Critérium du Dauphiné: Stage 3 Preview

For the second time this year, I have teamed up with INRNG to provide you with daily stage previews of both Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. The Dauphiné stage previews are written by INRNG and can be found here and at www.inrng.com while the Tour de Suisse stage previews are written by me and feature on both sites too. 

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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.

Stage 2 Wrap congratulations to Elia Viviani of the Cannondale team. I thought he might win a stage of the Giro but never imagined him winning in the Dauphiné as Stage 2 looked to be too hilly. Riders were being dropped on the final climbs, with Nacer Bouhanni just cracking before the top of the final climb. If the biggest surprise goes to third place Tony Gallopin as the Radioshack rider confessed to not even knowing Viviani was in the race, “I didn’t check the startlist” he said after the stage. Presumably completing the Giro did Viviani plenty of good but he also profited from Gianni Meerman’s early sprint, a stiff headwind on the finish line allowed the Italian to come round just when it mattered.

The Route: a flat start, indeed the route skirts the location of Stage 4′s time trial as it heads west. The feedzone is the kind of place where they should have trestle-tables dressed with tableclothes to serve up local food like Bresse chicken and some of the finest French wines from the Morgon and Juliénas wine areas.

Alas, the riders will get a bag with energy food but no bad thing as the climbing starts with the Col des Echarmeaux. Listed as a 10.6 km climb at 3 % it’s really just a long valley road that drags up, but the middle is 5%-6% at times. The Col des Sauvages is the same, 4.0 km climb a 5-6%, it’s all regular. It is then followed by a fast descent with a few corners but nothing too technical.

The Finish: the race speeds into Tarare and is downhill almost to the line there are two sharp left turns in the final kilometre meaning positioning is vital, especially as the final corner is just 350 metres from the finish.

The Scenario: breakaway or sprint? Europcar spent much of Stage 2 working on the front to control the breakaway and they are likely to repeat this in order to defend Davide Veilleux’s yellow jersey. So we should get a similar format where Europcar rent out their riders to drive the chase and then others take over for the last two hours. Given the sprint chances this stage offers we can expect OPQS, FDJ and Cannondale being only too willing to take up the slack. The climbs are not hard and a well-protected sprinter can get towed along in the slipstream.

In a straight line Elia Viviani is the fastest but there’s no straight line so I’d imagine a contest between him and Nacer Bouhanni. It might be third time lucky for Gianni Meersman but the Belgian seems to prefer hillier stages, this might not be selective enough, perhaps OPQS have to force the pace on the final climb rather than the last kilometre? But the lack of sprinters in the race this year – because of the lack of sprint stages – means other fastmen are trying their chance so watch for Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg of Argos-Shimano and Radioshack’s Tony Gallopin in what could be a chaotic sprint with a fight for the last corner.

TV: the same as usual, don’t be caught out by the early finish for 2.45pm. cyclingfans.com and steephill.tvhave the links to video streams if you can’t get it on TV.

Weather: a pleasant and sunny day if a little on the cool side for June with temperatures reaching 18°C (64°F) with a light breeze from the north-east

Local Rider: Cofidis’s Rudy Molard was in the breakaway for Stage 2 but he’s the local for Stage 3 coming from Villefranche-sur-Saône to the north of Tarare. The young French rider was a promising member of France’s U-23 team in 2011 and turned pro for 2012 but was hit by mononucleosis in his first year.

Deindustrialization Tour: another day, another town with an industrial past and high rate of unemployment today. We had Oyonnax and plastics on the previous stage, now here is Tarare and its textiles. It was once the centre of speciality textiles in France – in the 1950s it produced 80% of the curtains used in France – as well as a large producer of velvet and even plush toys. But it has struggled to cope with factory closures although it retains a pleasant vibe. The stage offers a contrast, passing fine wines that command premium prices around the world whilst finishing in a town with many a crumbling factory. The local microbrewery, Ninkasi, is going from strenght to strength. It’s named after the goddess of beer apparently.

