2012 Criterium du Dauphiné

[karlboss]

What is his problem?

Positioning?
Low pain threshold?
Inability to produce sufficient power?
Body shape?

power to frontal area, plus can't seem to keep the pressure on the whole time, like Basso, has potential to do much better.

 

[greenedge]

The route is bad in my view. However at least it will indicate to everyone what the TDF is like.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Surely you must do some actual TTs to improve?

Or I am missing something?


Hugh

no you don't you don';t rain itt's when doing an itt. you train it by working and training position and equipment. then you test it in an itt

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

What is his problem?

Positioning?
Low pain threshold?
Inability to produce sufficient power?
Body shape?

he has a horrible position on the bike and a weak back. basso has that as well

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The route is bad in my view. However at least it will indicate to everyone what the TDF is like.

Agreed.

Unfortunately, that includes us fans, who can now revel in four weeks of crap racing in France this summer instead of three. Lucky us.

The Tour de l'Ain has a big shot at being the best French stage race this year, depending on how the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque shapes up.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Agreed.

Unfortunately, that includes us fans, who can now revel in four weeks of crap racing in France this summer instead of three. Lucky us.

The Tour de l'Ain has a big shot at being the best French stage race this year, depending on how the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque shapes up.

the tour will most;y suck because contador isn't there. not because of the route. contador animates the race in the mountains. now we have no one except hopefully samu

 

[karlboss]

the tour will most;y suck because contador isn't there. not because of the route. contador animates the race in the mountains. now we have no one except hopefully samu

Andy? with wait and see tactics pitting 100km of ITT vs 3 MTFs, surely must try something.

 

[Cancellator]

Andy? with wait and see tactics pitting 100km of ITT vs 3 MTFs, surely must try something.

You should get used to people never taking Andy seriously on this forum...

 

[karlboss]

You should get used to people never taking Andy seriously on this forum...

Even with the ITT miles and Andy never attacking I can't see him off the podium.
However Dauphine, tough race to plan and make exciting for GC. As it is used for tour prep, folks want a long tour type ITT, but then you need bare minimum 2 tough MTFs to take it away from the time trialists. To see a winner from a real attack a stage needs to be super tough...just can't see them doing it.

 

[greenedge]

The Tour de l'Ain has a big shot at being the best French stage race this year, depending on how the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque shapes up.

I quite liked P-N though. At least it had a good balance between Mountains and ITT's ( whilst maybe showing what the TDF could be like ).

 

[guncha]

I quite liked P-N though. At least it had a good balance between Mountains and ITT's ( whilst maybe showing what the TDF could be like ).

IMHO, P-N had neither decent amount of flat ITT or mountains. 9km of flat ITT is too less while Mende and Eze are just a medium mountains.

 

[dlwssonic]

Andy will animate the race this time Im sure, he HAS to attack. And bruyneel will push him to attack.

 

[barmaher]

I think the Tour will be very boring if Andy isn't around.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Andy will animate the race this time Im sure, he HAS to attack. And bruyneel will push him to attack.

Yeah, he always goes full out in prep races, this is going to be epic!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Andy will animate the race this time Im sure, he HAS to attack. And bruyneel will push him to attack.

LOL.

 

[dlwssonic]

Yeah, he always goes full out in prep races, this is going to be epic!

lol. Are you blind? Isn't it obvious that the way andy rides in prep races and how he rides in the tour is totally different

 

[movingtarget]

Even with the ITT miles and Andy never attacking I can't see him off the podium.
However Dauphine, tough race to plan and make exciting for GC. As it is used for tour prep, folks want a long tour type ITT, but then you need bare minimum 2 tough MTFs to take it away from the time trialists. To see a winner from a real attack a stage needs to be super tough...just can't see them doing it.

I have my doubts about him making the podium simply because the TT losses will cancel out any gains he makes in the mountains especially with riders like Wiggins and Evans and maybe Menchov.

 

[dlwssonic]

just to avoid confusion guys, I was talking about le tour.

 

[movingtarget]

just to avoid confusion guys, I was talking about le tour.

Yes I know that but I still think Schleck will struggle to make the podium.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

lol. Are you blind? Isn't it obvious that the way andy rides in prep races and how he rides in the tour is totally different

Don't post 'the race' in a thread titled Dauphine and then pretend you were talking about the Tour.

Cretin.

 

[dlwssonic]

Obviously I was talking about the tour
Woah Cretin??? So coool! Great vocab my friend.

 

[dlwssonic]

Yes I know that but I still think Schleck will struggle to make the podium.

I think if he goes for it he can do it, he just has to gain time on the others in the climbs like how he did in 2010-2011TDF. If he can find that climbing form Im sure he can podium. But I don't think he has much chance to win.

 

[movingtarget]

I think if he goes for it he can do it, he just has to gain time on the others in the climbs like how he did in 2010-2011TDF. If he can find that climbing form Im sure he can podium. But I don't think he has much chance to win.

He has a much better chance in 2013 on more mountainous course but then he has to contend with Contador who will be out to prove a point. Once again he should podium but hard to see him winning. I just think the TT situation this year will kill his chances even if he does climb well.

 

[Angliru]

Andy will animate the race this time Im sure, he HAS to attack. And bruyneel will push him to attack.

I can see Bruyneel sending Frank, Horner and Kloden out in breaks in the mountains to soften up their opponents, wearing down the opposing teams support in the mountains and then launching Andy at the base of the final climbs. I don't see him risking a podium by sending Andy on any long distance, desparation epic attack like last year's on the Galibier.

 

[movingtarget]

I can see Bruyneel sending Frank, Horner and Kloden out in breaks in the mountains to soften up their opponents, wearing down the opposing teams support in the mountains and then launching Andy at the base of the final climbs. I don't see him risking a podium by sending Andy on any long distance, desparation epic attack like last year's on the Galibier.

Yes it's a risk and it can only be done on one stage. Look what happened on the following two stages though. Schleck was cooked. As admirable as Schleck's Galibier ride was, Evans was the one that calculated correctly and finished the race fresher. Evans had never looked better than Schleck on the Alpe in previous years and Schleck struggled all the way through the TT.