Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, June 8 - 15

[Froome]

I don't think any of the big 3 go that early, it's 25 K flat until the final climb, and they all know what's coming the day after.

I think the break takes the stage, and then the GC fights it out up the last climb with relatively low gaps acros the line.

I hope I am wrong

I also don't believe in attacks on Mont Saxoness, but i believe in a hard tempo, to just let a small group in the end of the final climb.

I actually don't believe in a break tomorrow.

 

[SHAD0W93]

No way Visma and UAE don’t keep a break in check for Vingegaard and Pogacar to win the stage. I think they’ll finish together with Pogacar winning the sprint and Evenepoel a little behind.

 

[Unchained]

Remco should win tomorrow. Perfect climb for him!

He will show up..he is not going to get labeled as crash and out for another season. If his road rash and pain are indeed minor ,kid is gunning. Nothing left of his team, it's his new found fitness versus all.
.I wish him the best
, didn't pan out for Del Toro or Van der Poel while he was devoured by attack after attack after attack.. Still respectable finish against half dozen stallions for MVP.. Remco has some serious training in the bank, spill over is not going to hold him back. As his team evaporates around him, seeing him fight alone..

 

[QueenStagiaire]

This is the toughest MTF as it‘s the easiest to make gaps on. Valmeinier tomorrow is after a hard stage, but it levels out after the first few k.

 

[HashRouge]

This is the toughest MTF as it‘s the easiest to make gaps on. Valmeinier tomorrow is after a hard stage, but it levels out after the first few k.

I was listening to the GTCC podcast yesterday and Luke Rowe said he thinks the weekend stages won't lead to big gaps as the gradients aren't steep enough, and that he thought they'd struggle to drop each other. What do people think?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I was listening to the GTCC podcast yesterday and Luke Rowe said he thinks the weekend stages won't lead to big gaps as the gradients aren't steep enough, and that he thought they'd struggle to drop each other. What do people think?

Sunday's stage is fairly easy, unless the GC is still very close going into it it will probably be a pretty pointless final day as far as GC is concerned. Saturday's stage, on the other hand, has two of the hardest passes in the French Alps before the MTF, so the MTF itself will not exactly be a fresh effort. That one should therefore at least see big gaps behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, but of course they've been too evenly matched to drop each other on big mountain stages before.

 

[search]

According to a Lodewyck interview in Belgian press today, Evenepoel is already at the lowest weight he had during last year's Tour de France, and he expects him to be in the mix with the best this weekend.

 

[Russell in France]

2025 Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 4 Photo Album

A few of my photos from the stage 4 time trial from Charmes-sur-Rhône to Saint-Péray. Photos were taken at the depart and I walked about 3km down the course to find a quiet stretch of road.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

I think Remco is in a bit of a sticky situation, that he is up against 2 riders that will attack, and he needs to keep both in check if he's to win this race. He can't follow both, and Pog and Vingo will just play with him. I hope he has a good 3 days to give them something to think about in the Tour, other than just themselves.

 

[KZD]

I hope Remco is feeling good after the crash and manages to stay in yellow one more day.

Pogačar to get his revenge in Combloux and beat Vingegaard in a sprint with Remco losing a few second. Seixas to top10 once again.

 

[Red Rick]

Sunday's stage is fairly easy, unless the GC is still very close going into it it will probably be a pretty pointless final day as far as GC is concerned. Saturday's stage, on the other hand, has two of the hardest passes in the French Alps before the MTF, so the MTF itself will not exactly be a fresh effort. That one should therefore at least see big gaps behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, but of course they've been too evenly matched to drop each other on big mountain stages before.

Saturday is the sort of stage where while there's a lot of fatigue, it's not gonna be that much fatigue because Croix-de-Fer is so far from the finish nobody is gonna pace it full gas as if you descend straight into the base of the final climb and then you get a descent and valley which enables the best riders to just recover from their effort.

Combloux is just made for smashing every domestique head first into Domancy though.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

I see Pogacar winning today

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Saturday is the sort of stage where while there's a lot of fatigue, it's not gonna be that much fatigue because Croix-de-Fer is so far from the finish nobody is gonna pace it full gas as if you descend straight into the base of the final climb and then you get a descent and valley which enables the best riders to just recover from their effort.

This reminds me of my pre-race assessment of the 2023 Tour Cauterets stage. And Saturday's is similar in profile but clearly harder.

