June 6/10 18:01 pm - Criterium du Dauphine: Prologue

Posted by Editor on 06/6/10
 

Stefan Denifl (AUT) rode to a 36th place result today, the best position for Cervélo TestTeam in the opening 6 km time trial prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné (formerly Dauphiné Libéré). Alberto Contador (ESP-Astana) won the prologue with Tejay Van Garderen (US - HTC-Columbia) taking second and Janez Brajkovic (SLO-RadioShack) third.

Dominique Rollin - Critérium du Dauphiné © Tim de Waele (photo courtesy CerveloTestTeam)

“Contador won today and showed to all that he is ready, but I don’t think he will put the whole team full gas to defend the jersey, probably two guys and then that’s it. And if more teams come to help him, they will probably let the breakaway go,” mused Philippe Mauduit, Sports Director. “In any event, our strategy will not change. Every day we will be at the front and everyday we will try to capture a breakaway because, one day for sure, the breakaway will cross the line.”

“So in a stage like tomorrow we will have riders like Gabriel Rasch (NOR) Daniel Lloyd (GBR) who can be in the front. But we also have guys like Davide Appollonio (ITA) who can ride in a small group and can also sprint – so he too has a chance. We don’t have a very good sprinter here but, we do have a nice one who can defend a good position. We are looking to tomorrow and will be at the alert on the road to try and be in the breakaway tomorrow and for the remaining days of this race. For the time trial today we had a good performance from Stefan Denifl (AUT) again and Dominique Rollin (CAN) was also not bad. Tomorrow’s, first stage will be an up and down stage, from Evian-les-Bains to Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, 191km long. It has three climbs, two category 4’s and one category 3. Then six kilomtrers to the finish and we will be at the top of Les Échelles, a long and steep (6%) category 3.”

CerveloTestTeam press release

Prologue: Evian les Bains 6.8 km ITT