2020 Critérium du Dauphiné Race Preview
The details of this year's 2020 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 returns in 2020 in a condensed and unusual format, squeezed into the revised racing calendar following the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than the traditional eight-stage format, this year's edition has been trimmed to five stages, taking place in the week before the Tour de France and serving, as always, as one of the most important warm-up races for cycling's greatest event.
The race will take place entirely in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, with the mountains of the Alps providing a brutal and demanding backdrop for what promises to be an intense and compressed battle for overall honours. With so few stages available, there is very little room for error, and the climbers and general classification contenders will need to be at their sharpest from the very first day.
Egan Bernal arrives as one of the favourites, with the defending Tour de France champion looking to put down a marker ahead of his title defence in Paris. The young Colombian has looked sharp in training and will be keen to demonstrate his form on the testing Alpine roads. His Ineos Grenadiers team, as ever, arrive with considerable strength in depth and will look to control the race in their customary fashion.
Jakob Fuglsang of Astana is another serious contender. The Danish rider has been in fine form in recent seasons and his climbing ability makes him well suited to the mountain finishes on offer. He will be eager to challenge for the overall and will have solid team support around him.
Primož Roglič of Jumbo-Visma enters as a man very much in form. The Slovenian has been one of the most consistent and impressive stage racers on the planet in recent years and his combination of climbing and time trial ability makes him a genuine threat for overall victory. His team have invested heavily in building a strong roster and will be looking to challenge Ineos at every opportunity.
Nairo Quintana and Romain Bardet are also expected to feature prominently, with both riders keen to arrive at the Tour de France with confidence boosted by a strong showing. Bardet in particular will be riding in front of home crowds and will have the added motivation that comes with performing on familiar roads.
The stage profiles offer plenty of opportunity for the climbers to shine, with the later stages in particular crossing some punishing mountain terrain. The final stage is expected to be the decisive battleground, with the climbing legs of the general classification contenders likely to be severely tested before the race reaches its conclusion.
With so much at stake in terms of form and morale ahead of the Tour de France, every top contender will be treating this race with the utmost seriousness. The compressed format means that the racing is likely to be aggressive and unpredictable from early on, and fans can expect several days of high-quality and dramatic racing through some of the most spectacular scenery in all of European cycling.
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