Critérium du Dauphiné 2012 stage 3, 167 km Givors → La Clayette

[Pentacycle]

Gilbert will not be back to normal until next season.

Winning 25% of the races he took part in in 2011 seems to have taken a toll on his body. He needs rest and not just 1 month, but rather a few months.

Very true. Riding the Tour can only make things worse, if he stops racing from now until the Vuelta he should get at least one victory this fall. This Dauphine once again confirms his crippled recovery/toughness.

 

[El Pistolero]

If anything, riding a Grand Tour will make him better. Let's also not over-state how bad he is shall we. Or do you guys think it's easy to escape a bunch sprint in the final kms?

Last year he tried these attacks a lot in the Ster ZLM Toer and they always failed... So was he bad as well then?

 

[theyoungest]

It's not easy, but Gilbert only does it if he feels he's not there yet. Which he isn't.

 

[El Pistolero]

It's not easy, but Gilbert only does it if he feels he's not there yet. Which he isn't.

Wrong. As I said in my earlier post he did this in the Ster ZLM Toer last year and in Gullegem Koerse(where he succeeded). I don't think Phil is good at the moment, but some of you are exaggerating.

 

[theyoungest]

Forgive me for not watching the Ster ZLM Toer. I've seen him do it in the Vuelta a few times, and in Qatar or Oman or suchlike.

 

[cycladianpirate]

It's not easy, but Gilbert only does it if he feels he's not there yet. Which he isn't.

To be flippant, I think he's just trying to get back his 'mojo'.

It's got to be tough when you go from 'everything I do is working' to 'nothing I do is working'. Anyone would, inevitably, try to force back what you've lost. Today's suicide escape is a prime example isn't it?

Gilbert is still a fine rider, he's just stuck in the twilight zone at the moment. He'll be back and the frisson of the Tour could be just what he needs - less thought, more instinct.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Wrong. As I said in my earlier post he did this in the Ster ZLM Toer last year and in Gullegem Koerse(where he succeeded). I don't think Phil is good at the moment, but some of you are exaggerating.

Let me clarify I don't think he is bad, in fact I'm sure a win is coming. I just don't believe he will be reaching his maximum this season, regardless of a gt. like I said I think he over did it last year which can really mess you up the following season, especially with regards to training and fatigue.

 

[LaFleur]

Taaramäe wrote something interest in his blog today: "The funniest moment today was about 80km from the end when Coppel and an Euskaltel guy got into a fight and about 50 riders yelled all together: Fight Fight Fight!"

He also said that he is going to ride himself totally empty tomorrow.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The only surprise of the race for me was that the RSNT rider who failed to see the crash, or the Lotto rider jump the fallen bike right in front of his eyes, wasn't Schleck the Younger, because he must have been asleep at the wheel.

(anyone know who it was?)

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

The only surprise of the race for me was that the RSNT rider who failed to see the crash, or the Lotto rider jump the fallen bike right in front of his eyes, wasn't Schleck the Younger, because he must have been asleep at the wheel.

(anyone know who it was?)

Markel Irizar.

 

[MrRoboto]

The radioshack rider who crashed was Popovych I think.

 

[robert_c]

And that crash! I think I saw that bike bouncing no less than 4 times through the peloton!

It looked like someone hit the guard fence on riders right. Has the cause of the crash been confirmed?

 

[greenedge]

I think if Sky let EBH go FTW he will win. Otherwise i shall say Ciolek to beat Bozic and Degenkolb. The sprinters teams will be desperate to win.

I got the top 3 right

Congrats to EBH.

What happened for Howard?