For more than three weeks, the headlines have been dominated by the likes of Vincenzo Nibali, Esteban Chaves and Alejandro Valverde but it is time to forget all about the key protagonists of the Giro d’Italia. The Tour de France looms on the horizon and with Sunday's start of the Criterium du Dauphiné, the preparation for the world's biggest race will kick off in earnest. The Grand Depart will take place at Mont-Saint Michel in less than one month, and it is time to find out who's hot and who's not for the French grand tour when two of the biggest Tour favourites, Chris Froome and Alberto Contador, go head to head in a highly anticipated battle in the Alps in the coming week.

 

While many of the world's best stage race riders have been involved in a hard fight for the maglia rosa on the Italian roads, most of the remaining part of that exclusive category of riders have meticulously prepared for their assault at the world's biggest race, the Tour de France which starts in less than a month from now. Some have already kicked back into action at races like Tour of California, Tour of Norway, Tour of Belgium and Tour de Luxembourg but the start of the Criterium du Dauphiné on Sunday marks the beginning of the string of crucial stage races that are usually used as the key warm-up for the world's biggest race.

 

The Criterium du Dauphiné plays a very unique role among that group of preparation races. Held in the French Alps, it is one of only two races - the smaller Route du Sud held in the Pyrenees being the other - to offer the riders the chance to test out the terrain that they will encounter during the month of July. In that sense, the race is the French analogue to the Italian Giro del Trentino and the Spanish Vuelta a Burgos as all three races are formidable tune-up events for the grand tours of their home country. All are held a few weeks prior to the start of the three-week races and all take place in mountainous parts of the countries that host the three grand tours.

 

While the riders are involved in heavy battles on the roads, race organizers take part in a completely different fight. For years, the Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse have both claimed to offer the best preparation for the Tour, and while it is mostly a question of individual preference to find out which one to choose, it has been the source for plenty of discussion. The Swiss race is one day longer than its French counterpart and takes place one week closer to the start of the Tour, and riders all have different ideas as to which race forms the part of an ideal build-up. In that sense, the fight is comparable to the one between Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico which both claim to be the perfect preparation for Milan-Sanremo.

 

However, in recent years the Dauphiné has appeared to come out triumphant in the duel. The race was first organized in 1947 when the eponymous local newspaper Dauphiné Libéré decided to put on a race in the Dauphiné region under the name of Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré. Taking place in the Alps just weeks before the Tour, it quickly grew to fame as an important preparation race and its links to the Grande Boucle were intimate right from the beginning. It is no surprise to see that all five-time winners of the Tour have all won the Dauphiné before going on to win the big one later in the summer.

 

For many years, it was the final big French race to be held outside the aegis of Tour de France organizer ASO. However, financial difficulties forced the paper to hand over the complete responsibility to the French giant in 2010 and the change saw the race name being abbreviated to the Criterium du Dauphiné.

 

Unsurprisingly, ASO has since tried to achieve some synergy between the Dauphiné and the Tour in a quest to attract more Tour contenders and that project has been a successful one. While the race has always tried to include key sections from the Tour route to give the riders the opportunity to tackle the course at race pace, ASO has taken that idea a step further. In 2011, they included the exact same time trial in Grenoble that would be contested one month later in the Tour, and in 2012 the riders climbed the Grand Colombier climb which was set to make its Tour debut later that season. In 2013, the main attraction was the possibility to climb the Alpe d'Huez and the subsequent Col de Sarenne which was a part of the crucial 18th stage of the Tour but in 20144 ASO created little synergy between the two races.

 

Last year they returned to the successful formula as three stages were perfect test events for the Tour. The inclusion of a team time trial over a similar distance to the one that featured at the French grand tour and a mountain stage with the difficult Col d’Allos and finish at Pra-Loup that was completely identical to a Tour stage, were the main drawcards, but the race also included the Montvernier switchbacks on the last day as a solid preparation for stage 18 of the Tour. This year there aren’t any real similarities though and so it is not the chance to get familiar with the course that will be the main incentive to choose the French race.

 

The changes have seen more and more riders include the Criterium du Dauphiné while at the same time the Tour de Suisse has lost some of its status. The French race can even boast about the fact that since 2009 the Tour winner has finished in their top 10 one month prior to being celebrated in Paris (2009: Alberto Contador finished 3rd, 2010: Alberto Contador finished 2nd (and was later disqualified from his Tour win), 2011: Cadel Evans finished 2nd, 2012: Bradley Wiggins won, 2013: Chris Froome won, 2014: Vincenzo Nibali finished 7th, 2015: Chris Froome won). Actually, the last Tour winner not to race the Dauphiné was Lance Armstrong who deviated from his usual schedule featuring the Dauphiné by riding (and winning) the Tour de Suisse in 2001 before going on to beat Jan Ullrich in France a month later.

 

This year the trend could continue as the race is set to feature two of the biggest favourites for the Tour as Chris Froome and Alberto Contador will all be at the start and in general, the French race has firmly beaten their Swiss rivals in the battle for the most star-studded line-up. Fabio Aru, Richie Porte, Thibaut Pinot, Romain Bardet, Joaquim Rodriguez, Daniel Martin, Bauke Mollema, Adam Yates, Pierre Rolland, Daniel Navarro, Romain Sicard and Louis Meintes will all lead the GC campaigns of their teams in July and will add further strength a line-up that really turns the race into a big dress rehearsal for the Tour. Meanwhile, the Tour de Suisse organizers have to be content with a start list that is headlined by Tejay van Garderen, Rui Costa, Robert Gesink, Wilco Kelderman, Warren Barguil, Mathias Frank and Geraint Thomas as the key riders that are going to play a role in the GC at the Tour. Meanwhile, Nario Quintana will again follow a different pattern by using the Route du Sud as his final preparation race.

