The Critérium du Dauphiné (June 7-14) will include a 26km team time trial. The stage has a distance that makes it similar to the 28km test the riders will face in the Tour de France.

As usual, the French race tries to emulate the Tour de France in the design of its route. And this year the main feature is the inclusion of a team time trial which is very unusual for the race. ASO representative Thierry Gouvenou has confirmed the information to L'Equipe and has revealed that it will be a 26km stage compared to the 28km, the riders will face on stage 9 of the Tour.

It will not be the only similarity. The penultimate day of the Dauphiné will see the riders travel from Digne les Bains to the Pra Loup ski station which will also host the finish of the 17th stage of the Tour, the first Alpine day.

The last stage will start from Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur and finish in Modane and will probably include the Col de Ornon and then the Croix de Fer or Lautaret and Galibier. The Dauphiné will start in Albertville.

Andrew Talansky won the 2014 edition ahead of Alberto Contador and Jurgen van den Broeck; Chris Froome won in 2013, Bradley Wiggins in 2011 and 2012, Janez Brajkovic in 2010 and Alejandro Valverde in 2008 and 2009.