Critérium du Dauphiné 2023, June 4 - 11

[Rackham]

Blanka Vlasic? The high jumper?

She's why I used to watch the Olympics all those years ago. For reasons.

I liked Yelena Isinbayeva as well. Also for reasons.

 

[theyoungest]

Watched 2 episodes; what’s with the blag Scortish commentator?

He's the voiceover for the French commentators in the original. You can change that in your settings.

 

[Nick2413]

If Vingegaard wants to attack, his team probably can‘t reduce the Peloton for him, that should be interesting to watch.

He can just wait for anyone else to attack and get a nice launch. I guess that’s a big if though.

 

[Valv.Piti]

She's why I used to watch the Olympics all those years ago. For reasons.

I liked Yelena Isinbayeva as well. Also for reasons.

Amateur.

I find Yuliya Levchenko really talented

 

[Rackham]

Amateur.

I find Yuliya Levchenko really talented

I'm in full agreement here.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Not gonna lie: Vinge is becoming more and more entertaining in my eyes but he lacked Pog's punch at the end today. He should make a show tomorrow though.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Naturally I watched it and it really irritated me, seeing O'Connor getting stooged out by his team made me really hope he can get something in July.

Fascinating to see people working in professional sport thinking riding on with a thorn butt muscle was a good idea.
Feels like a proper clown festival to force him to race one more stage.

 

[carton]

Karl Kirber

No, it was the German commentator who said that Bernal is not the best descender, if I heard correctly.

Probably mixed him up with Martinez who has been, to be fair, rather poor. He seems to be getting better, though.

Go me thinking about, now that Nibali retired, who is the best descender left among the Grand Tour winners in the current peloton? Froome, maybe. I'd actually have a hard time choosing between Bernal, Yates and Carapaz for second, but YMMV. Though on a more pedal-able descent, I might wager on Pogacar or Evenepoel instead. They all seem to be fairly evenly matched, to be honest. If you go with grand tour contenders then it's Bardet by some distance, though given that the last time he was in the top-5 was in 2017 you'd be stretching that label somewhat. Still, kind of weird that there is no one you're either fearing or fearing for downhill among the leaders these days.

Good to see Vingeegard being a bit more aggressive. But given his team and Sunday's stage, tomorrow might be a breakaway day unless Adam Yates wants to give winning the whole thing a proper go or Enric Mas finds his climbing legs overnight.

 

[Netserk]

Yates is a good descender? Which one of them?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Still, kind of weird that there is no one you're either fearing or fearing for downhill among the leaders these days.

Yes, and it's a really bad thing IMO, especially in an era where the best GC riders are untouchable for everyone else both on the climbs and the TT bike. What's the last legitimate GC attack on a descent we've seen in a GT? Caruso and Bardet down San Bernardino in the 2021 Giro? We've had six GTs since then. Don't think the supertuck ban is helping either in this regard.

 

[Netserk]

Didn't someone push it down Lanciano last year?

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

Probably mixed him up with Martinez who has been, to be fair, rather poor. He seems to be getting better, though.

Go me thinking about, now that Nibali retired, who is the best descender left among the Grand Tour winners in the current peloton? Froome, maybe. I'd actually have a hard time choosing between Bernal, Yates and Carapaz for second, but YMMV. Though on a more pedal-able descent, I might wager on Pogacar or Evenepoel instead. They all seem to be fairly evenly matched, to be honest. If you go with grand tour contenders then it's Bardet by some distance, though given that the last time he was in the top-5 was in 2017 you'd be stretching that label somewhat. Still, kind of weird that there is no one you're either fearing or fearing for downhill among the leaders these days.

Good to see Vingeegard being a bit more aggressive. But given his team and Sunday's stage, tomorrow might be a breakaway day unless Adam Yates wants to give winning the whole thing a proper go or Enric Mas finds his climbing legs overnight.

I think that Landa is a pretty good descender, however he is not really risk prone. The worst i would say is probably Mas.

