2019 Critérium du Dauphiné Race Preview
The details of this year's 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The Critérium du Dauphiné has long served as one of the most reliable pointers to form ahead of the Tour de France, and the 2019 edition promises to be no different as a collection of the sport's finest climbers and all-rounders descend on the roads of southeastern France for eight days of intense racing through the Alps.
The route this year offers a demanding mix of terrain, with the race building toward a brutal final weekend that will almost certainly decide the overall classification. The opening stages provide opportunities for the sprinters and breakaway artists, but the race only truly comes alive once the roads begin to climb in earnest, and the summit finishes in the latter half of the week will expose any weaknesses in the general classification contenders.
Geraint Thomas arrives as one of the pre-race favourites following his Tour de France victory in 2018, and the Welshman will be eager to show that his form is developing nicely in the weeks before cycling's greatest race. His Sky teammate Chris Froome, a four-time Tour winner, is also expected to be a prominent figure, though the Dauphiné represents something of a comeback stage given his lengthy recovery from the horrific crash he suffered at last year's race.
Jakob Fuglsang of Astana has been in excellent form throughout 2019 and must be considered among the genuine contenders for the overall title. The Dane showed at the Ardennes classics that his climbing and racing intelligence are functioning at the highest level, and the Alpine terrain should suit him well.
Nairo Quintana and Emmanuel Buchmann are also names to watch, while Thibaut Pinot, always a rider with something to prove in stage races of this calibre, could be dangerous if he arrives with the confidence his talent deserves. Richie Porte, a former winner of this race, knows these roads intimately and will be motivated to remind the peloton of his capabilities ahead of July.
The sprinters will want to make their presence felt early in the week, and Caleb Ewan and Dylan Groenewegen are likely to contest fast finishes on the flatter days before the peloton heads toward higher ground.
Ultimately this race shapes up as a fascinating early examination of Tour de France ambitions, and the riders who emerge from the Dauphiné with their legs and confidence intact will carry real momentum into the most important three weeks of the cycling calendar.
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