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 mostly flat, although the riders face a modest 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 over 2,800 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.
Critérium du Dauphiné 2025: route, profiles, videos
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