 

[tobydawq]

Amateur.

I find Yuliya Levchenko really talented

And Maria Kirilenko is the best tennis player of this century.

 

[carton]

Yates is a good descender? Which one of them?

Simon Yates, winner of the Vuelta a España and 10 grand tour stages, several of them from the break, is IMHO proper good downhill.

Yes, and it's a really bad thing IMO, especially in an era where the best GC riders are untouchable for everyone else both on the climbs and the TT bike. What's the last legitimate GC attack on a descent we've seen in a GT? Caruso and Bardet down San Bernardino in the 2021 Giro? We've had six GTs since then. Don't think the supertuck ban is helping either in this regard.

Yeah, and even that stemmed from Bernal marking Yates and then trusting Castroviejo and Martinez to pull it back, which ended up being the right call.

It's a tricky one for me: it really adds some spice when riders can get an advantage downhill but you also worry a bit less. Seeing Evenepoel flying into a ravine or even, for a split second there, Kruijswijk buried in the snow isn't what you want to see either. Sometimes it's a game of skill but luck plays a big part as well, for my money Henao wins gold in Rio if Nibali doesn't slide out in front of him; Thomas could've gotten really hurt by Barguil sending him into a telephone post. Bottom line I agree with you that it would be good for the racing for O'Connor or any other contender to try to make descending a real weapon but if someone ends up getting hurt then I might regret wishing for that.

 

[Netserk]

Both in TotA and the Giro in 2021 Simon Yates was clearly a level below Bilbao and Bardet.

 

[Rob5091]

Chapeau Zimmermann - neatly done at the finish and ICW get another win. There's a few guys who need to shine over the weekend or their teams will be asking questions.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I think we need to add having a sprog as another attribute needed to win a grand tour.

 

[Wyndbrook]

He is clueless beyond belief. I'm at a point where I'd wish for Wuyts to return. And Wuyts was terrible as well.

Regardless of what language we listen to we are all doomed.
We deem the vast majority of commentators as hopeless, and are totally incapable of agreeing who should replace them even if we have had say.
Personally I found Kirby the usual irritating waffler today.

 

[tobydawq]

Regardless of what language we listen to we are all doomed.
We deem the vast majority of commentators as hopeless, and are totally incapable of agreeing who should replace them even if we have had say.
Personally I found Kirby the usual irritating waffler today.

Most Danish commentators are quite good.

 

[carton]

Both in TotA and the Giro in 2021 Simon Yates was clearly a level below Bilbao and Bardet.

So I didn't watch the Tour of the Alps, and I don't remember him getting dropped by either at the Giro -unless you're talking about the aforementioned descent where he didn't follow Caruso and Bardet, but then again he didn't have good legs that day so following the Ineos train was likely the right call to preserve his podium-. But I agree that Romain is a cut above and Pello is likely a better descender than Simon. That still leaves him, IMHO, as nearly the best, if not in fact the best, descender among GT winners in the peloton. YMMV.

 

[hayneplane]

Amateur.

I find Yuliya Levchenko really talented

Yaroslava mahuchikh is also very athletic

 

[Unchained]

Most Danish commentators are quite good.

Spanish speaking team talk most of the time about what would have happened if Quintana and Superman Lopez were at the race and what is wrong with Richard Carapaz and why he doesn't win every race..and in a real twist.. Riders from Spain are of secondary importance.. I have not figured it out.. For US we have some riders to watch and at least they don't go into.. team sport.. and why Sepp Kuss is really a winner wo crossing the line first..

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Not a lot of love for Tia Hellebaut and Ruth Beitia on here, but I guess it's not really a surprise that Roglič and Valverde fans prefer high jumpers that hasn't won the biggest competition

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Hmm, I‘m sensing from these posts that this race might not be ultra-tense and close right now.

 

[Sciatic]

Hmm, I‘m sensing from these posts that this race might not be ultra-tense and close right now.

It’s turning into another BOB thread: B@bes over Bars