Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, June 8 - 15

[Krzysztof_O]

Wait, why is Pogačar starting this race without competent climbing domestiques?

Maybe he's there only for some stage-hunting.

 

[Cycling111]

There is only one stage dangerous to him.

In a week-long race, there aren't usually many more days.
But more than that, Visma has Jorgenson and could act with the superiority of having a second leader.

They want to complicate things.
The Swiss route is easy, and they're go with Felix and Vine.

 

[Boehmand]

Good decision. Much better chance of getting a top result in TdS rather than being a passenger in France. Other 2nd tier GC riders should do the same.

Losers mentality IMO - and young rider like Skjelmose should want to measure himself against the best, who he are facing at the Tour anyway - and he would had it not been for getting a stomach flu.

That being said I think TdS is the better preparation for TdF this year, because the route is harder.

 

[Mayomaniac]

There was the MTT on Ventoux in 2004. Iban Mayo beat Armstrong by nearly two minutes.

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 2004 Stage 4 (ITT) results

Iban Mayo is the winner of Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 2004 Stage 4 (ITT), before Tyler Hamilton and Óscar Sevilla. Iban Mayo was leader in GC.

www.procyclingstats.com

Despite that Lance destroyed everyone, including Mayo, in July.

That discussion belongs into a different part of the forum...

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Wait, why is Pogačar starting this race without competent climbing domestiques?

Zone 2 training.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Losers mentality IMO - and young rider like Skjelmose should want to measure himself against the best, who he are facing at the Tour anyway - and he would had it not been for getting a stomach flu.

That being said I think TdS is the better preparation for TdF this year, because the route is harder.

TdS has been harder than Dauphiné for years IMHO. Dauphiné allows riders to do a mini altitude training camp before the Tour and this is why most top GT riders choose to race Dauphiné.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Wait, why is Pogačar starting this race without competent climbing domestiques?

Because some just rode the Giro, Almeida will want to win Suisse and deserves to be there as a leader, and most importantly I guess: what does he need better climbers than Soler, Sivakov and Novak for? If he's confident he's on good form he'll hardly be distanced in the mountains anyway.

 

[Oldman]

Maybe he's there only for some stage-hunting.

It looks like only Stages 7,8 really need climbing specialists. He's got some horses for the rolling and small hill stages.

 

[titan31]

Ignoring the GC discussion as we all know Pog will win, what are we thinking for stage 1,2,3 and 5.

Milan is by far the fastest sprinter here so surely other teams are going to be looking to drop him on those hills but Lidl Trek are fully built around him and he can climb reasonably well.

Are we thinking these all go as sprints for Milan or is it more a Cort, MvdP set of stages and we'll get those guys and maybe even Pog sprinting out of small groups.

 

[Lequack]

Vingegaard has the 155mm cranks now. Shorter cranks win races.

 

[rghysens]

Ignoring the GC discussion as we all know Pog will win, what are we thinking for stage 1,2,3 and 5.

2 and 5 will be sprints of a big group, while I can see the main favorite(s) contesting the win for 1 and 3.

 

[elguapo]

Carlos Rodriguez would be the dark horse. He looked promising at LBL and at the Tour of Romandie races, after returning from injury like Remco and Jonas. After his two comeback competitions, he proceed to team training camp keeping a low profile and now ready to climb and descend with the best.

 

[search]

The final bump tomorrow (with ~7k to go) was used as finish of the 2022 ITT:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sO_4RQLA_Q


To me, it doesn't really look hard enough for Pogacar, but if it disorganizes Trek, maybe someone can go on the attack right after.

edit: wrong video. Correct one is a few posts below.

 

[houtdffan]

was Gouvenou drunk when he classified the finish of stage 6 as two climbs? That is clearly a single cat 1

 

[RedheadDane]

was Gouvenou drunk when he classified the finish of stage 6 as two climbs? That is clearly a single cat 1

Imagine being on your way up a climb, you get to the KoM sprint, and then...

The climb just frikkin' continues!

 

[Roku]

The route looks disappointing. Only one proper mountain stage. UAE team is great for controlling this race except for stage 7 where their best support rider is Sivakov

 

[fenns]

The final bump tomorrow (with ~7k to go) was used as finish of the 2022 ITT:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sO_4RQLA_Q


To me, it doesn't really look hard enough for Pogacar, but if it disorganizes Trek, maybe someone can go on the attack right after.

the official website says 0.6km at 8.6% - I'm not seeing that in the clip

 

[search]

the official website says 0.6km at 8.6% - I'm not seeing that in the clip

right, my mistake: it's the wrong video. They used it in the Paris-Nice ITT, not Dauphiné:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWwTtTmpQXk

 

[fenns]

right, my mistake: it's the wrong video. They used it in the Paris-Nice ITT, not Dauphiné:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWwTtTmpQXk

the stage profiles say for Paris-Nice 22 it was 0.8 km at 7%. Tomorrow's ramp is 0.6km at 8.8% - maybe different climbs?

They are doing it 3 times tomorrow - the field will be spread out by the time they finish.

 

[Heston]

I dont see stage 1 being difficult enough for Pogacar to win. But I could see Van der Poel pull it off if he is in good shape.

 

[CyclistAbi]

It would IMHO be rather good if Remco to beat one of the Pogi or Jonas, as that would change the narrative massively. Something like:

• Alien 1
• Remco
• Alien 2

Would do for me. Or do you feel alien 2 would be too much o fended for it and better to say:

• Alien
• Remo
• Alien

Lets see if such penetration is to happen.

 

[Heston]

Remco could win this race because the mountain stages are not that terrifying and he is the favorite for the TT.

But even if does win Dauphine, he is still only 3rd favorite for the Tour, well behind the big 2.

 

[Extinction]

Remco could win this race because the mountain stages are not that terrifying and he is the favorite for the TT.

But even if does win Dauphine, he is still only 3rd favorite for the Tour, well behind the big 2.

The penultimate stage has 3 HC climbs, the last to the finish. If he rides with Tadej and Jonas to the finish he has a chance, otherwise no, because a pathetic 17 km TT won't make much of a difference. In the 80s, the amateur state TT championship was 50 km long to gain some perspective.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Remco could win this race because the mountain stages are not that terrifying and he is the favorite for the TT.

But even if does win Dauphine, he is still only 3rd favorite for the Tour, well behind the big 2.

After all the talking, on how supposedly they are all now brand new and flying and aren't afraid of nobody. On how huge differences there are in between top 2 and the rest ... I swear i am not making this up. Anything but a win from Pogi or Jonas would be a huge surprise. Remco getting in between is IMHO enough, to change the narrative completely. Winning it, sure, if able, but then nothing will be the same again.

 

[KZD]

Remco could win this race because the mountain stages are not that terrifying and he is the favorite for the TT.

But even if does win Dauphine, he is still only 3rd favorite for the Tour, well behind the big 2.

No way Remco can beat Pogačar and I seriously doubt he will beat Vingegaard, there are still plenty of mountains for them to drop him.

In fact, I am not even sure he will beat them in the TT given the steep climb in the middle of it.