Who will win the criterium du dauphine

[seaby71]

Well people after the ITT yesterday with wiggins taking yellow.
Do you think he has enough of a lead to win the GC with some serious mountains to come, or who do you think can go for the win and knock him down the podium?

Personally i think Cadel and brajkovic are close enough to take the win away from wiggins.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wiggins, I think he has very strong form atm.

 

[bikeit]

Yeah Wiggins is looking the the goods. Dont think Cuddles Janez or Vino have enough to take over a minute given how Wiggins looks.

Will be interesting to see is VBD has some more punch in the legs to go for stage wins. Im thinking Gesink will have a concerted go for a stage as well as he might get some leeway on the GC

 

[buster1]

Wiggins is in strong position, but i definately wouldn't count out cuddles when they get into some decent climbs, hes shown hes been on form for most of the year.

Not sure how tough the climbs are but if they are tough there may be the oppurtunity for the genuine climbers/GC riders to get some time back on Wiggins, cause he regularly looks average on the big climbs (minus 2009 TDF).

 

[skippy]

Wiggo & Sky are now in a defensive role , they will use a lot of energy avoiding defeat by a few people with little to lose .
As i said in my blog , when i followed Wiggo from the finish he was not aware he was GC leader .

Certainly his aim was to win the ITT but coming second must have irritated him as he was snappish with his DS , Sean Yates !

TDF team selection will now be influenced by Wiggo's perception of the next four days .

Cadel will enjoy adding to Wiggo's discomfort as he has nothing to lose although why he finished so far behind yesterday unless it was tactical is a question many aussies will be asking .

Did not enjoy riding the course as the winds were gusting and variable with wet roqds before lunch .

Enjoyed meeting the Para Gold medalist in Table Tennis and the Olympic Ice Skating Champ Christophe Durand who i came across as he was fixing his Legion d'Honneur to his Jacket lapel.

Interesting days ahead , but today i go to Alp d'huez where the aim of the event is to raise 20m euros,

 

[just some guy]

Wiggins looking to defend lead after solid ride in Grenoble

in the article he does not mention Cadel or Jani once

"Tony Martin and I didn’t have the same weather conditions but that’s what time trial is about", Wiggins continued. "It was just about GC for me today. I’m here for training for the Tour de France. I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks in the downhill. I knew that Vinokourov, Van den Broeck and the other GC guys were slower than me.

"I’ll keep riding the Dauphiné as well as I can", he said. "I will fight for this yellow jersey, whatever it takes. Vinokourov and the other guys haven’t said their last word. The weekend stages are really like Tour de France stages. I’m in good shape and every climb is like a time trial for me. My goal is to get a podium finish, like at Paris-Nice [The Brit finished 3rd overall]

Smart or doesn´t rate Jani and Evans or

what are your thoughts

I think that if J-rod andor Gesink want a stage and attack it is the only chance for Cadel or Jani to take the win, but it will be a great test for BMC as a team set the tempo on the climbs see if they can work as a team

ps BMC want the win.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wiggins looking to defend lead after solid ride in Grenoble

in the article he does not mention Cadel or Jani once

Smart or doesn´t rate Jani and Evans or

what are your thoughts

I think that if J-rod andor Gesink want a stage and attack it is the only chance for Cadel or Jani to take the win, but it will be a great test for BMC as a team set the tempo on the climbs see if they can work as a team

ps BMC want the win.

If you look at the time trial results so far and for some of the riders in stage 1, many of BMC riders took it easy and didn't really ride that hard. Maybe saving the legs?

 

[dlwssonic]

wiggins, i think he has very strong form atm.

how dare you doubt evans!!!:d

 

[just some guy]

If you look at the time trial results so far and for some of the riders in stage 1, many of BMC riders took it easy and didn't really ride that hard. Maybe saving the legs?

how dare you doubt evans!!!:d

ACF using reverse psychology now

 

[auscyclefan94]

how dare you doubt evans!!!:d

ok, Evans will annihilate the competition and will go on to win the Tour by 20 minutes

 

[dlwssonic]

ok, Evans will annihilate the competition and will go on to win the Tour by 20 minutes

Thats the spirit

 

[brianf7]

ok, Evans will annihilate the competition and will go on to win the Tour by 20 minutes

Maybe!!! he looks good.

