Key points:
 154 riders from 22 teams compose the start list of the 71st Critérium du Dauphiné. Pre-race favourites are Chris Froome, Jakob Fuglsang, Romain Bardet, Michal Kwiatkowski, Adam Yates, Dan Martin, Richie Porte, Thibaut Pinot, Nairo Quintana, Tom Dumoulin, Steven Kruijswijk and Michael Woods.
 The route includes a 26.1km individual time trial on stage 4 in Roanne and three mountain stages to finish with. Two to three stages suit the sprinters. Sam Bennett, André Greipel, Sonny Colbrelli, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Alvaro Hodeg and Nacer Bouhanni are in contention.
 Unprecedented lumpy start in the Cantal province.
STATISTICALLY, TOUR DE FRANCE WINNERS GEAR UP AT THE DAUPHINÉ

The star-studded start list of the 71st Critérium du Dauphiné features two former winners – Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016) and this year’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège victor Jakob Fuglsang (2017) – and regular stage or GC top contenders of the event like current world’s number 1 Julian Alaphilippe, Richie Porte, Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot, Adam Yates, Michal Kwiatkowski, Dan Martin but also some newcomers, or sort of, despite their strong experience at the highest level of cycling.

Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, 29, returns to the Dauphiné for the first time since he won stage 6 to Morzine in his only participation up to date in 2012 as a neo pro. Dutchmen Tom Dumoulin, 28, and Steven Kruijswijk, 32, have never taken part in the Dauphiné so far. Same goes for Canada’s Michael Woods, 32, but the former runner took up cycling very late and only joined the WorldTour in 2016. A bronze medallist at the world championship and a Vuelta a España stage winner last year, he’s also scheduled to line up at the Tour de France for the first time this year.

These riders might be aware of an interesting statistics: in the past thirteen years, all Tour de France winners had taken part in the Critérium du Dauphiné the month before at the exception of Andy Schleck in 2010 but Alberto Contador who received the yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées in Paris before being disqualified finished second at the Dauphiné and won stage 7 to L’Alpe d’Huez that year.

UPS AND DOWNS TO START WITH
The Critérium du Dauphiné is unprecedented in the Cantal province. The lumpy terrain enables the organizers to begin the race with two undulated stages rather than an inaugural time trial. Stage 1 scheduled on Sunday from Aurillac to Jussac (142km) features the ascent to the Puy-Mary. It opens the race to different types of riders who can target the first leader’s jersey, according to race technical director Gilles Maignan who explained: “The Puy-Mary might be a bit far away from the finish but it can inspire many rider because the stage is fairly short with a final circuit that is likely to generate an interesting dynamics. However, I believe that stage 2 (from Mauriac to Craponne-sur-Arzon, 180km) has even more pitfalls, especially because of a hilly first part deprived of any respite. If it rains as well, this day can be particularly demanding. If I was the sport director of one of the favourites, I’d target stage 2. Even if the gaps are small on that day, they might be decisive at the end of the Critérium du Dauphiné.” Stage 1 will kick off in Aurillac, cours Monthyon, at 11am.

ROMAIN BARDET: “TIME LOST IN THE TIME TRIAL WILL BE HARD TO RECOVER”
Twice on the final podium of the Dauphiné (2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2018), Romain Bardet starts on home soil in the Auvergne region this time around. “This year, there isn’t a three-part work in the Alps like we usually have. So I’m not sure if there’ll be any possibility to turn the race upside down. The time trial is tailor-made for specialists. It’ll be hard to recover the time lost to them. I may not be able to target a high position overall as in previous years but I need to race at this level to test myself. I’m a bit in the unknown. My state of form is lower than usually at this time of the year but I’ll certainly know more about myself in one week from now.”

CHRIS FROOME IS READY TO WIN AGAIN, SAYS TEAM INEOS
Servais Knaven, sport director of Team Ineos, spoke to criterium-du-dauphine.fr on the eve of stage 1. “The Dauphiné is always an important race for us”, the Dutchman said. “It’s important to see how the guys are, looking towards the Tour and comparing with the other guys. Of course, we’re gonna try to get the best result. Training is always different than racing. We want to win the overall but getting this group work together for the Tour de France is our priority. The time trial is a long one. There’ll be some time gaps. After that, we’ll decide the tactic but looking at the first few stages, we have to be ready from day 1. Chris [Froome] is in a good shape but he hasn’t raced a lot lately. He’s ready to do a good race and we hope we can win it.”

