Critérium du Dauphiné May 30-June 6 2021

[Leinster]

It's impossible to do a serious attempt at GC, without a team to back you up.

It would make no sense, to just have one guy do GC, and the rest hunt stages.

It's impossible to win a GT with some of your team hunting stages; you need all hands on deck, because you are going to get attacked.

It is eminently possible to go for top 10 with only one or two bottle carriers, and have other guys on the team do their own thing.

It should also be pointed out that the above only applies if the intent is to control the GT from start to finish. Let's not forget that the Giro last year was won by a team who were all stage hunting, for all intents and purposes, until the final week. And the Tour was won by a team who brought a 33 year old sprinter and his leadout man, and lost their best climbing domestique and a stage hunting climber during week 2.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Today and tomorrow the cyclists will be riding in the proximity of the Mont Blanc massif. Unfortunately, due to the weather, the views will most likely be obscured. Here is a photo from above Lac de Roseland (descent from Pre today):

 

[Red Rick]

Porte to go faster than Indurain.

 

[Red Rick]

ASO keeps repeating themselves

The uncategorized uphill at the start is the same as the on in the Tour stage to Col de la Loze

 

[Bolder]

Let's be real there will be no real action before La Plagne

Yeah, probably not. The Pre/Roselend combo is hard but not that steep and there are places to recover. I’m hoping that someone who’s lost time like McNulty gives it a shot

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, probably not. The Pre/Roselend combo is hard but not that steep and there are places to recover. I’m hoping that someone who’s lost time like McNulty gives it a shot

Pre/Roselend is good for a descent finish.

 

[sir fly]

Neither a breakaway, nor overwhelming action... I'm surprised.
Tailwind possibly.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Pre/Roselend is good for a descent finish.

It's pretty crazy that you have both that and the fairly similar San Carlo-Petit Saint Bernard available for descent finishes into Bourg-Saint-Maurice, without any race having used either option.

 

[titan31]

Won't even see Pre/Roseland with Eurosports coverage not starting til 12:10

 

[Red Rick]

It's pretty crazy that you have both that and the fairly similar San Carlo-Petit Saint Bernard available for descent finishes into Bourg-Saint-Maurice, without any race having used either option.

Very true. I can see the excuse for San Carlo/Petit Saint Bernard cause it crosses borders and it requires you to get to Aosta in the first place. If you wanna start in France you're gonna end up crossing borders 3 times.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Very true. I can see the excuse for San Carlo/Petit Saint Bernard cause it crosses borders and it requires you to get to Aosta in the first place. If you wanna start in France you're gonna end up crossing borders 3 times.

I could see the excuse if that 2009 stage didn't exist.

 

[RedheadDane]

Very true. I can see the excuse for San Carlo/Petit Saint Bernard cause it crosses borders and it requires you to get to Aosta in the first place. If you wanna start in France you're gonna end up crossing borders 3 times.

And that's a problem how? How many times did they end up crossing borders during that Giro stage to Gorizia this year? And just imagine if they ever hold a bike race in Baarle! "We're in the Netherlands... we're in Belgium... the Netherlands... Belgium... Aaaah... ***!"

 

[Red Rick]

I could see the excuse if that 2009 stage didn't exist.

You need the right start and finishing place, and if it's a ski station paying you're not getting a descent finish.

 

[Eclipse]

Won't even see Pre/Roseland with Eurosports coverage not starting til 12:10

It always fills me with rage... well maybe not fills me with rage, mildly annoys me perhaps... that the Dauphine often has some really nice days and great racing but we almost never get to see enough of the action when it does happen

 

[sir fly]

And that's a problem how? How many times did they end up crossing borders during that Giro stage to Gorizia this year? And just imagine if they ever hold a bike race in Baarle! "We're in the Netherlands... we're in Belgium... the Netherlands... Belgium... Aaaah... ***!"

An obvious time-traveler, Ginger.
... From the bordering times.

