The route of the 68th Critérium du Dauphiné, revealed at the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council in Lyon this morning, sets the scene for a long, hard slog stretching for 1,147.4 km between the uphill prologue in Les Gets on June 5 and the finale atSuperdévoluy on June 12. Froome, Contador, Aru, Rodríguez, Pinot, Bardet, Porte and Van Garderen will get many opportunities to shine… not all of them decisive!

The course of the 2016 edition, starting with sections approaching a 10% gradient in the very first kilometre and ending with a summit finish in a resort at 1,500 m which will wrap up eight days of clashes among pretenders to the crown, stage hunters and sprinters, is both gruellingand wide open. This year's prologue will be much more than a warm-up. As well as a nod to the past of the race, which has already featured uphill prologues in La Bastille, towering above Grenoble (1979 and 2000), the mountain time trial in Les Gets will also offer a glimpse of a future, with participants in Tour de France scheduled to go head-to-head in another climbing contest in Megève a few weeks later. The focus will then shift to sprinters, punchers and climbers of different sorts and sizes: while the winner in Chalmazel-Jeansagnière (stage 2) will probably be in the mix for the final podium, he will not necessarily be able to challenge any fast men who manage to overcome the climb before the finish in Tournon-sur-Rhône (stage 3).

The strong Alpine flavour of the last few stages will set the scene for a three-part battle for the crown packed with thrills and surprises. Whatever differences separate the riders in Vaujany(stage 5) will pale in comparison with the gaps opened in the next day's 141 km stage toMéribel, which boasts a total elevation gain of 4,000 m. The finale looks a bit less impressive on paper, but if someone lights up the fireworks, contenders for the podium places could end up strewn across the road on Col de Noyer, followed by a descent where chunks of time can be gained and lost and the final effort on the slopes of Superdévoluy. Time to think of the rematch in July…

Stages

Sunday, June 5 – Prologue: Les Gets, 3.9 km (ITT)

Monday, June 6 – Stage 1: Cluses > Saint-Vulbas, 186 km

Tuesday, June 7 – Stage 2: Crêches-sur-Saône > Chalmazel-Jeansagnière, 167.5 km

Wednesday, June 8 – Stage 3: Boën-sur-Lignon > Tournon-sur-Rhône, 182 km

Thursday, June 9 – Stage 4: Tain-l'Hermitage > Belley, 176 km

Friday, June 10 – Stage 5: La Ravoire > Vaujany, 140 km

Saturday, June 11 – Stage 6: La Rochette > Méribel, 141 km

Sunday, June 12 – Stage 7: Le-Pont-de-Claix > Superdévoluy, 151 km