 

[El Pistolero]

It better be Cuddles or I'm going to step on his dog.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Brajkovic or Wiggins

 

[slartiblartfast]

My prediction is Jani FTW, Evans 2nd and Wiggins 3rd. Why? Because the last two stages have quite decent climbs to the finish - enough for Jani and Cadel to figure out how to drop Wiggins and make up the time. However, Evans only has 10 seconds on Brajkovic, who has obviously peaked for this event and actually took time out of Evans in the time trial. I don't think Evans will be able to match him.

 

[Spine Concept]

Cadel has looked pretty good to be honest. Would have liked it if VDB2 took it though. Wouldn't mind Brajkovic either.

 

[will10]

My prediction is Jani FTW, Evans 2nd and Wiggins 3rd. Why? Because the last two stages have quite decent climbs to the finish - enough for Jani and Cadel to figure out how to drop Wiggins and make up the time. However, Evans only has 10 seconds on Brajkovic, who has obviously peaked for this event and actually took time out of Evans in the time trial. I don't think Evans will be able to match him.

What proof is there that Jani has peaked for the Dauphine this year? If anything if TT was under par compared with last year. I think like many of the contenders, he is looking at the Tour more than the DL.

 

[dlwssonic]

My prediction is Jani FTW, Evans 2nd and Wiggins 3rd. Why? Because the last two stages have quite decent climbs to the finish - enough for Jani and Cadel to figure out how to drop Wiggins and make up the time. However, Evans only has 10 seconds on Brajkovic, who has obviously peaked for this event and actually took time out of Evans in the time trial. I don't think Evans will be able to match him.

brajkovic mentioned that he is peaking for the tdf. Thats a better decision as we can see how good he really is against the big boys in a GT

 

[Winterfold]

Wiggins is in 2009 form.

6.5W/kg over 20minutes in the National 10.

It will be hard to drop him if he gives it everything. Will need an attack from way out on the steep finish on Saturday (or on Glandon) - but if he is in 2009 form then he can manage his losses as we saw on Ventoux. If Cuddles is in 2009 form then...

I think Uran will keep him with the elite group until a few km out and then he should be able to hang in.

Brajkovic is clearly the main threat.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Wiggins and Sky should in theory be able to defend quite easily but I have faith that he'll be able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The parcours shouldn't be a problem although no doubt people will say he can't climb when he gets beat - yet he's capable of blowing great chances on comparitively flat roads (see the De Panne race earlier in the season)

Brajkovic won't dig deep after last year. He wants to be good next month

I think the overall could come down to Rodriguez, VDB2, Riblon or Moncoutie

 

[Cogombre]

I think this is Wiggins' to lose. If anything, he might crack in Le Collet d'Allevard, and in such case, I can see Evans getting the lead.

 

[auscyclefan94]

What proof is there that Jani has peaked for the Dauphine this year? If anything if TT was under par compared with last year. I think like many of the contenders, he is looking at the Tour more than the DL.

well he can say he isn't peaking for it but that doesn't mean he isn't already at a peak. Form is not necessarily controllable. Not saying Jani is or isn't at his peak form ut it is a fickle thing.

 

[Winterfold]

Wiggins and Sky should in theory be able to defend quite easily but I have faith that he'll be able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Indeed there is the random Sky fail factor to bear in mind.

I think the 2009 form and power are there though - and he seems properly motivated.

Stage 2 could easily have gone the way of last year's Giro or De Panne, but I bet Vino was surprised when he was right next to him at the end, and that finish was raced hard.

 

[dlwssonic]

Wiggins is in 2009 form.

6.5W/kg over 20minutes in the National 10.

It will be hard to drop him if he gives it everything. Will need an attack from way out on the steep finish on Saturday (or on Glandon) - but if he is in 2009 form then he can manage his losses as we saw on Ventoux. If Cuddles is in 2009 form then...

I think Uran will keep him with the elite group until a few km out and then he should be able to hang in.

Brajkovic is clearly the main threat.

You sound like carlton kirby

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wiggins is in 2009 form.

6.5W/kg over 20minutes in the National 10.

It will be hard to drop him if he gives it everything. Will need an attack from way out on the steep finish on Saturday (or on Glandon) - but if he is in 2009 form then he can manage his losses as we saw on Ventoux. If Cuddles is in 2009 form then...

I think Uran will keep him with the elite group until a few km out and then he should be able to hang in.

Brajkovic is clearly the main threat.

La Collet d'Allevard is a very steep climb! Big time gaps will appear even if it is ridden timidly. I doubt an attack from way out will do the damage.