The first mountain stage of the race, Stage 5 takes the riders across the Alps to Valmorel for a summit finish but don’t mistake this for the high mountains, this is a gentle introduction to the mountains although enough to provide a worthy winner.
If the time trial provided plenty of information on the relative form of riders, now it’s time for a ramp test.
A flat time trial might not make for good TV viewing but it’s Act 1 in this summer’s duel between Alberto Contador and Chris Froome and the first time we get to see the relative form of all the other candidates to win this race and the Tour de France.
It’s sometimes regrettable all this gets reduced to a mere prism through which we view the Tour de France but it’s how the sport works and this stage is purposefully included to act as a dress rehearsal for the almost identical first solo time trial of the Tour.
It’s been all over the newspapers on Monday and it is expected to be confirmed on Tuesday that British Cycling’s Brian Cookson will stand for President of the UCI, challenging the current President Pat McQuaid.
Whilst we wait to hear what Cookson’s got to say, there are a few things to look out for. For all the talk of a challenge, Cookson is a senior UCI insider. But this is how the system works.
Stage 3 takes the riders away from the Alps but the cols keep on coming although the monts of the Beaujolais are gentle and should suit the sprinters. But a tricky finish awaits, a downhill run into town and then some sharp bends all the way to the finish.
Listed as a flat stage by the race, Monday’s 191km routeis harder than it looks with the last 60km loaded with climbing, twisting roads and even a forest track before a downhill rush to the finish in the town of Oyonnax.
The town was once home to Bollé, the sunglasses company and is the setting for one of the few well-regarded literary works to feature a bicycle race so tacked onto the stage preview is a quick look at Oyonnax and Roger Vailland’s 325,000 francs.
As the next in the series of famous roads to ride, here’s a trip to the Beaujolais hills in France for the Col du Pin Bouchain.
“Col what?” you may ask. The Col du Pin Bouchain holds a unique place in cycling history as the first pass ever climbed by the Tour de France, at least that’s what historians think. Given its location and history it should be something special but it turns out to be a road that’s nicer to read about than ride, a place where the past was probably better than the present.
The Dauphiné race starts on Sunday and whilst it will take a week to discover the winner, Stage 1 doesn’t waste any time in testing a riders’s climbing legs, ascending a first category for the first twenty minutes.
But the big mountains are yet to come and this is more a test for ambitious teams to control the race and we’ll see if any of the sprinters have what it takes to get over the climbs, a skill they’ll need all week.
With the Giro done it’s time to review the standings of wins by the pro teams so far this season. Since the last look after the spring classics the top four in UCI World Tour are unchanged although OPQS have substantially extended their lead.
In terms of race days we’re now almost halfway in to the season with over 250 days of racing completed. So whilst OPQS dominate, on average 88% of the time they don’t win.
A miniature de Tour de France concentrated in the Alps, there’s something for everyone in this race with its variety of stages although 2013 is particularly mountainous. The race normally captures France in the summer but the wet spring looks set to continue into June.
We’ll soon discover the relative form of Chris Froome and Alberto Contador but if these two are the prime picks, there’s a big cast of contenders with Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez, Andrew Talansky, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Tony Martin and many more.
Here’s a preview of the race including with a short take on each stage plus a look at the likely contenders and plenty more including the new TV schedules.
On his way to winning the Tour of Switzerland in 2001, Lance Armstrong underwent several anti-doping controls. On two occasions in this race Armstrong’s samples were suspicious with data suggesting the strong probability of EPO use but crucially not firm enough to launch a formal prosecution.
A major athlete with strong suspicions of heavy doping? You’d think this would have set red lights flashing and alarm bells ringing within the UCI. Did it?