 

While the Criterium du Dauphiné is certainly good preparation which gives a lot of information on the form of some of the most important contenders, it is also important not to be too good too soon. The early calendar date means that the winner of the Dauphiné rarely goes on to win the Tour de France, and in addition Wiggins and Froome who bucked the trend in 2012, 2013 and 2015 respectively, the only riders to make the double are Louison Bobet (1955), Jacques Anquetil (1963), Eddy Merckx (1971), Luis Ocana (1973), Bernard Thevenet (1975), Bernard Hinault (1979, 1981), Miguel Indurain (1995) and Lance Armstrong (2002 and 2003), the names on that list clearly indicating that it requires something special to make the rare feat.

 

However, the Dauphiné is more than just Tour preparation and as a WorldTour event with important points at stake, it has probably even got more important in recent years. The last few seasons have seen some of the best climbers from the Giro travel directly to France to benefit maximally from their good post-Grand Tour condition. In 2011, Joaquim Rodriguez went on from finishing 4th in the Giro to capture two stage wins and an overall 5th place in the Dauphiné while in 2012 his teammate Daniel Moreno came from a 20th place finish in the Giro to win two stages and finish 13th overall in France. In 2013, it was Elia Viviani and Samuel Sanchez who made use of their Giro condition to win a stage and in 2014, Wilco Kelderman came directly from the Giro to finish 4th in the Dauphiné. Last year it was Benat Intxausti who rode to fifth overall on the back of a great Giro but the trend is less obvious in 2016 as Ryder Hesjedal who was forced to abandoned the Giro, will be the only Giro star to line up in France. Nowadays, the Giro riders seem to prefer the Tour de Suisse.

 

While the Dauphiné has usually had the upper hand when it comes to the GC riders, things have been different for the sprinters. The race usually has at least two opportunities for the fast guys but the Tour de Suisse’s lumpy finishing circuits suit them a lot more. Hence, the sprinting field is probably mostly dominated by the Giro sprinters and the French stars and that’s again the case in 2016. However, Alexander Kristoff will buck the trend as he will deviate from his usual schedule by going up against the likes of Nacer Bouhanni in France and John Degenkolb will use the race to continue to build up his condition aftr the training crash. None of the races suit the pure sprinters though and they have traditionally headed to the Ster ZLM Toer where they can work on their lead-outs in three flat stages.

 

Last year’s race saw Chris Froome take his second win in the race after a memorable battle with Tejay van Garderen. Having lost a lot of time in the team time trial, the overwhelming favourite took another beating when he was passed by Tejay van Garderen close to the finish of the first key mountain stage to Pra-Loup. However, the Brit bounced back from disappointment by winning the final two stages and take back enough time to claim the victory. Van Garderen had to settle for second while Rui Costa confirmed his status as the man of the June stage races by adding a third place to his stage 6 win. This year Froome will be back to defend his title but van Garderen will head to Switzerland as he and Richie Porte will split up in their approach to the Tour de France. Costa will also be absent as he will return to his happy hunting ground at the Tour de Suisse where he aims to add a fourth win to his palmares.

 

The course

When the race was still organized by the newspaper Dauphiné Libéré, the build-up of the course followed a fixed format. A short prologue kicked off the event and was followed by two easier stages of which one suited the sprinters while the other took in some more hilly terrain. Wednesday was the day of a long time trial of more than 40km while the race was rounded off by four consecutive stages in the mountains. Often the Thursday and Saturday stages included a mountaintop finish while the Friday and Sunday stages were more suited to breakaways.

 

When ASO took over the event, they started to deviate from that format and even though they have mostly followed the tradition of having both a prologue and a long time trial, they have made the road stages a lot more varied. However, during the last few years they have shaken things up a lot more and nowadays there is no kind of fixed format. In 2013 the race didn't start with its usual prologue and in 2014 it broke with the tradition of having a long time trial. Last year there was no individual time trial at all and instead a team time trial was the only timed event. Furthermore, the mountain stages have been spread out a lot more and they are no longer gathered at the end of the race as they used to be.

 

This year the organizers have again given the race an overhaul. The prologue is back but it won’t have its usual flat course. Instead, it will be a brutal uphill test that is very similar to the stage that kicked off the 2013 Tour de Romandie. The few sprinters will have their say in stage 1 and 4 and the strongest of the fast guys also hope to survive a tough climb in the finale of stage 3. The punchy classics riders hope to make their mark in the puncheurs finish on stage 2 while the GC will be decided with three consecutive uphill finishes at the end of the race. With no long time trial or team time trial, an uphill prologue and no less than four uphill finishes, the 2016 edition of the Criterium du Dauphiné is a race for climbers maybe even more than ever before!

 

 

Prologue

After the 2015 race started with a road stage, the Criterium du Dauphiné will be back to tradition in 2014 as the prologue returns for 2016. However, there won’t be any kind of similarity between the usual, relatively flat opener and the stage that will get things going this year. For the first time in recent history, the riders will face a mountain prologue as the 4km stage consists of the brutally steep climb of Mont Chery in Les Gets on the outskirts of Morzine. Mountain prologues are somewhat of a rarity in professional cycling and in recent history, only the Tour de Romandie has had a similar stage in 2013.

 

The 4km stage starts in the centre of Les Gets which is a small city close to Morzine. It’s a pretty straightforward stage as it simply consists of the 4km ascent that has no less than 11 hairpin bends over the short distance. It averages a massive 9.7% and has a very steep middle section. After a relatively easy first 500m, the riders will get to a 9.2% and then the gradient doesn’t drop below the 10%. The next two kilometres average 10.9% and 12.8% respectively and then the climbs levels out at 6.7% in the finale.

 

As said, mountain prologues are rarities in the cycling world and it can only really be compared to the prologue of the 2013 Tour de Romandie. However, that stage was longer and the climb was easier with some flat sections along the way. Chris Froome won the stage by putting six seconds into Andrew Talansky, 13 seconds into Robert Kiserlovski, 15 seconds into Richie Porte and 16 seconds into Rui Costa with only 17 riders finishing within 30 seconds of the Brit.