TOM DUMOULIN TO TEST HIS KNEE
The 2018 Tour de France runner up Tom Dumoulin is a late inclusion on the start list. He’s using the Dauphiné as a test for his left knee he injured in stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia. “I still have some fluid in the knee and the cartilage is a bit damaged”, the Dutchman said. “I was able to train last week but not pain free. I’ll take a day by day approach to figure out what I can hope for at the Tour de France.”
@ASO

Key points:
 The 71st edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which will get going in Aurillac (Cantal) on 9 June and come to an end in the Swiss town of Champéry after eight days of racing, will start with favourable terrain for punchers such as Julien Alaphilippe and Wout van Aert and then transition to sprinter-friendly stages for the likes of Nacer Bouhanni, André Greipel, Álvaro Hodeg and Sam Bennett.
 Once the race gets to the Alps, the pretenders to the crown and future Tour de France podium contenders will duke it out in a clash of titans. Three-time Dauphiné winner Chris Froome will face opposition from the usual suspects, including Jakob Fuglsang, Romain Bardet, Dan Martin and Richie Porte, as well as riders such as Thibaut Pinot and Nairo Quintana, who are coming back to the race with even loftier ambitions.
Barring any surprises, everyone knows what awaits the victor of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Four times in the last six years, the winner has gone on to stand on the top step of the podium of the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées. Chris Froome followed this path in three of his four Tour wins so far… and intends to tread it again in his bid to become a member of the five-time winners‘ club by the end of July. The Brit has been far less prolific in 2019 than in previous seasons (with no victories so far), while the heightened aspirations of other riders in the recently renamed Ineos team further complicate the matter. A new win here would go a long way towards bolstering „Froomey“ as a credible contender, but on the roads between Aurillac and Champéry he will come up against many pretenders who already know what it is to stand on the podium and are also eager to make an impression in the Alps. Another former winner, Jakob Fuglsang, has got even stronger since 2017, with a series of rock-solid performances during the classics campaign culminating in victory in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. The Dane’s show of strength in Belgium will make him a marked man in the mountains, especially for Richie Porte, who saw Fuglsang snatch overall victory from him with an eleventh-hour move two years ago. Although the rider from Down Under has struggled in previous seasons, he seemed in his element in the Tour of California (fourth) and could bring down the hammer in the stage 4 time trial around Roanne if he gets his mojo back.
After surviving the tricky roads of the Cantal department and limiting the damage in the race against the clock, climbers will finally get their chance to shine in the last three stages. Romain Bardet and Dan Martin, for example, have both finished on the podium twice, while Adam Yates came in second last year. However, the regular Dauphiné crowd will be facing top-notch rivals who are returning to the race this year. Thibaut Pinot laid the groundwork for his comeback with victory in the Tour de l’Ain, while Nairo Quintana went toe to toe with Egan Bernal in Paris–Nice and proved himself a credible contender for his first appearance since 2012, when he took the stage to Morzine. Time for a great comeback story.

