Critérium du Dauphiné 2023, June 4 - 11

[Wyndbrook]

Most Danish commentators are quite good.

Better start learning Danish I guess, although the last language exam I took resulted in a 6% fail. Might be a long process.

 

[Tonton]

Thibaut! Give the goats some extra feed and head to Bilbao!

Seriously, Gaudu's form is disappointing but sometimes the Dauphine isn't the best judge of fitness 3 weeks later.

Today's stage should be fun. Quite warm today and the route, while not uber-grueling on paper, has a number of spots to launch an attach. The Aravis NDDB Crest Voland finish is pretty tough (and beautiful to boot).

If, as David said in l'Equipe: "the goal is to gauge myself with/against Vingo", well, well, well. Yikes. Bad day today...after yesterday. He needs to crush it tomorrow or Madiot will be at the gates of Pinot's farm, tomorrow night, he'll be singing Italian melodies and playing mandoline, bringing goat treats and all.

 

[gregrowlerson]

If, as David said in l'Equipe: "the goal is to gauge myself with/against Vingo", well, well, well. Yikes. Bad day today...after yesterday. He needs to crush it tomorrow or Madiot will be at the gates of Pinot's farm, tomorrow night, he'll be singing Italian melodies and playing mandoline, bringing goat treats and all.

But will the Dauphne still be an 8 though?

 

[Oldermanish]

I don't know anything about Zimmerman but his constant effort to regain the other two on every climb, every descent was inspiring. It's why guys go on long breakaways hoping to get a result and instead find something that can gloriously define a career. Love it!

 

[Netserk]

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.

This is what I had in mind from the Giro:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1396931860559712257

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1396931860559712257

 

[Sciatic]

Heads up re: tomorrow—stage due to finish quite early, by about 1500 there. Seems like like this has been the case before at the Dauphine and might be to avoid conflict with French Open coverage?

 

[carton]

This is what I had in mind from the Giro:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1396931860559712257

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1396931860559712257

I mean, I didn't see that descent because, well, it wasn't broadcast. Sure, the numbers throw out that Yates did the descent at 48.4km/h vs 50.2 km/h for Caruso. And it's usually good to evaluate performances as qualitatively as possible. But as those numbers hint at there was a flat in the middle of that descent and a kicker to the line, where he was dropped by the group comprised of Foss, Izaguirre, and Formolo. The gist being that despite having cracked that stage, once he was caught by three of the fastest four descenders among the GC riders -including the fastest- he was able to hold their wheel.

So I wouldn't quite reevaluate my opinion on his downhill skills based on that stage.

 

[search]

Heads up re: tomorrow—stage due to finish quite early, by about 1500 there. Seems like like this has been the case before at the Dauphine and might be to avoid conflict with French Open coverage?

and/or le Mans, yeah. Can't remember which one it more often overlaps with, but they usually try to get the stage out of the way early.

 

[RedheadDane]

Better start learning Danish I guess, although the last language exam I took resulted in a 6% fail. Might be a long process.

You want some help?

 

[Rob5091]

Stage 7 starts 10.40 CET , TV from 13.15 CET - early start folks!

 

[Rob5091]

If, as David said in l'Equipe: "the goal is to gauge myself with/against Vingo", well, well, well. Yikes. Bad day today...after yesterday. He needs to crush it tomorrow or Madiot will be at the gates of Pinot's farm, tomorrow night, he'll be singing Italian melodies and playing mandoline, bringing goat treats and all.

If so, I want to see a video of that But what about Démare? How do they plan for a sprint team and the GC guys?

 

[tobydawq]

Better start learning Danish I guess, although the last language exam I took resulted in a 6% fail. Might be a long process.

Cycling is called cykling in Danish.

Now, you're closer.

 

[Wyndbrook]

You want some help?

Thanks, but think I am a lost cause.

 

[DNP-Old]

Well i'll take him over mister Blanka Vlašić and Vannieuwkerke any day of the week.

Very true, but I reckon that says more about how bad the rest of the team is as opposed to being a compliment to Renaat. There is not one person in that team, not Renaat, not Karrel, not Nys, not Van Gucht, not Berteele, not Vandegoor, not whoever, that is capable of giving decent commentary, let alone good. De Cauwer fell off as well. Eurosport unfortunately isn't much better.

It is a must that VRT contract Bakelants full time. I want him to do the studio analysis, commentary and motard reporting at the same time. And Chris Picavet.

 

[Rob5091]

According to Mas, Movistar have a plan for today ...

 

[RedheadDane]

It is a must that VRT contract Bakelants full time. I want him to do the studio analysis, commentary and motard reporting at the same time. And Chris Picavet.

No cloning riders! That includes ex-riders.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

According to Mas, Movistar have a plan for today ...

Would that be to attack when there's a mass crash, and say it was their intention to attack at that point.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Went last night accidentally on a party date with a gay german man who kept buying me drinks, very hungover now but this stage will help me recover

 

[Rob5091]

Over 50 km/h in the first hour so these guys can n't wait to start climbing!

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

According to Mas, Movistar have a plan for today ...

Sounds good, but then again imagine if he answered otherwise.
Reporter "what about today, how are the legs, do you have a race plan?"
Mas "Race plan? Sorry, my English not so good. No. We do as we normally do. Just ride and see if we can get to the finish first".

 

[Rob5091]

The way it was written made it seem that Movistar have something new and unusual! A plan?! Wow!

 

[Offline]

Can't believe there is no TV broadcasting jet!

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The race situation looks kind of messed up right now. Was there roadblocking going on to cause these gaps or did people just wait for the climb?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Went last night accidentally on a party date with a gay german man who kept buying me drinks, very hungover now but this stage will help me recover

I hope you're not more butthurt than usual

It seems that INEOS aren't fake pacing at the moment.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Seems to have been a hard pace, perhaps a show of confidence in Bernal, as Martinez and Rodriguez have looked second hand so far.