The Tour favourites warm up for July in Grenoble
Defending champion Bradley Wiggins will return in 2012 looking to build upon the form he has held during this season and lead some critics to suggest Wiggins is a genuine Tour de France contender. Trying to stop Wiggins will be several riders that will also line up in Liege who will use the week long race as practice for the Tour and a chance to test themselves against their rivals. Cadel Evans is again focusing on the Tour as his season objective and after winning the 2011 edition will have a mental strength to call upon that he hasn’t been able to in the past. Lining up beside Wiggins and Evans as GC candidates will be the Italian Vincenzo Nibali, Russian Dennis Menchov, Belgian Jurgen Ver Den Broeck and the Luxembourger Andy Schleck. These will be the men challenging for the win and a podium position although Schleck has said that his objective during the Dauphiné is not to win but find his racing rhythm. However if Schleck is racing well he may well go for the overall and test his legs on some of the big climbs.
The race begins in Grenoble with a 5.7km ITT Prologue which should see the entire peloton within several minutes of each other. Barring any severe crashes the GC men should find themselves within touching distance of each other. Schleck has shown over the last several seasons that the ITT isn’t his strongest strength even if he is a multiple national time trial champion. ITT World Champion Tony Martin is one of the favourites for dash around Grenoble and would be a welcome reward for the efforts he has put into recovering from a training crash which saw him sidelined for several months. Coming a stage win and overall victory in the Tour of Belgium Martin’s confidence would have grown and a win in Grenoble looks likely. Standing in Martin’s way will be a strong Team Sky trio of Wiggins, Mick Rodgers and Richie Porte. Rodgers as a three time ITT World Champion also represents a threat and with a stage and overall win at the Bayern-Rundfahrt looks to be in form as well.
Evans is a proven ITT rider who could also challenge for the Grenoble win. Nibali is probably the weakest in the ITT and that could undermine his GC aspirations unless he makes a big minute plus break in the mountains over Wiggins et al. Menchov will look for a good ride in the ITT but is one of the riders who will provide more showing later in the week. As always several non-GC riders will be a threat in the prologue of which may be seen in Janez Brajkovic, Bert Grabsch and Luis Leon Sanchez who could all challenge for the win.
The Dauphiné won't be won in the prologue but it can be lost. The GC men should finish together but there is a chance that the maillot jaune could only be held by GC candidates. At 5.7km, the course will be a quick and exciting start to the 2012 Critérium de Dauphiné as the peloton will flex their legs, looking to put the hammer down. The Dauphiné will be a chance for several riders to end what has been an indifferent season so far while looking to build their confidence in the lead up to the Tour de France while their efforts may pay dividends in packed season as Olympic selection will come into play for riders looking to add to their palmares.
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