Critérium du Dauphiné 2012 187km Stage 1 Seyssins → Saint-Vallier

[The Hitch]

Antón's only goal is to have a good time on the bike. I don't think that one's in jeopardy just yet.

lol nice one

 

[El Pistolero]

lol.. the only thing that matters (not for me):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/18325200

Saint-Felicien lies in the Ardennes?

 

[TechnicalDescent]

No, the most important Dauphine he did was last year, because he won Le Tour a few weeks later, which was the actual target. 2007 and 2008 he went very deep in the Dauphine, which didn't help his chances of winning the Tour.

Over the years we have seen countless riders go way too deep trying to win the Dauphine or Suisse and pay for it at the Tour. Hell even Armstrong did it trying to beat Mayo in 2003. You do not have to win the Dauphine to win the Tour, and often it is inadvisable to try too hard to win what is a preparation race.

I'm presuming he is trying to win this dauphine on today's performance. That's the standpoint I am coming from. Therefore if he loses this one, it will be like his loss to Contador and Valverde in 2009 - the last Dauphine he was up against the tour favorite and tried to win. The stakes are high for Evans' tactics here IMO.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

By Anton, you mean that Contador is doing the Vuelta?

His broken bone ruled him out of the Giro, while Contador means he can't realistically win the Vuelta. I don't think that racing for second in the Vuelta was quite what Euskaltel were hoping for in this years Grand Tours.

Or was Anton planning to skip the Giro anyway?

 

[theyoungest]

His broken bone ruled him out of Ardennes and Giro, while Contador means he can't realistically win the Vuelta. I don't think that racing for second in the Vuelta was quite what Euskaltel were hoping for in this years Grand Tours.

I don't think he was going to do the Giro?

Racing for second in the Vuelta is far more than what Anton has accomplished in his career so far, so I think they'd be pretty happy with that.

 

[Gloin22]

His broken bone ruled him out of the Giro, while Contador means he can't realistically win the Vuelta. I don't think that racing for second in the Vuelta was quite what Euskaltel were hoping for in this years Grand Tours.

Or was Anton planning to skip the Giro anyway?

What ?

He was never meant to ride Giro. He said he wanted to focus 110% on Vuelta and nothing else. He never wanted to do Giro this year...

 

[The Hitch]

His broken bone ruled him out of the Giro, while Contador means he can't realistically win the Vuelta. I don't think that racing for second in the Vuelta was quite what Euskaltel were hoping for in this years Grand Tours.

Or was Anton planning to skip the Giro anyway?

Anton was planning to skip the Giro yes.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Lol at ryo month bannage

 

[Gloin22]

Lol at ryo month bannage

Thankfully we saved for a month from this ' I know everything nonensense'

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

There is no wayryo could get thru a July without being banned anyway, tis a month which even the most humble require strength.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwcors73mFE&hd=1

looks bad for sammy

 

[Froome19]

Lol at ryo month bannage

Timed it wrong by 4 days.

 

[The Hitch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwcors73mFE&hd=1

looks bad for sammy

Yep there is no way this guy is going to the tour in any sort of shape.

What now. Giro next year maybe. Thats about it.

Thanks for the memories Samu.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Racing for second in the Vuelta is far more than what Anton has accomplished in his career so far, so I think they'd be pretty happy with that.

There's a difference between racing for second and getting second!

Last year, Euskaltel managed to win two stages at the Giro, a stage at the Tour and a stage at the Vuelta, while also managing a Tour GC top 5 and KoM jersey. Despite all of that, they struggled to stay in the World Tour.

This year, they got one rather than two Giro stages and might be facing into a Tour without their main leader and a Vuelta which could well be dominated by a rampant Contador. If I was their DS, I'd be getting a bit worried about where this years points are going to come from. Euskaltel aren't exactly prolific winners at smaller races.

 

[mb2612]

There's a difference between racing for second and getting second!

Last year, Euskaltel managed to win two stages at the Giro, a stage at the Tour and a stage at the Vuelta, while also managing a Tour GC top 5 and KoM jersey. Despite all of that, they struggled to stay in the World Tour.

