This full carbon saddle sat aboard Warren Barguil’s (Argos-Shimano) Felt for the 139km stage. It’s a custom moulded prototype from Shimano subsidiary Pro.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Many of the Shimano-sponsored teams’ top riders operated the Di2 thumb shifters – perfect for the climb to Vamorel.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Prompts to remind riders of the day’s obstacles featured on many riders’ stems – this version looks cut out Luis Ángel Maté’s (Cofidis) road book and gives plenty of detail (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
This Vacansoleil rider went for broad brush stroke information and scribbled down summits and distances on tape(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Most teams slung out the high profile wheels. The bike of Europcar’s Thomas Voeckler rolled on Campagnolo Ultra Hyperon 2 wheels(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Ex-speed skater Tom Jelte Slagter and a number of other riders at Blanco stuck with C50 wheels despite the gradients. That’s an extra-small TCR Advanced if you’re wondering(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
They had also taped over the irrelevant numbers on their Cycle-Ops computer(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Cannondale, like teams throughout the peloton, opted for large cassettes with a big spread of gears(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Zipp 202 tubulars offered lightness to the Saxo-Tinkoff Bank team and its leader, Alberto Contador(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The first ascent into the high mountains brought an emergent order to the general classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Chris Froome (Team Sky) leapt into the lead after answering the attack of Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff Bank) with one of his own in the closing metres of stage 5 to take the yellow jersey by almost a minute.
Froome’s teammate Richie Porte claimed second on GC, while yesterday’s yellow jersey, Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp), cracked badly in the closing kilometres but held on to third place.
At the start in Grésy sur Aix, the teams’ equipment choices signified the arduous day ahead. Many teams opted for low profile, lighter wheels and plenty of teeth on the riders’ cassettes – a 28 tooth sprocket on the back was common.
And in the same way as riders carry bar-mounted prompts warning them of approaching cobbled sections during the Classics, some riders used the same principle today and marked down the summits and the kilometre distances on whatever came to hand – medical tape was a popular choice.
Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
