Ventoux highlights tough Dauphiné Libéré
- By Andrew Hood
- Published Apr. 20, 2009
- Updated Nov. 18, 2010 at 6:12 PM UTC
Mont Ventoux will be the top attraction of a challenging 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, a favorite warm-up for Tour de France contenders.
BMC snagged an important invitation to race the demanding, eight-day course across the heart of the French Alps June 7-14, which might help ease some of the team’s disappointment after being overlooked for the Tour de Suisse later that month.
Race officials on Monday announced details of the 2009 route, which will have few opportunities for sprinters and plenty of challenges for riders bucking for the overall.
In addition to Mont Ventoux, the 1,095km course also features two hard days in the high Alps as well as two individual time trials.
The 61st edition will begin in Nancy — well beyond the traditional stamping ground of the race — with a 12.1km race against the clock.
The 228km second stage from Nancy to Dijon will be one for the sprinters before a long transfer south for the hilly third stage into Saint-Etienne.
There’s a 42.4km individual time trial in the Rhone Valley in stage four before a long run south ahead of the summit finish up Mont Ventoux.
That’s followed by two hard days across the haute montagne, with the Col de l’Izoard in stage six to Briançon and the Galibier and Croix-de-Fer in two classic stages across the heart of the Alps.
The Sunday finale into Grenoble is always an attack-riddled, climb-rich stage to cap what’s typically one of the most intense races of the year.
Among the riders expected to fight for the GC is Alberto Contador (Astana), who is skipping a defense of his Giro d’Italia title and has indicated he’ll use the Dauphiné Libéré as a springboard back to the Tour.
Contador, already a winner at the Tour of the Algarve and the Vuelta al País Vasco this season, has never won the Dauphiné, finishing a career-best sixth in 2007 before winning that year’s Tour.
Others likely to line up include Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), second twice overall in 2007 and 2008, before later finishing second in the Tour each year.
Defending champion Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) is expected to start (depending on what happens with his Operación Puerto case in Italy) along with such other favorites as Robert Gesink (Rabobank). David Millar is hoping to be back in the saddle in time to start for Garmin-Slipstream.
BMC was the lone invitation to join the 18 ProTour teams for the race. That decision comes at the expense of French team Agritubel, which features 2007 winner Christophe Moreau and current French champion Nicolas Vogondy.
61st Dauphiné Libéré, June 7-14
Stage 1, June 7: Nancy-Nancy, 12.1km (ITT)
Stage 2, June 8: Nancy to Dijon, 228km
Stage 3, June 9: Tournus to Saint-Etienne, 182km
Stage 4, June 10: Bourge-les-Valence to Valence, 43.4km (ITT)
Stage 5, June 11: Valence to Mont Ventoux, 154km
Stage 6, June 12: Gap to Briançon, 106km
Stage 7, June 13: Briançon to Saint-Francois-Longchamp, 157km
Stage 8, June 14: Faverges to Grenoble, 146km
FILED UNDER: News / Road TAGS: Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré / doping / operation puerto
Andrew Hood
Hood cut his journalistic teeth at Colorado dailies before the web boom opened the door to European cycling in the mid-1990s. Hood's covered every Tour since 1996 and has been VeloNews' European correspondent since 2002. He lives in Leon, Spain, when he's not chasing bike races.