2014 Criterium International, 3/29-3/30 (2.HC)

[Afrank]

Stage 1: Porto-Vecchio/Porto-Vecchio (89 Km)

Mountain Passes/hills: Km 45.5- Côte de Conca, 2.1 km's long climb at 5.7%

 

[Afrank]

Stage 2: Porto-Vecchio/Porto-Vecchio TT (7 Km)

 

[Afrank]

Stage 3: Porto-Vecchio/Col de l'Ospedale (176 Km)

Mountain Passes
Km 56.5- Côte de Roccapina (SARTENE): 2.7 km long climb at 3.8%
Km 67.0- Côte d'Orasi: 4.4 km long climb at 5%
Km 93.5- Côte de Viggianello: 4.7 km long climb at 5.2%
Km 116.0- Col de Sainte-Lucie-De-Tallano: 10.2 km long climb at 6%
Km 135.0- Col de Bacinu: 10.1 km long climb at 4.5%
Km 176.0- Col de l'Ospedale: 14.1 km long climb at 6.2%

2013 top 10
1. Froome
2. Porte
3. Van Garderen
4. Mollema
5. Peraud
6. Talansky
7. Bouet
8. Fedrigo
9. Tschopp
10. Gadret

2014 notable riders: Peraud, Bouhanni, Schlecks, Dennis, Betran, Majka, Coppel, Duarte, M. Frank, Tschopp, Konig, Di Gregorio, Fedrigo.

Startlist: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Criterium_International_2014-

 

[hfer07]

Lets get the obvious out the way:

based on the Start list- If Nibbs doesn't win this-He will be in serious trouble

 

[Jspear]

Lets get the obvious out the way:

based on the Start list- If Nibbs doesn't win this-He will be in serious trouble

Ya, your right.
I'm also interested to see what M. Frank will be able to do with his new team....I hope he does well.

 

[Sykhrzon]

90% chance of an overall win for Nibali.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Fränk to win!

 

[whittashau]

I imagine this being a dog fight between Nibbles and Konig

 

[jens_attacks]

nibali i hope but i also expect frank schleck or papy peraud to take it. maybe we'll see a duarte attack like a couple years ago on ospedale...

 

[Cimber]

Lets get the obvious out the way:

based on the Start list- If Nibbs doesn't win this-He will be in serious trouble

Agree, but Peraud could give him a run for his money

 

[Wallenquist]

Pretty lame lineup. I'm not so sure if Nibali will fight for a win, he's form is not so great this year so far. I would bet on Peraud more or maybe Schleck. Interesting what will Beltran show in his first race. And watch out for Majka, he's feeling better after his PN crash and decided to start in CN.

EDIT: And Nibali won't ride:
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=70381

 

[maltiv]

Should be an easy win for Peraud with Nibali not starting.

 

[veji11]

The startlist is a bit disappointing. It is a shame because the format is fantastic. I have never understood why we don't see this type of format more on the circuit. One flattish less selective half stage, ITT, and second hard selective stage. You could do that with mountains (like in the Criterium) or Cobbles or even Ardennaise type of stage. It makes for a very nice week end of cycling in one location as well for the fans etc, with teams staying 2 full days and 3 nights at the same place.

Really the type of format that the UCI should encourage.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I'm ok with the line up. Should give us an open race.

Another good chance for Coppel. The Majka/Beltran link up should be interesting. Frank Schleck will continue his form from P-N I think. What about Brajkovic? No longer a factor? IAM's Frank on vacation still? We need some answers here.

But Dumoulin will destroy every living soul in the TT.

 

[veji11]

I'm ok with the line up. Should give us an open race.

Another good chance for Coppel. The Majka/Beltran link up should be interesting. Frank Schleck will continue his form from P-N I think. What about Brajkovic? No longer a factor? IAM's Frank on vacation still? We need some answers here.

But Dumoulin will destroy every living soul in the TT.

