Critérium du Dauphiné 2015, June 7-14 2015 **** Spoilers ****

[Lemond]

Cracking ride by Bardet. Awesome descending.

Awesome? Flipping terrifying more like. He must have nerves of steel.

Had me and my nine year old stepson absolutely transfixed. He's hooked and has asked me to put the highlights show on series link. Think his bmx might get traded in for a roadie soon.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Nibali seems, and has seemed, further off the pace so far this year. My Fishyometer will be twitching if he's back on top form at the TdF.

It is not uncommon for riders to use shorter races to get in some form for the bigger battles, to not go too deep, it can make sense, unless you don't want it to.

 

[raindog]

Awesome? Flipping terrifying more like. He must have nerves of steel.

He overcooked one corner and did a little back wheel slide, but it didn't seem to dampen his enthusiasm

 

[The Couch]

Nibali seems, and has seemed, further off the pace so far this year. My Fishyometer will be twitching if he's back on top form at the TdF.

In the races so far he hasn't seem any different from his pace last year.
He did end last years DL in 7th place, so he did do this one better last year, but he very clearly didn't push through at all when he was feeling bad. He was like riding in 6th place (in a peloton of still 30-ish riders) when he just put himself aside and rocketed to the back and out of the peloton. If he would have tried to hang on, you would have rather seen him slipping to the back of the peloton.

The way Astana has been riding this year, he is still my pick to win the Tour
(I made that pick in my head after stage 5 of the Giro, since Astana had absolutely dominated the stage for the 2nd day in a row)
This was one of my comments on stage 4 :

They are a quarter of the peloton when going over the top of the Passo del Termine (5 Astana's in a total of 20 riders)

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

It is not uncommon for riders to use shorter races to get in some form for the bigger battles, to not go too deep, it can make sense, unless you don't want it to.

It's also not uncommon for them to use shorter races to fine tune their doping.

 

[raindog]

today's stage seems to have a vertical climb 800 metres long about 10k from the finish

 

[mjr]

today's stage seems to have a vertical climb 800 metres long about 10k from the finish

Heh... bikes over the shoulders, cyclocross-style, climbing the wall with picks and ropes?

Actually, maybe it'll make it easy to spot the dopers, as they'll be high already...

Or could it be a software blooper?

 

[smutchin]

That's the Gorges de la Bourne. There's a road literally cut into the side of a cliff face. Should be pretty spectacular TV pics.

ETA: ...although, looking at the coverage which has just started, it appears to be pissing down on the Vercors today.

 

[raindog]

yeah - feckin grim conditions - shame that

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Talking of the Vercors, that was some stunning scenery yesterday! Not that I dared look at it while Bardet was descending.

 

[smutchin]

Blimey, if ever there were an A-list breakaway group...

Valverde
Nibali
Rui Costa
Tony Martin
Gallopin

Currently just under three minutes ahead of the peloton with less than 30km to go. It's going to be an interesting finale...

 

[raindog]

yeah, some break, eh?

 

[smutchin]

Still 3mins, under 20km to go...

 

[smutchin]

That's the Gorges de la Bourne. There's a road literally cut into the side of a cliff face. Should be pretty spectacular TV pics.

Leaders are going up it now. Looks like it would be lovely on a sunny day!

 

[Crackle]

What kind of madness is this stage. How the hell did that quartet get clear: Crazy.