Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 3

[Eyeballs Out]

Brajkovic's ride was surprising to me in that he was the only smaller rider that wasn't blown away by the wind. Definitely a day for the big-gear mashers. Contador has actually done pretty well if you look at where he's finished compared to other smaller GC riders like Sanchez and Horner

 

[Publicus]

I'd like to see Jani take this one.

Me too. Would be a big overall win for him and Team Radio Shack.

 

[Sasquatch]

I know what I can say about Jani. But I should leave that to the clinic!

He is a talented rider, anyway so probably nothing suspicious about it, but still....

 

[Roland Rat]

Me too. Would be a big overall win for him and Team Radio Shack.

As long as they also win the coveted team award.

 

[kurtinsc]

Because that is the most suspicious result of the day

Just throwing some sarcasm out there.

Brajkovic's results weren't far out of form. Good results for him, but not outside his normal result set. He was 6th at the world time trial championships last year, won the under 23 world TT championships back in 2004 and rides well in pretty much all of his time trials.

While their all probably doping, if we throw out statements like "color me suspicious" anytime a rider who is riding on a team we dont' like has a good result... then let's be consistent and throw the same statements out there for guys we do like.

Let's not say we're suspicious about the ones we dislike and "way to go! Great ride! What a talent!" for the ones we support.

 

[kurtinsc]

If you like. This is his first full season on the road, and he has always gone well in ITT's. He just turned 24, it seems like pretty natural progression to me.

Yes... because a rider winning the U23 world TT championships in 2004, winning the militairs world TT championships in 2005, winning the militairs and placing 8th in the elite TT championships in 2008, placing 6th in the elite world TT championships and 2009... HIM winning a Dauphine time trial is unexpected... right?

 

[Jamsque]

Yes... because a rider winning the U23 world TT championships in 2004, winning the militairs world TT championships in 2005, winning the militairs and placing 8th in the elite TT championships in 2008, placing 6th in the elite world TT championships and 2009... HIM winning a Dauphine time trial is unexpected... right?

Listen, I have nothing against JB, and I have not been saying that this result is out of character for him. I flat out do not trust a single rider on RS, and that's all there is to it.

 

[Jan the Man]

I don't think that Jani winning a TT is in the least bit suspicious. Nevertheless after seeing the smaller riders generally struggle in the wind I am slightly surpirsed that a big gear masher like a Millar, EBH or Grabsch didn't take this one.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Just throwing some sarcasm out there.

Brajkovic's results weren't far out of form. Good results for him, but not outside his normal result set. He was 6th at the world time trial championships last year, won the under 23 world TT championships back in 2004 and rides well in pretty much all of his time trials.

While their all probably doping, if we throw out statements like "color me suspicious" anytime a rider who is riding on a team we dont' like has a good result... then let's be consistent and throw the same statements out there for guys we do like.

Let's not say we're suspicious about the ones we dislike and "way to go! Great ride! What a talent!" for the ones we support.

Agree 100%. Great ride by the lad and it's not as though he has come from nowhere. He's always been able to TT and climb. Be interested to see how he gets on tomorrow.

The same goes to Geraint Thomas. I thought he'd struggle a bit today with the length and the climb part way through but he's obviously in form. I'd be interested to see how he copes with the climb tomorrow and then the Alpe stage. I wonder if he'll just try and defend the green jersey though and try and take some intermediate sprints over the coming days.

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of 50k TT's. A load of guys are now way out of contention which I don't think is great for the race. Then again, it's an opportunity for guys who have lost 5 mins or so today to form a breakaway tomorrow which might succeed.

 

[wattage]

Whats up with these featherweight climbers nowadays smashing big guys who specialize in timetrial?

 

[maltiv]

Brajkovic wins easy and takes over yellow
Thomas back in green

So Dim, still don't think EBH should ride the tour?

 

[kurtinsc]

Listen, I have nothing against JB, and I have not been saying that this result is out of character for him. I flat out do not trust a single rider on RS, and that's all there is to it.

I flat out don't trust ANY professional rider. The fact you single out a single team seems somewhat naive to me... sort of playing favorites.

I accepted doping was prevalent in 2004 or 2005 when I first started looking at it with any focus. At that point I came to the conclusion that everyone was doping... and had to decide if that bothered me or not.

In the end... cycling is cycling, regardless of how "pumped up" everyone is. I like watching the races. I do get annoyed when someone plays "fan" by claiming "their guys" are clean, but the ones they root against must be doped.

