Santiago Buitrago: this will be the final three stages of the Dauphiné, brutally tough, analysis

He Criterium Dauphine enter three days of high mountains, high finishes that provide a great spectacle at the end of a race that on Thursday was forced to cancel the day, not give times at the finish line or declare the winner due to a massive fall to 20 km from the end in Saint-Priest, after 167 km.

The majority of the group crashed on a descent with a wet surface, which ruined the definition of the stage, an accident in which the leader, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal), and another favoritePrimoz Roglic (Bora), among the main corridors.

hard endings

Of the Colombians, the one who was harmed was Santiago Umba (Astana), who had problems with one of his knees.

The race enters its key section and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain) and Harold Tejada (Astana) are two minutes away from first place overall and with options to move up.

They are pure climbers, the hard climbs these days are good for them, so the idea is to be close to those who are going to move the test.

Both are 19 seconds behind the tenth place occupied by Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos), 39 seconds from fifth, Oier Lazcano (Movistar) already 56 from the third box, in the power of Matteo Jorgenson (Visma), but the altimetries of the three days are suitable for riders who do well on steep climbs.

Buitrago is 14th, the best placed, and due to his experience and abilities he is the Colombian cyclist who has the best chance of fighting the title favorites for the stage victory and moving up in the classification.

This Friday, the menu is very interesting. Arrival is located at Le Collet d’Allevard, after 174 kilometers. There are three mountain prizes.

The first of the fourth category, the second of the second and the last at the finish line and of the first category, without a doubt, ideal for doing damage and where the lot will be disrupted.

It is a long climb, 11 kilometers and a reward of eight percent incline of ramps in which attacks will occur.

And on Saturday the route will be brutal to end on Sunday with another high finish.