 

With a much harder climb, the time gaps are likely to be even bigger here and unlike most prologues which rarely play much of a role at the end of a race, this stage will be an important one. Such a steep climb can do a lot of damage and will suit the pure climbers. However, it’s still a relatively short, intense effort so the diesel engines will suffer against the explosive riders that have the punch for this kind of ascent. Still the GC riders will come to the fore and at the end of the opening stage we will already know a lot about who’s going to win the Criterium du Dauphiné.

 

Les Gets last hosted a stage in 2011 when Christophe Kern made a late attack to hold off Chirs Anker Sørensen by 7 seconds while the favourites were two seconds further adrift. Back then, it did not finish on the Mont Chery.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 1

The Criterium du Dauphiné never has any completely flat stages which explains why the pure sprinters never head to France for the Alpine race. However, the race usually had one or two opportunities for the fast guys, especially those who can handle a bit of climbing. Even though the format is no longer as fixed as it once was, the race will return to tradition for 2016 as the first road stage is one of those chances and in fact the opening road stage is much easier than usual, meaning that all the fast guys should be there to battle it out in the end.

 

The 186km stage brings the riders from Cluses on the outskirts of the Alps to Saint-Vulbas In the flat part of the region. That’s reflected in the nature of the stage as the first part is lumpy while the second part is flat. Travelling in a southwesterly direction, the riders will tackle the category 4 climbs of Cote de Mornex (1.6km, 6.4%), Cote de Allenoves (1.3km, 5.7%) and Cote de Chilly (1.6km 7.3%) during the first 75km before they descend to the flat part of the stage.

 

From there they will continue in a southwesterly direction until they get to the small category 4 climb of Cote de Premeyzel (0.9km, 6.6%) at the 134km mark. Here they will turn to the northwest and head to the finish along flat roads. Inside the final 5km, there are three roundabouts in quick succession and then two sharp turns that lead to the 1300m finishing straight on a 6km wide, flat road.

 

There aren’t many sprinters at the 2016 Criterium du Dauphiné but for the likes of Alexander Kristoff and Nacer Bouhanni, this is the reason they are here. Hence, they will control things firmly and make sure that it all comes back together for a bunch kick and with an unusually flat course, we can expect all the fast guys to be there in the end. The long finishing straight means that it’s a day for the real power sprinters but they have to use their strong teams to stay in position on what is a narrow road.

 

Saint-Vulbas has not hosted a stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné in recent years but almost every year it hosts one of the two sprint stages at the mountainous Tour de l’Ain. Last year Nacer Bouhanni was the fastest while Gianni Meersman won in 2014. In 2012, Omega Pharma-Quick Step won a rare team time trial here and it was Jimmy Casper who won the sprint in 2011. Stephane Poulhies was the fastest in 2010.

 

 

 

 

Stage 2

After one day of survival, the GC riders will face their first uphill finish on stage 2 which finishes at 1114m above sea level. However, the stage takes place in the lumpy Massif Central north of Saint-Etienne and not in the Alps. Hence, it won’t be a day to make a difference as it’s a stage more for puncheurs and classics riders. The long uphill drag to the line won’t be hard enough to launch a decisive attack but several riders will have their eyes on a victory on a stage that suits their explosive climbing skills well.

 

The 168km stage will bring the riders from Creches-sur Saone to Chalmazel Jeansagniere as the riders will travel in a southwesterly direction through lumpy terrain all day. Almost right from the start, the will go up the category 3 Col de Durbize (4.5km, 4.8%) and then there’s another uncategorized ascent before the riders get to the category 2 Col de la Croix Nicelle (5.6km, 6.5%). After the descent, the terrain gets significantly flatter and there are no major challenges until the peloton will get to the bottom of the final climb.

 

The final challenge can be split into two parts. It’s actually a climb of more than 21km but the organizers have divided it into a category 2 and a category 3 climb, with a relatively flat section in between. The category 2 climb of Cote de Saint-Georges-en-Couzan averages 5.6% over 7.5km and is a very regular ascent. The next 7.5km are mostly slightly uphill with a small descent along the way and lead to the 6.8km category 3 climb that ends the stage. It averages just 3.7% and is hardest at the bottom and in the end. The first three kilometres have gradients of 4-6% and then two flat kilometres leads to the final kilometre which average 6.4%. The final 200m are very slightly downhill. It’s a winding road with no sharp turns. The final gradual bend lends onto the 200m finishing straight on a 6m wide road.

 

The start will be pretty tough and time gaps will have opened up in the prologue. Hence, lots of riders will be keen to go on the attack on a stage that is not for the GC riders. However, punchy classics specialists like Greg Van Avermaet and Julian Alaphilippe will have red-circled this stage as a big chance to go for a stage win and while BMC may keep their powder dry for the GC battle, we can expect Etixx-QuickStep to control the stage. A However, the stage won’t be easy and it won’t be impossible for a breakaway to make it to the finish. The final climb is way too easy for the GC riders so they just have to avoid any splits and allow the classics riders to battle it out for the win.

 

Chalmazel Jeansagniere has not hosted a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

Stage 3

The Criterium du Dauphiné is in the category of mountainous WorldTour races that leave very little room for pure sprinters. Like the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and the Volta a Catalunya, it doesn’t offer many kilometres of flat roads and so it is no surprise that the major Tour de France sprinters always skip the French race. Instead, they head to the Tour de Suisse or the sprint festival at the Ster ZLM Toer and leave the room for other fast finishers to shine in France. However, for those who can overcome a bit of climbing, the race is a great chance to grab a WorldTour win and the riders who excel in the sprints in Catalonia and Pais Vasco usually excel in the Alpine race too.

 

After the opening road stage which was a chance for the really fast guys, the sprinters need to climb a lot better to get their a chance in stage 3 which is a typical Dauphiné stage. It will bring the riders over 187.5km from Boën-sur-Lignon to Tournon-sur-Rhone and consists of a southerly run through the lumpy Massif Central before the riders will turn to the east to tackle a hiller second half. After a completely flat start, the riders will face a long gradual uphill section that leads to the top of the category 4 climb of Cote de Mointfaucon-en-Velay (3.5km, 3.7%) at the 100.5km. However, that’s not the end of the climbing as the road continues to rise all the way to the top of the category 4 Col du Rouvey (2.8km 5.6%) 1250m above sea level twenty km later.

