Criterium du Dauphine 2018 Spoiler nee chat

knedlicky

RichN95 wrote:

GC times:

Kwiatkowski (leader)
Jungels +7s
Alaphilippe +14
Caruso +15
Zakarin +18
Soler +20
Yates +21
Thomas +21
Bardet +23
Benoot +24
Nibali +24
Latour +26
Martin +29
Buchmann +32
Gaudu +33
Barguil +49

To the above, I think needed to be added are:

Tolhoek +35, because someone PTP-ed him as GC winner
and
Bilbao +21, because he just finished 6th at the Giro and it'll be interesting to see how he does in a 'major' race so soon afterwards.
I don't know if any other Giro participants are riding the Dauphine, but certainly no others who were highly-placed.

knedlicky

mididoctors wrote:

davidof wrote:

phreak wrote:

The Col du Mont Noir looks like an interesting climb (there appear to be a lot of them in Vercors tbh), but I'm guessing they're not going at it from this end?

I've skied over the Col du Mont Noir :-).
Your photo is from the D22 Gorges du Nant, they are taking the D31, the other interesting climb is the D292 via Presles. So they seem to be avoiding the two most interesting climbs.

not to mention the col d la machine...D76 IIRC
one problem I think with those AMAZINGLY under-rated drome climbs is getting the race convoy through the cliff tunnels. a lot are height restricted. perhaps even a car with bikes on its roof.
you next to never see those roads in the tour..would be interested to know if i'm wrong... the rousett is used a fair bit but it isn't one of those cliff huggers.

Acc to French websites, during its history the TdF has gone over only 12 cols in Drôme, although there are apparently 102 cols in the Departement.
Those 'main' ones (admittedly a subjective choice) so far not yet ridden include Col de la Machine and Col de Pennes but I doubt they ever will, in case a rider goes over their edges. I was once told by the Gendarmerie, that this has happened on several cols at amateur level, even on the much less dangerous (two-lane) Col de la Ramaz farther north (not in Drôme), near Cluses - he went over on the Meiussy side descent.

The other aspect, as mentioned, are the low tunnels – which are often unlit too. My 'favourite risk' is the tunnel which leads down to the Canyon des Ecouges, north of the uninteresting Col de Romeyère. I think even a 4WD would have trouble in it.

On the other hand, there are some cols, like Col de Soubeyrand and Col de la Chaudière which have so far been avoided by the TdF as so narrow. But the Giro recently showed how one can get around this, by replacing team cars by team motorbikes for the relevant narrow stretches – I forget on which stage in the Giro that was done, but it's surely a possible way-to-go for the TdF too?

davidof

knedlicky wrote:

Those 'main' ones (admittedly a subjective choice) so far not yet ridden include Col de la Machine and Col de Pennes but I doubt they ever will, in case a rider goes over their edges.

The Col de la Machine should present no problems, the part with a cliff is pretty much flat however the rock arch could well be a problem with bikes on the roof as others have said.

phreak

davidof wrote:

knedlicky wrote:

Those 'main' ones (admittedly a subjective choice) so far not yet ridden include Col de la Machine and Col de Pennes but I doubt they ever will, in case a rider goes over their edges.

The Col de la Machine should present no problems, the part with a cliff is pretty much flat however the rock arch could well be a problem with bikes on the roof as others have said.

When they go up super steep climbs like the Zoncolan though, the riders are usually supported by motorbikes, so it's not impossible.

m.r.m.

GT is such a fuckup

(for a gold medalist)

Pross

phreak wrote:

davidof wrote:

knedlicky wrote:

Those 'main' ones (admittedly a subjective choice) so far not yet ridden include Col de la Machine and Col de Pennes but I doubt they ever will, in case a rider goes over their edges.

The Col de la Machine should present no problems, the part with a cliff is pretty much flat however the rock arch could well be a problem with bikes on the roof as others have said.

When they go up super steep climbs like the Zoncolan though, the riders are usually supported by motorbikes, so it's not impossible.

You still need to get all the infrastructure up there - TV kit, barriers, etc.. I don't know the area and if there's another suitable route they could take though.

above_the_cows

knedlicky wrote:

But the Giro recently showed how one can get around this, by replacing team cars by team motorbikes for the relevant narrow stretches – I forget on which stage in the Giro that was done, but it's surely a possible way-to-go for the TdF too?

You could only do that if the climb was, like the Zoncolan, a summit finish because otherwise how would you get the cars back to the race after the climb?

Also the Tour wouldn't go up anything they couldn't get the publicity caravan up, and they wouldn't finish up a climb that large vehicles couldn't get up because how would they get all the finishing stuff up there?

specialgueststar

Molard lost 22 seconds. Not a big favourite but good riding at Nice and Romandie

kingstongraham

Above The Cows wrote:

Also the Tour wouldn't go up anything they couldn't get the publicity caravan up, and they wouldn't finish up a climb that large vehicles couldn't get up because how would they get all the finishing stuff up there?

Did the caravan go up the Lacets de Montvernier?

above_the_cows

KingstonGraham wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

Also the Tour wouldn't go up anything they couldn't get the publicity caravan up, and they wouldn't finish up a climb that large vehicles couldn't get up because how would they get all the finishing stuff up there?

Did the caravan go up the Lacets de Montvernier?

That's a good question. I don't know.

