It’s a race that Bradley Wiggins has won twice, 2011 & 2012, and the route for the Critérium du Dauphiné 2013 was unveiled in Lyon this morning with plenty of mountains to challenge the 2013 contenders
![]() |
The route for the Critérium du Dauphiné 2013 was unveiled in Lyon this morning and there’s a particularly mountainous challenge that will start for the first time in Switzerland.
The worlds best in cycling will pay a visit to the Alpe d’Huez during the stage finishing in Superdévoluy that is likely to be decisive. The week of racing on the Dauphiné will again play its role of revealing the ambitions and performances of the main players expected on Le Tour de France later this year.
However, traditions have been shaken up somewhat for the route of the 65th edition. For the first time in its history, the start of the Critérium du Dauphiné will take place in Switzerland. The race will be making a return to the country, having already been there for a stage finish in Geneva in 2002.
The race will not just be innovating in geographical terms, because on 2nd June, the first day of racing will not be devoted to a prologue, but to a first stage that will already set the ultra-mountainous tone of the edition, with a 121 kilometre loop in the Abondance mounts and valleys, starting from Champéry.
On this hilly terrain, the sprinters may perhaps have a chance to shine in Oyonnax and/or Tarare, whilst the all-rounders could take pride of place on the time-trial at the Parc des Oiseaux. However, the major confrontations are expected to take place between the climbers, who will be hitting the heights as from the finish at the resort of Valmorel, for the 5th stage. Two days later, the mountain specialists will tackle the 21 bends of the road leading up to l’Alpe d’Huez, which they will cross to reach the Col de Sarenne pass (at an altitude of 1,966 m), before becoming the first riders in a competitive event to try and tame the dizzying and tricky decent into Le Freney d’Oisans.
It is a unique opportunity to prepare for the 18th stage of the Tour de France, but it will also be necessary to keep some energy in reserve for the final challenge of the day: shortly after climbing over the Col du Noyer pass, the final outcome should start to take shape at Superdévoluy. The places on the podium may be won on this day, but attacks could still be fruitful on the climbs on the final stage.
As the peloton tackles the road to the Col de Vars pass and the last forty kilometres of the race, there will only be one flat portion left before the finish of the race in the resort of Risoul.
The stages on the programme:
– Sunday 2nd June, stage 1: Champéry-Champéry, 121 km
– Monday 3rd June, stage 2: Châtel – Oyonnax, 183 km
– Tuesday 4th June, stage 3: Ambérieu-en-Bugey – Tarare, 164 km
– Wednesday 5th June, stage 4: Villars-les-Dombes – Parc des Oiseaux, 32.5 km (individual time-trial).
– Thursday 6thJune, stage 5: Grésy-sur-Aix – Valmorel, 139 km
– Friday 7th June, stage 6: La Léchère – Grenoble, 141.5 km
– Saturday 8th June, stage 7: Le Pont-de-Claix – Superdévoluy, 184 km
– Sunday 9th June, stage 8: Sisteron -Risoul, 152 km
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Wout van Aert getting back into form
- Next Sunday: Paris-Nice is Back
- Q&A: Domini Radway-Fatuga (16)
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Win for Mads Pedersen
- Drôme Classic: Solo triumph for Andrea Bagioli
- Hannah Barnes 5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- News: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 (Men)
- UAE Tour: Final Stage (7)
- UAE Tour: Stage 6 – Win for Bennett
- Feature Interview: Jack Rees (Ribble Weldtite)
- UAE Tour: Stage 5
- Giro: Simon Yates Fights for Pink
- Giro 2021: Mollema, Ciccone and Nibali Reactions
- CAMS-Tifosi for Healthy Ageing Tour 2021
- UAE Tour: Stage 4
- News: New Head of Creative at Ribble Cycles
- UAE Tour: Stage 3
- News: Cavendish for Le Samyn
- Interview: John Archibald
- This weekend: Deceuninck – Quick-Step
- 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Route
- UAE Tour – Stage 2 Time Trial
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var: Stage 3
- UAE Tour: First win to Mathieu van der Poel
- Central Region Junior RR Team Manager
- Tour Du Var – Stage 2
- Team News: Win for Mollema at Haut Var
- News: Tour Du Var – Stage 1
- News: Elite Status Changes
- News: Deceuninck – Quick-Step to UAE Tour
- Feature Interview: Alexandar Richardson (Alpecin-Fenix)
- News: Quintana Back Racing
- News: UAE Tour: Provisional Riders List
- News: Wout van Aert Training in Tenerife
- News: Quickstep off to Spain to train
- News: Alaphilippe’s On form for 2021 Targets
- News: 2021 Women’s Tour Postponed
- Q&A: Martha Lebentz (Team Tofauti Everyone Active)
- Tour de Provence – Second for World Champ Alaphilippe
- Former winners Perfs Pedal Road Race
Other News on VeloUK
- Wout van Aert getting back into form
- Next Sunday: Paris-Nice is Back
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Win for Mads Pedersen
- Drôme Classic: Solo triumph for Andrea Bagioli
- Hannah Barnes 5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- News: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 (Men)
- UAE Tour: Final Stage (7)
- UAE Tour: Stage 6 – Win for Bennett
- UAE Tour: Stage 5
- Giro: Simon Yates Fights for Pink
- Giro 2021: Mollema, Ciccone and Nibali Reactions
- CAMS-Tifosi for Healthy Ageing Tour 2021
- UAE Tour: Stage 4
- News: New Head of Creative at Ribble Cycles
- UAE Tour: Stage 3
- News: Cavendish for Le Samyn
- Interview: John Archibald
- This weekend: Deceuninck – Quick-Step
- 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Route
- UAE Tour – Stage 2 Time Trial
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var: Stage 3
- UAE Tour: First win to Mathieu van der Poel
- Central Region Junior RR Team Manager
- Tour Du Var – Stage 2
- Team News: Win for Mollema at Haut Var
- News: Tour Du Var – Stage 1
- News: Elite Status Changes
- News: Deceuninck – Quick-Step to UAE Tour
- News: Quintana Back Racing
- News: UAE Tour: Provisional Riders List
- News: Wout van Aert Training in Tenerife
- News: Quickstep off to Spain to train
- News: Alaphilippe’s On form for 2021 Targets
- News: 2021 Women’s Tour Postponed
- Tour de Provence – Second for World Champ Alaphilippe
- Former winners Perfs Pedal Road Race
- News: Drops 2021 Calendar
- INFO: 2021 Vuelta Stages
- News: Two from Two for Davide Ballerini
- News: Ballerini strikes on Provence opening day