 

From there, the rides face a long descent of 40km before they get to the real challenge of the stage. The category 2 Cote de Secheras averages 8.2% over 2.9km but the numbers are deceptive. A relatively easy first kilometre is followed by a steep penultimate kilometre of 13.9% before the climb level off for the final 900m. The top comes with 21km to go and is followed by a few kilometres of light climbing and a long descent that ends just 5km from the finish. From there the road is lumpy but without any major technical challenges as there’s just two roundabouts to tackle. The riders will go straight through the first one after the 2km to go banner while they will turn right onto the 300m finishing straight on a 6m wide road in the final obstacle of the day. The final kilometre is slightly descending at 1.3%.

 

The final climb is very steep and much harder than the numbers indicate. It will be very hard for the likes of Alexander Kristoff and Nacer Bouhanni to survive but there will be time to make it back. However, the final climb is also a perfect launch pad for an attack and if the sprint teams are busy chasing to bring their sprinters back, a late move could very well pay off. On the other hand, the GC riders will be very nervous on the narrow, steep roads and this will automatically increase the pace in what will be a frantic finale. As the sprinters will be uncertain about their ability to survive, it could even be a stage for a long-distance breakaway. Hence, it has several potential outcomes: a successful late attack, a breakaway win or a reduced bunch sprint.

 

Tournon-sur-Rhone has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 4

If the sprinters were left frustrated in stage 3, they will be extra keen to grab their final chance in the race on stage 4. The final three days are all about the GC battle and tough climbing in the Alps so they have to make the most of the relatively flat course for Thursday’s stage. However, it won’t be easy to control the stage. Unlike on Wednesday, there won’t be any major climbs but the lumpy terrain in the finale is another indication of why the pure sprinters never do the Criterium du Dauphiné.

 

The 176km stage will bring the riders from Tain-L’Hermitage to Belley and sees the riders travel in a northeasterly direction towards the Alps where the final battles will take place. The first half is mostly flat or slightly uphill and only includes the category 4 climbs of Cote d’Hauterives (2.1km, 5.2%) and Cote de la Chapelle-de-la-Tour (1.8km, 5%). Then a short descent leads to completely flat roads.

 

With 39km to go, the riders will hit the finishing circuit before they get to the finish for the first time. The final part of the stage consists of one lap of the 32km circuit which is lumpy with very few kilometres of flat roads but no major climbs either. Passing the 4km to go mark, the riders will head down slightly descending roads until they get to the final kilometre which is uphill at 2.6%. The road is wining without any major turns but the final kilometre is technically challenging. Having passed straight through a roundabout with 800m to go, the riders face to light bends before they get onto the 200m finishing straight on a 6m wide road.

 

This is the final stage for the sprinters so there is little chance that they will let it slip away. Katusha and Cofidis will control things firmly but they have to be very attentive on the circuit which seems to be pretty hard. That could lead to some aggressive racing but it should come down to a sprint on the uphill finishing straight where the powerful sprinters will come to the fore. The technical finale and narrow road means that team support and lead-outs will be crucial in what will be the final sprint of the race.

 

Belley has often hosted stages of the Tour de l’Ain, most recently in 2010 when Wout Poels won a sprint from an 8-rider group of climbers after a tough day in the mountains. In 2008, John Gadret won another very hard stage here while Patrick Halgand won a two-rider sprint in 2006. Cedric Vasseur rode to a solo win in 2004.

 

 

 

 

Stage 5

The GC riders will have battled it out in the prologue where the first time gaps will have opened up but from there it has been a bit of a waiting game. After four days of survival, it is finally time for the next big battle as three days of tough climbing will kick off with a challenging stage and a difficult uphill finish. The final climb may only be of the second category but don’t be fooled by the numbers. The irregular ascent includes some very steep sections so even though it’s not a day to create massive time differences, it will be a stage that gives another indication of who’s going to win the race.

 

As it has become popular in recent years, the organizers have designed a short, intense stage which will bring the riders over 140km from La Ravoire to Vaujany. It’s a not a stage in the high mountains as the riders will spend most of the day by travelling in a southwesterly direction in the hilly terrain on the outskirts of the biggest climbs. The first 10km is relatively flat but from there, the room for recovery will be hard to find.

 

The first challenge is the category 3 Cote de la Chapelle-Blanche (4km, 4.7%) which is followed by the category 4 Cote d’Arvillard (2.2km, 5.3%). Then it’s time for the first category 1 climb of the race, Col du Barioz (7.8km, 6.5%) which has a hard first half and an easier second part. After the descent, it’s straight onto the category 2 Col des Ayes (3.8km, 8.1%).

 

There’s no immediate descent and instead the riders will spend 35km on a lumpy plateau that includes the category 4 climb of Col des Mouilles (2.1km, 6.1%) and the category 3 Cote de la Sarrazine (3.3km, 5%). The it’s finally time for some descending which leands to the city of Vizille at the 101.5km mark.

 

Here the riders will turn to the northeast to head into the Alps. This means that it’s uphill for the final 38.5km. However, the first part is just a gradual descent that leads to a short, flat section in Allemont with 11.5km to go and the real challenge is the 6.4km climb category 2 climb that leads to the finish. The average gradient is just 6.5% but don’t be fooled by the numbers. Between kiloemetre 1 and 5 it’s steep, especially the third and fifth kilometres which average 10.8% and 12.5% respectively. Then a slightly descending kilometre leads to the final 400m that are uphill at 7.3%. There are several hairpin bends in the steep part and then there are two turns just after the flamme rouge. The riders will do a 180-degree turn to get onto the 200m finishing straight on a 5m wide road.

