Critérium du Dauphiné

Critérium du Dauphiné
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · Public domain · source
Name	Critérium du Dauphiné
Date	June
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Discipline	Road
Competition	UCI World Tour
Type	Stage race
Organiser	Amaury Sport Organisation
First	1947

Critérium du Dauphiné is a premier week-long stage race held in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France each June, serving as a major preparation event for the Tour de France, UCI World Tour contenders, and grand tour specialists. The event attracts top professional teams such as Team Ineos, UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar Team, and riders including past champions associated with Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Induráin, and Chris Froome. Organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation, the race combines mountain stages in the Alps with time trials and rolling stages through towns like Grenoble, Lyon, and Annecy.

History

Established in 1947 by regional journalist Joseph Bertes and the newspaper Dauphiné Libéré, the race was created in the immediate post-war period alongside events such as the Tour de France revival and the growth of La Gazzetta dello Sport-sponsored races. Early winners included riders from Belgium and France who later contested classics like Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Paris–Roubaix. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the event featured stars connected to Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, and Jacques Anquetil, and it evolved with changes in professional cycling governance including the formation of the UCI and the expansion of the UCI ProTour. The race weathered shifts from national teams to trade teams, the era of Eddy Merckx dominance, and later the globalization that brought squads like Team Sky and sponsors such as INEOS Grenadiers and Team Telekom. In recent decades controversies tied to anti-doping efforts involving agencies like the World Anti-Doping Agency and high-profile investigations influenced regulations and team selection. The event's calendar position has been consolidated as a key lead-up to the Tour de France since the 1980s and its route planning has been coordinated with regional authorities including the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Route and Format

The race typically lasts eight days and mixes individual time trials, mountain-top finishes in ranges such as the Massif des Bauges and the Mont Blanc massif, and transitional stages through departments like Isère and Haute-Savoie. Organisers craft routes that incorporate cols familiar from the Tour de France including passes like the Col de la Croix-de-Fer, Col du Galibier, and Col de la Croix de Fer to test climbers affiliated with teams such as Bora–Hansgrohe and EF Education–EasyPost. The format adheres to UCI World Tour regulations with stage distances, neutral zones, and time bonuses similar to those used in Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. Time trial specialists from squads like Deceuninck–Quick-Step and BMC Racing Team have used prologues or long chrono stages to gain advantage, while general classification contenders aim for consistency on ascent-heavy stages linking municipalities such as Chambéry, Albertville, and Valence.

Notable Winners and Records

Winners list includes multiple grand tour champions and classics specialists: Louison Bobet, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Induráin, Eddy Merckx, Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Nairo Quintana, and Alejandro Valverde. Records include multiple overall victories by riders associated with historic teams like La Vie Claire and Banesto. Stage victories and overall success have been achieved by sprinters from Quick-Step and climbers from Movistar Team, while time trial wins have been recorded by athletes connected to Tony Martin and Tom Dumoulin. The race has served as a proving ground for future Tour de France winners such as Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič when racing for squads like UAE Team Emirates and Team Jumbo–Visma.

Teams and Participation

As part of the UCI World Tour, the event invites all UCI WorldTeams and grants wildcards to UCI ProTeams alongside national selections and composite teams historically tied to organizers like ASO and media partners such as L'Équipe. Prominent teams that have contested the race include Team Sky, Team Sunweb, AG2R La Mondiale, FDJ, Cannondale, Astana, and Katusha–Alpecin. Participation strategy often mirrors Tour de France roster choices, with sports directors from squads such as Joxean Fernández Matxin-led teams selecting domestiques, climbers, and time trialists for tactical preparation, while younger talents from development teams like SEG Racing Academy earn experience.

Race Classification and Jerseys

The overall leader wears a distinctive yellow jersey influenced by the Tour de France tradition; points classification leaders have worn green-style jerseys akin to those seen in Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España while mountain leaders don a polka-dot or similar climber's jersey reflecting ascents like the Col du Galibier. Young rider classification has mirrored white jerseys used in Grand Tours and teams compete for team classification based on cumulative times, a practice consistent with UCI stage race rules. Time bonuses, intermediate sprints, and King of the Mountains points follow codified systems employed in races overseen by Amaury Sport Organisation.

Impact and Significance in Professional Cycling

The race is a critical form indicator ahead of Tour de France selection, influencing contracts negotiated with agencies such as Global Cycling Network management and sponsors like Skoda Auto and LCL. Performance at the race has shaped historical narratives involving figures like Jacques Goddet and tactical evolutions inspired by riders from Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Slovenia. Media coverage from outlets such as Eurosport and France Télévisions amplifies the event's role in season planning for Classics riders and grand tour contenders, while its mountainous terrain continues to provide a laboratory for equipment development by manufacturers like Pinarello, Specialized, Canyon Bicycles, and Shimano.

Category:Cycle races in France