The race starts out rather hilly. The riders tackle the Côte de Jenzat, Côte de Gannat, and Côte de Chouvigny in respective order—climbs of 1.4 kilometres at 6.9%, 2.5 kilometres at 6%, and 2.4 kilometres at 7.9%. The sprint for KOM points is situated early on the latter hill, but the road continues to climb to the summit of La Bosse. Effectively, this is the longest ascent of the day—9 kilometres at 4.3%.
Following the descent of La Bosse, the race continues on gently rolling roads back to Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule. The first crossing of the line precedes two local laps of almost 30 kilometres. These are also rolling, with a 600 metres sector at 6.4% standing out. It is situated 12 kilometres from the finish, so it is unlikely to impact the outcome.
The first three riders to cross the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint offers 3, 2, and 1 seconds.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX 1st stage 1 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Another interesting read: results 1st stage 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Critérium du Dauphiné 2024 stage 1: route, profiles, more
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