# Critérium du Dauphiné 2012



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

Preliminary start list.

Who ya got?

Always tough to call. It is the final warm up for le Tour. Will they go all out or reserve some for Paris?


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## yurl (Mar 31, 2010)

Cuddles or Wiggo. If Wiggins wins then he'll be my pick for the tour too


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

yurl said:


> Cuddles or Wiggo.


I agree, it is hard to see beyond these two. But I've always thought that L.L.Sanchez has it in him to be a big time winner, so he's my pick. :thumbsup:


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## scottmilk9 (Jul 31, 2006)

Im going with a dark horse: Jurgen Van Den Broeck


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

Podium (no order): Wiggins, Chavanel, And yeah Van Den Broeck. 
But I'm hoping Cadel is in better condition than I think.

I'm watching Andy to see how the spat with JB goes as time moves toward TdF.


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

SantaCruz said:


> I'm watching Andy to see how the spat with JB goes as time moves toward TdF.


Interesting that Radio Shack only has 7 riders listed. Anyone know what is up with that?


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

4Crawler said:


> Interesting that Radio Shack only has 7 riders listed. Anyone know what is up with that?


i think a lot has to do with franks "shoulder."

i swear the brothers schleck are holding that team ransom.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

wiggo is the pick. he will peak too soon for le Tour.

i would like to nibali, tony martin, or chavanel pull an uspet.

vino will be...interesting.
















i want a jersey with either of those pictures on it. then i want to get a picture of vino wearing it.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

looking at those stages, this will be one great race! it favors climbers AND descenders. ll sanchez and nibali both have a chance here...


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Let's see if the Dauphiné jinx can get broken this year. Since 2004, the Dauphiné winner has had problems in the TdF:

2004 Spain Iban Mayo (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi
2005 Spain Iñigo Landaluze (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi
2006 United States Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
2007 France Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance
2008 Spain Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne
2009 Spain Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne
2010 Slovenia Janez Brajkovič (SLO) Team RadioShack
2011 United Kingdom Bradley Wiggins (GBR) Team Sky


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

4Crawler said:


> Interesting that Radio Shack only has 7 riders listed. Anyone know what is up with that?


 
From Cyclingnews:


> The field will consist of 21 teams of eight riders each, except for RadioShack-Nissan, whose Dutch rider Joost Posthuma was a last-minute scratch. The team confirmed to _Cyclingnews _that Posthuma has fallen ill and will not start.


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

I think wiggins will win it and confirm for me that his early season form is too good and will fail at the tour...again. If he really wants to win the tour, he needs to let early season races go. There are too many guys with programs specefically targeting the tour, and they don't sho up to Paris-Nice fit enough to win. Remember a few yeas ago when Iban Mayo killed Lance at Dauphine? Everyone said it was the year Lance would lose. Mayo ended up getting crushed at the Tour.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

weltyed said:


> looking at those stages, this will be one great race! it favors climbers AND descenders. ll sanchez and nibali both have a chance here...


with a 53km TT. that's a lot of time to make up for the climbers on a few mountain stages.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Wish NBC would bother streaming this. Heck they're taking time to show lots of advertisements and a bit of the cycling too in the evenings.


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

I thought Vino had retired. He's still racing???


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

burgrat said:


> I thought Vino had retired. He's still racing???


no it was his twin. 

Vinokourov will retire after London Olympics. Sport. Tengrinews.kz


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

den bakker said:


> no it was his twin.


youre thinkin of tyler hamilton.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

Andy Schleck down 28 seconds to wiggins and 23 seconds to Evans in a 5.7 km tt. With what, about 100 km worth of tts in the tour, he's apt to lose about 8 miinutes to those two. Do you think he actually believes he has a chance?


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

Jwiffle said:


> Andy Schleck down 28 seconds to wiggins and 23 seconds to Evans in a 5.7 km tt. With what, about 100 km worth of tts in the tour, he's apt to lose about 8 miinutes to those two. Do you think he actually believes he has a chance?


But you're forgetting one thing. Johan is a genius and before one can say Tour de France, with a straight face, Andy will have been transformed into a TT demon, able to challenge the likes of his teammate (FC in case you still haven't figured it out).


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## gamara (May 20, 2002)

Is Thomas DeGendt doing the tour this year? Aside from Wiggo & Evans as the main contenders, the dark horses could be Nibali & DeGendt (if he's riding). Of course Garmin could surprise everybody again with another trick up their sleeves. Tommy D anyone??


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

gamara said:


> Is Thomas DeGendt doing the tour this year?


He was slotted to do the Tour this year but his long-scheduled wedding collided with the Tour, which was moved to accommodate the Olympics. He rode the Giro instead and as they say, the rest is history.

No DeGendt in the Tour this year.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

yurl said:


> Cuddles or Wiggo. If Wiggins wins then he'll be my pick for the tour too


Just because he wins a few week-long races doesn't mean he can handle three weeks of climbing (case in point, Leipheimer).

I like Wiggo and three time trials are in his favor, but let's not forget what happened at Vuelta last year. Cadel was on podium of TdF several times, knocking on the door and bringing a lot of experience. So did Menchov. 

I hate to say it, but even if Wiggo wins Dauphine, he is still more likely to have a really bad day in the mountains than someone like Cadel.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Wiggins for the win in the Dauphine. Evans repeats as TdF champ.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Creakyknees said:


> Wiggins for the win in the Dauphine. Evans repeats as TdF champ.


This ^^^^


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

55x11 said:


> I like Wiggo and three time trials are in his favor, but let's not forget what happened at Vuelta last year. .


he showed up with piss poor preparation due to the broken collar bone?


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## yurl (Mar 31, 2010)

55x11 said:


> Just because he wins a few week-long races doesn't mean he can handle three weeks of climbing (case in point, Leipheimer).
> 
> I like Wiggo and three time trials are in his favor, but let's not forget what happened at Vuelta last year. Cadel was on podium of TdF several times, knocking on the door and bringing a lot of experience. So did Menchov.
> 
> I hate to say it, but even if Wiggo wins Dauphine, he is still more likely to have a really bad day in the mountains than someone like Cadel.


I'm basing it on his form this year. He looks stronger and fitter than previous years and the gods seem to be favouring him with luck. The course suits him. His season this year reminds me of Cadel's last year.


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

SantaCruz said:


> Podium (no order): Wiggins, Chavanel, And yeah Van Den Broeck.
> But I'm hoping Cadel is in better condition than I think.
> 
> I'm watching Andy to see how the spat with JB goes as time moves toward TdF.


Well, of my 3 podium picks: Wiggins performed as expected; Chavanel sacrificed himself today (Stage 6) in the break for Tony Martin who cracked on the Joux-Plane; and Van Den Broeck will finish top 5.

Even better (IMO), Cadel is in good shape and building for TdF. And the the Andy (+ Frank) saga with Bruyneel is a big drama.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

den bakker said:


> he showed up with piss poor preparation due to the broken collar bone?


agreed- he actually looked very strong early on (and in fact looked like a favorite), and then insisted on being a team leader which may have costed Froome a win.

No offense to Wiggins and Evans, but this was one dull Dauphine. Hopefully TdF is not like that.


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