Official thread: le Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

[Jasper]

They just started, but thanks anyway


Evans on fire again, hope he's not peaking too early

 

[powderpuff]

He's where he wants to be.
His biggest worry for the TdF is the Team Time Trial; for him this is where the race could be won or lost. Team is strong so far in this race.
Everyone needs to stay healthy

 

[Snake8]

Evans over bertie by 37"

 

[53x11 in DC]

I have a hard time believing that AC won't attempt to overtake Evans on the Ventoux. If you think about it, the following stages don't have overly decisive finishes. St. Francois de Longchamp isn't super-selective, and going over the Izoard leaves a ton of time to get back on before Briancon. Sooo... you could envision a scenario where his impetuous nature takes over (I hope) and he goes on the attack tomorrow, while conserving over the remaining stages.

I will say that that final uphill into Briancon sucks, having done it a number of times over the years. Just a sharp, steep uphill drag - hard after descending off the Izoard.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Evans takes roughly a second per Km out of Contador, which is roughly in line with their 2007 Tour efforts.
Bertie will want tomorrow's stage as I think it's significant to both him and the team, but he'll have a tough time taking a minute out of the Aussie, who's obviously in good nick.
The St. Francois de Longchamp finish is two thirds of the Madeleine, at 8%, so far from easy.
Especially after the Croix and Galibier.

 

[53x11 in DC]

Evans takes roughly a second per Km out of Contador, which is roughly in line with their 2007 Tour efforts.
Bertie will want tomorrow's stage as I think it's significant to both him and the team, but he'll have a tough time taking a minute out of the Aussie, who's obviously in good nick.
The St. Francois de Longchamp finish is two thirds of the Madeleine, at 8%, so far from easy.
Especially after the Croix and Galibier.

Not saying SFdL is easy, but prob not selective enough for Cadel to take time from Bertie, irrespective of their relative forms. My point is that I think he'll at least TRY to put sometime into him, rather than treating it as a build-up ride and measuring his efforts.

At least I hope so. I think we've seen a few DLib's derailed in the past by Tour GC contenders playing hide-and-seek.

 

[Midnight]

Evans Shrinking Team

Evans is going well but his team is failing around him, already 2 members have quit. What a shame that a competitive rider never seems to have the team around him at the big tours. If the same applies at the TDF I cant see him reaching the top step of the podium.

 

[BroDeal]

Evans is going well but his team is failing around him, already 2 members have quit. What a shame that a competitive rider never seems to have the team around him at the big tours. If the same applies at the TDF I cant see him reaching the top step of the podium.

That has always been Evans' problem. At least McEwen is gone.

Good ride by Evans but I cannot shake the suspicion that Evans is near his highest level and Contador will kick it up a notch by Tour time.

 

[Jasper]

Good ride by Evans but I cannot shake the suspicion that Evans is near his highest level and Contador will kick it up a notch by Tour time.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[BroDeal]

you sure you don't mean weeken in the last weak? lmao
are you sure you didn't mean peek?
you called me a dumb @ss over word use?

There is a difference between a typo and someone who does not know the difference between lose and loose, cannot capitialize, is unable to organize his writing into paragraphs, has never expressed an original thought, and has fully demonstrated that he is in possession of a low bandwidth brain.

 

[Anonymous]

Good ride by Evans but I cannot shake the suspicion that Evans is near his highest level and Contador will kick it up a notch by Tour time.

either that or someone has stolen cadel and replaced him with an imposter..

 

[53x11 in DC]

There is a difference between a typo and someone who does not know the difference between lose and loose, cannot capitialize, is unable to organize his writing into paragraphs, has never expressed an original thought, and has fully demonstrated that he is in possession of a low bandwidth brain.

Alright you too, brake it up. Theirs definately to much too talk about regarding the peleton to waist time on this stuff.

(sorry, had to fit as many of my favorite f-ups as I could into the mix)

 

[lookkg386]

either that or someone has stolen cadel and replaced him with an imposter..

Give him tour favouritism and watch the pressure turn him....
I think being slightly under the radar this build up has been in his favour.

 

[Anonymous]

There is a difference between a typo and someone who does not know the difference between lose and loose, cannot capitialize, is unable to organize his writing into paragraphs, has never expressed an original thought, and has fully demonstrated that he is in possession of a low bandwidth brain.

for you it's typo, for others with low bandwidth brains it must be a misused word as they couldn't possibly know the difference between lose and loose.

but then rationalizing self behavior is very common among people like you that have extremely high opinions of themselves that are completely unjustified.

 

[Anonymous]

Give him tour favouritism and watch the pressure turn him....
I think being slightly under the radar this build up has been in his favour.

i've never been able to warm up to cadel. he's so introverted. he seems at war with the world, and it makes me suspicious. it's not right, it's just the way i feel.
i think if he hadn't crashed he'd have won last year, not that it matters.
calling sastre champion is like calling frazier champion when ali couldn't fight.

 

[Zoncolan]

Gesink had a very good TT, expect him to be going well tomorrow on Ventoux.
Uran lost a huge amount of time, I'm rather suspecting it was intentional and he might go for a stage win tomorrow from a long way out.
Anyway, we should see some fireworks tomorrow.

 

[Anonymous]

i've never been able to warm up to cadel. he's so introverted. he seems at war with the world, and it makes me suspicious. it's not right, it's just the way i feel.

i just dont get him... and im frankly flummoxed by his form..
he just doesnt... oh i dunno..

ok..

hes dull..

there.. ive said it..

