  We describe the spectral properties of underdoped cuprates as resulting from
a momentum-dependent pseudogap in the normal state spectrum. Such a model
accounts, within a BCS approach, for the doping dependence of the critical
temperature and for the two-parameter leading-edge shift observed in the
cuprates. By introducing a phenomenological temperature dependence of the
pseudogap, which finds a natural interpretation within the stripe
quantum-critical-point scenario for high-T_c superconductors, we reproduce also
the T_c-T^* bifurcation near optimum doping. Finally, we briefly discuss the
different role of the gap and the pseudogap in determining the spectral and
thermodynamical properties of the model at low temperatures.