 

After four days of survival, the GC riders will be keen to test themselves in the first summit finish of the race. However, the final climb is really just 4km long but those foure kiloemtres are definitely hard enough to make a difference. The strongest rider can escape in the steep section and there won’t be much time for a regrouping in the final 1400m. Of course the irregular climb suits the punchy riders more than the pure climbers and the time gaps will be small but it’s a chance to create the next small differences. The first uphill finish is usually decided by the GC riders but as this one is pretty special, a breakaway may have a chance.  On the other hand, the time gaps are still likely to be small so most likely the best climbers will battle it out for seconds and a stage win on the final ascent.

 

Vaujany has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 6

Saturday has usually been the day of the queen stage and it will be no different in 2016. After several days in Massif Central or on the outskirts of the major mountains, the riders will finally heads into some of the most classic cycling terrain on a day that includes famous climbs like Col du Grand Cucheron and Col de la Madeleine. In the end, a new summit finish in Meribel will welcome the riders and even though it is not the hardest climb in France, it is the biggest chance for the climbers to make a difference in the 2016 Criterium du Dauphiné.

 

Again ASO have followed the recent tradition of making the mountain stages short and intense. The riders will only have to cover 141km between La Rochette and Meribel and they consist of a mainly westerly run through some of the hardest terrain that France has to offer. A short flat section of 6km leads to the bottom of the category 1 Col de Champ-Laurent (9.3km, 8.1%) which is a very regular and hard climb. There’s just a short descent and then the riders will climb the final 3.4km to the top of the category 2 climb of Col du Grand Cucheron which averages 6.9%.

 

The descent leads back to the valley and a rare flat section before the riders will take on the biggest challenge of the entire race after 50km of racing. The mighty HC climb of Col de la Madeleine averages 7.95 over 19.2km and is one of the most famous climbs in France. The descent leads to the valley and a short flat section through the city of Moutiers. Then the category 1 Montee des Frasses (8km, 6.5%) serves as a bit of a warm-up for the final climb. The summit comes just 28km from the finish and then a slightly descending roads leads to the bottom of the final challenge. It averages 6.6% over 12.3km and is hardest in the first 8km where the gradient is mostly 7-8%. Then it gets easier but it ramps up for the final 1.3km. Kilometre 12 averages 7.2% and the final 300m are uphill at 11.2%. The final two hairpin bends come just before the flamme rouge and then the road is winding. The finishing straight is 200m on a 6m wide road.

 

This is the big day for the climbers in the race and the day that is very likely to show who’s going to win the Dauphiné. The final climb is not very hard but it comes at the end of a tough day. There is little doubt that Sky want to make the race as hard as possible and use their strong group of climbers to go fast already on the Col de la Madeleine. This also means that there won’t be much room for a breakaway and it should be a stage for the GC riders. The final climb is a good one for Chris Froome as it is similar to the La Pierre Saint-Martin where he laid the foundations for his Tour de France win in 2015. If he can escape in the hard first half, he can use his greater power in the easier second half to increase his advantage. In any case, the winner of this stage is likely to go on to win the race overall.

 

Meribel has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 8

The Criterium du Dauphiné is never decided before the riders get to the very end of the race as the final stage is never a ceremonial affair. In fact, it is always a short, intensive affair in some very hilly terrain. The final stage is rarely as tough as the queen stage but it is usually hard enough to guarantee that things can change right until the end and this is definitely also true in 2016. The climb to the finish in Superdevoluy may be more for classics riders but the brutal Col du Noyer in the finale will make sure that the climbers have a real chance to turn things around at the end of 8 days of tough racing.

 

For the third day in a row, the organizers have designed a short, intense stage in the Alps. The 151km will lead the riders from Le Pont-de-Claix on the outskirts of the Alps to Superdevoluy in the Alpine heartland. The start is simply brutal as it is uphill right from the fun. The hostilities briefly end at the top of the category 2 Cote de Monteynard (10.6km, 4.6%) at the 13.5km but there will be not descent. Instead, the riders will stay on a lumpy plateau with the category 3 Cote des Terrasses (2.7km, 6.9%) as they travel in a southeasterly direction towards the higher mountains.

 

The terrain is relatively flay but the gradually starts to climb towards the summit of the category 2 Cote de Saint-Laurent-du-Cros (2.8km, 4.9%). A short descent leads to the category 1 Col de Mossiere (8.3km, 8.2%) which is a hard, regular climb with a steep second half.

 

From here, the riders will turn around and head in a northwesterly direction towards the finish. A short descent and flat roads will lead to the bottom of the main challenge of the day, the category 1 Col du Noyer. It averages 8.4% over 7.5km but the numbers are deceptive. The first two kilometres are relatively easy but from there the gradient barely drops below the 10%, with the final kilometre even averaging 13.9%. The top comes with 11.5km to go and they consist of a long, gradual, non-technical descent and a category 3 climb. The final challenge averages 5.9% over 3.8km and is very regular. There are two hairpin bends on the lower slopes and then it’s a winding road. There’s a roundabout inside the final kilometre and then a sweeping bend leads on the 30m finishing straight on a 6m wide road.

 

If one only looks at the final climb, this stage could seems to be one for punchy classics riders. However, the Col du Noyer is the second hardest climb of the race after the Col de la Madeleine and will be the scene of a big battle between the best climbers. The peloton is likely to explode to pieces and there won’t be much time to get back. The final descent is easy and more about power than descending skills so there will be time for some kind of regrouping if a small group can work well together. If that’s the case, the faster guys will find the final climb to their liking but most probably the best climber will ride solo to the finish. If the bonus seconds are important, the GC riders are likely to decide the stage but it could very well be a day for a breakaway as it has often been the case on the final stage at the Dauphiné.

 

The exact same finale was used for the penultimate stage in 2013. Back then Sky opted for a controlling approach and allowed Samuel Sanchez and Jakob Fuglsang to escape, with the Basque beating the Dane in the two-rider sprint. Richie Porte made a late bid for freedom to take third 15 seconds later while Daniel Moreno won the sprint of a 6-rider group just one second later.

