Photo by Criterium du Dauphine
Well, the OTR League rolls onwards with the Criterium du Dauphine.
The route and start list can be found here.
Last years top 5 were:
1. Geraint Thomas
2. Adam Yates
3. Romain Bardet
4. Daniel Martin
5. Damiano Caruso
Will we start to see indicators of the form of some of the TdF contenders? This will be the 71st edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Starting in Aurillac on Sunday to finish the following Sunday in Champéry it is generally considered to be one of the last shakedowns before the TdF (La Grande Boucle), the Critérium du Dauphiné can be a decent indicator for the TdF. The Dauphiné winner has won the TdF on five occasions in the last 7 years.
Though the start list is not yet complete, a number of the key contenders for the TdF are already announced and more are likely to join. Time will tell if it will become 6 out of 8………
Add a broken hip to Froome’s condition. Best wishes for as speedy a recovery as possible.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48617835
Indeed. While I’ve never warmed to Froome, I wish his a speedy and successful recovery. It must have been an horrific crash to do that much damage. I doubt we’ll see him back this year.
Holy Smokes – just read a report that he underwent 8 Hrs of surgery and the femur fracture was an open fracture (bone out through the skin). An informed comment on one of the FB threads is as follows……(apparently 54Kph is low velocity trauma in medical speak!) Massimo Cristaldi – Femur open fractures are relatively rare occurrence in low velocity trauma. The amount of force to break and displace a bone like femur is extraordinary especially in an athlete with exceptional muscle mass. The associated soft tissue trauma is immense and he has certainly required prophylactic fasciotomies. This kind of… Read more »
No wonder Dan Martin was traumatized by what he saw and quickly moved away. A sad way for Froome’s career to end if this is the case. Ironic that it should happen at the same time as he is awarded the 2011 Vuelta. Did anyone, anyone ever, think that a domestique such as JJ Cobo had actually won it fair and square?
Add a fracture to his neck in the latest checks………
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48646238
Froome has crashed on a recon of stage 4 and has gone to a local hospital. He won’t be starting the stage. Hope all is well for him.
Seems he crashed on a downhill section and hit a wall and has a leg fracture. Reported to be a fractured femur. Not TdF for Froome.
Not a Froome fan, but hate to see something like this happen to him or anyone else. Hope he is able to heal and maybe race the Vuelta.
So G now the undisputed leader for Ineos at TdF?
Fractured Femur, Elbow and Ribs. Apparently he went to blow his nose and was hit by a gust of wind and went into a wall at 60 kph. Nasty.