Critérium du Dauphiné: Stage 2 Preview

For the second time this year, I have teamed up with INRNG to provide you with daily stage previews of both Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. The Dauphiné stage previews are written by INRNG and can be found here and at www.inrng.com while the Tour de Suisse stage previews are written by me and feature on both sites too. 

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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.

Stage 1 Wrap: well done to David Veilleux. It looked like the early breakaway would be allowed to stay away for the first two climbs and collect some mountain points. It looked as if Veilleux was going solo for the mountain points and would be caught. It looked as if the time checks were wrong as Veilleux’s solo advantage held whilst Movistar and Katusha chashed. But we saw Veilleux stay away for a big win, taking the stage, the overall lead as well as the points jersey and the mountain jersey too. He only missed out on the white jersey because he’s five weeks too old for the competition.

It turned out well for Veilleux and Europcar, he was “only” signed by Europcar because Canadian clothing sponsor Louis Garneau wanted a Canadian on the team. Don’t read this the wrong way, he wasn’t signed after a short quest to find a Canadian with a bicycle and some free time. No, he was recommended but all the same the deal happened because of the Canadian clothing sponsor.

If Veilleux surprised in a good way, note several riders had a bad day. Despite claims of fitness and losing weight Thor Hushovd was dropped on the Col du Corbier but more surprisingly so was Thomas de Gendt… perhaps losing time so he can go on a breakaway? The same with Andrew Talansky, who is getting over stomach flu but couldn’t get over the final climb with the peloton although Rohan Dennis’s ride gives the team plenty of cheer.

Stage 2

• Km 74.5 – Côte de Mornex – 2.6 km climb to 4.7 % – Category 4
• Km 120.5 – Côte de Mons – 1.0 km climb to 5.5 % – Category 4
• Km 136.0 – Côte de Lancrans – 3.1 km climb to 5.2 % – Category 3
• Km 151.5 – Côte de Communal – 5.6 km climb to 6.3 % – Category 2
• Km 168.5 – Côte du Bugnon – 1.9 km climb to 6.1 % – Category 4
• Km 179.5 – Col du Sentier – 2.7 km climb to 7.6 % – Category 2

The Route: there are two parts to the stage. First up, a gradual procession away from the Alps as the race leaves behind the ski resorts. The Côte de Mornex has a steep ramp but poses no problem. But as the profile shows the race climbs up for some time after the KoM point and in time there’s a long descent.

Everything changes after 130km when the second part starts. The race crosses the Rhone river in Bellegarde. The profile shows the Côte de Lancrans which is followed more climbing, a short descent and then more climbing to the feedzone before the Côte de Communal which, with a tunnel at the top, climbs above 1000m. So plenty of vertical metres but with more to come.

Unlike the ski station roads found in the rest of the race, this is the wild terrain of the Jura mountains familiar to the Tour de l’Ain race every August. Instead of tourist coaches these are roads used by tractors and logging trucks whose granular road surfaces get ravaged by winter. Indeed the Côte du Bugnon seems to be an unclassified forestry road and could reserve a surprise. The final Col du Sentier is second category label looks odd being only 2.7km at 7.6%. But don’t fixate on the labels, instead it’s the succession of climbs, descents and twisting roads in the final 60km that define the stage, an air of Liège-Bastogne-Liège with the wooded climbs.

The Finish: a fast descent, the kind where there are blind bends meaning riders cannot see round but without too many sharp corners so ideal for the fearless or well-informed rider. It’s downhill all the way into town and flattens out for the final two kilometres although with a railway bridge to cross. There’s a U-turn with 600 metres to go, it’s not sharp but enough to slow some riders. After it is flat all the way to the line.

The Scenario: a break could go early but Europcar should chase to protect Veilleux’s lead, capping any advantage and then letting the other teams take over the duty for the final third of the stage. Although as described above the roads don’t lend themselves to a regular chase. And with 50 riders already 10 minutes down on GC, there’s a lot of riders who pose no threat to anyone.

