2011 Criterium du Dauphine Libere - 5th to 12th of June, 2.WT

[auscyclefan94]

2011 Criterium du Dauphine Libere - 5th to 12th of June, 2.WT

Prologue: Saint-Jean-de Maurienne, 5.5km - This stage is a short prologue with a climb in it which is similar to 2009's opening tt.

Stage 1: Albertville to Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse 144 km - Rolling stage with a moderate rise to the finish.

Stage 2: Voiron to Lyon 179 km - Another rolling stage with the finish up a 1.4km climb @4.8%

Stage 3: Grenoble 42.5 km - same course as the tour de france. A rolling course which has some long straights although winds around Grenoble.

Stage 4: La Motte-Servolex to Mâcon 173.5 km - Some climbs in the first half of the stage but overall should be a sprinters finish.

Stage 5: Parc des Oiseaux to Villars-les-Dombes Les Gets 210 km - An intermediate mountain stage with a 10.7km MTF which is @ 4.7%

Stage 6: Les Gets to Le Collet d’Allevard 192.5 km - A big mountain stage with a HC climb Le Collet d'Allevard (11.2km @ 8.4%). This should be good.

Stage 7: Pontcharra La Toussuire 117.5 km - A short but tough mountain stage with the finish up the Montee de la Toussuire (14.8km @5.8%)

Official Site

Provisional Startlist

Noted riders: Roche, Evans, Moncoutie, S Sanchez, Martin, Guzev, Karpets, Basso, Van den Broeck, Vinokourov, Boom, Gesink, LL sanchez, Gesink, Rogers, EBH, Thomas, Farrar and Brajkovic.

I doubt my preview of this race stacks up against Hitch's

 

[auscyclefan94]

A lot of good stage racers. One thing that does surprise me is that Gesink is not riding Tour de Suisse this year and Morabito isn't either. Steve finished 4th last year in the tour de suisse (beat the great time trialler Gesink in a tt) and it is his home tour. You always see lots of support for him out on the roads.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

A lot of good stage racers. One thing that does surprise me is that Gesink is not riding Tour de Suisse this year and Morabito isn't either. Steve finished 4th last year in the tour de suisse (beat the great time trialler Gesink in a tt) and it is his home tour. You always see lots of support for him out on the roads.

I think Gesink got his schedule a little messed up last year.
This year training > Dauphne > More Training.
Tour gets harder in the 2nd half, riders can benefit to come with a little less racing in their legs, and a more specific training schedule.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Evans

ACF, I do hope Evans can keep up the momentum he gained last month during this Dauphine - didn't he win the prologue a year or two ago?

 

[Descender]

A one-week race with more ITT kms than the Giro (than THIS YEAR'S Giro) and pretty much as many as the Tour and the Vuelta. Nice...

Course isn't bad but is badly missing a flat mountain stage finish.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

A lot of good stage racers. One thing that does surprise me is that Gesink is not riding Tour de Suisse this year and Morabito isn't either. Steve finished 4th last year in the tour de suisse (beat the great time trialler Gesink in a tt) and it is his home tour. You always see lots of support for him out on the roads.

That's because Gesink is going for the altitude training - dauphine - altitude training method, so liked by many. Gesink believes another altitude training closer to the tour will benefit him more than what he did last year, where he felt he peaked a bit too soon

Also, besides 2010, Gesink always did the Dauphiné instead of Suisse. So it's not that suprising

 

[Frosty]

Looking forward to seeing how Taaramae, Coppel and Dan Martin get on.

 

[Lanark]

I really like this route, a prologue, a long tricky time trial, a finish on a short hill, 2 2nd category finishes, and two hard mountain top finishes. Sprinters might as well stay home, with only one possible bunch sprint. That climb to Le Collet looks pretty difficult (well, for a French climb of course, it's hard to call anything difficult after the Giro).

 

[El Pistolero]

DL usually has a lot of MTF, so this isn't that surprising.

 

[Lanark]

DL usually has a lot of MTF, so this isn't that surprising.

The last two years they had two, in 2008 they had one MTF (although they had a difficult stage to Morzine as well).

 

[Gloin22]

Expected to line up for Sky, Wiggins, Thomas, Uran, Zandio, Boasson Hagen, Flecha, Gerrans, Rogers. Probably the strongest squad of the year for Sky.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I like the look of the stage to Lyon, though disappointingly they aren't doing the Colline de Fourvières that I wanted to (or if they are it's not the side I wanted them to) as that's circa 1,2km @ 10%.

 

[maltiv]

Expected to line up for Sky, Wiggins, Thomas, Uran, Zandio, Boasson Hagen, Flecha, Gerrans, Rogers. Probably the strongest squad of the year for Sky.

EBH should've gone to TDS instead. He gets in shape very quickly and Picardie-> bayern -> dauphine will make him peak 1 month before the TDF. That's what happened last year...good thing they learn from their mistakes. There are basically no stages for him here anyway.

 

[Bavarianrider]

After the lousy start list last year, it's good to see that there are many stars riding this race.

 

[Bavarianrider]

By the way it's not called Libere anymore

 

[Anonymous]

By the way it's not called Libere anymore

Its acf. Hes old school. Still calls Het Neiuwsblad, Het Volt ;D

 

[L'arriviste]

Wow, according to that startlist, OPL is starting with Bart De Clercq and QS with Cataldo. Surely not so soon after the Giro?

 

[TeoSheva]

Wow, according to that startlist, OPL is starting with Bart De Clercq and QS with Cataldo. Surely not so soon after the Giro?

Vacansoleil is starting with Carrara on the tour of Luxembourg! 1st June!

 

[luckyboy]

Well look at that, there's one of the mountains the Tour should be using

Also, should know better than to trust what DAOTEC said. He had Cafe de Colombia down for this race - http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=438288&postcount=54

 

[dlwssonic]

Go evans hopes he keeps his brilliant form in TA and romandie does a good race again to add to his great season. He has a strong team too.

 

[dabaideschbi]

the time trial is too long for a one week race in my opinion

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

outstanding preview ACF, and one step ahead of the game as always.

Maybe someone could correct the link to the provisional start list to:
http://cyclingstartlists.com/2011/06Jun2011/02DL2011.htm

 

[auscyclefan94]

Thanks on3m@n@rmy!

Its acf. Hes old school. Still calls Het Neiuwsblad, Het Volt ;D

I also mistakenly called Monte Paschi Strade Bianche, Monte Paschi Eroica, .


I see Evans, Gesink and Brajkovic as the main contenders.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Dunno, I have a hunch Gesink will be trying to take it a bit easier this time, although that is against his nature and he'll probably be unable to contain himself in the mountain stages.

But he said something that after the spring season, he realised that by going at it in Oman, Tirreno and Basque Tour he was already a bit past his best in the classics. And he said maybe I shouldn't try in those other races, but I'm not able to really take it easy, it's against my nature.

 

[Ryaguas]

Would love to see Coppel in the podium here!