 

 

 

 

 

The favourites

The Criterium du Dauphiné is always highly anticipated as it usually offers the first chance to gauge the form of the Tour contenders. This year the excitement is maybe even bigger than it has been for a while as it has gathered an almost all-inclusive list of Tour de France contenders. Nairo Quintana is the notable absentee but apart from the Colombian, all the riders who can realistically aim for the top step in July will be at the start in the Alps.

 

It is no new situation that the biggest favourites for the Tour will clash in the Dauphiné but the importance of the result has changed over the last few years. In the past they tended to use the race as mere preparation and were often far off the pace but recently the race itself has become a lot more important. Even though all contenders will underline that they are mainly here to prepare for later, there is no doubt that most will be gunning for victory. The mental aspect can't be overestimated and especially Chris Froome will head into the race in search of an important boost of confidence.

 

The Dauphiné is one of the most mountainous races on the calendar but the race is not always won by the strongest climber. In fact, the inclusion of a long time trial – usually the longest in a WorldTour race outside the grand tour category – has made it a race for the really versatile stage race specialists. That is reflected in the list of winners. In fact, Alejandro Valverde’s remarkable comeback in 2009 marks the only edition in which the winner of the race has not finished in the top 4 in the time trial.

 

With the recent changes to the course, the nature of the race has changed. Already in 2014, the course barely had any time trialling and even though later winner Andrew Talansky was among the best in the opening prologue, he didn’t win the race by virtue of that performance. Last year there was no individual time trial at all and instead it was the combination of the team time trial and the mountains that decided the race.

 

This year the course suits climbers even more. There will be an individual time trial on the opening day but as it’s a brutal mountain prologue, it’s a day for climbers. In fact, it is one of the best chances for the climbers to make a difference in the entire race and don’t expect to see a big guy like Tony Martin near the top of the leaderboard. Mountain time trials are won by climbers, not TT specialists, and it will be the same for the mountain prologue. The next four stages will be all about survival for the GC contenders – even though a fast GC rider can potentially pick up a few bonus seconds in the uphill sprint on stage 2 – and then everything will be decided by the climbing legs in the final three stages.

 

Friday’s stage will offer the first minor time gaps but the big differences can be made in the final two stages. However, the final climb in the queen stage is not overly tough so it’s not a day to create massive gaps. Col du Noyer in the final stage is a lot harder but as it is followed by a non-technical descent, there is time for some regrouping. However, that can’t change the fact that the 2016 Criterium du Dauphiné will be won by the best climber.

 

That makes it hard to look beyond Chris Froome as the favourite for the race. For some reason, many refuse to regard the Brit as a climber but he has repeatedly prove that he is the strongest rider in the mountains. When asked to assess Froome’s chances for the 2015 Tour de France, Alberto Contador surprisingly asked whether Froome is not a climber. On several occasions, the Brit has proved that no one is able to match him when he is at 100% of his capabilities and Alberto Contador still describes his attacks at the 2014 Dauphiné as some of the most impressive he has ever seen. Of course Froome’s chances would have been bigger if there had also been a long time trial but there is no reason to suggest that he won’t shine on a course that includes lots of climbing and gradual climbs which suit him well.

 

However, Froome is no longer the dominant figure he once was. In 2013 and 2014, he seemed to demolish the opposition whenever he was at the start but things have been different in the last two years. In 2015, he suffered throughout most of the spring, delivering below-par performances in both Catalonia and Romandie before he finally found some decent legs at the Dauphiné. However, he had to fight hard to beat Tejay van Garderen who should usually be no match to the Brit. He went on to prove his class at the Tour de France but the season was a clear indication that he no longer wins races as easily as he once did.

 

This season has been a strange one for Froome and it has just confirmed the recent trend. The Brit has barely done any racing as he is aiming for a big block that includes both the Tour and the Olympics and maybe even the Vuelta too. He easily won the Herald Sun Tour – a race that was way too easy for him – but failed to match the best in Catalonia. That result was a bit of a shock. For the first time ever, he had had an illness-free build-up to the race and the pre-race statements from Sky and Froome clearly indicated that he was in Spain to win. However, he was no match to the likes of Contador and Quintana and there is little doubt that his morale took a blow.

 

Things didn’t get much better in Romandie where he suffered a very untimely mechanical in the first mountain stage and so dropped out of GC contention. However, he proved great moral strength by doing a solid time trial the next day and then won the queen stage by attacking from afar. He was even on the attack in the final sprint stage too. The TT and the queen stage have definitely boosted his confidence but it was a bit frustrating for the fans that we never got to see him in a head-to-head battle with the likes of Quintana, Zakarin and Pinot.

 

After Romandie, Froome has followed his very successful formula of preparing for the Tour in Tenerife and history shows that he is usually at a very high level at the Dauphiné. Unlike many others, he doesn’t need any racing to be strong and he has always come into this race with all guns blazing. He won the mountain prologue at the 2013 Tour de Romandie and is the obvious favourite for the opening stage. Furthermore, the climb in the queen stage is one that suits him very well. It has a steep lower section where he can make his difference and then use his bigger power to extend his advantage in the easier second half, just like he did when he crushed the opposition on the climb of La Pierre Saint-Martin at the 2015 Tour de France. The Col du Noyer is a steep climb that suits him well too and he can power down the non-technical descent faster than most others.

 

Finally, Froome is supported by the strongest team. Wout Poels has proved that he is now one of the best climbers in the world and it was last year’s Dauphiné which really proved how far he has come. Mikel Landa is a bit of a question mark but as he had prepared carefully for the Giro, his form can’t be too far away. The same goes for Sergio Henao who has proved that he doesn’t need any racing to be riding at a high level. With those three riders to set him up for his big attacks in the mountains, Froome and Sky can dictate things in the key stages and then it will be up to Froome to finish it off. We may not have had many chances to gauge his form yet but after his solid showing in Romandie, there is no reason to suggest that Froome is not on track for another Dauphiné win.