(i cannot guage his level of popularity amongst the other riders)

 

[lookkg386]

From Cadel's point of view if dull wins you the tour then so be it.

I for one have found his recent attitude towards media etc. quite wierd also, but if he is dull or not whatever - has never worried me enough to dislike him for it.

 

[biker jk]

From Cadel's point of view if dull wins you the tour then so be it.

I for one have found his recent attitude towards media etc. quite wierd also, but if he is dull or not whatever - has never worried me enough to dislike him for it.

Which part of his "attitude towards the media etc." did you find weird? Cadel's reaction to the journalist poking him in the shoulder he landed on when he fell? His comment that he'll cut the journalist's head off if his dog was stepped on? That was rather funny. For a supposed "introvert" he seems to be expressing a lot of emotion in public and then he's called "dull". I think some posters don't like his riding style ("he never attacks") and this colours their percetion of his character.

 

[lookkg386]

Which part of his "attitude towards the media etc." did you find weird? Cadel's reaction to the journalist poking him in the shoulder he landed on when he fell? His comment that he'll cut the journalist's head off if his dog was stepped on? That was rather funny. For a supposed "introvert" he seems to be expressing a lot of emotion in public and then he's called "dull". I think some posters don't like his riding style ("he never attacks") and this colours their percetion of his character.

Which part of his attitude - well you pretty much answered that yourself, the journalist who "poked" him in the shoulder was an Aussie , and apparently a good friend (??).

As for his riding style, as I stated it doesn't make me dislike him, whatever works for him- not every cyclist can do what Contador can do, but you do what can give you the best chance of winning.

 

[jmnikricket]

I'm hoping we see Contador show his true colors on Mt Ventoux. In fact I think all the TdF contenders would like to see what he's capable of tomorrow. Though as previously mentioned, it's possible he hasn't quite peaked yet.

I'm not a fan of these guys who build up for a single race, even if it is the most prestigious grand tour. I still see Cadel as the underdog between the two, and would like to see him win even though I don't like his riding style or attitude. Sastre is the the best of all worlds come Tour time =)

 

[Captain Kirk]

i just dont get him... and im frankly flummoxed by his form..
he just doesnt... oh i dunno..

ok..

hes dull..

there.. ive said it..

(i cannot guage his level of popularity amongst the other riders)

I can only relate my experience of Cadel, which was racing the Australian MTB circuit in the 93-96 period when CE was a junior and started racing up in Expert.

CE got a lot of attention within MTB instantly, as he was thrashing our then elite (not hard) as 16/17 year old, then the road fraternity saw his potential – and then the AIS lab rats got him. They say he is the first AIS athlete to be completely profiled from the start.

So aside from instant attention from day 1, he was always not a spotlight kinda guy (eg McEwan/Armstrong).
Introvert, yes.
Earnest, yes.
Product managers dream, no.
Media savvy, no.
Approachable demeanour, no.

Always on the podium, but not comfortable on it……….Ive gotta alot of autographs from back then, but not his ? This has only just occurred to me, and kinda sums it up.

Cadel is the antithesis of “Lance”. Lance is a human logo or product that maximises return on his key strengths, those skill sets LA uses so well are unnatural to Cadel.

I have never met anyone who naturally warms to Cadel, at that means in Australia……we respect him and are proud of what he has achieved – but a word such as “admire” does not seem not to fit.

As many of you have stated, you have respect, but cannot put finger on it why seems hard to like…..he’s a conundrum.

 

[biker jk]

Which part of his attitude - well you pretty much answered that yourself, the journalist who "poked" him in the shoulder was an Aussie , and apparently a good friend (??).

Perhaps a good friend but still a dumb Aussie to tap him on his injured shoulder. How would you have reacted?

 

[biker jk]

I can only relate my experience of Cadel, which was racing the Australian MTB circuit in the 93-96 period when CE was a junior and started racing up in Expert.

CE got a lot of attention within MTB instantly, as he was thrashing our then elite (not hard) as 16/17 year old, then the road fraternity saw his potential – and then the AIS lab rats got him. They say he is the first AIS athlete to be completely profiled from the start.

So aside from instant attention from day 1, he was always not a spotlight kinda guy (eg McEwan/Armstrong).
Introvert, yes.
Earnest, yes.
Product managers dream, no.
Media savvy, no.
Approachable demeanour, no.

Always on the podium, but not comfortable on it……….Ive gotta alot of autographs from back then, but not his ? This has only just occurred to me, and kinda sums it up.

Cadel is the antithesis of “Lance”. Lance is a human logo or product that maximises return on his key strengths, those skill sets LA uses so well are unnatural to Cadel.

I have never met anyone who naturally warms to Cadel, at that means in Australia……we respect him and are proud of what he has achieved – but a word such as “admire” does not seem not to fit.

As many of you have stated, you have respect, but cannot put finger on it why seems hard to like…..he’s a conundrum.

You must be speaking for yourself. I haven't met anyone who doesn't admire CE in Australia. I certainly know lots of people here who dislike LA. I'm glad CE isn't a control freak about his image like LA.

 

[Bala Verde]

Good result for RAB today... 4 guys in the top 15. If they all start in the TTT in the TdF, they could be in for a surprise.