kicking off wednesday

looks like a stella line up…. we get the first taster of froome vs bernal vs thomas and Dumoulin vs Roglic. another look at WVA in the high mountains and Andre Griepel is super mountain domestique ?

and not forgetting rigoberto vs tejay ! 🙂

Not just a stellar line up. A slightly mad shortened course as well. Every finish is uphill. Stage 2 is officially a (merely) “hilly” stage but it finishes on top of a hors-categorie climb.

and no time trial for Dumoulin Roglic & Froome, one for the whisps… ol’ Quintana might fancy his chances

Highlights on itv4 – https://www.itv.com/itvcycling/articles/watch-highlights-of-the-2020-criterium-du-dauphine-on-itv4

Finally I get a chance to control the TV remote of an evening! No more cooking or property programmes!!

we get the first taster of froome vs bernal vs thomas and Dumoulin vs Roglic

If you ignore Tour de L’Ain which finished yesterday.

we get the first taster of froome vs bernal vs thomas

Except for the Tour de l’Ain over the weekend where Bernal came second to Roglic by a few seconds having dropped Froome and Thomas for over 10 minutes on the final day (froome eventually fininshed 26 minutes down), or the Route de l’Occitainie last week where Bernal also won again (with Sivakov 2nd) and Froome again finshed down the rankings (37th, over 9 minutes down)

Although to be fair, it could be that Froome was performing domestique duties and getting race rady for the Dauphiné – but my money’s on Bernal and Thomas for the TDF, and Carapaz for the Giro, leaving Froome and Sivakov battling for the Vuelta

missed that one 🙂

Highlights on itv4

we get the first taster of froome vs bernal vs thomas and Dumoulin vs Roglic.

As said Jumbo have kicked Ineos’ arse twice already this season quite comprehensively!

and not forgetting rigoberto vs tejay

Will the latter be using Puteline?

could be that Froome was performing domestique duties and getting race rady for the Dauphiné

Hi posted a pic on his instagram and commented he was just starting to come into form.

I don’t think Froome will make the TDF squad, but one thing Sky/Ineos have been good at is peaking at the correct time. I’m not reading too much into it yet. TDF is going to be exciting this year, the other teams have strengthened, I don’t think Ineos have gotten weaker (Froome aside), so should be a heck of a contest.
I love the Dauphine normally, but it’s a strange year and for some reason I’m not seeing this race as important as other years gone by. Still looking forward to it, but just a bit less excited.

Froome is bluffing.

He’s using the pre-season to make himself look past-it. A shadow of his pre-injury self.

A key part of this plan is not winning the Dauphiné. He’ll go for a hill attack then pretend to crack, lose time and put himself out of the running.

He’ll ride the tour ostensibly as a domestique to Bernal / Thomas “for old time’s sake”. No one will worry about him on the road. Then, late in week 3, he’ll go from long range, and no one will chase. He’ll bash out 6.5W/kg for a couple of hours and by the time people realise he was bluffing all along, he’ll be uncatchable.

Froome to win the tour.

Froome is not bluffing, he does not have the form he might have had in a normal year, even without coming back from injury. Agree that he will not do much in the Dauphine as its about showing stats to uncle Dave to decide the leader(s) in the tour. What he does have going for him when/if we get to the tour is experience, so he has a chance.

Bernal looked wobbly yesterday. Castroviejo dropped him and had to go back. No way that was the plan. He did put in a showing at the end though.

Roglic looked like he was ‘on a ride to the shops’

It’s wide open for the tour, any one of 10 have a good chance, as does the whole thing getting called off.

I’ve even coughed up to Eurosport for a couple of months

Wow, just seen the Ineos line-up for the Dauphiné

The @Dauphine begins on Wednesday and is the final stop on the road to #TDF2020. Meet our lineup for the five-day stage race: @Eganbernal @jcastroviejo @chrisfroome @kwiato @PavelSivakov @GeraintThomas86 @DylanvanBaarle pic.twitter.com/7YU0jUe7a8

— Team INEOS (@INEOSGrenadiers) August 10, 2020

That is a HELLA strong team for a climbing race

but then the Jumbo Visma team also looks strong

🇫🇷 #Dauphiné

Our team for Criterium du Dauphiné⤵️ pic.twitter.com/PABvcEgMzu

— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) August 11, 2020

I am VERY MUCH looking forward to this race. I may have to purchase some alcoholic beverages to enjoy whil I watch

On now on Eurosport. Good to see the skinny boys out.

Allan Phillips must be a good bet for today…

Anyone with GCN app… Can you use the GCN Race TV on a PC?

