Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, June 8 - 15

Page 22 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
May 6, 2021
12,821
23,785
22,180
Milan is just here for conditioning, Groenewegen and others sometimes do the same trick where they turn up here looking like they can't get over a motorway bridge before the tour, never been that good at this sort of hill anyway.
 
Jun 30, 2022
7,442
10,830
17,180
I don‘t think Milan looks bad here, he‘s nominally a bottom 5-10 climber in a Dauphiné field, a lot of other bad climbers just don‘t do this race.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red Rick
Jul 20, 2018
1,054
1,539
13,680
Milan is just here for conditioning, Groenewegen and others sometimes do the same trick where they turn up here looking like they can't get over a motorway bridge before the tour, never been that good at this sort of hill anyway.
I mean with the amount of work Trek have done already in these 2 stages, he is not just here to ride into shape.
 
May 10, 2015
13,617
12,919
28,180
Milan is not that bad of a climber. This is indeed worrying unless he just came down from altitude or he's suffering from the heat.

He's definitely worse than normal, but it's 4 weeks till the Tour. He's fine. And yes he just came down from his first altitude camp ever. So yeah...

I mean with the amount of work Trek have done already in these 2 stages, he is not just here to ride into shape.

You can try to win while also being here to get better
 
Mar 31, 2015
10,190
4,951
28,180
Mads should have been in the Tour over Milan.
Given the opening week of the Tour, I agree. That said, in a flat stage Pedersen doesn't come top five (especially this year's version), so in a normal Tour I think Milan is a better bet to win more stages.
 
Mar 31, 2015
10,190
4,951
28,180
Milan is not that bad of a climber. This is indeed worrying unless he just came down from altitude or he's suffering from the heat.
In all honesty, his climbing performances have (so far) been worse this year than last. Had better performances in Dwars and GW last year, though Dwars was raced much harder this time around.

In my head, the upper end of climbing level is what we saw in the Giro stage to Napoli last year. He's been worse than that this year, but obviously he may still improve in the coming month.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boehmand
Sep 2, 2011
17,538
13,763
28,180
In all honesty, his climbing performances have (so far) been worse this year than last. Had better performances in Dwars and GW last year, though Dwars was raced much harder this time around.

In my head, the upper end of climbing level is what we saw in the Giro stage to Napoli last year. He's been worse than that this year, but obviously he may still improve in the coming month.
Gualdo Tadino in last year's TA was probably better than Napoli.
And AlUla Tour in 2023 albeit in a much weaker field.

I agree he's been climbing worse than expected in 2025.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brullnux
Mar 5, 2023
3,028
4,242
12,180
Given the opening week of the Tour, I agree. That said, in a flat stage Pedersen doesn't come top five (especially this year's version), so in a normal Tour I think Milan is a better bet to win more stages.

Not top 5 is a bit far.

I'd concede Philipsen and Merlier - but who else would beat him consistently in flat bunch sprints at the Tour (of which there are only 2 - the other 3 sprints are uphill)?

Just for clarity, I know it's a moot point, they are not suddenly bringing Pedersen instead, that ship has sailed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Jan 22, 2010
4,757
5,843
21,180
I love those random buildings you just see in the middle of a field. Why was it ever built?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
Mar 5, 2023
3,028
4,242
12,180
If we talk about someone being bad... Magnus Cort...
Apparently he is supposed to ride lead out in sprint finishes this race, which is a horrible idea given his lacking ability for positioning.

(and then Wærenskjold wins after a brilliant Cort lead out, just you wait :p )
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Sandisfan
Mar 5, 2023
3,028
4,242
12,180
Look at the grass, not a single blade moving in the wind - and yet they all ride as IF there was crosswinds :sweatsmile:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lui98
Mar 31, 2015
10,190
4,951
28,180
Not top 5 is a bit far.

I'd concede Philipsen and Merlier - but who else would beat him consistently in flat bunch sprints at the Tour (of which there are only 2 - the other 3 sprints are uphill)?

Just for clarity, I know it's a moot point, they are not suddenly bringing Pedersen instead, that ship has sailed.
Just look at the Giro, he didn't finish on the podium of a flat bunch sprint and ended up behind proper second/third tier guys like Zijlaard, Moschetti, and Van Uden. Also Paris-Nice, where he came 3rd on one stage thanks to the relegation of Hugo Page (!). He's not as fast as he used to be, but boy is he a better all round cyclist.
 

TRENDING THREADS