Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 Route stage 1: Domérat - Montluçon

Sunday, 8 June – The opening stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné covers 195.8 kilometres and takes in 2,300 metres of elevation gain. The last climb rises at 8.6% over 600 metres, before the riders descend to the finish in Montluçon.

Domérat and Montluçon are practically neighbours. Three years ago, the two towns also featured as the start and finish of a stage in Paris–Nice: an individual time trial that ended on the same hill now positioned 4.5 kilometres from the finish. Wout van Aert took the win that day, ahead of Primoz Roglic and Rohan Dennis.

After rolling out from Domérat, the riders head north. They take on a gently undulating loop, before the terrain becomes more lumpy in the second half of the route. First comes the Côte de Sainte-Thérence – 2.6 kilometres at 4.6% – and then the Côte d'Argenty adds 2.1 kilometres at 5.4% to the mix. By then, the peloton is almost back in Domérat.

The riders enter the closing circuit at kilometre 119.5, immediately facing the Côte de Buffon – a short, sharp climb of 600 metres at 8.6%. The first passage of the finish line comes 4.5 kilometres later.

The circuit also includes the Côte de Domérat: 1.8 kilometres at 4%. The 31.8-kilometre loop is tackled twice in full, meaning the Côte de Buffon features three times and the Côte de Domérat twice.

The first three riders to cross the finish line receive time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint offers 3, 2, and 1 second respectively.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 1st stage 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Another interesting read: results 1st stage 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné.