The Critérium du Dauphiné, before 2010 known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, is an annual cycling road race in the Dauphiné region in the southeast of France. The race is run over eight days during the first half of June. It is part of the UCI World Tour calendar and counts as one of the foremost races in the lead-up to the Tour de France in July, along with the Tour de Suisse in the latter half of June.

Critérium du Dauphiné
2024 Critérium du Dauphiné
Race details
DateEarly June
RegionRhône-Alpes, France
Local name(s)Critérium du Dauphiné (in French)
Nickname(s)The Dauphiné
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI World Tour
TypeStage race
OrganiserAmaury Sport Organisation
Race directorBernard Thévenet
Web sitewww.criterium-du-dauphine.fr Edit this at Wikidata
History
First edition1947 (1947)
Editions76 (as of 2024)
First winner Edward Klabiński (POL)
Most wins Nello Lauredi (FRA)
 Luis Ocaña (ESP)
 Charly Mottet (FRA)
 Bernard Hinault (FRA)
 Chris Froome (GBR)
(3 wins each)
Most recent Primož Roglič (SVN)

The race was inaugurated in 1947 by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which served as the event's title sponsor until 2009.[1] Since 2010 the race has been organized by ASO, which also organizes most other prominent French cycling races, notably the Tour de France, Paris–Nice and Paris–Roubaix.[citation needed]

As the Dauphiné is set in the Rhône-Alpes region, part of the French Alps, the race's protagonists are often climbing specialists.[1] Many well-known climbs from the Tour de France – like the Mont Ventoux, the Col du Galibier or Col de la Chartreuse – are regularly addressed in the Dauphiné. Five riders, Nello Lauredi, Luis Ocaña, Charly Mottet, Bernard Hinault and Chris Froome, share the record of most wins, with three each.[2]

History

edit

Creation

edit

The race was created in 1947 by newspaper Le Dauphiné libéré to promote its circulation. After World War II, as cycling recovered from a universal five- or six-year hiatus, the Grenoble-based newspaper decided to create and organize a cycling stage race covering the Dauphiné region. The race was named after the newspaper and set in June, prior to the Tour de France. Polish rider Edward Klabiński won the inaugural edition.[2]

Because of its mountainous route and date on the calendar, the race served as preparation for the Tour de France by French cyclists. French cycling icons Jean Robic and Louison Bobet used the Dauphiné Libéré as the ultimate stage race in their build-up towards the Tour de France.[citation needed]

The event was discontinued for two years in 1967 and 1968. The current form of the Critérium du Dauphiné is the consequence of a merger with the Circuit des Six-Provinces-Dauphiné in 1969. For many years, the organization of the Dauphiné was shared between the newspaper publishers and ASO. In 2010, the newspaper ceded all organizational responsibility to ASO, and the race's name was abbreviated to Critérium du Dauphiné.[citation needed]

For many decades, the race has also served as a test for both bike manufacturers to test advanced equipment, and for TV broadcasters preparing the Tour de France, as TV coverage is difficult in the mountainous region.[citation needed]

World Tour Event

edit
 
Bradley Wiggins (in the yellow jersey) and Jean-Christophe Péraud during the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné.

In the 1990s the race was categorized as a UCI 2.HC event, cycling's highest-rated stage races behind the Grand Tours.[3] In 2005 it was included in the inaugural UCI Pro Tour and in 2011 in its successor, the UCI World Tour.

The Critérium du Dauphiné is the only race that was won by all the quintuple winners of the Tour de France, namely Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin. Eleven racers have also won the race and the Tour de France in the same year: Louison Bobet in 1955; Anquetil in 1963; Merckx in 1971; Luis Ocaña in 1973; Bernard Thévenet in 1975; Hinault in 1979 and 1981; Induráin in 1995; Bradley Wiggins in 2012; Chris Froome in 2013, 2015, and 2016; Geraint Thomas in 2018 and Jonas Vingegaard in 2023. Lance Armstrong won the race in 2002 and 2003, but was retroactively stripped of his titles in 2013, in the wake of the protracted doping scandal.[4][5][6]

