meters

TOM IS COMING FOR HIM

TOM IS COMING

TOM PASSES HIM

TOM WINS

FROOME SECOND

OH MY FUCKING GOD THAT WAS IMMENSE

Tom looks like he's dying

That was fucking insane. What a fighter.

Ok since Tom got everything else Froomey should get Most Aggressive cuz those two were utter fireworks today.

YEAH let's stop talking about Chaves and START TALKING ABOUT TOM.

Captain Curvers knows.

Tom looks good in white but GREAT in red!

Tom you're the best.

Awwww Addy!

Not a place for effusive emotion, Team Sky. Le Crow joined in as well.

Ti-red and obviously disappoint, is Esteban.

Christ Tom sounds American sometimes, it's weird.

Froomey is so affable in his post-stage interview.

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