22 teams, main contenders (as of 31 May):
Australia
Mitchelton–Scott: A. Yates (GBR) and Impey (RSA)
Bahrain
Bahrain–Merida: Colbrelli (ITA) and Teuns (BEL)
Belgium
Deceuninck–Quick-Step: Alaphilippe (FRA), Gilbert (BEL), Hodeg (COL) and Štybar (CZE)
Lotto–Soudal: Marczyński (POL) and Lambrecht (BEL)
Wanty–Gobert Cycling Team: G. Martin (FRA) and Eiking (NOR)
France
Ag2r–La Mondiale: Bardet, Geniez (FRA) and Naesen (BEL)
Groupama–FDJ: Pinot, Gaudu, Molard (FRA) and Reichenbach (CHE)
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits: Bouhanni (FRA) and Atapuma (COL)
Team Arkéa–Samsic: Barguil (FRA) and Greipel (DEU)
Vital Concept–B&B Hotels: Rolland and Pacher (FRA)
Germany
Team Sunweb: Fröhlinger (DEU) and C. Pedersen (DEN)
Bora–Hansgrohe: Bennett (IRL), Großschartner (AUT), Buchmann and Schachmann (DEU)
Kazakhstan
Astana Pro Team: Fuglsang, Cort Nielsen (DEN), G. Izagirre, I. Izagirre (ESP) and Lutsenko (KAZ)
Netherlands
Team Jumbo–Visma: Kruijswijk (NLD) and Van Aert (BEL)
Poland
CCC Team: De Marchi (ITA), Pauwels (BEL) and Ten Dam (NLD)
South Africa
Team Dimension Data: Boasson Hagen (NOR) and Cummings (GBR)
Spain
Movistar Team: Quintana (COL) and Erviti (ESP)
Switzerland
Team Katusha-Alpecin: Politt (DEU)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Martin (IRL) and Sutherland (AUS)
United Kingdom
Team Ineos: Froome (GBR), Kwiatkowski (POL), Moscon (ITA) and Poels (NLD)
United States
EF Education First: Van Garderen (USA), Woods (CAN) and Bettiol (ITA)
Trek–Segafredo: Porte (AUS), Skujiņš (LAT)

Key points:
 The details of the route for the 71st edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné were revealed this morning in Lyon at the headquarters of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council, in the presence of its President Laurent Wauquiez and Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France.
 On 9th June, the race will start in the French Department of Cantal for the very first time and will follow a 1,200-kilometre long route full of new roads and places, leading the pack to the Swiss ski resort of Champéry on 16th June.
 Less than a month before the start of the Tour de France, favourites such as Chris Froome, Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot, Richie Porte, Jakob Fuglsang, Daniel Martin, Adam Yates and Julian Alaphilippe will ride on somewhat unaccustomed mountain roads to test themselves against each other and maybe try and spring a surprise.

The Dauphiné is often a race for rivals to come together before giving way to unrelenting contests over several terrains, as a foretaste of what is to come on the roads of the Tour de France. This year, the scene has mainly been set for the riders to embark on new challenges. To begin with, for what is traditionally a week in the Alps, the organisers have thrown a curve-ball by placing the start in the Cantal for the first time. On the very first stage, the riders will have to tackle genuine climbs that will set an eventful tone for the week: after climbing the Puy Mary, the stage victory will be contested on a dynamic and especially bumpy circuit. Not content with this initial shake-up, the road to Craponne-sur-Arzon (on Stage 2) will show that a roller-coaster ride is also possible on the slopes of the Auvergne region. The following day, the sprinters should feel at ease on the long 5-kilometre straight line just before the finish in Riom, as well as in Voiron for the fifth day of racing. In the meantime, the main favourites will have begun to try and edge clear of each other on the time-trial in Roanne, which, for the occasion, could almost be twinned with Pau: apart from the indoor start from the Scarabée hall, the distance and terrain will be very close to what the riders can expect on 19th July in the Béarn area on Le Tour.
Yet, it is indeed in the mountains that the main threads of the plot will come together over the last three days, although the Critérium du Dauphiné will be cutting loose from the most visited and renowned climbs. For example, on the longest stage of the week (on Friday, 228 km) the ascent up the Col de Beaune may hold a surprise in store for some riders, as might the tricky descent down into Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. The distance to be covered on the two remaining stages put together just tops the length of Stage 6, but both will stand out thanks to their dynamic and unique character. For example, none of the participants will have tackled the slopes of Prapoutel-Les-Sept-Laux, climbed by the riders on the Tour de France in 1980, which will be the backdrop to the finish of the most demanding stage for the riders (with 4,150 m of gradient to climb over a distance of 133 km). The accumulation of kilometres raced and the profile of Sunday’s stage could give rise to a dramatic shift in the race hierarchy, on a route where Dauphiné regulars will reacquaint themselves with previously visited places, but not in the traditional order, such as the climb at Les Gets, the Col du Corbier, the Châtel ski resort and the Swiss resort of Champéry. This is where the race began in 2013 and this year it will witness the final verdict.

