Critérium du Dauphiné 2025: The Route

The Critérium du Dauphiné is packed with hilly stages, although some of these may turn out to be opportunities for the sprinters. The GC battle comes down to an ITT on the fourth day and a demanding final weekend in the high mountains. The race finishes this coming Sunday.

The 1st stage takes place in the Montluçon Communauté area. The second half of the race is packed with short climbs, with the last hill — 600 metres at 8.6% — crested 4.5 kilometres from the finish.

The 2nd stage is equally lumpy, but the climbs are more evenly spread across the route. The last uphill — 1.8 kilometres at 5.7% — comes with 17.9 kilometres to go. At 204.6 kilometres, it’s the longest stage of the week.

The elevation gain gradually increases in the Dauphiné, as stage 3 takes things up a notch on a rolling 202.8-kilometre route. A brutal wall of 1.2 kilometres at 9.2% serves as the final test before the riders descend to a flat 13.4-kilometre run-in to the line.

The Saint-Péray time trial in stage 4 marks the first real test for the GC contenders. The 17.7-kilometre route is flat to rolling, except for a punchy climb halfway through.

The 5th stage is predominantly flat, although a 50-kilometre section features a series of four hills. The last one — 5.3 kilometres at 4.6% — is crested with 27 kilometres remaining.

The Critérium du Dauphiné serves up the first uphill finish on the sixth day of action. Stage 6 takes in an elevation gain of nearly 2,500 metres, while the finish is situated in the ski resort of Combloux after a 10-kilometre climb, with the last 2.7 kilometres ramping up to 8.2%.

Another ski resort hosts the finish of stage 7. After tackling the Col de la Madeleine — 24.6 kilometres at 6.2% — and the Col de la Croix de Fer — 22.4 kilometres at 6.9% —, the riders cross the line in Valmeinier 1800. The final ascent is 16.5 kilometres long and averaging 6.7%. The total elevation gain on the 132.1-kilometre route sums up to almost 4,900 metres.

The ultimate stage is also tough, but not as intimidating. The riders take on 3,600 metres of climbing over a 133.8-kilometre course, with most of the elevation gain in the last 80 kilometres. The final climb — 9.6 kilometres at 6.9% — sets the stage before the race culminates in a flat 5-kilometre showdown on the Mont-Cenis plateau.