Route

edit
 
Route of the 2011 race

The Dauphiné is raced over 8 days in the Rhône-Alpes region in the southeast of France, traditionally covering portions of the French Alps. The race has often, but not always, started with an opening prologue on Sunday. The Monday and Tuesday stages are usually held in the lower hilly regions of Rhône-Alpes, before addressing the high mountains in the second half of the Dauphiné. Often there is one long individual or team time trial included.[1]

Benefiting from its location and place on the calendar, race organizers often feature a mountain stage with a route that is nearly identical to what the Tour will trace one month later.[1]

Grenoble, the capital of the Dauphiné region, has hosted the start or finish of a stage most often. Other cities regularly hosting a stage are Avignon, Saint-Étienne, Annecy, Chambéry, Gap, Lyon, Aix-les-Bains, Valence, Briançon and Vals-les-Bains.[citation needed]

Jerseys

edit
 
Jersey wearers at the 2011 event

The leader of the general classification wears a yellow jersey with a blue band, distinct from the other racers. In 1948, a mountains classification was added, which as of 2017 gives a polka-dot jersey to the leader. In 1955, a points classification was added, which gives a green jersey to the leader.[citation needed]

Winners

edit
Year Country Rider Team
1947   Poland Edward Klabiński Mercier–Hutchinson
1948   France Édouard Fachleitner La Perle–Hutchinson
1949   France Lucien Lazaridès France Sport–Dunlop
1950   France Nello Lauredi Helyett–Hutchinson
1951   France Nello Lauredi Helyett–Hutchinson
1952   France Jean Dotto France Sport
1953   France Lucien Teisseire Terrot–Hutchinson
1954   France Nello Lauredi Terrot–Hutchinson
1955   France Louison Bobet Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1956   Belgium Alex Close Elvé–Peugeot
1957   France Marcel Rohrbach Peugeot–BP–Dunlop
1958   France Louis Rostollan Essor–Leroux
1959   France Henry Anglade Liberia–Hutchinson
1960   France Jean Dotto Liberia–Grammont
1961   Great Britain Brian Robinson Rapha–Gitane–Dunlop
1962   France Raymond Mastrotto Gitane–Leroux–Dunlop–R. Geminiani
1963   France Jacques Anquetil Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–R. Geminiani
1964   Spain Valentín Uriona Kas–Kaskol
1965   France Jacques Anquetil Ford France–Gitane
1966   France Raymond Poulidor Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1969   France Raymond Poulidor Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1970   Spain Luis Ocaña Bic
1971   Belgium Eddy Merckx Molteni
1972   Spain Luis Ocaña Bic
1973   Spain Luis Ocaña Bic
1974   France Alain Santy Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson
1975   France Bernard Thévenet Peugeot–BP–Michelin
1976   France Bernard Thévenet Peugeot–Esso–Michelin
1977   France Bernard Hinault Gitane–Campagnolo
1978   Belgium Michel Pollentier Old Lord's–Splendor–K.S.B.
1979   France Bernard Hinault Renault–Gitane
1980   Netherlands Johan van der Velde TI–Raleigh–Creda
1981   France Bernard Hinault Renault–Elf–Gitane
1982   France Michel Laurent Peugeot–Shell–Michelin
1983   United States Greg LeMond[Note 1] Renault–Elf
1984   Colombia Martín Ramírez Système U
1985   Australia Phil Anderson Panasonic–Raleigh
1986    Switzerland Urs Zimmermann Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
1987   France Charly Mottet Système U
1988   Colombia Luis Herrera Café de Colombia
1989   France Charly Mottet RMO
1990   Great Britain Robert Millar Z–Tomasso
1991   Colombia Luis Herrera Postobón–Manzana–Ryalcao
1992   France Charly Mottet RMO
1993    Switzerland Laurent Dufaux ONCE
1994    Switzerland Laurent Dufaux ONCE
1995   Spain Miguel Induráin Banesto
1996   Spain Miguel Induráin Banesto
1997   Germany Udo Bölts Team Telekom
1998   France Armand de Las Cuevas Banesto
1999   Kazakhstan Alexander Vinokourov Casino–Ag2r Prévoyance
2000   United States Tyler Hamilton U.S. Postal Service
2001   France Christophe Moreau Festina
2002 Result void[Note 2][7]
2003 Result void[Note 3][7]
2004   Spain Iban Mayo Euskaltel–Euskadi
2005   Spain Iñigo Landaluze Euskaltel–Euskadi
2006 Result void[Note 4][8]
2007   France Christophe Moreau AG2R Prévoyance
2008   Spain Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne
2009   Spain Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne
2010   Slovenia Janez Brajkovič Team RadioShack
2011   Great Britain Bradley Wiggins Team Sky
2012   Great Britain Bradley Wiggins Team Sky
2013   Great Britain Chris Froome Team Sky
2014   United States Andrew Talansky Garmin–Sharp
2015   Great Britain Chris Froome Team Sky
2016   Great Britain Chris Froome Team Sky
2017   Denmark Jakob Fuglsang Astana
2018   Great Britain Geraint Thomas Team Sky
2019   Denmark Jakob Fuglsang Astana
2020   Colombia Daniel Martínez EF Pro Cycling
2021   Australia Richie Porte Ineos Grenadiers
2022   Slovenia Primož Roglič Team Jumbo–Visma
2023   Denmark Jonas Vingegaard Team Jumbo–Visma
2024   Slovenia Primož Roglič Bora–Hansgrohe

