A mountainous route has been unveiled for the 2014 edition of the Criterium du Dauphine, with Chris Froome (Team Sky) set to return to the race he won en-route to his Tour de France victory in 2013.
Froome will bid to replicate team-mate Bradley Wiggins, winner in 2011 and 2012, by defending the title he won last year, while Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) are also penciled in for the Tour de France warm-up race.
The 66th edition of the Criterium du Dauphine will offer plenty of opportunity for Tour contenders to land an early psychological blow, with a demanding route unveiled at the Rhone-Alpes Regional Council in Lyon.
This year’s race, which will start on Sunday June 8, begins with a short 10km individual time trial in Lyon, before the first general classification shake-up on the opening road stage, which finishes atop the Col du Beal, a 13.6km climb with an average gradient of 6.6 per cent.
Two sprinter-friendly stages follow, while the undulating route to Gap for stage four could pave the way for an escape to stay clear.
Stage five presents another tough finish, with the 6.3km ascent of the Cote de Laffrey also set to be decisive in the deciding the destination of the yellow jersey.
The penultimate stage heads into Switzerland, with the leg-sapping ascent of the Col de la Forclaz, a fearsome 12.6km climb with an average gradient of 8.2 per cent, followed by a summit finish on Finhaut-Emosson (10.2km at eight per cent).
And the race concludes with a short, punchy 130.5km stage from Megeve to Courchevel, which features three category one climbs on the route, with whoever is in the yellow jersey to face one final battle to retain their overall lead to the end.
Criterium du Dauphine 2014
Sunday June 8: stage one – Lyon to Lyon, 10km individual time trial
Monday June 9: stage two – Tarare to Col du Beal, 158.5km
Tuesday June 10: stage three – Ambert to Le Teil, 194km
Wednesday June 11: stage four – Motelimar to Gao, 169.5km
Thursday June 12: stage five – Sisteron to La Mure, 184km
Friday June 13: stage six – Grenoble to Poisy, 168km
Saturday June 14: stage seven – Ville-la-Grand to Finaut-Emosson, 161.5km
Sunday June 15: stage eight – Megeve to Courchevel, 130.5km
