Tour de France contenders will have even more reason to race the Criterium du Dauphiné this year. The organiser announced the route yesterday, June 5 to 12, with a time trial identical to the Tour's stage on July 20.
It's the second year that the race is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), owners of the Tour de France. It's using its connection for the third stage on June 8, a 42.5-kilometre time trial. The stage travels around Grenoble in southeast France, which the Tour will cover on its penultimate day.
Stage 20 on July 20 takes on greater importance this year because it's the only individual time trial (there is a team time trial on the second day). Last year, Alberto Contador barely defended his race leader's yellow jersey over Andy Schleck and won the overall classification the next day for a third time.
The Dauphiné will be ideal Tour preparation for the classification favourites. It starts Sunday, June 5 with a 5.5-kilometre prologue in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Seven stages follow: five with hard mountain finishes and one time trial – there is little space for the sprinters.
Stage one to St. Pierre de Chartreuse and stage five in Les Gets end with second category climbs end with second category climbs. The race ends on the weekend with high-mountain stages to Le Collet d'Allevard and La Toussuire.
Slovenian Janez Brajkovic (RadioShack) took the overall last year ahead of Contador by 1'41".
Stages:
5 June: Prologue, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (5.5 km)
6 June: Stage 1, Albertville - St. Pierre de Chartreuse (144 km)
7 June: Stage 2, Voiron - Lyon (179 km)
8 June: Stage 3, Grenoble - Grenoble TT (42.5 km)
9 June: Stage 4, La Motte-Servolex - Macon (172 km)
10 June: Stage 5, Villars-les-Dombes - Les Gets (207.5 km)
11 June: Stage 6, Les Gets - Le Collet d'Allevard (185 km)
12 June: Stage 7, Pontcharra - La Toussuire (117.5 km)