Multiple winners

edit

Riders in italic are still active

Wins Rider Editions
3
  Nello Lauredi (FRA) 1950, 1951, 1954
  Luis Ocaña (ESP) 1970, 1972, 1973
  Bernard Hinault (FRA) 1977, 1979, 1981
  Charly Mottet (FRA) 1987, 1989, 1992
  Chris Froome (GBR) 2013, 2015, 2016
2
  Jean Dotto (FRA) 1952 + 1960
  Jacques Anquetil (FRA) 1963 + 1965
  Raymond Poulidor (FRA) 1966 + 1969
  Bernard Thévenet (FRA) 1975 + 1976
  Luis Herrera (COL) 1988 + 1991
  Laurent Dufaux (SUI) 1993 + 1994
  Miguel Induráin (ESP) 1995 + 1996
  Lance Armstrong (USA) 2002 + 2003
  Christophe Moreau (FRA) 2001 + 2007
  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) 2008 + 2009
  Bradley Wiggins (GBR) 2011 + 2012
  Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) 2017 + 2019
  Primož Roglič (SLO) 2022 + 2024

Wins per country

edit

There have been 76 editions since 1947. Three editions (2002, 2003 and 2006) have been stripped of their initial winners Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer. Organizer ASO intends to keep these results voided.[citation needed]

Wins Country
30
  France
10
  Spain
8
  Great Britain
4
  Colombia
3
  Belgium
  Denmark
  Switzerland
  United States
  Slovenia
2
  Australia
1
  Germany
  Kazakhstan
  Netherlands
  Poland

Notes

edit
  1. ^ The initial winner, Frenchman Pascal Simon was disqualified after a positive doping test.
  2. ^ The initial winner, American Lance Armstrong was disqualified and stripped of his win after the findings of a USADA investigation.
  3. ^ The initial winner, American Lance Armstrong was disqualified and stripped of his win after the findings of a USADA investigation.
  4. ^ The initial winner, American Levi Leipheimer was disqualified after the findings of a USADA investigation.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Hood, Andrew. "Dauphine preview: Mountainous route could be anyone's race". Velo News. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Histoire - Le palmarès depuis 1947". letour.fr (in French). ASO. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  3. ^ "50th Dauphine Libere, Cat HC. France, June 7-14, 1998". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Lance Armstrong's record will be 'obliterated' says WADA chief". The Guardian. London. Reuters. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Lance Armstrong Receives Lifetime Ban And Disqualification Of Competitive Results For Doping Violations Stemming From His Involvement In The United States Postal Service Pro-Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy". USADA. August 24, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  6. ^ "Press Release: UCI's statement on Lance Armstrong's decision". UCI Press Services. August 24, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  7. ^ a b "Lance Armstrong: Governing body strips American of Tour wins". BBC News. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  8. ^ Benson, Daniel (10 October 2012). "Six former Armstrong USPS teammates receive bans from USADA". Cycling News. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
edit