Criterium du Dauphine 2014: Stage 2, Tarare - Col du Beal

[DenisMenchov]

JVDB great ride

Froome was just plain stupid, AC may have lost the battle, but he's doing better overall, Froome couldn't drop him, and AC only sucked THE wheel. It's going t be a heck of a July.

 

[cauberg1999]

outstanding riding from top duo. still dont see what berto is going to counter against chris

 

[Fight.The.Power]

There is no way Froome will be able to do this on every MTF and pull everyone else up to the finish.

What's he gonna do if he starts to knock and there are no team mates to illegally give him a lolly ?

 

[McLovin]

Just when I tought we will miss Cadel. Life is beautiful again.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Sad to see but Froome has reduced Contador to being nothing more than a wheelsucker.

I wouldn't call Contador a wheelsucker after his solo in Tirreno-Adriatico. Today he just felt he had to limit himself to answering Froome's attacks. I was a bit surprised that he didn't sprint harder for those boni seconds.

In the end what really matters is who wins the Tour, and Contador does have a better chance than last year. His biggest problem is that Froome will probably be better in the time trial.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Interesting stage, which proofs that AC is back to what he looked like in the Dauphine 2009 or similar. He and Froome are equally strong in this kind of mountains. I still think AC is stronger, if it gets a little steeper, and luckily the Forclaz stage later in the week will tell.
Dauphine is better than ever!

 

[Kender]

AC still won the mind wars.

now Froome will have to think harder to create a fair buffer to AC. a 12 sec gap is peanuts.


so the real winner is still AC.

If froome is a glass half empty guy sure... If he's a glass half full guy he could just think that he set his own pace up the climb and AC was unable to attack him

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

33 Tejay VAN GARDEREN BMC RACING TEAM 0:02:38
needs some work

39 Ryder HESJEDAL GARMIN - SHARP 0:03:55
not everyone has giro supercompensation

Also
8 Adam YATES ORICA GREENEDGE 0:00:42
performance of the day!

 

[Shardi]

The Porte situation is abit worrysome, sure hes missed alot of racing and been ill. But theres no guarantee he will be in last years form come july, and hes the leutenant..

The "Brad situation" is becoming all the more interesting.. Hope he delivers big time in suisse.

 

[Tom T.]

I wouldn't call Contador a wheelsucker after his solo in Tirreno-Adriatico. Today he just felt he had to limit himself to answering Froome's attacks. I was a bit surprised that he didn't sprint harder for those boni seconds.

In the end what really matters is who wins the Tour, and Contador does have a better chance than last year. His biggest problem is that Froome will probably be better in the time trial.

There's a lot more going on than just Bertie trying to hang on. He has ZERO reason to go nuts and attack in this race, this stage. Today it was "Hey Alien, is that all you got, I'm still here."

 

[spalco]

Perhaps you don't understand Contador's goals here, but it's not to win the Dauphine. Look back at his 2009 Dauphine. He just followed the wheel of his top Tour competitor (then Cadel Evans). Despite Froome taking the victory on the line, I actually think Contador is the big winner of the mental battle.

I would say objectively it's a draw. Contador achieved a personal victory insofar as Froome didn't crush him, but he didn't prove he can actually win.

On the other hand, Contador sticking to the wheel like that might goad Froome into making even more stupid attacks in July and possibly burning himself out.

 

[happychappy]

Can't wait for July, they both look awesome. I think that shook up the Froome Dawg a bit, probably thought he was going to drop Contador way back.

 

[l.Harm]

Especially considering Sky's overall performance today, it might be just necessary to pick Bradley Wiggins.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

The Porte situation is abit worrysome, sure hes missed alot of racing and been ill. But theres no guarantee he will be in last years form come july, and hes the leutenant..

The "Brad situation" is becoming all the more interesting.. Hope he delivers big time in suisse.

Definitely, justifying Brad's exclusion gets even harder if Porte is this terrible.

 

[thehog]

Fecking Froome

Bertie did not look too good but he could follow Froome. So it was ok.

8 weeks no racing, he'll be fine.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Getting rid of the train early on this stage made it much more interesting.

Froome at least 1 level below last year.

Everybody else about the same (ex riders with bad day)

Kelderman, wow. Like to see his data please.

 

[The Hitch]

Err that really wants good news for contador at all. He wheelsucked froome for the entire climb and still got beaten by him.

It's not a disaster and there are positive things for him but atm it looks like he would need a fuente de or something else (tactical aliance, crash, cobbles, descent) to win because if it's just mountains and time trials, he's not going to beat froome, and whatsmore he's unlikely to get towed by him again.

 

[deValtos]

Getting rid of the train early on this stage made it much more interesting.

Froome at least 1 level below last year.

Everybody else about the same (ex riders with bad day)

Kelderman, wow. Like to see his data please.

I think Froome is still the same level but Contador stepped it up from last year (though he still needs to step it up even more.)

There was no way he's worse than last year, the rest of the feild would've been minutes behind Conti/Froome if they hadn't been playing about.

 

[Afrank]

33 Tejay VAN GARDEREN BMC RACING TEAM 0:02:38
needs some work

Makes me wonder if he hasn't fully recovered or recovered well enough from his crash at Romandie.

 

[spalco]

I think Froome is still the same level but Contador stepped it up from last year (though he still needs to step it up even more.)

There was no way he's worse than last year, the rest of the feild would've been minutes behind Conti/Froome if they hadn't been playing about.

Froome couldn't even definitively shake Kelderman and VDB, he's clearly not at 2013 TdF level yet.

 

[TomasC]

8 weeks no racing, he'll be fine.

And Froome, how much time he didn't race?
Genuine question, thanks.

 

[jens_attacks]

well that was pretty awesome . those attacks by froome damn ! i agree, contador had just won a big mental battle. it will be very hard for froome to beat him in le tour
also great that jurgen is back!

 

[djpbaltimore]

If two wins in two days is 'losing' the mindgame battle, what would it take to win it? Considering the trajectories of their performances since CF and AC last crossed swords, I would say Froome looks to be on the ascendency. Contador definitely moves into the role of second favorite for July though.

 

[Miburo]

Froome couldn't even definitively shake Kelderman and VDB, he's clearly not at 2013 TdF level yet.

What race did you watch?

You missed the moments where Contador and Froome dropped them all and decided to stand still?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I think Froome is still the same level but Contador stepped it up from last year (though he still needs to step it up even more.)

There was no way he's worse than last year, the rest of the feild would've been minutes behind Conti/Froome if they hadn't been playing about.

Nah, Froome was maxed out here. His attack(s) barely made an impact on main group. Check out some of his attack last year. Different class.

Anyway its better racing when we don't have a dominant team/rider.