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Critérium du Dauphiné
Current event 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné
Critérium du Dauphiné logo.svg
Race details
Date Early June
Region Rhône-Alpes, France
Local name(s) Critérium du Dauphiné
Nickname(s) The Dauphiné
Discipline Road
Competition UCI World Tour
Type Stage race
Organiser Amaury Sport Organisation
Race director Bernard Thévenet
History
First edition 1947 (1947)
Editions 76 (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 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.

The race was inaugurated in 1947 by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which served as the event's title sponsor until 2009. 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.

As the Dauphiné is set in the Rhône-Alpes region, part of the French Alps, the race's protagonists are often climbing specialists. 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.

History

Creation

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.

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.

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.

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.

World Tour Event

Braddley Wiggins et Jean Christophe Péraud
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. 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.

Route

Route Critérium du Dauphiné
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.

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.

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.

Jerseys

Critérium du Dauphiné 2011 - Départ Pontcharra
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.

Winners

Rider Team
1947 Poland Klabinski, EdwardEdward Klabiński Mercier–Hutchinson
1948 France Fachleitner, EdouardÉdouard Fachleitner La Perle–Hutchinson
1949 France Lazaridès, LucienLucien Lazaridès France Sport–Dunlop
1950 France Lauredi, NelloNello Lauredi Helyett–Hutchinson
1951 France Lauredi, NelloNello Lauredi Helyett–Hutchinson
1952 France Dotto, JeanJean Dotto France Sport
1953 France Teisseire, LucienLucien Teisseire Terrot–Hutchinson
1954 France Lauredi, NelloNello Lauredi Terrot–Hutchinson
1955 France Bobet, LouisonLouison Bobet Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1956 Belgium Close, AlexAlex Close Elvé–Peugeot
1957 France Rohrbach, MarcelMarcel Rohrbach Peugeot–BP–Dunlop
1958 France Rostollan, LouisLouis Rostollan Essor–Leroux
1959 France Anglade, HenryHenry Anglade Liberia–Hutchinson
1960 France Dotto, JeanJean Dotto Liberia–Grammont
1961 United Kingdom Robinson, BrianBrian Robinson Rapha–Gitane–Dunlop
1962 France Mastrotto, RaymondRaymond Mastrotto Gitane–Leroux–Dunlop–R. Geminiani
1963 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–R. Geminiani
1964 Spain Uriona, ValentinValentín Uriona Kas–Kaskol
1965 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil Ford France–Gitane
1966 France Poulidor, RaymondRaymond Poulidor Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1969 France Poulidor, RaymondRaymond Poulidor Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1970 Spain Ocana, LuisLuis Ocaña Bic
1971 Belgium Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx Molteni
1972 Spain Ocana, LuisLuis Ocaña Bic
1973 Spain Ocana, LuisLuis Ocaña Bic
1974 France Santy, AlainAlain Santy Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson
1975 France Thevenet, BernardBernard Thévenet Peugeot–BP–Michelin
1976 France Thevenet, BernardBernard Thévenet Peugeot–Esso–Michelin
1977 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault Gitane–Campagnolo
1978 Belgium Pollentier, MichelMichel Pollentier Old Lord's–Splendor–K.S.B.
1979 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault Renault–Gitane
1980 Netherlands van der Velde, JohanJohan van der Velde TI–Raleigh–Creda
1981 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault Renault–Elf–Gitane
1982 France Laurent, MichelMichel Laurent Peugeot–Shell–Michelin
1983 United States Lemond, GregGreg LeMond Renault–Elf
1984 Colombia Ramirez, MartinMartín Ramírez Système U
1985 Australia Anderson, PhilPhil Anderson Panasonic–Raleigh
1986 Switzerland Zimmermann, UrsUrs Zimmermann Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
1987 France Mottet, CharlyCharly Mottet Système U
1988 Colombia Herrera, LuisLuis Herrera Café de Colombia
1989 France Mottet, CharlyCharly Mottet RMO
1990 United Kingdom Millar, RobertRobert Millar Z–Tomasso
1991 Colombia Herrera, LuisLuis Herrera Postobón–Manzana–Ryalcao
1992 France Mottet, CharlyCharly Mottet RMO
1993 Switzerland Dufaux, LaurentLaurent Dufaux ONCE
1994 Switzerland Dufaux, LaurentLaurent Dufaux ONCE
1995 Spain Induráin, MiguelMiguel Induráin Banesto
1996 Spain Induráin, MiguelMiguel Induráin Banesto
1997 Germany Bolts, UdoUdo Bölts Germany Team Telekom
1998 France de Las Cuevas, ArmandArmand de Las Cuevas Banesto
1999 Kazakhstan Vinokourov, AlexanderAlexander Vinokourov Casino–Ag2r Prévoyance
2000 United States Hamilton, TylerTyler Hamilton U.S. Postal Service
2001 France Moreau, ChristopheChristophe Moreau Festina
2002 Result void
2003 Result void
2004 Spain Mayo, IbanIban Mayo Euskaltel–Euskadi
2005 Spain Landaluze, InigoIñigo Landaluze Euskaltel–Euskadi
2006 Result void
2007 France Moreau, ChristopheChristophe Moreau AG2R Prévoyance
2008 Spain Valverde, AlejandroAlejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne
2009 Spain Valverde, AlejandroAlejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne
2010 Slovenia Brajkovic, JanezJanez Brajkovič Team RadioShack
2011 United Kingdom Wiggins, BradleyBradley Wiggins Team Sky
2012 United Kingdom Wiggins, BradleyBradley Wiggins Team Sky
2013 United Kingdom Froome, ChrisChris Froome Team Sky
2014 United States Talansky, AndrewAndrew Talansky Garmin–Sharp
2015 United Kingdom Froome, ChrisChris Froome Team Sky
2016 United Kingdom Froome, ChrisChris Froome Team Sky
2017 Denmark Fuglsang, JakobJakob Fuglsang Astana
2018 United Kingdom Thomas, GeraintGeraint Thomas Team Sky
2019 Denmark Fuglsang, JakobJakob Fuglsang Astana
2020 Colombia Martinez, DanielDaniel Martínez EF Pro Cycling
2021 Australia Porte, RichieRichie Porte Ineos Grenadiers
2022 Slovenia Roglič, PrimožPrimož Roglič Team Jumbo–Visma
2023 Denmark Vingegaard, JonasJonas Vingegaard Team Jumbo–Visma
2024 Slovenia Roglič, PrimožPrimož Roglič Bora–Hansgrohe

Multiple winners

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

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.

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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Critérium del Dauphiné para niños

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