 

[RedheadDane]

Situation

• 1
  5
  
  
  

  1		86	RENARD Alexis	43:24
  2		126	HALLER Marco	54:48
  3		174	SALMON Martin	51:38
  4		181	ROLLAND Pierre	8:35
  5		182	BONNAMOUR Franck	17:02

• 2
  3
  
  +1:25
  

  1		114	HOLMES Matthew	54:45
  2		153	ELISSONDE Kenny	2:21
  3		175	TUSVELD Martijn	18:27

• P
  
  +1:50

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Attack by 8 riders in peloton

• CRADDOCK Lawson (EF Education - Nippo)
• CRADDOCK Lawson (EF Education - Nippo)
• BARGUIL Warren (Team Arkéa Samsic)
• CRAS Steff (Lotto Soudal)
• BJERG Mikkel (UAE-Team Emirates)
• ARCAS Jorge (Movistar Team)
• POLITT Nils (BORA - hansgrohe)

Craddock is extremely active in this race.
One of the Craddocks was actually Valgren.

 

[RedheadDane]

Attack by 8 riders in peloton

• CRADDOCK Lawson (EF Education - Nippo)
• CRADDOCK Lawson (EF Education - Nippo)
• BARGUIL Warren (Team Arkéa Samsic)
• CRAS Steff (Lotto Soudal)
• BJERG Mikkel (UAE-Team Emirates)
• ARCAS Jorge (Movistar Team)
• POLITT Nils (BORA - hansgrohe)

Craddock is extremely active in this race.

Took a few moments...
But I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has issues counting.

 

[Red Rick]

And that's a problem how? How many times did they end up crossing borders during that Giro stage to Gorizia this year? And just imagine if they ever hold a bike race in Baarle! "We're in the Netherlands... we're in Belgium... the Netherlands... Belgium... Aaaah... ***!"

The Giro is generally much more liberal with crossing borders, especially without finishing a stage there. It was also on a circuit, without a road being the only main mountain pass in an area. Like if they go Verbier again and wanna go back to France without going straight back, then sure. But a stage starting in France and then going through Suisse and Italy for *** and giggles seems extremely plausible.

 

[RedheadDane]

One of the Craddocks was actually Valgren.

Poor Valgren. Finally seems to be finding some kind of form, and then he just becomes an extra Craddock!

 

[ice&fire]

Poor Valgren. Finally seems to be finding some kind of form, and then he just becomes an extra Craddock!

If he was at Jumbo he'd be Chris Harper. Would that be better?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Poor Valgren. Finally seems to be finding some kind of form, and then he just becomes an extra Craddock!

PCS finally understood he had taken his spouse's name, they just got the spouse completely wrong.
He isn't riding for Astana anymore, so no husbands for him.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

What's with the blue tires?
Also Vingegaard not going for the GC it seems.

Promotional deal with a bike hire company.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Danish update:

Great to see Valgren in the break.
He's looked better recently than in years, so fingers crossed he's on his way back to top level.

Bjerg testing himself in the mountains is also great to see, he is building towards becoming a Ganna type GT rider for UAE in future, and is according to Pieper one of the riders Pogacar is closest with.

- - -

Intro interview with Skjelmose:
Said he was angry about missing some punch, so that he couldn't stay with the leaders when they kicked in the final K yesterday.
Said today and tomorrow are very different terrain, so is hopeful he can do better on La Plagne today.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

It's impossible to win a GT with some of your team hunting stages; you need all hands on deck, because you are going to get attacked.

It is eminently possible to go for top 10 with only one or two bottle carriers, and have other guys on the team do their own thing.

It should also be pointed out that the above only applies if the intent is to control the GT from start to finish. Let's not forget that the Giro last year was won by a team who were all stage hunting, for all intents and purposes, until the final week. And the Tour was won by a team who brought a 33 year old sprinter and his leadout man, and lost their best climbing domestique and a stage hunting climber during week 2.

What's the big difference between having a man absent and having a stage hunter?
Bernal just won the Giro with Sivakov gone from day 5; Moscon missed the last week of Thomas's 2018 Tour, and Thomas was missing for most of Froome's 2017 win. Dumoulin lacked Kelderman for most of his 2017 Giro, and was missing for nearly 2 weeks when Roglic won the Vuelta in last year, while Kruijswijk didn't get beyond stage 4 when Roglic won in 2019.
How were they any more help than a stage hunter on the team?