Although there was a marked difference in the performance of Janez Brajkovic between this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné and that of last season, team RadioShack believes he is on course for a good Tour de France.
The Slovenian rider finished ninth overall in the WorldTour event, with a best stage placing of fifth in the Grenoble time trial. He ended up four minutes 22 seconds off the final yellow jersey of Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling). Last year, he won the race, beating Alberto Contador by a clear one minute 41 seconds, but then was a distant 43rd in the Tour.
The team has tried to ensure that he hits peak form a little later this season, so that he is going as well as possible in the Tour.
“It was good to see Jani recuperated from yesterday,” said director sportif Alain Gallopin on Sunday evening, referring to his sixteenth place in Les Gets, just under four minutes behind the winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). “This gives us the feeling that yesterday was only a one-day problem. He felt better today and had no difficulties staying with the front group of twelve. Now we still have some fine-tuning and then right to the Tour de France.”
Last year Brajokovic was a late call up to the team, both due to his Dauphiné form and also because the planned ride in the Vuelta a España didn’t happen after the team wasn’t invited.
He rode for Lance Armstrong, putting his personal ambitions to one side. But it was also clear that he wasn’t in the same form as in the Dauphiné.
Finishing only ninth in the later event this year might worry some of his fans, but in truth it’s difficult for a rider to perform in both races. In fact, only two riders have won the Dauphiné and the Tour in the past thirty years. Miguel Indurain did that double in 1995, while Lance Armstrong did the same in 2002 and 2003.
When Carlos Sastre won the 2008 Tour, he was only 20th in the Dauphiné. Oscar Pereiro was just 14th two years earlier.
With that in mind, Brajkovic can still aim for a high placing in the race. RadioShack will line out without a clear leader, and it will be during the course of the race when it is decided whether Brajkovic, Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Klöden or Chris Horner will be backed.
When in full form, Brajkovic is both a strong climber and time trialist. If his peak does occur at the right time, he could fight for a top ten overall result.