2022 Critérium du Dauphiné Race Preview
The details of this year's 2022 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 important dress rehearsals on the professional cycling calendar, and the 2022 edition promises to be no different. With the Tour de France just weeks away, the race through the French Alps and surrounding regions will give the sport's biggest names a vital opportunity to test their form, their teams, and their legs on some of the most demanding terrain in Europe.
Tadej Pogacar arrives as the dominant force in modern cycling and the overwhelming favourite. The two-time Tour de France champion has been in scintillating form throughout the season, and while he has not always prioritised the Dauphiné in the past, his presence this year signals a serious intent to sharpen his condition ahead of July. His UAE Team Emirates squad will be looking to control proceedings on the climbs, where Pogacar is essentially without equal at the moment.
Jonas Vingegaard represents perhaps the most credible challenger on paper. The Dane impressed enormously at last year's Tour de France, where he pushed Pogacar hard before finishing second, and Jumbo-Visma will be hoping to use this race to further close the gap. Primoz Roglic also rides for the Dutch outfit and adds another layer of complexity to their challenge, with the Slovenian a three-time Vuelta a España champion who is more than capable of winning here himself.
Geraint Thomas brings experience and recent good form to the startlist, and the Welshman will be hoping to remind the peloton and his Ineos Grenadiers team of his Grand Tour credentials ahead of the summer. David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ is another rider worth watching, particularly given his strong results earlier in the season, and he will carry French hopes on roads his team knows well.
The route features several punishing summit finishes that will inevitably sort the general classification contenders from the rest of the field. The finale at La Croix de Fer and other Alpine ascents mean that any pretenders will be quickly exposed, making this a race of genuine substance rather than mere preparation.
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