2019 Critérium du Dauphiné

[yaco]

Yates team is limited - Howson is dependable but limited, while it's Haig's first race since Paris Nice and Schultz has his limitations - Yates will need to be considerably stronger to hold onto the lead.

 

[nevele neves]

Re:

Very open race now, with Froome out of it. Small advantage for Yates, although Astana will be on the attack from now on. I have a feeling that Fuglsang is 1-2 % below his best form.

Its a good open race now I think.

 

[Velolover2]

With no Froome, it's pretty hard to tell who is gonna win.

While among the best on most climbs, Yates and Fuglsang have shorter, super steep climbs as their specialty. Montee de Pipay is a monster climb that should really favor Quintana. It's one of those type of climbs where he usually takes about 40-50 seconds on the second strongest rider.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

With no Froome, it's pretty hard to tell who is gonna win.

While among the best on most climbs, Yates and Fuglsang have shorter, super steep climbs as their specialty. Montee de Pipay is a monster climb that should really favor Quintana. It's one of those type of climbs where he usually takes about 40-50 seconds on the second strongest rider.

Define usually.

 

[Velolover2]

Ok, that is an overstatement.

 

[klintE]

Re:

With no Froome, it's pretty hard to tell who is gonna win.

While among the best on most climbs, Yates and Fuglsang have shorter, super steep climbs as their specialty. Montee de Pipay is a monster climb that should really favor Quintana. It's one of those type of climbs where he usually takes about 40-50 seconds on the second strongest rider.

For me today it should look like:
*****
**** Pinot, Quintana, Yates, Thomas
*** Landa, Mas, Krushweak, Bernal, Fulsang
** Porte, Dumoulin, Martin
* Nibali, Buchmann, Bardet
1/2* Wout Van Aert

 

[Tonton]

The Grand Colombier via Culoz has a couple of ramps that make it harder, but it's similar to the Montee de Pipay. Pinot bludgeoned a lesser field into submission at the Tour de l'Ain, that's the kind of climb for him. Quintana should be the favorite based on past performance in such climbs.

But everyone seems to overlook the last stage, and its finish could see riders like Yates and Birdsong punch it hard. Or some rider who wants a thread stating that they are "The New Carapaz". When designs make for small gaps, as we saw in Italy, these things can happen.

I think that the four riders I mentioned will top-4, how they play their cards can be very interesting.

 

[Alexandre B.]

I certainly wouldn’t discard Buchmann. He was in the break on Monday and still managed to finish close to the leaders’ group.

He seems to be in stellar form.

 

[tobydawq]

I think KlintE thought the talk was about favourites for the Tour (otherwise his stars are really strange).

 

[klintE]

Yes, I was considering TdF elite.
I fooled myself by mentioned Pipay. Thought it's an off topic but I forgot this hill will be ridden in the CdD too.

 

[memyselfandI]

LRP ftw! Hiding his expolsive steep climbing, not too shabby downhill skillset..if manages to stay upright, thumbs up people!