It’s fair to say that the finishing climb is not really a proper climb at all. The first 3.1 kilometres could be considered an ascent, as it rises at 6.1% – this section is called the Col de la Croix Ladret. However, the rest of the route is a false flat leading to the home straight.
If one takes a different approach to the finale and zooms out more, one could also argue that the climb to the line adds up to 23 kilometres. That’s where the Côte de Saint-Georges-en-Couzan begins, which is a 7 kilometres test at 5.8%. There’s no downhill at the top, but rather a plateau of about 8 kilometres, which continues onto the Col de la Croix Ladret. So, no matter how you look at it, it’s an interesting finale.
The riders traverse flat to rolling terrain in the run-up to the final 23 kilometres. Two climbs stand out in this section: the Côte de Saint-Georges-en-Couzan, which slopes at 5.4% over 5.3 kilometres, and the Col de Saint-Thomas, adding 4.5 kilometres at 6.6% to the mix.
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 2nd stage 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Another interesting read: results 2nd stage 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Critérium du Dauphiné 2024 stage 2: route, profiles, more
Click on the images to zoom
