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Critérium du Dauphiné May 30-June 6 2021

dauphine.png


Dauphiné time already!

8 stages again, starting in Issoire, close to Clermont-Ferrand, finishing in Les Gets close to Switzerland. Stage 4 is a time trial of 16.4k, 7 and 8 are real mountain stages, with 7 including Col du Pré and La Plagne, and 8 the Col de Joux Plane.

Stage 1
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Stage 2
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Stage 3
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Stage 4
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Stage 5
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Stage 6
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Stage 7
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Stage 8
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Startlist not complete, yet. So far we have the TdF contenders Thomas, Carapaz, G Martin, Gaudu and López, also Wout Poels, Quintana and de la Cruz. Jumbo leaves Roglic at home, but brings Vingegaard, Kuss, Kruiswijk. Van Avermaet is on the list as well and Jakobsen will do his first big race after the crash.

What can we expect? Lots of fun, certainly, but Ineos to dominate. Hopefully Gaudu will show more of what he has. As usual this is a tough race with some hardcore mountains, but unlike last year we get some flatter stages and a time trial back. You cannot use this as a light preparation race, but if you want to get some very serious racing into your legs before the Tour this is a good possibility. You can also use this to improve your French just before the Tour, so you know how to say "Où est la ligne d'arrivée?", "Avez-vous vu ma veste de pluie?" and "À Tokyo, s'il vous plaît."
 
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dauphine.png


Dauphiné time already!

8 stages again, starting in Issoire, close to Clermont-Ferrand, finishing in Les Gets close to Switzerland. Stage 4 is a time trial of 16.4k, 7 and 8 are real mountain stages, with 7 including Col du Pré and La Plagne, and 8 the Col de Joux Plane.

Stage 1
1fac6


Stage 2
35985


Stage 3
777c0


Stage 4
8edbe


Stage 5
7ed84


Stage 6
3db8d


Stage 7
ca65b


Stage 8
b2293


Startlist not complete, yet. So far we have the TdF contenders Thomas, Carapaz, G Martin, Gaudu and López, also Wout Poels, Quintana and de la Cruz. Jumbo leaves Roglic at home, but brings Vingegaard, Kuss, Kruiswijk. Van Avermaet is on the list as well and Jakobsen will do his first big race after the crash.

What can we expect? Lots of fun, certainly, but Ineos to dominate. Hopefully Gaudu will show more of what he has. As usual this is a tough race with some hardcore mountains, but unlike last year we get some flatter stages and a time trial back. You cannot use this as a light preparation race, but if you want to get some very serious racing into your legs before the Tour this is a good possibility. You can also use this to improve your French just before the Tour, so you know how to say "Où est la ligne d'arrivée?", "Avez-vous vu ma veste de pluie?" and "À Tokyo, s'il vous plaît."
A nice route, even if the TT is a bit short.
The final 2 stages are better than most of the mountain stages that we're getting at the Tour.
 
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Only one real sprinter day (stage 3). And even at this one a bigger break could go because of the climb at the beginning.
Unlike other years the two top favourites for the TDF will not participate, so Ineos will be "the team to beat" here...
I think they'll be the strongest on paper, but will Carapaz and 35-y-o G really be so intimidating to Lopez, GMartin, Gaudu, Woods, Kruiswijk or Quintana? Even Majka or Rolland should be up for a high placing.

The short TT will mean a less than a minute advantage for Thomas, and has he really been tested on mountains this high this year?
 
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I think they'll be the strongest on paper, but will Carapaz and 35-y-o G really be so intimidating to Lopez, GMartin, Gaudu, Woods, Kruiswijk or Quintana? Even Majka or Rolland should be up for a high placing.

The short TT will mean a less than a minute advantage for Thomas, and has he really been tested on mountains this high this year?

Thomas and Carapaz should beat all those listed comfortably, they are 3rd and 4th favourites for the Tour.
 
A really nice route and a strong startlist, looking forward to this one albeit will be a bit odd without the Slovenians. Be good to see what Lopez' level really is at the moment.

La Plagne is a bit of a blast from the past - has any race been up there since Boogerd's stage win?
 
The fourth WT stage race without the Slovenians that Ineos cleans up with ease? So little variety this year.

Climbs
Updated version with better profiles of key climbs. I had to split my post in two because of the image limit.

Stage 1
Côte de Bergonne
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Côte du château de Buron + Col de la Croix des Gardes
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Stage 2
Col de Peyra Taillade
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Côte de la Vachellerie
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Côte d'Auvers
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Côte de la forêt de Pourcheresse
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Final kilometers with Côte de Masset
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Stage 3
Côte d'Allègre
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Col des Limites
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Final drag to the finish line
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Climbs
Part 2.

Stage 4
Final 11.5k, pretty much no flat:
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Stage 5
Côte du Planil
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Côte de la Sizeranne
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Côte de Hauterives
dauphine-2021-stage-5-climb-n3-714b8814cf.jpg


Col de Barbe Bleue
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Côte du Montrebut. The GPM is at three-quarters of the way up for some reason.
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Stage 6
Col de la Placette
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Col de Porte
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Côte de la Frette + Montée du Sappey-en-Chartreuse
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Stage 7
Côte de Venthon
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Col du Pré
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Cormet de Roselend (final 8k only)
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La Plagne (minus the first 2.3k and the final 1k)
la_Plagne.png


Stage 8
Côte d'Esserts-Blay
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Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine (first 11k only)
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]

Col des Aravis
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Col de la Colombière (final 14.7k only)
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Côte de Châtillon-sur-Cluses
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Col de Joux Plane
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Les Gets (final 4.5k only)
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Come now, the 248km Signal d'Uchon stage in the Tour is actually the kind of thing we've been asking for. Let's give them credit for the Tour where it's due. It isn't due often but, to be honest, there are actually a lot of things to like about this year's Tour route. Sometimes the execution leaves a bit to be desired, but there are some good ideas there that fit in with the kind of things people have been asking for.
 

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