Tony Martin’s attack yesterday wasn’t planned but it meant OPQS didn’t join in the chase to bring back Veilleux. I’m not sure if they’d have done it but the point here is that Gianni Meersman won the bunch sprint by a few lengths. The question is whether he can cope with the hilly finish into Oyonnax. You’d think yes but if not then Tom Jelte Slagter is a pick to cope with the climbs even if the finish line run is flat. Better-suited is Tony Gallopin (Radioshack), the Frenchman got squeezed in the final corner but could come good today.

But the final climbs could see the bunch strung out and the Col du Sentier is a good launchpad, it’s short but with a twisting descent most of the way to the finish line, an attack on this climb could be hard to chase. Think of an aggressive rider who can speed downhill and names like.Samuel Sanchez, Chris Le Mevel or Wout Poels come to mind but there are more. If you want an outsider, why not FDJ’s Artur Vichot or Argos-Shimano’s Warren Barguil?

TV: despite talk of live coverage on various TV channels, it’s not as easy to find as promised. So check Eurosport where you live but if not cyclingfans.com and steephill.tv will serve you an internet feed. The stage is scheduled to finish around 2.45 pm Euro time but could be earlier or later.

Weather: a pleasant day… for March. Temperatures will reach 16°C (60°F) with a some sunshine and clouds. A light breeze from the north-east means a slight tailwind for the early part of the race and then a headwind for parts of the finish but at 10-20km/h max it shouldn’t change the race much.

Oyonnax: the stage finish is famous for its plastics. For centuries local craftsmen made combs and other small objects from the hardy boxwood growing in mountains nearby. Its fine grain and high density make it ideal for carving. With mills powered by the local river Oyonnax became famous for its wooden exports and was granted a royal monopoly for the production of combs.

But one day, long before Mr Guire and The Graduate, the town adopted one word: plastics. Almost overnight the town swapped boxwood and chisels for celluloid and the injection mould. Combs, sunglasses and other plastic items were produced, today we might think it sounds cheap but these were futuristic at the time. Several famous companies started here, including eyewear company Bollé who sponsor Orica-Greenedge today. But think of plastics today and you probably think of China. Bollé got bought by a US firm and it shut the French factory in 2005, moving production to China and mirroring the fate of so many other companies and factories.

Critérium du Dauphiné: Stage 1 Preview

For the second time this year, I have teamed up with INRNG to provide you with daily stage previews of both Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. The Dauphiné stage previews are written by INRNG and can be found here and at www.inrng.com while the Tour de Suisse stage previews are written by me and feature on both sites too.

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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.

• Km 12.5 – Côte de Morgins – 9.2 km climb to 6 % – Category 1
• Km 76.0 – Col du Corbier – 7.6 km climb to 7.5 % – Category 1
• Km 101.5 – Pas de Morgins – 4.5 km climb to 6.7 % – Category 2
• Km 120.0 – Côte de Champéry – 6.9 km climb to 3.3 % – Category 3

The Route: the race starts in Switzerland but climbs quickly into France for an out-and-back loop. The early Côte de Morgins and Pas de Morgins later are the same thing but climbed from either side and the outward section is hard with one kilometre at 12.8%.

The Col du Corbier is a proper climb with a winding road and irregular gradients, it’s got sections around 10% and will put some in difficulty and it’s average of 7.5% is flattered by an easy start and a flat passage through the village of Le Biot. A regular descent follows and despite the uphill gradient on the profile above, there’s plenty of time for dropped riders to come back and the Pas de Morgins is easier on the return.

The Finish: uphill but only just. This is a fast finish into the ski town of Champéry and suited towards the sprinters if they are still with the bunch because despite the slope there will be a big advantage for someone sitting on the right wheel. A wide road is engineered to allow easy access for tourists into town and the bunch will have no problems, nor is there anything to use for an ambush should a breakaway arrive.