Unfortunately Coppel is done in a "general standings" type of guy. He just can't seem to stay in that groupe of 20 in a climb. I think he should go back to being a good Time trialist, maybe gain a bit of power, and focus more on that.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

beltran should win that mountainstage at least

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Unfortunately Coppel is done in a "general standings" type of guy. He just can't seem to stay in that groupe of 20 in a climb. I think he should go back to being a good Time trialist, maybe gain a bit of power, and focus more on that.

You might be right, although the TT segment is pretty competitive these days with solid young riders emerging. Still think its stage races with a TT and perhaps smaller climbs/hills which might be best for him. Anyway lets see what he can do here.

 

[Guybrush]

a very nice race, a bit of everything. Johann Tschopp is my man in this.

 

[veji11]

You might be right, although the TT segment is pretty competitive these days with solid young riders emerging. Still think its stage races with a TT and perhaps smaller climbs/hills which might be best for him. Anyway lets see what he can do here.

True, I think this is the right range. What I meant is that since the 2012 Tour, everytime their is a real mountain type climb, more than 6/7kms at 6/7% he struggles and can't keep up with the best. For a guy like him to still play the general standings in a GT or Stage Race, he needs to be able to stay with the top dogs until there are only 12/15, and only then start peeling off. For the last 2 years he oftens arrives to the last climb in the second group already.

Add to that that he never was really explosive to be competitive on the shorter steep climbs à la Mont Faron, and his mountain range becomes very problematic.

Take the Ospedale for example, in The past (2010-2012) it would have been the perfect type of climb for him : longish, not too steep, climbed at a high regular tempo. Nowadays I expect him to drop quite early, even with a limited field.

Shame, he had a very nice Michael Rogers lite type of profile, quite rare in France, but it has been going downhill since the 2011 tour, and fast since 2012.

 

[Bushman]

Peraud is my bet for the overall.

 

[Lexman]

not a very strong lineup at first site, if a frenchie wins they will be presented as a future TdF favourite....

 

[Dazed and Confused]

not a very strong lineup at first site, if a frenchie wins they will be presented as a future TdF favourite....

lol, Gautier might pull a surprise win here. Add the fact that Froome barely beat him on a MTF when they were younger and it looks like we have a real contender on our hands. Time will tell.

 

[veji11]

lol, Gautier might pull a surprise win here. Add the fact that Froome barely beat him on a MTF when they were younger and it looks like we have a real contender on our hands. Time will tell.

It's not nice to make fun of us poor frenchies. We have endured 15 years of pain, with the very occasional glimmer of joy (Moncoutie would have killed everybody without doping, Chavanel and Voeckler turning it up around 30). Now that we have a youngish generation full of quality riders, let us enjoy it !

And BTW, Gautier is proving quite good in the early year. No TDF winner in any way, but might be a Voeckler/Casar in the making, which is not bad at all.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

It's not nice to make fun of us poor frenchies. We have endured 15 years of pain, with the very occasional glimmer of joy (Moncoutie would have killed everybody without doping, Chavanel and Voeckler turning it up around 30). Now that we have a youngish generation full of quality riders, let us enjoy it !

And BTW, Gautier is proving quite good in the early year. No TDF winner in any way, but might be a Voeckler/Casar in the making, which is not bad at all.

It was a very lighthearted comment.
Anyway you raise some complicated issues. Not sure they can be resolved.
Like you I enjoy many of the new French riders.

 

[veji11]

It was a very lighthearted comment.
Anyway you raise some complicated issues. Not sure they can be resolved.
Like you I enjoy many of the new French riders.

The comments between brackets were what the french fans have been saying, not necessarily my opinion, and anyway this isn't the clinic. My point was rather that as french fan, it is nice to see the Pinots, Vichot, Bardet, Barguil and the three sprinters (Coquard, Demare and Bouhanni), inter alia, be competitive. The 2000s were really painful to watch at time for us.