# Dauphine ITT



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

Watch the highlights tonight and you will get to see Andy Schleck pack it in on a TT bike. At least he has a reason he lost time today. 

On a real note, it will be interesting to see how things get shaken up by the long ITT. Cadel and Wiggo should be interesting to watch.


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Watching it live now (Don't worry I'll keep it no spoilers)...I thought The Eurosport guys slipped up when they said it was a 50km ITT. Ouchie.


----------



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

I was watching it live on German Eurosport till a few seconds ago when they switched it to hot women tennis players. Decisioins decisions. Worth going to cyclingfans to find it online or watch the hot tennis players.


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

spookyload said:


> I was watching it live on German Eurosport till a few seconds ago when they switched it to hot women tennis players. Decisioins decisions. Worth going to cyclingfans to find it online or watch the hot tennis players.


Most of the Eurosport streamers changed channels.

Sport-livez.com || Channel 7

/me hates women's tennis shriekers


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Wiggins is untouchable right now.


----------



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

That was impressive. He is in peak form right now. Too bad. It is about a month too early for peak form.


----------



## EuroSVT (Sep 15, 2011)

Thought he was going to catch Cadel at 8 Km out...impressive!


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Who can remember the last person to win both the Dauphine and the Tour in the same year?


----------



## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

weltyed said:


> was it armstrong?


2002 and 2003,


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

Creakyknees said:


> Who can remember the last person to win both the Dauphine and the Tour in the same year?


was it armstrong?


----------



## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

Nice to see Tony Martin's name in the standings today. I didn't expect him back so soon from his accident.


----------



## EuroSVT (Sep 15, 2011)

And just when you think that Schleck's TT couldn't possibly get worse, some people have no luck at all.


----------



## wblas3271 (May 12, 2012)

spookyload said:


> That was impressive. He is in peak form right now. Too bad. It is about a month too early for peak form.


Wiggins wins paris-nice..."Too bad he's in peak form at the start of the season!"

Wiggins wins Romandie..."Too bad he's in peak form in April!"

Wiggins stomps cuddles at the dauphine..."Too bad he's in peak form a month early!"


See a trend? He's simply the best rider out there right now for GC. Whether or not that translates into a tour victory is yet to be seen. However, he is far and away the #1 choice presently.


----------



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

wblas3271 said:


> Wiggins wins paris-nice..."Too bad he's in peak form at the start of the season!"
> 
> Wiggins wins Romandie..."Too bad he's in peak form in April!"
> 
> ...


This isn't 1985 anymore. The top pro's can't stay in form all spring and expect to win the Tour. That is what his ultimate goal is. The Tour. Not Paris-Nice or this race. As mentioned below, the last person to win this race and win the Tour was in 2003. Lance Armstrong. Just as it is unlikely the Giro winner will win the Tour (Contador had the best chance), you can't carry top form for that long. After todays results where Schleck lost 9 minutes, your logic would say he has no chance. He is just fine however. He will be there in the mountains where the race is won. Hell, I am betting he is going to open the throttle on the climb from Morzine this weekend and shut some folks up.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

True. Whatever happens, he has earned legitimate favorite status. Who would have guessed a few years ago that we would be going into the TDF with Brad Wiggins as the overall favorite to win? It's interesting. I remember when no one would have guessed that Evans would actually win the TDF, a rainbow jersey, and exciting road stages in stage races.


----------



## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

EuroSVT said:


> And just when you think that Schleck's TT couldn't possibly get worse, some people have no luck at all.


At this point, Im thinking Schleck's TT performance has to do with more than just luck.

He looks absolutely Rasmussian.


----------



## wblas3271 (May 12, 2012)

spookyload said:


> This isn't 1985 anymore. The top pro's can't stay in form all spring and expect to win the Tour. That is what his ultimate goal is. The Tour. Not Paris-Nice or this race. As mentioned below, the last person to win this race and win the Tour was in 2003. Lance Armstrong. Just as it is unlikely the Giro winner will win the Tour (Contador had the best chance), you can't carry top form for that long. After todays results where Schleck lost 9 minutes, your logic would say he has no chance. He is just fine however. He will be there in the mountains where the race is won. Hell, I am betting he is going to open the throttle on the climb from Morzine this weekend and shut some folks up.


Reading comprehension. My point is that he is getting progressively better as the season goes on, which was evident in todays time trial. 

What does progressive improvement mean? It means he is build up to top form. Meaning of course, that when he won Nice and Romandie, he wasn't in "Top" form, but has been in consistently "Good" form all year. We are a month out from the tour and Wiggins only shows signs of getting stronger, as he has shown since the worlds last year. But who knows? Maybe you know Bradley Wiggins better than Bradley Wiggins does. Like I said, he may not win, but he is far and away the favorite at the moment.