Critérium du Dauphiné 2019 stages :
Sunday, June 9th – Stage 1 – Aurillac (15) > Jussac (15) – 142 km
Monday, June 10th – Stage 2 – Mauriac (15) > Craponne-sur-Arzon (43) – 180 km
Tuesday, June 11th – Stage 3 – Le Puy-en-Velay (43) > Riom (63) – 172 km
Wednesday, June 12th – Stage 4 – Roanne (42) > Roanne (42) – Individual Time Trial – 26,1 km
Thursday, June 13th – Stage 5 – Boën-sur-Lignon (42) > Voiron (38) – 201 km
Friday, June 14th – Stage 6 – Saint-Vulbas – Plaine de l’Ain (01) > Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne (73) – 228 km
Saturday, June 15th – Stage 7 – Saint-Genix-les-Villages (73) > Les Sept Laux-Pipay (38) – 133 km
Sunday, June 16th – Stage 8 – Cluses (74) > Champéry (Switzerland) – 113,5 km

The teams selection for the 71st Critérium du Dauphiné (9 – 16 June)
In accordance with Union Cycliste Internationale rules, the following eighteen UCI WorldTeams are automatically invited to the race:
AG2R LA MONDIALE
ASTANA PRO TEAM
BAHRAIN – MERIDA
BORA – HANSGROHE
CCC TEAM
DECEUNINCK – QUICK-STEP
EF EDUCATION FIRST
GROUPAMA – FDJ
LOTTO SOUDAL
MOVISTAR TEAM
MITCHELTON – SCOTT
TEAM DIMENSION DATA
TEAM JUMBO-VISMA
TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN
TEAM SKY
TEAM SUNWEB
TREK-SEGAFREDO
UAE TEAM EMIRATES
In addition to these eighteen teams, the organisers have awarded the following wildcards:
COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS
TEAM ARKÉA – SAMSIC
VITAL CONCEPT – B&B HOTELS
WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT

@ASO

Key points:
 For the first time, the Cantal department will be welcoming the Critérium du Dauphiné with three towns hosting stages: Aurillac, Jussac and Mauriac.
 The 71st edition will start on Sunday 9th June with a stage contested entirely on the roads of the Cantal.

2019 will be the year of the bicycle for the Cantal. On expressing his best wishes for the year to the sporting world, Bruno Faure, Chairman of the Cantal departmental council, announced, alongside Christian Prudhomme, Director of Cycling for Amaury Sport Organisation, and Race Director Bernard Thévenet, that the Grand Départ of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2019 will take place on Sunday 9th June in Aurillac.
The 71st edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné will therefore be starting in the southwest tip of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. For the first time in its history, the pack will stop over in a French department where it has not usually ventured in the past. An unprecedented route will promote special links with a region whose relief will not fail to appeal to the riders, to such an extent that it will be sponsoring the Polka Dot Jersey for the best climber.
This year, the organisers have concocted a hilly 142-km long first stage. Setting off from Aurillac, the riders will have to climb the Pas de Peyrol – Puy Mary ascension (10.7 km with a 6% gradient) after 34km. The “Pyramid of the Cantal” will be climbed from a different side than the one used the last time the Tour de France passed by in 2016. Two other difficulties will rise up in front of the riders before the final circuit in Jussac: the Côte de Saint-Cirgues-de-Malbert slope (2.6 km with a 5.1% gradient) and the Côte de Saint-Cernin slope (4.9km with a 4.1% gradient). After this point, there will be just 50 km left to cover. The most courageous attackers could take advantage of the double climb up the Côte de la route des Crêtes slope (3.6km with a 6.8% gradient) to distance their rivals. The second ascension of this slope is only 18km from the finishing line…
The following day, Mauriac will host the start of the second stage on the Critérium du Dauphiné. Out of the last seven editions, the winner of the race has gone on to win the Tour de France several weeks later on five occasions. Last year, the Yellow, White and Polka Dot Jersey wearers, as well as the most combative rider on the Tour de France all took part in the Critérium du Dauphiné, which makes this race an essential stepping stone for riders who want to shine on Le Tour.
The entire route of the Dauphiné will be revealed on 25th March at the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Regional Council’s headquarters.
@ASO