Critérium du Dauphiné 2025: GC Favourites

[The below text was written before the start of the Critérium du Dauphiné and has not been updated]

Of the active riders, Chris Froome holds the most overall victories in the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Brit won the race in 2013, 2015 and 2016, while Primoz Roglic came out on top in both 2022 and 2024. Neither of them is present this year. The only former winner on the start line is Jonas Vingegaard, who claimed the title in 2023.

This year’s battle for overall victory is expected to kick off with the ITT on day four. The course is largely flat, though it does include a short and steep climb midway through. The following day brings a hilly stage with a summit finish, and it remains to be seen whether the big names will go all out, as the challenge is relatively modest compared to what’s coming next.

Saturday’s Queen Stage features 4,900 metres of climbing over just 132.1 kilometres. Along the way, riders take on the Col de la Madeleine and the Col de la Croix de Fer – together accounting for 47 kilometres of uphill slog at an average gradient of 6.5%. The stage finishes in Valmeinier 1800, where the final climb stretches 16.5 kilometres at 6.7%.

There’s a good chance that the winner in Valmeinier 1800 will go on to take the overall victory, as the final stage is less demanding. Then again, that’s all relative. The route still features 3,600 metres of climbing over 133.8 kilometres, with most of the uphill action packed into the final 80 kilometres.

The big question is how the top contenders are faring. Tadej Pogacar has been in scintillating form all season. He started by winning the UAE Tour in February, then went on to cruise to victories in Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. That was at the end of April, and the Dauphiné marks his first race since – and only his second stage race of the year.

For Jonas Vingegaard, it’s been even longer since he raced. He won the Volta ao Algarve in February, and looked set to take the overall in Paris–Nice in March before crashing out. His team-mate Matteo Jorgenson stepped up and took the title – his second straight win in the Race to the Sun. But for Vingegaard, those were his last racing kilometres, and the Dauphiné signals his return.

Remco Evenepoel also spent a long spell on the sidelines due to injury. He made an immediate impression on his return in the Brabantse Pijl, but victories have been scarce since. He did win the final time trial in the Tour de Romandie, though he wasn’t a factor in the GC battle.

Favourites 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné

*** Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard
** Remco Evenepoel, Matteo Jorgenson, Ben Healy
* Florian Lipowitz, Enric Mas, Lenny Martinez, Carlos Rodriguez