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Vuelta a España: Mountain Time Trial Analysis

Vuelta2_medium Don't look at me. I'm not the expert here but I am pleading on my virtual knees for some fun and speculation from my all-things-cycling overlords here at Podium Cafe. I am excitedly looking forward to tomorrow's mountain individual time trial. It should be great fun! Granted, it'd be more edge-of-the-seat fun if we had more riders closer to AC in the GC but I'll take what I can get.

Conta is 1.17 ahead of Leipheimer. What are the chances of Levi overtaking Bert tomorrow?

Of course, being a Levi fan I'd be ecstatic if he won this thing. He deserves it. But anyone who frequents this place knows my affection  for the little man with the big heart. (I find it amusing that Levi is called the little bald man when most of the peloton is little, many are very little, and quite a number are bald.)

So, what do you think -

Is Levi's only chance that Bert crashes, gets sick or has a major mechanical?

How does the length of the stage play into any advantage/disadvantage? Levi is the better TTer but it is a mountain.

How does this course look for the other top 10? Who does the course favor?

Are any other riders close enough and good enough at a mountain ITT to put fear in The Accountant? I think not but I bow to the expertise that is the Podium Cafe. (Ok, gratuitous use of as many Bert nicks as I can remember.)

Note from Gav: Have a look-see at the course profile, too. Oh, and here's the current general classification.