Velominati Super Prestige: Critérium du Dauphiné

I'll have mine medium rare with extra clenbuterol, please. Photo via Cycling Weekly

The Tour de France looms on the horizon, and those riders planning to race are putting the final touches on their form – or going into last-minute panic mode, final exam cram-style. The Critérium Dauphiné has long been a favorite preparation race serving both purposes rather well.

It’s a favorite of the Tour’s GC contenders as it usually features stages that, if not identical to key stages from the Tour, will at least feature many of the same climbs; habitual Tour winners like Indurain, Armstrong, and Clentador have traditionally used this race as their preferred method of final preparation; riders seeking additional form will take the beating taken from a week of suffering and have just enough time to recover prior to the Tour. And, of course, riders who have aspirations in July may also find they are a few kilos heavy yet and may indulge in some ultra-lean Spanish beef in order to get to fighting weight.

It’s also a dangerous gamble: ride too hard at the Critérium and you could fire off the Guns of Navarone and enter the Tour in a state of fatigue, as Pharmy did in 2003. A delicate balance, this.

The challenge in predicting the results of a preparation race such as this is that the favorites for the Tour are (hopefully) peaking in one month, not during this event. But they’ll be good – maybe good enough to win. But probably not. Combine that with that the notion that a rider with little hope in July may be looking for glory and will be in peak form, leading to an unexpected result – a review of last year’s race with Jani Brajkovic is a great example of this case.

With that we kick off into the first minor-stage VSP for the Critérium Dauphiné. Being a week-long stage race, the points on offer are 7 for first, 5 for second, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, 2 for fifth, with the usual allotment of bonus points for getting the rider right but the place wrong. Also, there are no rest days, so no rest day swaps, but we will have our usual approach for riders who drop out. Piti Principle applies as always. Also review the guide, being careful to note that the rules have changes a bit this year, and we may not have completely updated the guide yet, so if there’s a question, ask.

Best of luck to all.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

needmoreV says:

Jun 3 2011 at 2:59 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Cuddles
2. Basso
3. Martin
4. Van Den Broeck
5. Veino
xyxax says:

Jun 3 2011 at 3:56 pm

@Scuba Steve
I was thinking of tipping Roche myself, though in this recent interview with Velochrono, he says he's looking for a stage win and top 10 in the TdF. Interestingly, the interviewer asks him if he would like to have Gadret and Dupont by his side in the TdF (after their Giro performance), and his response is that it is not up to him to choose who is on the team. Hmmmmm.
xyxax says:

Jun 3 2011 at 3:58 pm

edit: a stage win in the DauphinÃ©.
il ciclista medio says:

Jun 3 2011 at 4:33 pm

@heath
Paul Weller = The Jam = Fookin' brilliant (and still making some of the best music out there)
Wiggins = bad hair = WTF

As childish as this may seem, my first thought when looking at the photo of Bertie was that he was showing everyone how he had just picked the winner!

Good luck to all

VSP PICKS:

1. Good Cadel
2. Basso a go go
3. J-Ro
4. Sam San
5. Wig man
Nate says:

Jun 3 2011 at 4:53 pm

@frank
On fucking Leenuus no less.
heath says:

Jun 3 2011 at 7:15 pm

@il ciclista medio
while early singles from the jam are pretty awesome, sound affects has always been most cherished lp of theirs.

oh, and here's confirmation on wiggo's gangster status:
Steampunk says:

Jun 3 2011 at 7:18 pm

@frank
And what the hell is he pointing at? It's not like there's a sponsor emblazoned on his chest. "Look everyone! Baby blue stripe! 'Cause that's how I roll!"

VSP PICKS:

1. Good Cuddles
2. Van den Broke
3. Wiggo's Last Chance
4. Robert's Kept Me Gesink
5. Sammy Sandwich
R00td0wn says:

Jun 3 2011 at 7:55 pm

Paul Weller used Wiggo to get steak out of his teeth after that shot was taken. Wiggo needs to figure out how to channel some of that awesomeness to get a decent result.

VSP PICKS:

1. Cadel
2. Basso
3. Sanchez
4. Gessink
5. J Rod
Sprider says:

Jun 3 2011 at 8:15 pm

Some dark horses here, can't lose anything if you don't bet!

VSP PICKS:

1. Evans
2. Flecha
3. Le Mevel
4. Wiggens
5. Busche
CJ says:

Jun 3 2011 at 9:00 pm

Marko:

3. Erin Brakovich

Absolute GOLD bro.

Also, I'm with steampunk. If disappointed, this will be the last time I deem Bradley Wiggins capable of anything not involving a skinsuit.

VSP PICKS:

1. Van den Broeck
2. Basso
3. Evans
4. Gesink
5. Wiggins