Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

I'll pick
1. Valverde - He won't be able to race the tour, since a stage heads through Italy, so will put more into winning here.
2. Contador
3. Evans

Hows Gesink been going this year?
could give these guys a real good run.

Valverde would be my tip too but can he beat Contador up a summit finish?

In anycase is there any rider in the peloton that can match Contador up a summit finish?

Gerdemann is a good outside chance

Good route as always from the Dauphine. First stage is a slightly longer TT than normal, first 3km is a climb at about 4.7% so prologue specialists may suffer in favour of a longer distance TTer who can climb well.

Stages two and three are for the sprinters, break will go away get caught etc. Guess you gotta give the fast twitch brigade a chance now and then.

Stage 4, TT similar to the last TT in this years TdF. Uphill sections but not very steep. Time gaps should be too big and no one will want to be tired before:

Stage 5, Mont Ventoux! Enough said really. Whoever wins on the giant will be making a big statement for the TdF.

Stage 6, Col d'Izoard will see all the pretenders being dropped. Someone could easily attack over the top and descend like a bomb. The last kilometer is uphill (this finish was used in the Giro two years ago I think). Small time gaps between those who are still in the race.

Stage 7, 4000m of climbing. Galibier from the easier side to warm everyone up, the beast that is the Croix de Fer and then two thirds of the way up the Col de Madeleine to finish. Pure pain. Big gaps.

Stage 8, not too challenging. Break will probably go away. GC contenders will have to be attentive but shouldn't be challenged.

For me the contenders are as follows (no particular order): Valverde/Pereiro, Evans/Dekker, Gesink, Contador, Gerdemann, Basso, Nibali, Cobo.

I'm going to go with Contador with the win. He won't want to push himself too hard ahead of the TdF but I don't think he'll have to go that hard to take the win here given the two tough mountain stages where he should easily drop his opponents.

i'm taking leave of my senses for this one and selecting evans.

anybody have a start list for tour de suisse? is barney letting andy schleck ride there?

I'm also thinking Valverde is favorite for Dauphine. This race is chance for him to recover from problems he has (at least for a while). Also he can fully concentrate on it.
Contador is very hard to beat in the mountains and he's very good in TTing, much better than Valverde. But it's very questionable if he's going to push full gas, although he should show another one confirmation of the Tour leadership.

slovakguy said:

i'm taking leave of my senses for this one and selecting evans.

anybody have a start list for tour de suisse? is barney letting andy schleck ride there?

he will do tour de suisse, probably to help his brother frank win it...

Roman takes Switzerland. He's in good form.

I would guess guys like Kirchen, Rogers and the Schleck's will be present. Vandevelde coming back from injury?

For the Dauphine, I think Contador will try to lay down a marker for the rest of the field, with the TDF in mind.

But given Valverde's situation - he may go all out for the win also.

Need to look more closely at the field to pick a winner.
Leipheimers usually does well at the Dauphine - is he racing it this year?

Sam Sanchez?

Grater said:

Roman takes Switzerland. He's in good form.

I would guess guys like Kirchen, Rogers and the Schleck's will be present. Vandevelde coming back from injury?

schlecks will do the tour de suisse. when dauphine starts on sunday, they'll still be racing last stage of tour de luxembourg (one of the schlecks wants to win it).

One of the Schleck's will have to get past Kreuziger to win Switzerland.

Anyway here is a preview of the Dauphine.

dailypeloton.comdisplayarticle.aspOpen ↗

Grabsch will take the Prologue I think!

limerickman said:

For the Dauphine, I think Contador will try to lay down a marker for the rest of the field, with the TDF in mind.

But given Valverde's situation - he may go all out for the win also.

Need to look more closely at the field to pick a winner.
Leipheimers usually does well at the Dauphine - is he racing it this year?

Sam Sanchez?

From what I understand Leipheimer is not racing this year. The website below omits him from the team list(mid way down on right side of page).

http://www.steephill.tv/criterium-du-dauphine-libere/#rosters

adamastor said:

schlecks will do the tour de suisse. when dauphine starts on sunday, they'll still be racing last stage of tour de luxembourg (one of the schlecks wants to win it).

Bingo - Frank Schleck it will be.

Grater said:

One of the Schleck's will have to get past Kreuziger to win Switzerland.

Anyway here is a preview of the Dauphine.

dailypeloton.comdisplayarticle.aspOpen ↗

Andy and Frank will stay put during this Tour de Suisse, in order to fully focus on Tour de France, Andy's big objective.

Bike N Ski said:

From what I understand Leipheimer is not racing this year. The website below omits him from the team list(mid way down on right side of page).

http://www.steephill.tv/criterium-du-dauphine-libere/#rosters

Thanks

Eldrack said:

Good route as always from the Dauphine. First stage is a slightly longer TT than normal, first 3km is a climb at about 4.7% so prologue specialists may suffer in favour of a longer distance TTer who can climb well.

Stages two and three are for the sprinters, break will go away get caught etc. Guess you gotta give the fast twitch brigade a chance now and then.

Stage 4, TT similar to the last TT in this years TdF. Uphill sections but not very steep. Time gaps should be too big and no one will want to be tired before:

Stage 5, Mont Ventoux! Enough said really. Whoever wins on the giant will be making a big statement for the TdF.

Stage 6, Col d'Izoard will see all the pretenders being dropped. Someone could easily attack over the top and descend like a bomb. The last kilometer is uphill (this finish was used in the Giro two years ago I think). Small time gaps between those who are still in the race.

Stage 7, 4000m of climbing. Galibier from the easier side to warm everyone up, the beast that is the Croix de Fer and then two thirds of the way up the Col de Madeleine to finish. Pure pain. Big gaps.

Stage 8, not too challenging. Break will probably go away. GC contenders will have to be attentive but shouldn't be challenged.

For me the contenders are as follows (no particular order): Valverde/Pereiro, Evans/Dekker, Gesink, Contador, Gerdemann, Basso, Nibali, Cobo.

I'm going to go with Contador with the win. He won't want to push himself too hard ahead of the TdF but I don't think he'll have to go that hard to take the win here given the two tough mountain stages where he should easily drop his opponents.

Some meaty stages there, I'm really looking forward to the Dauphine this year. The only prediction I'm prepared to make is Evans for second.

Trev_S said:

I'll pick
1. Valverde - He won't be able to race the tour, since a stage heads through Italy, so will put more into winning here.
2. Contador
3. Evans

Not too bad of picks!

Millar made an interesting night of it last night.
He blew it.
Boonen blew it trying to blow Millar.

Both of them so close but so far away... yay for the wheel sucker's suckers like me!!!