 

His big rival will of course be Alberto Contador. The Spaniard has changed his approach to the Dauphiné during his career. In his heydays, he used the race as mere preparation and was always very keen not to go too deep. In 2009, he clearly worked for his good friend Alejandro Valverde and in 2010 he was clearly content with a queen stage win and following Janez Brajkovic in the mountains. Hence, the Dauphiné is the only WorldTour stage race that Contador has done repeatedly without ever managing to win it (if you still regard him as the winner of the 2011 Volta a Catalunya).

 

However, since Chris Froome emerged as his big rival, Contador has been keen to test himself much more in the Dauphiné. In 2013, he clearly tried his best to win the race. He did so again in 2014 when he had to dig extremely deep to stay with Froome in the first mountain stage. He would later beat the Brit who suffered a crash in stage 6 but he failed to win the race due to a lack of team support in the final stage. Last year he did the Giro-Tour double and so skipped the race but now he will again follow his traditional formula.

 

Contador will again downplay expectations but we have little doubt that it’s a big goal for him to beat Froome here. He is eager to get a confidence boost and deal Froome a bit of a blow and he feels well-prepared to do so. With overall victory in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and second places in Catalonia and Paris-Nice, he has had a solid spring and he actually claims to have the same feelings as he had in 2014 when he claimed to have been better than ever before he crashed out at the Tour. It is really true that he has been on fire all year. If it hadn’t been for the cancellation of the hardest summit finish, he would have won Paris-Nice and he would probably have matched Nairo Quintana in Catalonia if he hadn’t played too much with the muscles.

 

The season may no longer be the final one for Contador but he has prepared for it like never before, expecting it to offer him the final chance to win the Tour de France. If he is ever going to beat Froome in the Dauphiné, it is probably now. With no flat time trial, he is much more on equal terms with the Brit and especially the mountain prologue will be an exciting duel. Contador is an excellent mountain time triallist and even though both he and Froome would have preferred longer climbs, their climbing skills should make the difference in the opening test. That stage will play a big role in the overall outcome. The final three mountain stages should suit Contador well too even though he would have preferred harder summit finishes. In any case, Contador will not opt for the conservative approach he has had in the past: this year he is at the Dauphiné to really challenge Froome and this sets the scene for an exciting battle.

 

The rider who can really challenge Froome and Contador is Richie Porte. We are very curious to see what the Australian can do in a direct battle with the two great grand tour stars. In the past, Porte has never had the chance to go up against Froome as he has always been riding as a domestique. However, in both the 2013 and 2015 Tour de France, he made it a 1-2 for Sky after having worked hard on the front to set his captain up for an attack. This speaks volumes about Porte’s class as a climber and it will be very exciting to see what he can do when they are all fighting on equal terms.

 

There are still concerns about Porte’s ability to handle a grand tour but no one can deny that he is one of the best one-week stage racers in the world. Last year he won Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya and Giro del Trentino and this year he was in the top 4 at both Paris-Nice and Volta a Catalunya even though he had had a very bad preparation that was marked by illness. He didn’t have many expectations for those two races but he surprised himself by doing do well on the back of his health issues. Unfortunately, we never got the chance to see what he could do in Romandie where he finally arrived with lofty ambitions and a good preparation as he fell ill before the race reached the mountains.

 

Now Porte has prepared for the summer and his pre-race statements indicate that he is ready to roll. That’s a scary prospect for his rivals. He may never have been up against Froome in the past but he has proved that he can beat Contador. He did so in Catalonia in 2015 and he matched the Spaniard pedal stroke for pedal stroke at the Giro until a crash forced him to abandon. The mountainous course in Romandie suits him well. He can power up a short climb like few others as he has proved repeatedly in the queen stage at the Tour Down Under so he will be one of the favourites for the prologue. He has shown his class in the high mountains in the past and is surrounded by a formidable team. There is no doubt that Porte has the class to win this race.

 

Thibaut Pinot has been one of the best climbers for a number of years but in 2016 he seems to have stepped up his level even more. He was on fire right from the start of the year and when he finally got a chance to test himself on a longer climber, he crushed the opposition at the Criterium International. He did well to finish fourth in Pais Vasco whose short, steep climbs have never suited him and then he went on to finish second in Romandie where he underlined his new status as a TT specialist by taking a surprise win in the time trial.

 

Pinot is one of the most consistent riders in the peloton and he is never far from his best level. In the past three years, he has been riding in Switzerland and he has been one of the best every year, even winning the queen stage in 2015. Hence, there is little doubt that he will be competitive at the Dauphiné. He is a great climber and a great mountain time triallist but the mountain prologue is probably too short for him, even though he has turned into a great time triallist. It will be hard for him to beat Froome, Contador and Porte here.  And this means that he will have to ride aggressively in the mountain stages. They may not be hard enough to suit him really well. On the other hand, he is clearly stronger than ever before and he can count on formidable support from Sebastien Reichenbach and Steve Morabito. We doubt that Pinot will win the race but he could very well finish on the podium.

 

Fabio Aru is set to make his Tour de France debut later this summer and his Tour campaign also includes a debut appearance at the Dauphiné. The Italian has had a very bad season until now as he has been far from his best level in the spring where he had ambitions for several races, including the classics. He was off the pace in both Catalonia and Pais Vasco where he suffered a crash that ultimately forced him to skip almost all the classics.

 

Since then Aru has prepared for the summer and it remains to be seen whether he is now back on track. However, it would be a bad idea to expect too much from the Italian. Traditionally, he has not been at his best in his preparation races. That was the case in the 2014 Giro del Trentino and the 2014 Tour de Pologne and he repeated the pattern in Poland in 2015 after he had had to skip Trentino due to illness. Unlike Froome and Contador who are always competitive, he has a tendency to use certain races as training. There is little doubt that he will be testing himself on the climbs and he is definitely likely to finish in the top 10 but it remains to be seen whether he has the form to compete for the win.

 

However, if he is at his best, he will be a strong contender. On paper, he is one of the best climbers here and the steep mountain  prologue should suit him really well. He is supported by a very strong team and should find the mountain stages to his liking. Furthermore, he may a bit of extra motivation to prove that he is the clear Astana leader for the Tour de France after it has been confirmed that Vincenzo Nibali will be present at La Grande Boucle too. This could give him that final bit of fire to be competitive at the Dauphiné.