And No. Andy Schleck doesn't have a realistic chance of winning the tour this year. I think you would be hard pressed to find somebody who genuinely thinks that he does. He'd have to figure out how the shifters work on his TT bike first.


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

I would not expect Wiggins' form to fall from here. TdF favorites usually do well @ Dauphine and Tour de Suisse. Sometimes contenders do poorly this time of year then go on to peak @ TdF. There's nothing to say he was at peak earlier in the season, just better than the rest. If he were at peak in Paris Nice, he'd be behind now.


----------



## TerminatorX91 (Mar 27, 2011)

spookyload said:


> This isn't 1985 anymore. The top pro's can't stay in form all spring and expect to win the Tour. That is what his ultimate goal is. The Tour. Not Paris-Nice or this race. As mentioned below, the last person to win this race and win the Tour was in 2003. Lance Armstrong. Just as it is unlikely the Giro winner will win the Tour (Contador had the best chance), you can't carry top form for that long. After todays results where Schleck lost 9 minutes, your logic would say he has no chance. He is just fine however. He will be there in the mountains where the race is won. Hell, I am betting he is going to open the throttle on the climb from Morzine this weekend and shut some folks up.



Apparently Wiggins and his new coach sees it differently. We'll see how that works out. 

I very much suspect today's results don't portend as much about the prospects for Wiggins and Evans in the Tour as some probably think. 



> “My coach has not been in cycling for long, he’s come from swimming, so I’ve pretty much been training like the swimmers train,” Wiggins told reporters in Bourg-en-Bresse. “I’ve been constantly training through the year, so it’s not like the traditional way for cycling, which is starting in January fat or in really bad condition, and then building, building and showing form in these races.”
> 
> Wiggins began his racing campaign with 3rd overall at the Volta ao Algarve in February, then won Paris-Nice in March. After abandoning, the Volta a Catalunya, Wiggins won the Tour de Romandie in early May and now holds a commanding lead at the Dauphiné. In between, his regimen has included some lengthy stints of training at altitude in the seclusion of Mount Teide, Tenerife.
> 
> ...


Wiggins Lauds New Training Philosophy | Cyclingnews.com


----------



## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

> “It’s just trying to be 95, 97% all year and constantly working,” Wiggins said.


This is interesting. If he's successful it would mean an end to the Carmichael/Friel "series of peaks" methodology.

JSR


----------



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

davidka said:


> I would not expect Wiggins' form to fall from here. TdF favorites usually do well @ Dauphine and Tour de Suisse. Sometimes contenders do poorly this time of year then go on to peak @ TdF. There's nothing to say he was at peak earlier in the season, just better than the rest. If he were at peak in Paris Nice, he'd be behind now.


 
You do realize there are folks who race the spring season. You are saying his good form is better than people trying to peak for the spring season? We will have to see.


----------



## wblas3271 (May 12, 2012)

spookyload said:


> You do realize there are folks who race the spring season. You are saying his good form is better than people trying to peak for the spring season? We will have to see.



That is the exact opposite of what he was saying. He was saying that the Dauphine and Suisse are when tour favorites conventionally start "Approaching top form" and as a result generally make a strong showing ( i.e. Wiggins/Evans at the dauphine last year). Given this information and assumptions about these lead-up races, it appears Wiggins in currently a cut above.


----------



## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Regardless of Wiggins' form, he may be facing riders who have been taking it easy and aiming to peak for the Tour.
He will be fatigued and they will be fresh.


----------



## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

Wiggins - great ride.
Tony Martin - recovering well from his accident, much better form than I would have expected.
Evans - has got a fight on his hands and knows that Wiggins will have to be beaten soundly when the roads go up or he'll lose the Tour.
Nibali - needs to improve.
Schleck - needs ointment.


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

wow, Wiggins beats martin by 30 seconds? People keep talking about TM's accident, how long was he off the bike? 10 days, like 2 months ago?

Wiggins has been so underrated, it would be awesome for him to have a legendary season. It would really set everyone straight about his desire to work for gc.


----------



## dougydee (Feb 15, 2005)

In last years Dauphine ITT Evans was 1.08? down on wiggins and 1.20 down on Martin. By the final time trial at TDF he was only 7 seconds behind Martin.
Evans is trying to peak purely for the TDF.
Wiggins is trying to keep at a consistent form line through out the build up.
We shall see which method works this year.


----------



## superg (May 9, 2010)

According to Laurent Jalabert, Tony Martin had a 58x11 on his bike today. Holy cow !!


