The Criterium du Dauphine gets underway tomorrow with a star studded line up that mimics a mini Tour de France. Cadel Evans, Ivan Basso, Alexandre Vinokourov, Robert Gesink, Bradley Wiggins, Samuel Sanchez, Tony Martin, Juergen van den Broeck and defending champion Janez Brajkovic are all taking part in one of the tradition tune up races before the Tour starts.
Last year race orginiser ASO appointed Bernard Thevenet as the race director for the Dauphine. Thevenet, who won the Tour de France and Dauphine twice, knows the value of the event. “There are several reasons why the Critérium du Dauphiné is important for the Tour de France favourites. With eight stages, including several in the mountains, it is a good indicator of the riders’ form. When you’re bad in the Critérium, it is likely that your Tour will not be easy. Meanwhile, you still have two weeks before the start and you still have time to adjust and work on a few weaknesses.”
This year’s event will get underway with a prologue tomorrow. Wiggins will be one of the favourites for the stage win after beating Fabian Cancellara in the individual time trial stage in Bayen Rundfahrt last week. Also included as part of the parcours are two mountain stages, two hilly stages and a very demanding time trial in Grenoble. The 42.5km TT will be the exact same one the riders will face in the Tour de France and will be of great advantage to TT specialists such as Wiggins, Evans, Martin and particularly to Gesink, who has made big improvements in the race against the clock in recent times.
“It’s a first,” said Thevenet, referring to the identical TT. “This never happened before and it will obviously be a genuine test for the Tour contenders, not just a reconnaissance. All kind of riders will find what they’re looking for in this route. The two big difficulties of the week will be this time trial and the ascent to the Col du Glandon before the finish in La Toussuire on the last day.”
There’s only two stages that look like it will end in a bunch kick for the sprinters: Tyler Farrar, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Grega Bole are amongst those who will look to take advantage of those finishes in Lyon and Mâcon.
Last year's runner up and Tour favourite Alberto Contador, has decided to rest before the Tour, after winning the Giro d’Italia in dominant fashion. Like two previous riders who did the Giro-Tour double, Stephen Roche and Marco Pantani, he may opt not to race at all between the two Grand Tours. There is a chance he will do the Spanish TT championships, though, although that will be verified closer to the event.
The other Tour favourite, Andy Schleck, has decided to ride the Tour de Suisse as his final preparation for La Grande Boucle. He traditionally does the Swiss event, although a strong majority of recent Tour victories have been done on back of preparation in the French race.
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Critérium du Dauphiné, France (WorldTour, June 5 – 12):
Prologue : Sunday June 5, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 5.4 km
Stage 1: Monday June 6, Albertville to Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, 144 km
Stage 2: Tuesday June 7, Voiron to Lyon, 179 km
Stage 3:Wednesday June 8, Grenoble, 42.5 km
Stage 4: Thursday June 9, La Motte-Servolex to Mâcon, 173.5 km
Stage 5 : Friday June 10, Parc des Oiseaux to Villars-les-Dombes/Les Gets, 210 km
Stage 6: Saturday June 11, Les Gets to Le Collet d’Allevard, 192.5 km
Stage 7: Sunday June 12, Pontcharra to La Toussuire, 117.5 km