Dauphiné

What’s Next?

Many seem to have enjoyed the Giro, especially with the final week and the suspense that went all the way to the last moments of the final stage. Sport offers highs and lows and in reality there can be many moments of boredom. Indeed lest we forget the Giro had its siesta moments too, inevitable during three weeks.

So what’s next? We’re right in the middle of the pro cycling season. April and its spring classics offer plenty of excitement but this time of year has plenty to offer as well. Many from the Giro will take a break but many big names are starting their approach to the Tour de France.

Read more

Dauphiné route unveiled

EDIT: since publishing this in March I’ve put a full preview online. Go here: https://inrng.com/dauphine for full stage analysis, the jerseys, the history and much more.

ASO have unveiled the route of the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné. The 8 day stage race is a great contest in its own right but also resembles the Tour de France in more ways than one.

Just like last year’s edition, the Dauphiné will feature some of the same roads as the Tour, making it an ideal test ahead of July. Here’s a summary of the route.

Read more

As good as it gets

Tour de Suisse

Look around. The Dauphiné hits the mountains this weekend. The Tour de Suisse starts today. In their own right these are brilliant races, showcasing the Alps, the kind of scenery where cow bells ring and you almost expect Julie Andrews to emerge with an annoying song. Only it’s time for bike racing, with summit finishes, sprints and time trials.

Read more

Dauphiné final weekend preview

Stage 6
Stage 6

Saturday’s stage is where the Dauphiné hits the mountains with a vengeance. The stage starts with a quick climb, enough to encourage some to start attacking, before taking the scenic Eveaux gorges on the way up to the Col des Aravis. This is a proper climb, complete with hairpin bends and the echo of cow bells bouncing off the glacial scenery. The following climbs are steady, both the Tamié and Grand Cucheron are about 5%. It’s the final that’ll make all the difference. The Collet d’Allevard is averages close to 9% with some sections over 10%. It’s not the Zoncolan but it’s certainly one of the steeper climbs in the French Alps.

Read more

Grenoble fall out

Tony Martin Grenoble

One of the highlights of the Critérium du Dauphiné was today’s time trial stage around Grenoble. The route is identical to Stage 20 of the Tour de France, the crucial final stage before the parade in Paris. So what lessons can we take from today for July?

Here are the results, the top-10 plus a selection of others.

Read more

Critérium du Dauphiné preview, part II

Having said in the first part of the preview that the prologue was for specialists and that Monday’s stage finish in the Chartreuse massif was “the sort of terrain where Thomas Voeckler, Alexander Vinokourov, Cadel Evans and many others might want to have a try before the likes of Boasson-Hagen eye up the sprint”, the following stages are actually a touch easier to predict.

Stage 2
Dauphiné Stage 2

Read more

Critérium du Dauphine preview

Dauphiné 2011

Seven stages and a prologue, this is a week long stage with something for everyone. Sprinters, climbers, breakaway riders and time trial specialists all get their chance. But by the end of the week I’d expect to see a strong GC rider take the win, one who can perhaps climb better than he can time trial.

Read more

Risoul preview

On Thursday Stage 4 of the Dauphiné goes to Risoul, the first summit finish of the stage race. It’s a climb that’s not been used much before, so here is a brief introduction: Risoul ProfileClimb By Bike has the full profile and states “the Risoul – Station ascent is 14 km long. Over this distance, … Read more

The Velocast, Millar and Contador

I’ve reviewed the Velocast podcast and will repeat that it’s a great listen. Now to my surprise, this blog was briefly mentioned on their latest podcast. The guys had read my posting on the Dauphiné prologue and the fact that I saw Millar and Contador warming up on the course whilst the race was on. … Read more

+ More