Especially when the basis of those claims seems focused entirely on a good result... as in this case.

But I'll stop now... I suppose this is clinic-ish.

 

[Tom T.]

Look for Conti to have a go on the Alpe as a test.

Maybe Braki is the guinea pig for Lance's new "program". Looks like it might be a good one.

 

[Anonymous]

So Dim, still don't think EBH should ride the tour?

I still dont think he should ride the tour.. A good TT performance after two days of rest is a long way from completing a 3 week road race.

If the team is serious about getting a gc position for wiggins, I really dont see how a not fully fit EbH is that much of a benefit. They dont have the squad to do a succesful leadout for sprint wins, I cant see them beating columbia. I dont think he will have the strength for winning the green jersey.

But i think over that first week, the combination of stannard and flecha could be a better option for stage wins and do a better job of protecting brad.

If they want ebh to win green, then great, if they want brad to get a good gc, then great, but they cant do both, and EbH cannot do it on his own.

I stand by that. After his injury this year i would rather see him do smaller tours, maybe the vuelta and focus on the tour next year.

 

[Jamsque]

Especially when the basis of those claims seems focused entirely on a good result... as in this case.

I'm not going to carry this on any more but I would like to re-iterate that my opinions on JB have nothing to do with today's result.

The CN report currently lists EBH as winning...

 

[Polish]

Let's not say we're suspicious about the ones we dislike and "way to go! Great ride! What a talent!" for the ones we support.

You're no fun

"innocent even after proven guilty"
"innocent until proven guilty"
"guilty just because"

Its important to mix it up.....

Maybe Braki is the guinea pig for Lance's new "program". Looks like it might be a good one.

Its nice to see that Bruyneel is letting some other team members use the Motorized CrankSet that Lance used during his one two three four five six seven TdF wins. trickle down.

 

[kurtinsc]

I'm not going to carry this on any more but I would like to re-iterate that my opinions on JB have nothing to do with today's result.

The CN report currently lists EBH as winning...

Then perhaps posting those opinions in a thread about today's race isn't the best way to vent those feelings.

And it's an obvious typo... the article talks about him winning.

 

[MagnusW]

I still dont think he should ride the tour.. A good TT performance after two days of rest is a long way from completing a 3 week road race.

If the team is serious about getting a gc position for wiggins, I really dont see how a not fully fit EbH is that much of a benefit. They dont have the squad to do a succesful leadout for sprint wins, I cant see them beating columbia. I dont think he will have the strength for winning the green jersey.

But i think over that first week, the combination of stannard and flecha could be a better option for stage wins and do a better job of protecting brad.

If they want ebh to win green, then great, if they want brad to get a good gc, then great, but they cant do both, and EbH cannot do it on his own.

I stand by that. After his injury this year i would rather see him do smaller tours, maybe the vuelta and focus on the tour next year.

Hushovd won the green last year, and I would say he didn't get any help from his team.

 

[Moondance]

Menchov takes 50 seconds on Contador.... A healthy chunk, that be; when both are still far from peak form and the course suits Berto better with the climb early on. Will certainly provide some ammo for the coming TdF flamewar.

 

[Anonymous]

Confirmed.. Geraint back in green
Thomas 64pts
Bola 52pts
Brajkovic 45pts
Contador 40pts

 

[Anonymous]

Hushovd won the green last year, and I would say he didn't get any help from his team.

But to be fair, cav would have won easily if not for a dodgy DQ

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Confirmed.. Geraint back in green
Thomas 64pts
Bola 52pts
Brajkovic 45pts
Contador 40pts

Good chance a GC rider takes green though

 

[kjetilraknerud]

But to be fair, cav would have won easily if not for a dodgy DQ

He would have won by 4 points. That's hardly an easy win

 

[Anonymous]

Good chance a GC rider takes green though

yeh.. G needs a miracle top ten finish or two

do they give points out on the climbing stage finishes? or is it a true sprints jersey as in the tour de france?

edit: looking at last year they gave out half the points from stage 4 onwards

 

[Wallace]

Menchov takes 50 seconds on Contador.... A healthy chunk, that be; when both are still far from peak form and the course suits Berto better with the climb early on. Will certainly provide some ammo for the coming TdF flamewar.

Contador has said over and over that he's not targeting this race. Does anyone think that this TT represented a full-tilt AC?