I’ve got the app on my phone and works fine, but would love to see it on the computer monitor whilst at work, so need to log into the website.

Logging into GCN keeps bringing up a sign in error when I select the race.

Works fine in the app.

Is a small screen my only option?

are we allowed spoilers?
Think its just gcn app and casting at moment not pc.

Edit, spoilers allowed?

I’ve got GCN Racepass and Eurosport Player but GCN seems to be dependent on Eurosport for its coverage so if it hasn’t started on Europsort it’s not on GCN?

yeah, bloody Cyclocross rider spoiling it for everyone ! 😀

Thanks mods!!!!
Wout Van Aert…new Sagan Strada Bianca, Milan San Remo and today, seriously impressive, could we be seeing the next green jersey winner at le tour.

Bernal looked bloody strong too!

Froome less so ☹️

Whatever Froome was doing today I reckon it was on purpose, no way is he getting dropped from a group that big unless there’s some ulterior motive – especially given the way he was happily chatting to Castroviejo as he went out the back.

Couple of days losing loads of time, gets in the breakaway later in the race, tows Bernal to glory. Or something.

Just watched the end of the Piemonte. Bet Van der Poel wishes he singed for Jumbo!!

Wout Van Aert looked SO smooth in that sprint, like he was just nipping off the front to practice his form. Really cool to see him getting a bit more limelight after a couple of years of really gutsy and impressive racing.

could we be seeing the next green jersey winner at le tour

I doubt it. He might sneak the odd stage, but he’ll be too busy on team duty at the tour to chase jersey points.

tows Bernal to glory.

Given a place at the Tour is at stake doubt he’d do that.

I wonder if his new team are looking at the contract for escape clauses?

Froome will be fascinating to watch. There are a number of hypothesis:
1. Lose some time so you can go in the break later in the race.
2. He’s cooked and has no form.
3. He’s sand bagging and will be rip up the Tour.
4. He’s saving myself for later in the race as a super domestique.
5. He’s already been told he’s not going to throw Tour and so doesn’t give a toss.
My instinct is either 4. Woult Poels would often be dropped early in a race only to be really useful in the last week to so. Bit odd for a shorter race but it is possible if he’s not the leader.

1 or 4 seem the most likely. It looked like he let it go today, he certainly wasnt pushing to stay in the bunch

Realistically what’s the Dauphine worth to froome? Not much, so why not hide his form, help the team and show himself to be gracious?

He’s got history of domestiquing, last year he was working for Sivakov and Geogahan-Hart in the early season races.

Plus, I reckon his contract says he’s guaranteed a tour place unless his numbers are way off and he seems to relaxed for that to be concerning him.

But unless he’s been told to that by Dave, it’s risky given that this is the last chance to prove himself for the Tour.

Given the wiggins/froome 2012 issues and froome’s subsequent book I reckon his place on the tour team is contractually nailed down and the reason he’s leaving is he’s not getting the same deal again.

Given the tech available Brailsford will know exactly what froome’s form is without seeing it in a fairly meaningless couple of races.

Think its just gcn app and casting at moment not pc.

They are working on PC based too. Apparently to be available “really soon”.

Those ketones are really working for jumbo 🤣

WVA leading the peleton up the climb in yellow 🙂

On the final climb now. Ready to kick off.

Ineos doing Sky, I mean Ineos…

It appears Froome is either still bluffing or is way off form. My money is on the latter. No Tour for him.

Unless he’s riding his way in – other than Egan the rest of the Team only lasted another 5 minutes, what an implosion.

I wonder if Froome has something that says he can to the TdF if he’s within the top “X” (4?) Ineos finishers, or in the bunch with … to go
He does seem to just “opt” out

As it happens, Ineos could’ve done with him at the end of it today
(or is Bernal sandbagging too ?)

I don’t reckon Bernal is bluffing, Thomas’ form is concerning and Sivakov didn’t do much.
On the other hand, when Froome decided enough was enough it was with a grin and a thumbs up for the camera from 4th wheel so he is either bluffing like a pro or is going to be found out big style in a couple of weeks.

On the plus side, Castroviejo is riding well and seems to be becoming the new Kiryienka and Kwiatkowsi is looking better than last year although, to be fair, that’s a low bar to clear.

It appears Froome is either still bluffing or is way off form. My money is on the latter. No Tour for him.

He looks too relaxed for him to be worrying about le tour. If he knew he wasnt going he’d not be in the rehearsal surely. If he needed a performance to be picked he’d suffer more surely? He looks like he’s riding to a plan. Its an odd one, mind you G doesnt look a lot better and he’d be going too?