2012 Criterium du Dauphiné

[Jan the Man]

It will be interesting to see who Sky take to the Tour-

I have no idea but assume a couple of things-

1. G. Thomas- despite versatility is concentrating on the track so will not be in the team;
2. Cav will have at least Eisel and maybe Pate as support. Though Pate will do a job on the flat for Wiggo in the flat stages;
3. The strength of Sky's climbing depth will depend on a) the condition of Froome; b) whether Uran is taken despite Giro (doubt it); c) the shape of Svistov.

I suspect the Sky line up will resemble something like-

B. Wiggins
C. Froome
R. Porte
M. Rogers
K. Svistov
EBH
D. Pate/C.Knees
B. Eisel
M. Cavendish

Other possibilities are the sacrifice of Pate in favour of a better climber such as Lovkvist/Uran/Nordhaug.

 

[greenedge]

@Winterfold: What do you mean by "unknown facts"?

In my view at the TDF BMC will help Team Sky set a tempo in the mountains until teams like EE, LIQ, RSNT and maybe Europcar set a harder tempo/ attack.

You honestly don't believe any of Horner and the Shlecks can win the Dauphinie, with this route, do you? That to me does not seem like an unknown fact it just seems certain.

Andy/ Frank will only attack on mountain stages and will ride disappointing ITT's. At best they can only get a stage. Horner could get a good GC position but he lost 2: 50 in the recent Bakersfield ITT at the TOC and he will be even lighter probably so even then that is hard to envisage.

 

[johnnycash]

Eze was a MTT and since Wiggins is a good TTer who can climb it's perfect for him. Where we haven't seen him riding is in stages with multiple big climbs, often seen in GTs (not the Vuelta lately).
.

Interesting you say that Eze suited Wiggo perfectly, people on this forum were saying at the time he was going to struggle there if i remember rightly. In fact were they not saying the same thing about the Mende?

Horner a better climber than any Team Sky riders, not sure about that....and anyway Radioshack will implode before any major climbs at the Tour. My money would be on BMC and CE to ask the questions of Sky.

 

[Magnus]

I have checked the Tour de France website, and there is no mention of time bonuses in the rules of the race. This is unfortunate, as it would be very interesting to see Wiggins / Martin with a 15s lead on the final day over Jrod, with (say) 10 or 12 seconds bonus for the stage winner.

Rodriguez isn't riding:
http://feltet.dk/nyheder/rodriguez_springer_over_dauphine/

 

[webvan]

WTF is there no MTF in this years dauphine??

Yep, although Morzine after Joux Plane is pretty much the same. Will be interesting to see how everyone does there, that climb's always seemed harder for the riders than most others I've seen, Zoncolan/Angliru style without the percentages. In 2006 in particular, they all seemed glued to the road, Flandis had put everyone under pressure of course...

Very hilly parcours, should be entertaining and it's nice to see a real TTT at last, with its 53k, not the 28k joke of Milan.

 

[dlwssonic]

wiggins will probably win this one.
But the tour is a completely different thing.

 

[webvan]

Rodriguez isn't riding:
http://feltet.dk/nyheder/rodriguez_springer_over_dauphine/

Indeed : http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rodriguez-to-skip-criterium-du-dauphine

 

[cineteq]

wiggins will probably win this one.
But the tour is a completely different thing.

he'll win this once again, mainly because everybody else is in training mode.

 

[dlwssonic]

he'll win this one again, mainly because everybody else is in training mode.

yeah. no real favourite will go for it in the mountains and he will be able to hang with them.
Same with evans.
He will get his usual 2nd eventhough he will be no where as strong as he would be in july thanks to the TT.

 

[Bavarianrider]

I think people highly underestimate te last stage. Real big gaps could open here.

 

[theyoungest]

I think people highly underestimate te last stage. Real big gaps could open here.

Looks like a stage even Tony Martin could survive.

 

[Fetisoff]

I think people highly underestimate te last stage. Real big gaps could open here.

Only person who could open some sort of a gap on this stage (like 10-15 seconds) is not even riding this race

 

[webvan]

Really depends how it's raced, if some GC guys gun it in the CAT 2 there could indeed be some major damage.