But the final moments are awkward with a right-hand bend quickly followed by a left-hand bend, all in the final 200 metres all on a road just five metres wide meaning riders will have to fight for position ahead of these bends.

The Scenario: I’m tempted to say “Boasson Hagen” and leave it at that. The Norwegian was back to winning ways after his success in the Glava Tour and he can both climb and sprint. Even more to his advantage is that he and other Sky team mates spent time in a mountain training camp in nearby Chatel last summer before the Tour de France so their on familiar roads too.

Fortunately nothing is that certain. The opening climb is a lottery, riders could use it to launch attacks and the race could split apart, the short distance of 121km promises an explosive stage.

There’s also team work, Boasson Hagen might be on duty for Team Sky and tasked with protecting Chris Froome and Richie Porte. And this is before we consider other riders. If Thor Hushovd (BMC Racing) is back at his best then he could strike whilst Gianni Meersman (OPQS), Tony Gallopin (Radioshack) and Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) could all be there. It’s less certain if Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ), Michael Matthews (Orica) and Michel Kreder (Garmin-Sharp) make it but they can cope with some climbs.

Normally it means a reduced bunch sprint. A breakaway could make it but few will want to let someone else escape and take the overall lead, too many teams will be working to set up their man for the finish. Finally there’s the outside possibility of exploiting a crosswind where a team could drive over the Col du Corbier and split the race but the weather doesn’t seem tough enough for this. So we’re back to Boasson Hagen.

TV: Live on French TV which means there should be a stream to watch and it’s on Eurosport too as well as other countries around the world including NBC in the US and SBS in Australia. Subscribe properly rather than use a pirate feed and you’ll be treated to an HD image, if not cyclingfans.com and steephill.tv will serve you an internet feed. The stage is scheduled to finish around 3.00pm Euro time.

Weather: much of France has had the worst spring in terms of sunshine since records began two centuries ago. But the weather is finally set to turn although this means mild weather for the Dauphiné all week rather than a heatwave.

Sunday’s opening stage will be cool but dry as it crosses the Abondance valley with a mild crosswind on the way out and back and temperatures peaking at 12°C (53°F).

Switzerland: why is the French race starting in Switzerland? Of course many races start outside their home country but the Dauphiné organisers ASO have inked a deal with the Portes du Soleil ski area which is in both France and Switzerland and includes resorts like Morzine and Avoriaz.

Critérium du Dauphiné 2013 - Preview & Favorites

Critérium du Dauphiné 2013

There is now less than a month to the start of this year’s Tour de France and that means it’s the last time to test your legs against your rivals’ in competition. Most of the big Tour favorites will be in Critérium du Dauphiné this year and with a very hilly course, we should be in for a good show the next eight days.

Compared to last year’s edition, this one is much more about climbing than time trialing. It’s true there is a 32.5 km long time trial on stage four but the race won’t be won or lost here, that will happen in the final four days in the Alps with three uphill finishes.

Looking at the field, two riders stand out as the main favorites; Chris Froome and Alberto Contador. Froome has been outstanding in all the stage races he has ridden since February, while Contador only has been focusing on the Tour and therefore haven’t performed as well as the previous years. Contador normally never peaks in Dauphine but with a different season plan, we should to see him stronger at this point than usually. Last year Bradley Wiggins won Dauphiné before winning the Tour overall and I think Chris Froome will be eager to repeat his teammate’s performance this time. Froome can count on excellent support from Richie Porte - another GC contender - Vasil Kiryienka, David Lopez and Edvald Boasson Hagen.