This year, they got one rather than two Giro stages and might be facing into a Tour without their main leader and a Vuelta which could well be dominated by a rampant Contador. If I was their DS, I'd be getting a bit worried about where this years points are going to come from. Euskaltel aren't exactly prolific winners at smaller races.

They won Pais Vasco, which will help.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

What ?

He was never meant to ride Giro. He said he wanted to focus 110% on Vuelta and nothing else. He never wanted to do Giro this year...

Ah, I hadn't realised that.

He's pretty foolish to take that view this year, mind you. It was a climber's giro where, given the field and parcours, he wouldn't have been able to throw a way too much time in the TT. The Vuelta on the other hand, well that's going to be the central focus of Contador's season too.

He'd have been better off planning this season around the Giro and next season around the Vuelta.

 

[The Hitch]

There's a difference between racing for second and getting second!

Last year, Euskaltel managed to win two stages at the Giro, a stage at the Tour and a stage at the Vuelta, while also managing a Tour GC top 5 and KoM jersey. Despite all of that, they struggled to stay in the World Tour.

This year, they got one rather than two Giro stages and might be facing into a Tour without their main leader and a Vuelta which could well be dominated by a rampant Contador. If I was their DS, I'd be getting a bit worried about where this years points are going to come from. Euskaltel aren't exactly prolific winners at smaller races.

If Samu stays they have his 2nd in catalunya and 1st in pais vasco, which together are worth, if i remember correctly, about as much as a giro overall.

 

[theyoungest]

If Samu stays they have his 2nd in catalunya and 1st in pais vasco, which together are worth, if i remember correctly, about as much as a giro overall.

Yes, his epic 2nd in Catalunya

What an attack on a 100 m "hill" can do for you.

 

[Arnout]

Yep there is no way this guy is going to the tour in any sort of shape.

What now. Giro next year maybe. Thats about it.

Thanks for the memories Samu.

Please. Do you have a...

Well you know the drill.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

They won Pais Vasco, which will help.

True.

And they may also be helped by events beyond their control - Saxo and Ag2r continuing to suck, a lack of strong challenges for World Tour status by ProConti teams or rumoured team mergers. They might not actually need to get halfway decent results for the rest of the season if rivals suck, merge or collapse.

 

[Gloin22]

If Samu stays they have his 2nd in catalunya and 1st in pais vasco, which together are worth, if i remember correctly, about as much as a giro overall.

If he stays....

It's been said he's rather really considering switching a lot on the recent cyclingews article.

Winning Pais Vasco will not help then.

 

[goggalor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwcors73mFE&hd=1

looks bad for sammy

Was just about to post that. Hopefully he can either finish Daphiné or abondon and start Suisse, but it doesn't look good. In fact, it looks like he just rode 100 km with broken ribs.

 

[Arnout]

Antón's only goal is to have a good time on the bike. I don't think that one's in jeopardy just yet.

Hehe. He actually said he's only going to the Vuelta for the win though.

And if he is in good shape, he will beat Contador no doubt.

 

[Arnout]

If he stays....

It's been said he's rather really considering switching a lot on the recent cyclingews article.

Winning Pais Vasco will not help then.

He does that every year. Like Madariaga says every year the team will fold, the earth will explode and there will be no Basque racing in two months time. Just a way to put pressure on the sponsor really, if Euskaltel continues in roughly the current form, Samu will stay (barring an Alonso team).

 

[will10]

I'm presuming he is trying to win this dauphine on today's performance. That's the standpoint I am coming from. Therefore if he loses this one, it will be like his loss to Contador and Valverde in 2009 - the last Dauphine he was up against the tour favorite and tried to win. The stakes are high for Evans' tactics here IMO.

- Wiggins in not the Tour favourite, Evans is.
- Oh he was up against the Tour favourite in 2009 was he? The year Valverde couldn't ride the Tour?
- How about last year when he didn't win the Dauphine? Didn't seem to be such a blow did it as he went on to the win the Tour.

You place far too much in results here. Evans is here to prepare for the Tour, that means trying his hand on one or two stages and finishing wherever he ends up on the GC.