Brioude is the birth place of Romain Bardet. Two years ago the town hosted a Tour de France finish. Daryl Impey and Tiesj Benoot emerged from the breakaway and the South-African took the spoils at the end of a hilly day.
The Dauphiné serves a similar recipe on day two, although you would not say so in the first 45 kilometres. On flat roads the riders travel to the foot of the Col de Peyra Taillade, which is a harsh opener of 8.3 kilometres at 7.4% with the steepest kilometre at 12.1%.
The route goes either up or down for the rest of the day. Not every obstacle is classified, but it sure adds to the fatigue.
Just after the Côte de la Vachellerie – 8 kilometres at 4.1% – the riders cross the finish line for the first time before entering an undulating plateau for tens of kilometres. Racing takes place at an elevation hovering between 950 to 1,100 metres.
The route descends to Langeac and shortly the riders enter the finale. First the Côte de la Forêt de Pourcheresse de Charraix, a 6.9 kilometres climb at 6.4%, and after a barely visible descent the last uphill sector takes the shape of the Côte de Masset. Which is 1.5 kilometres long and averages 5.1%.
Because the Côte de la Forêt de Pourcheresse de Charraix and Côte de Masset are so close together it’s safe to say that the last climb is almost 10 kilometres long before a flat run-in to Saugues.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Another interesting read: results 2nd stage 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Critérium du Dauphiné 2021 – stage 2: route, profiles, more
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