I see Chris Froome and Alberto Contador a level above the rest in this race but its clear they are both not in tip-top condition yet and it wouldn’t be the first time an outsider won Dauphiné. There are a lot of good riders in the race this year to give you a better overview, I have the divided the favorites in to the following categories:

Strong winner candidates: Chris Froome & Alberto Contador

Strong podium contenders: Samuel Sanchez, Richie Porte & Andrew Talansky

Top5 contenders: Joaquim Rodriguez, Alejandro Valverde, Damiano Cunego & Jurgen van den Broeck.

Outside of these three categories we’ll find riders like; Sylvain Chavanel, Jakob Fuglsang, Wout Poels, Laurens Ten Dam, Pierre Rolland, Michal Kwiatkowski etc. etc.

Personally, I expect a lot from Samuel Sanchez. For the first time in many years, he failed to deliver in a Grand Tour when he only ended 12^th overall in the Giro d’Italia. He came close to a stage win on the hilly time trial but he wasn’t as strong as expected in the last week. The last couple of years we’ve seen riders with failed Giro expectations rise and win in Dauphiné and I think Samu will do just that. In 2011, Purito used his good shape from the Giro to win two stages and last year his teammate Dani Moreno did the same. I see many good stages for Samuel Sanchez in this year’s Dauphiné and I would be surprised not to see him win at least one of them.

Remember, there are no bonus seconds on the line in Critérium du Dauphiné this year so the climbers really need to distance their rivals when ever they can if they lose too much time in the time trial.

Many of you have been asking about stage previews for Dauphiné and I’m happy to announce that there will be daily previews during the race. Just like earlier this year, I’ve teamed up with INRNG to deliver daily stage previews of both Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. INRGN will be writing for Dauphiné and I will be doing the Tour de Suisse previews. First one should be online Saturday evening.

For live race coverage, check out steephill.tv

Time off - Back soon

After a hectic Giro d'Italia, it's now time for a few days off.

Stay tuned for Previews of the up-coming World Tour races.

Thanks for reading!

Mikkel

Giro d'Italia: Stage 21 Preview & Favorites

It’s time for the last stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia and everything but another bunch sprint will be a huge surprise. Mark Cavendish lost the Red Jersey to Vincenzo Nibali on Stage 20 and that means he needs a top performance if he wants to take it back on the last day. Cavendish has been levels above his rivals so far and it seems that only bad luck can take this stage win away from him.

Still, the final laps of 4.2 km in Brescia are very tricky with a lot of sharp corners and with everybody wanting to win on the final day; it could easily end up with another big crash. Naturally it’s up to Quickstep to keep it together but don’t forget Cavendish is without leadout man Gert Steegmans, so he probably have to rely on youngster Matteo Trentin or get on the wheel of another train.

Nobody can match Cavendish’ kick in the final but if someone tries to open the sprint early, Cavendish might be in trouble without a leadout train. I personally think Mark Cavendish will win this one but with a tricky finish and no leadout, it won’t be as easy as earlier.

The final laps in Brescia. Click for larger view.

Cannondale are one of the few teams with all nine riders still in the race and they will be extra motivated for this stage. The team is based nearby and after being close a couple of times already, Elia Viviani now hopes to finally take a stage win in this year’s Giro d’Italia. I expect Cannondale to take the front on the final kilometers and I think Viviani will be very close again.

I have already said many times that it’s hard to pick a joker in this sprint field but since we haven’t seen much of him so far, I’ll pick Manuel Belletti. The Italian sprinter went down in the big crash on Stage 1 but he’s been near the top the last couple of sprints. Belletti has been good at getting on Cavendish’ wheel this season but for some reason he hasn’t been able to turn into a result. I’ve seen Belletti getting better and better in this Giro and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make Top3 in Brescia.

Favorite: Mark Cavendish

Top3 Pick: Elia Viviani

Joker: Manuel Belletti

I promised you something extra for the Giro previews this year and here it is. In collaboration with GCN, you’ll find a short video preview of each stage of the race. Here is Stage 21:

For live coverage of the stage check out steephill.tv

Giro d'Italia: Stage 20 Preview & Favorites

Stage 19 got cancelled completely and that means this is the last chance to change the overall classification. Vincenzo Nibali seems sure to win this Giro d’Italia but the final two spots on the podium are still up for grab.

