Race Preview: Criterium International aka The Jens! Invite

by ursula on Mar 27, 2009 5:00 PM EDT

One For The Thumb !

Besides the hot Belgian action this weekend there's this other race in the Ardennes of France that's happening this weekend too: The Jens! Invite aka Criterium International. You know the basic scheme:

1) Saturday there's your basic sprinter's stage though last year Laurens Ten Dam managed to stay away on the break. Barely- he won by 10 seconds over the pack- but he did stay away. There are three climbs on this stage that does make that break possible.

2A) Sunday is a twofer. The morning is the "Mountain" stage, a short 98.5 km romp in the Ardennes with nine Ardennes-type climbs- eight Cotes and one Col. One of the early climbs is of the 9% range- and it reappears near the end too. This is where Jens! should launch himself.

2B) Sunday afternoon gives us an 8.3 km ITT that will give us the final selection. Pretty flat but kinda twisty. Last year in the rain the riders were Very Careful on their bikes. That's it- a very functional stage race that in truth is used by almost all of the riders as on-the-job training. Jens__medium

Except Jens! of course, who doesn't know the meaning of the word, "training."

So he keeps winning the thing. Four times, now. Can he win a fifth? Here's the startlist and it looks like Saxo Bank is very serious in helping Jens! again. Here's the final GC from last year so you can get an idea of who might be competitive here. Looking at that list, only Monfort among the top non-Saxo boys is back. Rabobank isn't here at all while Caisse d'Epargne is bringing a B team. (Somewhere in france, Oscar is feeling... depressed right now.) Looking further at the startlist, I could see Garmin, Columbia (Albasini, Monfort, Grabsch), Astana (Kloden and Brajkovic) and some others (Hivert? Casar? Karpets? Nocentini? Astarloza?) who might combine the TT/climby skills in enough abundance to bother Jens!.

I haven't yet seen any internet video coverage of this race. Versus TV will have a Sunday recap show though.

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Jens!

"It’s disappointing. Second place is the first loser."
~Heinrich Haussler (GERMANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Cervélo TestTeam

by Phil H. on Mar 27, 2009 5:04 PM EDT reply actions

Nicholas Roche

He’ll rise and shine. …. i hope…

by Lopex on Mar 27, 2009 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

+1

You may very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment.

by nicknorco on Mar 27, 2009 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Jani!!!

The power of twitter

by samboo on Mar 27, 2009 5:59 PM EDT reply actions

I am so looking forward to this race;

thanks for the heads up on the Veesus coverage Sunday.

Besides my boy Jens!, there are lots of riders I like in there. Esp Monfort. And take a look at FdJ’s team, it’s loaded with really strong stage hunters for Stages 1&2.. Astana’s team looks young to me.

But really, now, knowing me (as you do,) is there any question who I’m picking for the win? :-) A weekend of Jens!, oh mercy, what a great way to fight off Spring Fever! (Because, yes, it is still winter here.)

"I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." - Zen proverb

by Ruthann on Mar 27, 2009 7:19 PM EDT reply actions

great signature thingy!

photo too.

by yeehoo on Mar 28, 2009 7:44 AM EDT up reply actions

i saw this in some forum

Critérium International 28., 29.3.2009

(nur) 29.3. 15 15 france3 entweder über sat (atlantic bird) oder mit TVants link mit maxTV oder link oder link

ticker link

i will try tomorrow

by semprenaroda on Mar 27, 2009 7:34 PM EDT reply actions

I need to go see if I have anyone at this race...

…if it turns out that I do, my guys gonna win!

"…I saw bloody Cavendish coming, really fast…"
HH

by ELVISGOAT on Mar 27, 2009 10:02 PM EDT reply actions

Jens! is the man!!

I’m going for my SexyBank man Jens!! Go get them Jens! I know you want too!!

We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

by CycleGirl on Mar 27, 2009 10:57 PM EDT reply actions

There will be live coverage of the TT tomorrow on France3

and live streaming which should be unrestricted. Coverage starts at 15:15 local, don’t forget daylight savings in Europe tonight!

"It’s disappointing. Second place is the first loser."
~Heinrich Haussler (GERMANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Cervélo TestTeam

by Phil H. on Mar 28, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

no stg 2 coverage?

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Mar 28, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

There is seldom morning coverage

Did your favourite rider just win Montepaschi Strade Bianch Eroica Toscana? OK then.

by Jens on Mar 28, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions

The stage will end before 11:30am local time

so you would probably be sleeping anyway. Too bad the queen stage is always the early stage Sunday, they should make it the first stage and have the sprint stage Sunday, but what can you do?

"It’s disappointing. Second place is the first loser."
~Heinrich Haussler (GERMANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Cervélo TestTeam

by Phil H. on Mar 28, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions