Criterium du Dauphiné 2020 – Stage 3 Preview
By David Hunter
Corenc – Saint Martin De Belleville 157km
Another big day in the mountains.
86km of flat, then we hit the Col de la Madeleine.
17.3km at 8.3% is a real test for all the riders, even the GC boys. Will the climb be raced hard? The answer to this question will determine whether the break survives or not. After a long descent we get to the final climb, which was used in the final stage of last year’s Tour de France.
Steep at the start, but settles down into a fairly standard climb on wide roads. Normally, there wouldn’t be big gaps between the top riders, but you never know if the pace is very high.
Weather
Lots of sun, but most of the bunch will be happy to hear the temperatures will be around 24 degrees.
Breakaway Hopes
Who in their right mind will help Jumbo-Visma chase the break? Roglič was so dominant today, it must put teams off helping chase. Do they really believe they can beat Roglič on the final climb? I would imagine the fight to make the break will be fierce, most teams will have the same idea. The flat start isn’t great for climbers, but with the help of a few teammates they can make the move. Once established, the success of the break will depend on the attitude of Jumbo-Visma, particularly on the Madeleine.
Contenders
Julian Alaphilippe – before I start talking about cycling, we need to remember that Julian’s father died recently, obviously this had a large impact on him. On the cycling front, he was way off the pace in Strade Bianche, but he did have six punctures that day. He was back on form in Milano-Sanremo, only just losing out to Van Aert after a strong attack on the Poggio. On Wednesday he was poorly positioned for the final kilometre, which usually never happens. Today he was distanced with a long way to go, things are not looking too promising for Julian. On the plus side, he didn’t normally cope well with Alpine climbs, maybe last year raised our hopes too much. He has also talked down his current form, before the racing restarted, but he sometimes enjoys playing mind games and most didn’t know whether to believe him or not. Can he turn things around in such a short time period? Yes he can, he’s Alaphilippe!
Tiesj Benoot – the final climb today was never going to be to his liking, especially the way Ineos hammered the early slopes. Tiesj will now be on attacking mode, bring it on!
Alexey Lutsenko – see above.
Bob Jungels – certainly has the engine required to make the morning break, but does he have the climbing legs? That would all depend on who else is in the move.
Pierre Latour – his form has been up and down of late. Awful in Occitanie, good on Ventoux, strong in the opening stage and then awful today. Like Jungels, he has the power to make the move, but I’m not sure even he knows how his legs will react.
Thomas De Gendt – old reliable. The final climb isn’t too steep, which is good news for the Belgian. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him in a move, I think that will change soon.
Dylan Teuns – so far down on GC I’m wondering if he’s sick. If not, he must be taking it easy and looking to attack in the coming stages. Has the ability to win from the break.
Primož Roglič – incredibly dominant today, he made it look easy. Given the final climb isn’t the hardest, it would likely end in a sprint if the GC group arrive together. If it does, guess who wins?
Emanuel Buchmann – he’s so skinny he looks like a ghost! Strong today, but Roglič will be watching him like a hawk.
Prediction Time
A breakaway win for Tiesj Benoot.
David Hunter
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