 

[Fetisoff]

Really depends how it's raced, if some GC guys gun it in the CAT 2 there could indeed be some major damage.

Really though, when was the last time you saw meaningful selection on a 3 km climb that is less than 10% average (even if we were to forget the fact that it is not the last climb of the day)

 

[jens_attacks]

Really depends how it's raced, if some GC guys gun it in the CAT 2 there could indeed be some major damage.

exactly.put again EBH at 7 w/kg for ten minutes like on allevard last year and it will be mayhem behind.
the route sucks but if it's ridden hard...it can be spectacular.

i really have huge hopes for this edition.last year's was one of the best ever,lovely.

 

[Froome19]

I think people highly underestimate te last stage. Real big gaps could open here.

Even in last years race with the relatively "incredibly hard parcours" due to the fact they were all in training mode they couldnt take time asides from Purito who wasnt in training mode but rather in near top form after the Giro.
Compare this profile with the ones from last year and you will see what I mean, any rider who has proven himself in GTs and is building up for the Tour well, like he did last year will stay on.

 

[Havetts]

exactly.put again EBH at 7 w/kg for ten minutes like on allevard last year and it will be mayhem behind.
the route sucks but if it's ridden hard...it can be spectacular.

i really have huge hopes for this edition.last year's was one of the best ever,lovely.

Together with the 2009 edition, last years was very very awesome and probably the best one since that edition!

Regarding EBH.. he was a beast during the Collet d'Allevard & the bottom of La Toussuire. He completely made some favourites completely break on Allevard, complete madness.

 

[Arnout]

I think people highly underestimate te last stage. Real big gaps could open here.

I can't see them racing before the last kilometer, unfortunately.

 

[will10]

I think people highly underestimate te last stage. Real big gaps could open here.

Maybe between the Sky train and the autobus, otherwise...

 

[greenedge]

exactly.put again EBH at 7 w/kg for ten minutes like on allevard last year and it will be mayhem behind.
the route sucks but if it's ridden hard...it can be spectacular.

He would probably destroy Wiggins though.

On that last stage i think Evans would have quite a good chance ( he got a few seconds on Wiggins on the Mur De Bretagne ) to win as there is no JROD.

Bardet will also go well on that stage ( early prediction ) to go with my Zabriskie to beat Martin in an ITT.

 

[Winterfold]

He would probably destroy Wiggins though.

What - like he did last year?

 

[Winterfold]

greenedge - here's a matter of speculation posing as fact "Probably drafting or having teammates with him the whole time. "

You just don't know if he is drafting on Teide or ripping everyone's legs off. But dont let that stop you posting. It doesnt stop anyone else after all - just some may choose to disagree.

The one fact we do know is how fast he was up Eze in P-N and what his W/kg are and EBH is not going to drop him.

Horner has a shot, Dumb and Dumber - it would be a miracle based on what we've seen so far this year. But they are riding for Bruyneel now so who knows? I rate Cuddles much higher than them.

jens_attacks - you're just not getting it, enthusiasm for racing, not moaning about the parcours or lazy GC contenders not attacking because they are on the limit at 6 w/kg for hours - this is not the CN way

 

[Zam_Olyas]

EE

Samu, Egoi Martinez, Gorka Verdugo, Alan Pérez, Jorge Azanza, Mikel Landa, Pello Bilbao e Ricardo Garcia.

 

[Swede1]

I don't know if this has already been said, but apparently Andy Schleck is riding the Dauphine this year. I guess he finally understands that the Dauphine is better plus it has the long tt in it for practice. Also he will get to practice riding without frank schleck... Also, JJ Cobo will start the Dauphine and hopefully start to show some form.

 

[Fetisoff]

I don't know if this has already been said, but apparently Andy Schleck is riding the Dauphine this year. I guess he finally understands that the Dauphine is better plus it has the long tt in it for practice. Also he will get to practice riding without frank schleck... Also, JJ Cobo will start the Dauphine and hopefully start to show some form.

And Frank's apparently doing Tour De Suisse.... Weirdness continues