EDIT - but there you have an alternative route of the D77 really close by and they'd only miss a tiny bit of the route, also there weren't any spectators allowed on the Lacets if I remember so no need for the caravan.

Dorset_Boy

I don't think the caravan did go up the Lacets - I was in the meadow at the top but don't recall the caravan passing that day.

above_the_cows

Dorset Boy wrote:

I don't think the caravan did go up the Lacets - I was in the meadow at the top but don't recall the caravan passing that day.

You mean you missed out on some Mini Babybells, a yellow hat, and a salami?

For shame.

knedlicky

Above The Cows wrote:

knedlicky wrote:

But the Giro recently showed how one can get around this, by replacing team cars by team motorbikes for the relevant narrow stretches – I forget on which stage in the Giro that was done, but it's surely a possible way-to-go for the TdF too?

You could only do that if the climb was, like the Zoncolan, a summit finish because otherwise how would you get the cars back to the race after the climb?

If the Tour goes over an “awkward“ col, and there is an easier/shorter 'lowland' route, one could just have motorbikes for the col. Your example of the D77 alternate to Montvenier is an example of how things could be, not just for the publicity caravan.

Although it wasn't necessary to do this on the climbs of stage 9 last year, that stage provides another example of what should sometimes be possible elsewhere - while the riders went over the Grand Colombier (50 km) and then later the Mont du Chat (25 km), there were alternate lowland routes for Tour vehicles, each 'shortcut' flat and less than 10 km long.

inseine

3 man break with Brice Feillu (haven't heard that name for a while), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis!) and Lawson Craddock.

knedlicky

Above The Cows wrote:

Also the Tour wouldn't go up anything they couldn't get the publicity caravan up

The publicity caravan doesn't go everywhere (as Montvernier showed). I can't remember where it was, but I'm pretty sure that the caravan didn't go to the top of one MTF in recent years (the last 3-4 kms).
As another example, in 2016, after crossing the Grand Colombier, the caravan didn't do the extra 25 km loop which the riders did, thus totally omitting 10 km of the route, namely the climb up from Culoz (and where there were lots of spectators).

I imagine this year it may skip the Passage de Gois on stage 1 (and take the longer route to the mainland), if not all then at least the worst cobbles of stage 9 and possibly the up and over the Plateau des Glieres (stage 10).

above_the_cows

I still don't think you could race up something that you can't get team cars up unless it is at the end of a stage, the logistics of getting the motorbikes out and the team cars back into the race would just be too difficult and potentially dangerous.

above_the_cows

43km to go and Steve Cummings is hanging out at the back of the peloton.

All is right with the world.

RonB

Crash in the peloton with under 20km to go, just as the breakaway for today is about to get caught. Looks like a broken collarbone for Kiel Reijnen who stayed down. Climbs in the final circuit don't look to be too selective

Dorset_Boy

Above The Cows wrote:

Dorset Boy wrote:

I don't think the caravan did go up the Lacets - I was in the meadow at the top but don't recall the caravan passing that day.

You mean you missed out on some Mini Babybells, a yellow hat, and a salami?

For shame.

It's OK, you don't need to worry AtC, I managed to get my fill the following day when they rode up to La Toussuire after Vincenzo Dastardly Nibbles attacked when that nice Mr Froome had a mechanical issue.

Dorset_Boy

knedlicky wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

Also the Tour wouldn't go up anything they couldn't get the publicity caravan up

The publicity caravan doesn't go everywhere (as Montvernier showed). I can't remember where it was, but I'm pretty sure that the caravan didn't go to the top of one MTF in recent years (the last 3-4 kms).
As another example, in 2016, after crossing the Grand Colombier, the caravan didn't do the extra 25 km loop which the riders did, thus totally omitting 10 km of the route, namely the climb up from Culoz (and where there were lots of spectators).

I imagine this year it may skip the Passage de Gois on stage 1 (and take the longer route to the mainland), if not all then at least the worst cobbles of stage 9 and possibly the up and over the Plateau des Glieres (stage 10).

They're not going over the Passage du Gois - the tide will be in at the time, so will be heading over the bridge instead, I believe, rather than hopping into pedalos.

davidof

Astana rider took two ag2r riders down

RonB

All together now with 7 km to go. Getting a bit twitchy and favourites are being brought to the front.

shirley_basso

Kwait, Theuns and Alaphillipe off the front with 4.5k to go

above_the_cows

Impey from Alaphillipe.

I feel for anyone listening with Carlton Kirby commentating.

RonB

Impey wins the sprint in impressive style 4 - 5 bike lengths from Alaphillipe in second. Kwiato in top 10. Is that good enough to stay in yellow?

Edit - yes by 2"

The_Boy

Gaudu abandons?

kingstongraham

Above The Cows wrote:

Impey from Alaphillipe.

I feel for anyone listening with Carlton Kirby commentating.

Watched on the feed with no commentary. The motorbike cameraman didn't sound too impressed by the speed bump with about a km to go.

ddraver

ITV4 highlights FTW

Great sprint by Impey

(Man, Gary Imlach looks old now )

RichN95.

ddraver wrote:

(Man, Gary Imlach looks old now )

Without looking it up, how old do you think he is? I've seen people say the same thing about Hugh Grant recently.

rick_chasey

I think Gary Imlach comes pretty close to being pure good bloke.

I suggest anyone try and segue and summarise like he does.

I spent one evening, because I'm odd, trying to come up with a good one before the highlights came on.

Impossible.