Critérium du Dauphiné May 30-June 6 2021

[Red Rick]

Honestly Alpe d' Huez gets a lot of *** and some people treat the climb as if the climb is bad in it self (which it isn't). I too dont have that much of a problem with the Alpe featuring every 2-3 years, its whatever as its one of the better MTFs in the race and is a really nice tourist destination where you always can consider to go, drink some beers and climb some of the most iconic climbs in the world and watch the race.

Honestly my bigger annoyance is it's relative isolation and it's popularity meaning it tends to be the focal point of a queen stage/final mountain stage which is a terrible combination with it's isolation. You also get the Croix de Fer as a bonus most of the time, which is one of the lamest HC passes. I also think that the last few stages to Alpe d'Huez have overdelivered a lot due to Froome fading in the third week twice and Contador flatout not giving a *** once.

Lastly, I'm also pretty sure that we CN just has a vocal minority of cycling fans that dislike the Alpe. Casual fans will almost universally love it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Honestly my bigger annoyance is it's relative isolation and it's popularity meaning it tends to be the focal point of a queen stage/final mountain stage which is a terrible combination with it's isolation. You also get the Croix de Fer as a bonus most of the time, which is one of the lamest HC passes. I also think that the last few stages to Alpe d'Huez have overdelivered a lot due to Froome fading in the third week twice and Contador flatout not giving a *** once.

Lastly, I'm also pretty sure that we CN just has a vocal minority of cycling fans that dislike the Alpe. Casual fans will almost universally love it.

What, Croix de Fer is not a lame HC climb, its just the unfortunate valley part. I personally like Croix de Fer, especially from North, I think that side is a beast of a climb.

 

[Red Rick]

What, Croix de Fer is not a lame HC climb, its just the unfortunate valley part. I personally like Croix de Fer, especially from North, I think that side is a beast of a climb.

You but you can't get Croix de Fer north if you wanna get to the Alpe. They always take it from St. Jean the Maurienne. Glandon-Alpe would be better to be sure, maybe Quintanas 2015 move could have stuck, but with the current trains I think the valley means death to that anyway. My preference would be to go Alpe d'Huez-Sarenne-Les Deux Alpes tbh.

But for relatively straightforward MTFs, the Tour can do better, and I just really dislike AdH queen stages. But then the Tour has basically stopped making queen stages anyway

 

[Devil's Elbow]

What, Croix de Fer is not a lame HC climb, its just the unfortunate valley part. I personally like Croix de Fer, especially from North, I think that side is a beast of a climb.

That's the Glandon if you descend into the Oisans. The eastern side of Croix de Fer is a lot more common on Alpe d'Huez stages - it was used in 2018, 2015 and 2008 while Glandon was last done in 2001. In between, we've had double Alpe in 2013, Galibier in 2011 and 2003, Lautaret in 2006 and a MTT in 2004 as finales, although the Dauphiné did use Glandon as the penultimate climb in 2010 before the weird Sarenne and final quarter of Alpe d'Huez stage in 2017.

Tl;dr: Glandon existing doesn't influence my opinion on Alpe d'Huez.

 

[Red Rick]

By the way, I only realised like yesterday they did Alpe d'Huez and Sarenne early in a 2013 Dauphine stage.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hey, I just noticed; Dombrowski is riding.
This is definitely one of those times when I think a rider starting a race, when the race he left is still on-going is totally ok.

 

[Leinster]

Yeah, I also think it's a bit of the usual reactionary stuff that when something is popular it must be bad that's going on here. The only problem I see with the climb is the hazards posed by the spectators. Guerini and Nibali may be alone in actually having collided with them but that must just be a question of time because too many people get too drunk on that climb.

Yes/no. Imagine how drunk everyone is going to be when they go back to the Alpe for the 2029 Tour, after a 13 year break...

 

[Leinster]

Hey, I just noticed; Dombrowski is riding.
This is definitely one of those times when I think a rider starting a race, when the race he left is still on-going is totally ok.

Absolutely.

Provided he has the absolute all-clear re concussion issues. Otherwise I'd feel very uncomfortable for completely different reasons.

 

[RedheadDane]

Absolutely.

Provided he has the absolute all-clear re concussion issues. Otherwise I'd feel very uncomfortable for completely different reasons.

I assume they got that bit cleared with the doctors.