Unfortunately, this stage too has been modified a lot and the first three big mountains have all been cancelled due to the bad weather. This leaves us with a 210 km long stage with only the final 25 km are kept as planned. A strong morning break over the big climbs would have had a good chance of making it to the line but with this new profile it all comes down to the final climb up to Tre Cime Di Lavaredo.

The first 187.6 km aren’t very challenging but hopefully we will get to see fire some firework already on the first climb up to Passo Tre Croci. This category 2 climb has a steady 7% gradient all the 8 km to the top and if the morning break hasn’t already been caught, this is a good place to finally rail them back in. As I wrote in the preview for Stage 19, I would like to see Lampre take charge and play out Niemiec early on. If he attacks on Passo Tre Croci, it would force BMC and Sky to work hard and without a strong team, Evans would quickly be isolated.

There are about 7 km from the top of Passo Tre Croci to the final climb begins. It starts with a steep kilometer of 10.6% with parts of 18%. Then there is short descent before the final 3 km kicks up with an average (!) gradient of 12.4%. There are parts of nearly 20% with two kilometers to go and the tiny climbers like Sergio Henao, Carlos Betancur and Domenico Pozzovivo will have a big advantage here.

The only leader’s jersey still up for grab is the White Jersey and with only two seconds between Rafal Majka and Carlos Betancur, we should be in for a great show on this final climb. Majka seems to flying right now but these steep percentages surely favors Betancur more than the strong Pole. I would imagine Domenico Pozzovivo to attack first and make the other riders work for the stage win. If they then catch Pozzovivo, Betancur will be ready to counter. Just like we saw it on the stage Uran won earlier in the race.

The final 3 km of the stage.

Samuel Sanchez came close the other day and he's still chasing a stage win that will see him join the club of stage winners in all the three Grand Tours. The steep final part isn't really in Sanchez' favor but he does seem very strong right now and he's always good in the last week.

This being the last mountain stage of the race, I doubt a morning breakaway will make it. The fight for second and third place overall are still so close that every bonus second count and Betancur also knows that he is faster than Majka on the line. Even if Betancur can’t drop Majka on the climb, he can still outsprint him and the take bonus seconds he needs. 

Many odd things have already occurred in this Giro and of course, it’s not impossible a morning break will make it. Androni have been in all the major breaks in this Giro d’Italia and I would expect riders like Jackson Rodriguz and Miguel Angel Rubiano to try again. Franco Pellizotti still aims at Top10 overall and with nothing to lose I think he will try to attack early on Passo Tre Crocil.

Movistar have been extremely strong the last week and even though their most important task now is to secure Beñat Intxausti’s Top10 place, I’m sure they will try to take their fifth stage win. Eros Capecchi, José Herrada and Juan José Cobo are all good contenders for an early break and I think at least one of them will make it.

Last, I need to mention Team Colombia. They came to the Giro with high hopes for this final week but with all the big mountains being cancelled out, they haven’t really had a chance to show their strength. Darwin Atapuma is getting better and better and so is Fabio Duarte. The little Colombian have been attacking non-stop the last couple of days and I’m sure he will try again on this stage. Duarte is good on the steep percentages and together with Atapuma, Colombia have a dangerous duo for the final climb. Also, the Colombian Sports Minister, Andres Botero, will join the team for the final two stages and if the riders weren’t motivated enough already, this should give them the extra edge.

Favorites: Carlos Betancur & Domenico Pozzovivo

Top 3 Pick: Rafal Majka

Jokers: Fabio Duarte / Franco Pellizotti / José Herrada

I promised you something extra for the Giro previews this year and here it is. In collaboration with GCN, you’ll find a short video preview of each stage of the race. Here is Stage 20:

For live coverage of the stage check out steephill.tv