Tom Danielson put it all on the line today, bridging up to a late-race attack on the final slopes of the Vuelta’s queen stage. This allowed him to move up another spot on the overall to seventh. Earlier in the race Tom Peterson rode in the day’s main breakaway while Christian Vande Velde spent another day tirelessly working for Tom Danielson.
“I love this race!” Vande Velde said.
“I am very happy that we have had the team that we have here.”
“It has given me the opportunity to progress quickly while also being able to help my teammates achieve some success. I am very happy to be here, get back on my game and have fun.”
Danielson finished 11th on the stage but close enough to the leaders that he moved up a spot on the GC heading into the rest day before the all-important time trial.
“Thanks [to the] guys for the awesome job today!” said Danielson. “The team was awesome. I had so much fun out there.”
“Finally the TT!”
Director’s report from Johnny Weltz:
The hardest stage of this year’s Vuelta and the start was extremly hard. There was one group after another who took off and the leader’s team had to work very hard.
After 65 km a group of 10 riders got away and we had Tom Peters in there. The group worked well together but as there was one GC rider in there they never gained more than 3.5 minutes.
So a hard chase was on and over one moutain top three riders bridged up to the front group and a selection in the front group left five riders up front.
We had Peterson in there still. In second group we had VDV and Tommy D as well as some 25 riders.
Once they hit the bottom of the last climb everybody was wasted. At the bottom the attacks started and VDV keept Tommy out of trouble killing himself on the front until he attacked himself to go with Schleck!
He lasted a long time up front until some 4km from the top. Then Tom P gave him a hand as he came down from the front group.
Tommy D did a very solid day which was extremly hard and he keeps improving on the gc. With the TT after the rest day things looks good!
