In exactly one month, Corsica will roll out the red carpet for the world elite of cycling as it gears up for the 85th edition of the Critérium International. The race, held on Corsican soil for the seventh consecutive time, features redesigned courses near Porto-Vecchio which will get the peloton acquainted with the Col de Bavella in the third and final stage. The countdown to March 26-27 has begun.

As a rule of thumb, the Critérium International favours all-rounders who are capable of marshalling their teams to keep the peloton on a tight leash in the sprint stage, opening up gaps in the short time trial and powering away from their rivals on the decisive climbs. The basic recipe is the same as in the 1980s, when the "Crit" was held in the Var; at the turn of the century, when it meandered through south-western France; and during its stint in the Ardennes, near Charleville-Mézières. Things got even spicier when the race moved to Corsica in 2010 and the cycling elite discovered the Col de l'Ospedale.

These ingredients will be even more prominent in the 2016 trilogy. The opening stage will take riders to the southern tip of the island, leaving them just enough time to admire Palombaggia Beach and peer over the cliffs of Bonifacio before heading back to Porto-Vecchio. A false-flat finish where sprinters traditionally come out on top will be the opportunity to find their bearings. The time trial is a carbon copy of the 2015 stage, with the fastest riders expected to complete the 7 km course in under 10 minutes. Any gaps created will have to be defended the next day on a course that brings the rugged terrain of the Isle of Beauty to the fore. The trek to Propriano has been replaced with a coastal ride to Solenzara for the first gruelling sequence of the day. The long, two-stage climb to Col de Bavella, at the foot of magnificent crags, will do some serious damage whether open warfare has already broken out or not. Next comes the plunge towards Porto-Vecchio, truncated by the Col de Bacinut —yet another energy-sapping ascent. Riders will have to keep something in the tank for the finale on the Col de l'Ospedale, a 14.1 km climb with an average gradient of 6.2%. The small village located less than three kilometres before the finish is where it really starts to hurt. The names of previous winners on the summit speak volumes of the climbing talent needed to prevail here. Jean-Christophe Péraud, Chris Froome, Fränk Schleck… small fry indeed!

Stages:

Saturday, March 26

Stage 1: Porto-Vecchio > Porto-Vecchio, 90.5 km

Stage 2: Porto-Vecchio > Porto-Vecchio, 7 km (ITT)

Sunday, March 27

Stage 3: Porto-Vecchio > Col de l'Ospedale, 171.5 km