Promises to keep and scores to settle
January 29 th 2025 - 17:45
The route of the 77th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné was revealed today at the seat of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council in Lyon, in the presence of the President of the Council, Fabrice Pannekoucke, and Christian Prudhomme. In a repeat of last season, the race will get going in the Allier department, but this time round, the inaugural stage will take the field from Domérat to Montluçon on 8 June. Romain Bardet will push the pedals in Auvergne in his last race as a pro before he hangs up his bicycle at the end of the Dauphiné. The French runner-up to Chris Froome in the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France will be far from alone, with the entire podium of the 2024 Tour de France — Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel— expected to take part. Their performances will be put under the microscope in the Saint-Péray time trial (stage 4), the battles at the Combloux (stage 6) and Valmeinier 1800 (stage 7) ski resorts and the climactic showdown on the Mont-Cenis Plateau.
The mountain air is invigorating at any time of the year, but when summer approaches, it carries a scent that draws in fans of cycling races. Granted, mountain maniacs lock horns more fiercely than ever in July, but their clashes in June are packed with surprises and breakout stars. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, people break down every detail of the performances of the big favourites, which can sometimes predict the future. The 2025 edition will rise in crescendo over eight stages. Stage 1 to Montluçon and stage 2 to Issoire are likely to go to a sprinter who can overcome the rolling terrain of the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments. In stage 3, shortly after the flag drops in Romain Bardet's home town of Brioude, breakaway specialists will get an opportunity to land a one-two punch on the Côte de la Cornille and Côte de la Barbate, which come in the first 20 kilometres. If they manage to keep the pack at bay for 202.8 kilometres, a vicious ramp in the run-up to the finish in Charantonnay will be all that stands between the escapees and victory. The state of play will change in the Wednesday time trial. Stretching for 17.7 kilometres in the Ardèche department, stage 4 to Saint-Péray features a climb bang in the middle of the course that has the potential to overheat the biggest engines in the peloton.
Sprinters will get their last shot at victory in stage 5 to Mâcon before spending the rest of the race pacing themselves in the gruppetto. Big-framed riders will be out of their league once the road bends towards the sky for the final three days, starting with stage 6 to Combloux, which could set up a rematch between the top men of the 2023 Tour. The course is a world apart from the time trial in which Jonas Vingegaard steamrolled the opposition. Tadej Pogačar could use the Côte de Domancy, which leads straight to the final ascent on Côte de la Cry before plunging to the resort, as a launch pad to revenge. More opportunities will arise on the hectic stage 7 to Valmeinier 1800, stretching for 132.1 kilometres and packing an altitude gain of 4,700 metres. Coming after three hors catégorie mountain passes, the duel at the resort in Savoy will propel a leader to success. The man in the yellow jersey with a blue band will still have to defend it all the way to Plateau du Mont-Cenis (stage 8), conquering a 9.6-kilometre ascent at an average gradient of 6.9% and nearly 75 kilometres of virtually non-stop up-and-down racing from the Col de Beaune.