 

[Leinster]

I assume they got that bit cleared with the doctors.

I assume/hope so too.

I'm not at all familiar with the UCI concussion protocols, but whenever someone comes back from a Head Injury Assessment in rugby there's always a chorus of "HE SHOULDN'T BE ON THE FIELD" from keyboard experts.

 

[RedheadDane]

I assume/hope so too.

I'm not at all familiar with the UCI concussion protocols, but whenever someone comes back from a Head Injury Assessment in rugby there's always a chorus of "HE SHOULDN'T BE ON THE FIELD" from keyboard experts.

Even if it's been weeks since the injury happened?

 

[Leinster]

Even if it's been weeks since the injury happened?

Depending on the player's history, sometimes yes.

It'll be 17 days from Dombrowski's crash in the Giro to the start of the Dauphine, which is just shy of the 3 weeks that used to be the standard. There's more advanced testing now, dealing with symptoms, cognitive function tests etc that can allow players return earlier, so I'm hoping that Dombrowski/UAE/the UCI are following something similar, rather than just "Feeling ok, Joe? See you in Clermont on Saturday."

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Depending on the player's history, sometimes yes.

It'll be 17 days from Dombrowski's crash in the Giro to the start of the Dauphine, which is just shy of the 3 weeks that used to be the standard. There's more advanced testing now, dealing with symptoms, cognitive function tests etc that can allow players return earlier, so I'm hoping that Dombrowski/UAE/the UCI are following something similar, rather than just "Feeling ok, Joe? See you in Clermont on Saturday."

Maybe he's not your average Joe?
But let's hope he has been properly cleared to race.

 

[Oliver]

Do you know why Lennard Kämna is not in the Bora squad? Is he ill/ injured again or riding the TDS instead?

As the rest of the season... He rides so less... Maybe Suisse?

 

[Offline]

GC seems easier than normal. I think Brandon McNulty has a good chance!

 

[ciranda]

Maybe he's not your average Joe?
But let's hope he has been properly cleared to race.

He's no ordinary Joe. Because

He thinks it's easy to fly
He just a little bit freer than I

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL0TLQ87GH8

 

[Pinot's goat]

GC seems easier than normal. I think Brandon McNulty has a good chance!

Ineos, Movistar and Jumbo Visma have 9 superior riders alone, Mcnulty has no chance.

 

[Offline]

Ineos, Movistar and Jumbo Visma have 9 superior riders alone, Mcnulty has no chance.

Lets see! Living in New York, so probably just have hopes for McNulty.

 

[perico]

By the way, I only realised like yesterday they did Alpe d'Huez and Sarenne early in a 2013 Dauphine stage.

Sarenne is a badass climb and they should use it. We saw it in Contador’s last Dauphine in 2017 where they finished at Alpe after the ascent.

 

[perico]

GC seems easier than normal. I think Brandon McNulty has a good chance!

I wouldn’t be shocked if McNulty finishes up there without Pogacar, but too much climbing and too many pure climbers I think. I wouldn’t be shocked if he did challenge though. American riders tend to do well here.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Thomas, Kruijswijk
López, Mas
Kelderman, Quintana, Gaudu, Kuss, Hart, Porte
Izagirre, Valverde, Froome, Barguil, G. Martin, Aru

 

[AlfaLum]

Thomas, Kruijswijk
López, Mas
Kelderman, Quintana, Gaudu, Kuss, Hart, Porte
Izagirre, Valverde, Froome, Barguil, G. Martin, Aru

Kruijswijk? Because of all the GC wins in stage races so far in his career?

 

[titan31]

Thomas, Kruijswijk
López, Mas
Kelderman, Quintana, Gaudu, Kuss, Hart, Porte
Izagirre, Valverde, Froome, Barguil, G. Martin, Aru

No McNulty. I reckon he'll push into the top 10 with the TT

 

[bajbar]

Thomas, Kruijswijk
López, Mas
Kelderman, Quintana, Gaudu, Kuss, Hart, Porte
Izagirre, Valverde, Froome, Barguil, G. Martin, Aru

Kruijswijk hasn't managed a top 20 in GC this year, Froome... I am not sure if he managed top 50. How is poor Vingegaard rated lower than those two.

 

[will-10]

Kruijswijk has peaked out of nowhere like an angel before, but if we see his best level again it won't before the Tour.