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.

Next Announcing New V-Features: Updated Posting Badges »

Previous « Guest Article: Cutting Weight

View Comments

bkwentz says:

Jun 4 2011 at 5:53 am

VSP PICKS:

1. C Evans
2. Wiggins
3. Van De Broeck
4. Gesink
5. Sanchez
il ciclista medio says:

Jun 4 2011 at 5:58 am

@Brett

@heath
Well it does contain "That's Entertainment" amongst others. Still have all of the vinyl and a couple of their cassette's as well as the 7" of Fun Lovin'.
Netraam says:

Jun 4 2011 at 6:20 am

@ben
Not sure if Westra is good enough in the mountains.
Nate says:

Jun 4 2011 at 6:57 am

@Steampunk
He's thinking it's cool he can roll across the line without zipping up for a sponsor. As usual, he is wrong.

VSP PICKS:

1. Cuddles
2. Brake O'Vick
3. Van den Broke
4. T Martin
5. Vino
needmoreV says:

Jun 4 2011 at 7:40 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Cuddles
2. Gesink
3. Martin
4. Van Den Broeck
5. Veino
Marko says:

Jun 4 2011 at 8:08 am

Even though I didn't pick him for this race (I'm with Brett on this one, he's holding his cards close to his chest), I'm becoming more a fanboy of Cuddles as time goes on. He works hard, doesn't dope (I hope), did the stripes justice, rides a sweet bike, has a dog like one of mine, and is one of the only dudes who's gonna give COTHOdor a run for it in July. Go Good Cadel!

Of course I'm a fanboy of Veino too, always have been, but not for the same reasons. Veino is like the Vladimir Putin of cycling.
TomC says:

Jun 4 2011 at 8:42 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Cadel
2. Brakjovic
3. Gesink
4. Wiggins
5. Van Den Broek
frank says:

Jun 4 2011 at 9:11 am

@Steampunk

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!"

A combination of fruit, yogurt, and museli just got spat onto my screen. Thanks for that.

@Marko

Of course I'm a fanboy of Veino too, always have been, but not for the same reasons. Veino is like the Vladimir Putin of cycling.

After your Erink Brakovik post, you're on a total roll. I'm with you, though, on both counts. Aside from his year with the stripes, though, Cadelephant is classic "crack when it counts" material. Which only makes it that much more exciting when it goes well.

Too bad he doesn't look cooler. I really wish he didn't hate his bike so much and that he'd stop trying to beat it to death in that monster gear.

As for Veino? Vampire tactics aside, he's got all the makings of a fantastic bike racer: grinta, combative, three of his limbs are made from pure Rule 5. (it's that pesky fourth one that keeps him from riding more consistently). When he's en forme, it's just awesome to watch him race.

I think I might tip him for this one.
zalamanda says:

Jun 4 2011 at 9:15 am

whatever happened to Eddy Bugenhagen, he had a blinder last year. Has he made way for Twiggo's haircut?

VSP PICKS:

1. Jan Braak
2. Dopeador
3. Bad Cuddles
4. Twiggo
5. Gesink
Steampunk says:

Jun 4 2011 at 9:37 am

frank:
A combination of fruit, yogurt, and museli just got spat onto my screen. Thanks for that.

Um. I swear on the Clenbuterol in my sock drawer this is the only time I do this, but fruit, yogurt, and muesli are one, two, three strikes against cutting weight. And your screen wants that stuff even less.

VSP PICKS:

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