The route of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has been unveiled and it’s really a a lot better Dauphiné route than we’ve had in recent times with an actual begin within the coronary heart of the traditional Dauphiné province. So the title change will want some time to sink in.
Right here’s a stage-by-stage look adopted by some notes on the wildcard invitations, TV schedules and doable contenders.
Stage 1 – Sunday 7 June
A begin in Vizille and the race excursions the outskirts of the town of Grenoble taking in climbs on the Vercors, the Chartreuse and the Belledone mountains. The penultimate climb of the Col de Vence has featured within the Dauphiné and Tour de France earlier than, the “Côte de Quaix en Chartreuse” is best often called a lot of the Col de Palaquit to locals. The ultimate climb is new to the race and steep at 8.7% and adopted by an identical descent.
Stage 2 – Monday 8 June
A stage that begins within the Rhone valley after which climbs into the Ardèche, rugged terrain, by way of the Col Robert Marchand, named after the bicycle owner who, on the age of 102 set an hour file of 24.251km and did much more too, particularly to advertise biking on this space. Extra climbs and lumpy roads await earlier than a end in Le Puy. With this race right here and Paris-Good dipping a toe within the Ardèche and the ladies’s Tour having a full stage it’s setting issues up for the boys’s Tour to go to quickly too.
Stage 3 – Tuesday 9 June
A workforce time trial run beneath “Paris-Good” guidelines on roads simply to the east of Roanne. A workforce’s profitable time is taken on the primary rider throughout the road and each rider is credited with the time they took to finish the course. It’s a gown rehearsal for the Tour de France’s opening stage in Barcelona with a rolling course the place groups should handle their riders over the primary half of the course to raised hold their rouleurs for the ultimate 10km again to Perreux. It’s all on comparatively small again roads too.
Stage 4 – Wednesday 10 June
A stage for the sprinters? Probably within the trendy period for riders who can recover from a succession of mountain passes after which deploy their groups to experience down any breakaways within the final 50km however in any other case a very good day for the breakaway.
Stage 5 – Thursday 11 June
True story: hulk sprinter Alexander Kristoff began the Dauphiné a couple of years in the past and didn’t realise there wasn’t a single dash stage to swimsuit till he’d acquired to his resort on the eve of the race and commenced flicking via the race roadbook. This time all of the sprinters discover one stage to swimsuit, assuming sufficient of them have opted to participate. The beginning is hard earlier than the route flattens out and finishes within the wetland space of Les Dombes.
Stage 6 – Friday 12 June
Some déjà vu because the race goes again to the Col du Granier by way of Les Echelles, the geo-located scene of Bernard Hinault’s urination featured on this race two years in the past, and within the girls’s Tour final summer time. Then it’s a touch up the valley to Albertville and to new roads. The Tour was imagined to go to Ugine, Héry and Crest-Voland final summer time on Stage 19 however a bovine illness outbreak and farmer’s protest noticed the route diverted. Because the Tour’s preview ought to have mentioned then the climb to Héry is way steeper and extra irregular than the profile says. After a short descent the climb to Crest-Voland is half of the Col des Saisies and extra déjà vu because it’s the identical climb the place Georg Zimmerman received a stage of the Dauphiné in 2023.
Stage 7 – Saturday 13 June
A troublesome stage with a lot packed into 133km. The opening roads function some small passes on the previous roads of Mandrin, who was both a brigand and smuggler within the 18th century, or France’s model of Robin Hood defying oppression in accordance the accounts you choose. Or each. Then it’s across the Grand Colombier and its sister climb the Col de Richemond. The Richemond is a gradual climb, 7km at 5-6% a lot of the manner and going by the profile above, the “summit” comes on the finish of this lengthy part. There’s a small descent after which extra climbing to the precise cross.
The Grand Colombier was launched to the Dauphiné again in 2012 after which race director Jean-François Pescheux known as it the toughest climb in France. This time they go up from Virieu and it’s tougher the route taken then. It’s 8.4km at 10.2% is difficult sufficient however there’s a twist. There are two routes up this aspect however matching the video from the route presentation with the roads and sure that is the sadistic model with a protracted part at 15% and it apparently peaks 22%. The max gradient is difficult to search out and if exists is transient the purpose is few can inform amid the shaded woodland when the street is already reaching 18%, all this comes within the first half of the climb, the second half is simply exhausting going. This is among the most savage climbs in France and rhymes with Zoncolan.
Stage 8 – Sunday 14 June
The one damaging about this stage is the gap, 120km could possibly be a junior race. However in any other case it’s nice with the scenic and steep Col du Pré to start out after which a extra common descent again to Beaufort from the Col de Méraillet. Subsequent comes the difficult Bisanne climb which is parallel to the Col des Saisies after which the picture-postcard Col des Aravis by way of its steeper aspect. Then comes a protracted descent, a few of it mild to the purpose of being flat to succeed in the foot of the Plateau de Solaison. That is one other Tour de France nod given Stage 15 additionally finishes on the Solaison, the climb final featured within the 2022 Dauphiné, Primož Roglič received the GC arm-in-arm with Jonas Vingegaard who was half a wheel forward to win the stage and extrapolating the physique language the Dane went onto win the Tour; earlier than that Jacob Fuglsang received in 2017 so it’s not a Tour predictor and we’ll see if a non-Danish rider can triumph for a change.
SummaryA extra compact route, this 12 months’s version doesn’t have a solo time trial however as a substitute the workforce time trial provides one other pre-Tour take a look at. The Tour de France at all times looms giant in June and it’s seen right here, notably the Solaison end. It’s additionally a scenic route all through, should you needed to take the week off for a motorcycle packing journey this may do properly, simply pack mild, particularly for the Grand Colombier. There’s by no means a simple model of this race however it is a powerful one from the beginning with the opening day functioning as a difficult mountain stage and just one true dash stage.
Notes
The race has been rebranded as a result of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes area sponsors the race nevertheless it’ll take time to lose the Dauphiné label
The very long time Dauphiné organiser and biking journalist Thierry Cazeneuve died this month and was commemorated on the route presentation immediately, hopefully he will get a becoming tribute throughout the race this June too
The Dauphiné has normally clashed with the Rolland Garros tennis and the result’s FranceTV as the house broadcaster has devoted assets to the tennis and biking followers have needed to accept the final 90 minutes a day of the Dauphiné. However this 12 months the match will probably be performed. We’ll see if protection can present the sooner motion however don’t wager on it
Tudor and Cofidis have taken up their invites to start out, Q36.5 have declined, presumably with the intention to concentrate on their dwelling race of the Tour de Suisse
Wildcards go to Whole Energies… and intriguingly Caja Rural. No invite to Dutch French workforce Unibet Rose Rockets regardless of their flag, promise and native riders Victor Lafay and Colin Savioz. Certainly the normally well-sourced Le Parisien is reporting the French workforce received’t get an invitation to the Tour in July both when wildcards are introduced tomorrow
The Tour de Suisse has been the June rival however the Swiss occasion has been amputated to 5 days making it a extra compact occasion and so much less of a pre-Tour take a look at
However each races don’t overlap so it’s doable to complete the Dauphiné AuRA Tour and begin Suisse
Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, Isaac Del Toro and Cian Uijtdebroeks are the headline names for now. For Evenepoel it’s a vital climbing take a look at forward of the Tour, for Ayuso an opportunity to seize an enormous win and for Del Toro to quietly guarantee he’s greater than a protected rider at UAE come July
In addition to these massive names the outcome can also be inside attain for a pure climber if they’ll experience on the coattails of colleagues within the workforce time trial