 

Ada Yates has had a meteoric rise through the ranks but 2016 has been a bad year for him. He fell ill in the spring and so never got the chance to prove his class. He gave a small hint of his climbing skills when he rode to an impressive fourth in the Pais Vasco TT which was more a test of climbing legs than TT abilities.

 

Now he has prepared for the Tour de France where he is hoping for the white jersey and we expect him to be on fire at the Dauphiné. Last year he rode for stages at the Tour and on select days he proved that he could be up there with the best. He went on to beat all the stars at the Clasica San Sebastian and ride away from almost everyone at the GP de Montreal. This year he is likely to be even stronger and such a talented bike rider will always be a threat.

 

What really makes Yates a contender for this race is the mountain prologue. Yates is an explosive climber and is tailor-made for the relatively steep climb on the opening day. We won’t be surprised if he is contention for the win right from the start. The longer climbs later in the race will be more of a challenge but nobody really knows how much he has improved since last year. The irregular climb in stage 5 should suit him well and stage 7 is not too bad either. The big test will come on Saturday but if he can survive the long climbs here, Yates will be a very strong overall contender.

 

With a brave attack and a great descent from the Col d’Allos, Romain Bardet won a stage in this race in 2015 but a crash in a flatter stage cost him the chance to go for the podium. This year he hopes to do even better but he has had a mixed start to the year. He was very strong in February where he almost beat Nibali in Oman but he had a harder time in Europe. Paris-Nice didn’t really suit him and he never found his best form for Catalonia, Trentino or Liege which was his big goal for the spring. Finally, he fell ill in Romandie and so the first part of the year ended badly.

 

However, Bardet’s performance in Oman was a clear sign that he is ready to continue his steady progress. Already last year he was much closer to the best in the mountains and this year we can expect him to have taken another step. The lack of a real time trial is great for him and he should be pretty strong in the mountain prologue. The Dauphiné is always important for Ag2r which is riding on home soil and Bardet claims to be ready for the challenge. He is unlikely to win the race but he is definitely a podium contender.

 

Etixx-QuickStep go into the race with Daniel Martin as the leader. The team are more focused on stage wins than GC but haven’t ruled out that their Irishman will go for the overall. Martin is more of a punchy Ardennes specialist than a real climber but in the past he has proved that he can be up there in the mountains too. Last year he was seventh in this race and he has been in the top 10 in the Vuelta. The French climbs don’t suit him as well as the steeper climbs in Spain but he should still be able to do well here. The move to Etixx-QuickStep seems to have done him a lot of good and we won’t be surprised if he turns out to be stronger than ever before. As there is no real time trial, he will have a fantastic chance to really go for the podium and the short, explosive effort in the mountain prologue should actually be great for his punchy climbing skills. The irregular climb in stage 6 should suit him well too so if he can limit his losses on the longer climbs in the weekend, he will be a solid contender.

 

Sky are here for Froome but history shows that it’s not a bad idea to have a back-up plan. Mikel Landa, Wout Poels and Sergio Henao can all come into play as potential GC threats if Froome falls victim to some kind of bad luck. Especially Poels looms as a big threat. Already last year he stepped up his level massively but lacked a bit of consistency in the high mountains. This year he has been even better as he rode to a dominant win in Valencia and conquered Liege-Bastogne-Liege. The mountain prologue is tailor-made for him and he could very well be one of the very best there. This will give Sky more cards to play and Poels will be ready to strike if he gets the opportunity.

 

Sergio Henao is a bit more of a question mark. The Colombian hasn’t raced since he was put on inactive status by his team on the eve of Fleche Wallonne. However, when he had a similar situation in 2014 he was flying when he returned at the Tour de Suisse and we will be surprised if he is not riding very well. He has proved that he doesn’t need racing to get into good condition and he has had possible Tour de France selection as a motivation for his training. He was maybe the best climber in both Paris-Nice and Pais Vasco and has been extremely strong all year. The explosive effort on the first day is right up his alley but he may be suffering a bit later in the race.

 

Mikel Landa is an even bigger question mark. The Basque was forced to abandon the Giro d’Italia and has been recovering from illness. Nobody knows how he is going but he is aiming to get selected for the Tour de France so he must be motivated. His form can’t be completely gone and he seemed to be on the rise when he was forced to leave Italy. There is no flat time trial here so the course suits him really well and everybody knows what he can do when he is on fire. We doubt that he is good enough to win but you can never rule Landa out if Froome has bad luck.

 

We are curious to see what Bauke Mollema can do. In the early part of the year, there were signs that he had taken another step but then he fell ill before Pais Vasco. He bounced back with top 10s in Romandie and Liege and should be better prepared for this race. Last year he suffered from back problems in this race but he has traditionally been very good in June. On paper, the course should suit him pretty well as there is no real time trial.

 

Finally, Julian Alaphilippe deserves a mention. The Frenchman is not a climber and on paper this race should be way too hard for him. However, the mountain prologue suits him extremely well and could suddenly put him into GC contention. Then he will try to see what he can do in the high mountains and his performances in California prove that he can do well on longer climbs too. The recovery and consistency could be a challenge but if he is sprinting up the climbs like he did in California, Alaphilippe could create a surprise like he has done so often before.

 

***** Chris Froome

**** Alberto Contador, Richie Porte

*** Thibaut Pinot, Fabio Aru, Adam Yates, Romain Bardet

** Dan Martin, Wout Poels, Sergio Henao, Mikel Landa, Bauke Mollema, Julian Alaphilippe

* Rohan Dennis, Daniel Navarro, Joaquim Rodriguez, Pierre Rolland, Roman Kreuziger, Louis Meintjes, Tony Gallopin, Daniel Moreno, Diego Rosa, Louis Vervaeke, Arnold Jeannesson, Sebastien Reichenbach, Ryder Hesjedal, George Bennett, Romain Sicard