----------



## SolidSnake03 (Jun 22, 2011)

superg said:


> According to Laurent Jalabert, Tony Martin had a 58x11 on his bike today. Holy cow !!


Did they use a trash can lid for that big chain ring?


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

SolidSnake03 said:


> Did they use a trash can lid for that big chain ring?


With a 58t, I'd be worried about making any right turns.

What gearing did Wiggo use, considering he won it.


----------



## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

This is likely Wiggins one and only chance to win the Tour. Good luck to him.

And Team Sky knows this, so it will be interesting in July to watch Cavendish trying to win stages without a lead-out. Perhaps that's why he stayed in the Giro to the end, knowing that he is going to bail early on the TdF and prepare for the Olympics RR.

Things can hardly get any worse for the Schlecks at this point. Maybe Andy should go to the Vuelta this year and face off against Alberto?


----------



## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

ukbloke said:


> This is likely Wiggins one and only chance to win the Tour. Good luck to him.


This certainly seems like the perfect year for Wiggins to win the tour. He definitely goes in as the favorite based on his riding this year as well as the TDF route. Has he peaked already? Will Cadel peak later at the perfect time? Who knows, but A LOT can happen before and during the TDF. There is also a certain amount of luck involved. Mainly avoiding bad luck!
Wiggins can certainly time trial and if his climbing continues to improve, I would say his chances of winning the tour are not limited to this year. But of course we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let's see if he can even win this one first. (I'm actually hoping Cadel wins again, but this one should be a good one!)


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

spookyload said:


> I was watching it live on German Eurosport till a few seconds ago when they switched it to hot women tennis players. Decisioins decisions. Worth going to cyclingfans to find it online or watch the hot tennis players.


I'd rather watch hot tennis players than watch Andy Schlecks bloddied buttcheecks. 
Besides, ITT can be best followed by twitter/text-cast.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

wblas3271 said:


> Reading comprehension. My point is that he is getting progressively better as the season goes on, which was evident in todays time trial.
> 
> What does progressive improvement mean? It means he is build up to top form. Meaning of course, that when he won Nice and Romandie, he wasn't in "Top" form, but has been in consistently "Good" form all year. We are a month out from the tour and Wiggins only shows signs of getting stronger, as he has shown since the worlds last year. But who knows? Maybe you know Bradley Wiggins better than Bradley Wiggins does. Like I said, he may not win, but he is far and away the favorite at the moment.
> 
> ...


He looked very impressive today. Possibly wrapped up Dauphine, but we'll see. Only 10% of Dauphine winners in the past 30 years went on to win TdF, btw.

A lot of time trial miles in this year's TdF certainly favors a rider like Wiggins. He is on top shape right now. Which somehow tells me something will go horribly wrong in July for Wiggins... as usual.


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

I am rooting for Wiggins. No matter how strong he is, and even if he is favored this year, he can never help but be the underdog, given his background and history of spotty performances.


----------



## SFTifoso (Aug 17, 2011)

Congrats Wiggo, but for God's sake shave those sideburns!


----------



## wblas3271 (May 12, 2012)

SFTifoso said:


> Congrats Wiggo, but for God's sake shave those sideburns!



The sideburns are the source of his power!


----------



## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

ukbloke said:


> This is likely Wiggins one and only chance to win the Tour. Good luck to him.
> 
> And Team Sky knows this, so it will be interesting in July to watch Cavendish trying to win stages without a lead-out. Perhaps that's why he stayed in the Giro to the end, knowing that he is going to bail early on the TdF and prepare for the Olympics RR.


He stayed in the Giro to win the sprinter's jersey. It's always been known that Cav is dropping out of the TdF for the Olympics.

Also, why are the Olympic events so early? The Olympics as a whole are from July 27 to August 12. Yet the Cycling road race is on July 28. If they delayed it a week and a half, TdF racers wouldn't have to make a choice.


----------



## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

gusmahler said:


> He stayed in the Giro to win the sprinter's jersey. It's always been known that Cav is dropping out of the TdF for the Olympics.
> 
> Also, why are the Olympic events so early? The Olympics as a whole are from July 27 to August 12. Yet the Cycling road race is on July 28. If they delayed it a week and a half, TdF racers wouldn't have to make a choice.


I thought it took more than a week to recover from a GT.


----------



## B05 (Jul 31, 2011)

So who are Evans' sailors when he defends Le Tour? Is this the projected line up now? 

I see TJVG Co piloting him here very closely. Preparing for the future (?) I assume.



> Schleck - needs ointment.


Get that guy some Kleenex and Diapers.


----------

