Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, June 8 - 15

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Forgive me for thinking that sport is about achieving the best results that one can, and for considering that Vingegaard thought that Pogacar might assume that too.
Why would Pogacar or Vingegaard care about placing on a stage when GC is clear and wouldn’t change on bonus seconds. Second and third doesn’t change anything for them, and in the past the one that did the most work gets the higher placing. This isn’t a day race and their teams don’t need the UCI points. Then to extrapolate on what Hayne’s wrote, Pogacar only cared for the win when Kuss was still in the front group. As soon as Kuss was dropped the gap went back out from UAE’s pacing and Pogacar only followed the others attacks and never upped the pace with Vingegaard, just matched it.
 
Leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I think when you are as superior as Pogacar at the moment, it's hard to do anything right in that regard. I think that peoples ideas of what "humility" should look like in that kind of position will vary to such a degree that what for one counts as humility, counts as the opposite for the other. Just like with the arrogance thing.
This. There is no winning for Pog.. he sprints? He's being greedy, he's grinding them into dust. Doesn't sprint? He's disrespecting the race, he's too arrogant to bother sprinting, it's silly. Just like you can sign 99 autographs, friendly and approachable, but skip one and now you're a bastard in someone's eyes. When you are under essentially 100% scrutiny all the time like he is, you are bound to commit some sort of act which anyone with a preconceived point of view will be able to use to support their narrative. It's silly.

You want arrogant? Bernard Hinault was arrogant, and Pog is far, far from Bernard Hinault imho. For a rider who is spoken of in the same breath as Eddy Merckx, Pogi seems for the most part very level-headed and affable, and also seems on friendly terms with most if not all the other WT pros. I wager he handles his position at least as well or better than many on this board might if they were in his shoes...
 
I think everyone that watched expected that Pogacar didnt go for the sprint. Even the commentators announced it about 5 km for the finish.
Not me. The only reason Pogi was there at all is because he didn't want to ship that minute to Vingo after Vingo's futile attack. Otherwise, finish in the pack and honor MVP's time in the break trying to retain the green jersey. Do you honestly believe Pogi was not aware of this stake? Worse yet, do you think Vingo seriously believed he was going to get that time back, and that visma was not aware of the sprinter's jersey quandary?
 
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I still call it the Dauphiné Libéré in my head.
You are definitely not alone.
After all the name has been part of my cycling upbringing and covers almost 3/4 of the time I'v follow the race.
And next year when the new race Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes enters the final stages I'll still be waiting for the Libéré :p
 
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Someone has to pay for and provide the roads for the race, so it only makes sense if they want to be included in the name. It will take some times getting used to, though. I still call it the Dauphiné Libéré in my head.

but it makes no sense, the race has forever been know as the Dauphiné, yes it happens in the Rhône Alpes region of France, but the Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes region hasnt even been around for a decade yet, and you are throwing away nearly 80 years of heritage and instant name recognition.

everyone who cares about cycling will still call it the Dauphiné, everyone who doesnt, wont have a clue what it is anymore, this is not how you market and promote a race in your region
 
You are definitely not alone.
After all the name has been part of my cycling upbringing and covers almost 3/4 of the time I'v follow the race.
And next year when the new race Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes enters the final stages I'll still be waiting for the Libéré :p
Just call it the Dauphine'. It'll remind you of the worst little French car ever made by Renault.
 
I think the name change is a recognition of the organisation pumping a lot of money into the race. It wants the region to be recognised by name and it, the regional government, to be recognised.

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

But they won't get the name recognition they crave from something that has no history or heritage behind it. All they had to do was add more branding around stages or the jerseys.

Look at X, how many people still call it Twitter ?
 
but it makes no sense, the race has forever been know as the Dauphiné, yes it happens in the Rhône Alpes region of France, but the Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes region hasnt even been around for a decade yet, and you are throwing away nearly 80 years of heritage and instant name recognition.

everyone who cares about cycling will still call it the Dauphiné, everyone who doesnt, wont have a clue what it is anymore, this is not how you market and promote a race in your region
Sure, but at the end of the day people watching it will be told every day that it's the Rhone-Alpes Auvergne Tour or whatever. If someone mindlessly goes onto the channel, likes the scenery, they know exactly where that scenery is (more so than if it is just called Dauphiné).

Obviously cycling fans will keep calling it the same, but it could well bring more tourism
 
But they won't get the name recognition they crave from something that has no history or heritage behind it. All they had to do was add more branding around stages or the jerseys.

Look at X, how many people still call it Twitter ?
It is not THE RACE that want the recognition, it is the regional government that wants THE REGION to gain recognition.

Have you ever heard of say, Flanders or Andalucia or Lombardy. These are all famous regions that also have stage races named after them. They would probably be famous anyway. The regions of France are usually anonymous outside of France. This one wants to be famous. Who doesn't want to be rich and famous? The regional government is calling the shots here.

What was the name again?
:)
 
It is not THE RACE that want the recognition, it is the regional government that wants THE REGION to gain recognition.

Have you ever heard of say, Flanders or Andalucia or Lombardy. These are all famous regions that also have stage races named after them. They would probably be famous anyway. The regions of France are usually anonymous outside of France. This one wants to be famous. Who doesn't want to be rich and famous? The regional government is calling the shots here.

What was the name again?
:)

so say the region goes, you know what we sponsor this race, we want to change the winners jersey to our regions flag colours instead, make it blue with just white writing instead of yellow because that will give us even greater recognition.

do you think the race would go sure you pay the bills you can have anything you want. or do you think the race would go dont be insane the yellow jersey is the most marketable symbol of the race it links you to all these prior winners that you get all for free to be associated with.

for me its the same with the name, I know the region wants the recognition, but the region is the classic customer asking for something when they actually dont know what they really want, or understand the value of what they have, this is where the race should be guiding them to make the right decisions to protect the legacy of the race and not simply accepting blank cheques.

because what recognition will they get as all us stick in the muds still call it the Dauphine anyway, whilst all the non cycling fans go, Cotes du Rhone isnt that a wine, is this a race about wine ?