And even without attacks on CdF and with the valley after it, 2024 generally had big gaps on this sort of stage when all the action was limited to the finale. Isola 2000, Pla d'Adet and Mottolino are all stages that come to mind. Yes, all of those were heavily influenced by featuring Pogacar, but that just makes them more relevant to this one.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

I think Remco is in a bit of a sticky situation, that he is up against 2 riders that will attack, and he needs to keep both in check if he's to win this race. He can't follow both, and Pog and Vingo will just play with him. I hope he has a good 3 days to give them something to think about in the Tour, other than just themselves.

I actually think it's the opposite. There's no way Vingegaard or Pogacar will just let the other ride up the road Del Toro style if they physically are capable of following.
So he just has to follow wheels and doesn't have to react himself at first.
It also helps that it is very unlikely that Vingegaard overtakes him JUST through boni seconds (theoretically possible but unlikely), so if necessary he can also choochoo at the end and not worry about losing the sprint.

Overall I think he'll get dropped and not win this Dauphine but just from a theoretical standpoint - if he is physically in prime condition this is a reasonably good situation to be in.

 

[ChasingPotatoes]

Remco’s crash (looks a bit harder than just kissing the asphalt):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933426873515577632

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1933426873515577632

 

[Red Rick]

This reminds me of my pre-race assessment of the 2023 Tour Cauterets stage. And Saturday's is similar in profile but clearly harder.

And even without attacks on CdF and with the valley after it, 2024 generally had big gaps on this sort of stage when all the action was limited to the finale. Isola 2000, Pla d'Adet and Mottolino are all stages that come to mind. Yes, all of those were heavily influenced by featuring Pogacar, but that just makes them more relevant to this one.

It should depend heavily on the outcome of today, but generally I agree most likely it's just 5.4W/kg Croix de Fer and then just smash the first third of Valmenier. Overall damage should be clearly less than Isola and PdB simply because Valmenier is easier, especially in the first 3rd

 

[Flamin]

It's too soon to tell, not having done any climbing bar a short section in the TT, but I had a good feeling Remco was going to win the Dauphiné. A bit less convinced now with the crash looking a tad worse than anticipated.

Important day today for sure, first uphill battle in a year.

 

[dobrien]

It's too soon to tell, not having done any climbing bar a short section in the TT, but I had a good feeling Remco was going to win the Dauphiné. A bit less convinced now with the crash looking a tad worse than anticipated.

Important day today for sure, first uphill battle in a year.

Yeah, it's not 'horrible' but even at his best he needs to be 100% imho; hope he has a great day today. Today and tomorrow are the big tests... I'm really hoping he has a new level that will blow people's minds, because that's what he's going to need.

 

[dobrien]

I actually think it's the opposite. There's no way Vingegaard or Pogacar will just let the other ride up the road Del Toro style if they physically are capable of following.
So he just has to follow wheels and doesn't have to react himself at first.
It also helps that it is very unlikely that Vingegaard overtakes him JUST through boni seconds (theoretically possible but unlikely), so if necessary he can also choochoo at the end and not worry about losing the sprint.

This is what I believe he should to as well; the worst thing he can do is try jumping after everything they try, imho.

 

[dazaau]

It's too soon to tell, not having done any climbing bar a short section in the TT, but I had a good feeling Remco was going to win the Dauphiné. A bit less convinced now with the crash looking a tad worse than anticipated.

Important day today for sure, first uphill battle in a year.

A tad worse? Looked pretty gnarly to me. :/

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

A tad worse? Looked pretty gnarly to me. :/

He was rolling forward, that's a good thing. Might have gotten lucky with how the force went through his body.

 

[noob]

Remco’s crash (looks a bit harder than just kissing the asphalt):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933426873515577632

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1933426873515577632

Holy ***

 

[Lequack]

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

 

[Boehmand]

I also don't believe in attacks on Mont Saxoness, but i believe in a hard tempo, to just let a small group in the end of the final climb.

I actually don't believe in a break tomorrow.

I hope you are right, but my gut feeling is they all want to save their doms for the next 2 days, where they can be used to much greater tactical effect - and none of the big 3 are here for stage wins, they are here for the overall.

I think we could se a quite sizeable break today, because a lot of teams will view it as their last chance - Sunday looks possible for the break on paper, but it won't be with the final GC to be decided.

 

[AlpRaid]

I think Remco is in a bit of a sticky situation, that he is up against 2 riders that will attack, and he needs to keep both in check if he's to win this race. He can't follow both, and Pog and Vingo will just play with him. I hope he has a good 3 days to give them something to think about in the Tour, other than just themselves.

I think vingo is strongest.

remco should let him go and see if he can follow pog.

neither vingo nor pog will let each other go, so remco should never be the one closing holes.

that is, if he is not summarily dropped by both of them.