Cadel Evans lead the race when the Dauphine finished atop Mont Ventoux in 2009
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2015 Criterium du Dauphine podium
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Alpe d'Huez featured early on stage 7 of the 2013 Criterium du Dauphine but lacked the crowds associated with the Tour
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Thomas Voeckler celebrating a stage win in 2013
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Rohan Dennis first wore the Criterium du Dauphine's yellow jersey back in 2013 with Garmin-Sharp
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Chris Froome celebrates his first career Criterium du Dauphine jersey
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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David Veilleux was a surprise stage winner and yellow jersey holder in 2013
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Alberto Contador started the 2013 Criterium du Dauphine as one of the overall favourites
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2012 Criterium du Dauphine podium
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Wilco Kelderman emerged from the 2012 Criterium du Dauphine as a rider to watch
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Nairo Quintana's first WorldTour win came in the 2012 Criterium du Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Wearing dossard number, Bradley Wiggins rides to the Bourg-en-Bresse time trial win in 2012
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Yukihiro Doi is happy to be racing the Criterium du Dauphine back in 2012
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Andy Schleck's career was dealt a massive blow when he crashed during the 2012 time trial, fracturing his sacrum
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Luke Durbridge's prologue win in 2012 took many by surprise, including Bradley Wiggins who was one second slower
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2011 Criterium du Dauphine was Bradley Wiggins' first major stage race victory
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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John Degenkolb knows the taste of Criterium du Dauphine success
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Sammy Sanchez looks to the heavens after his stage win in 2013
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2013 Criterium du Dauphine podium
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Chris Froome riding away to the final stage and overall at the 2015 Criterium du Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Vincenzo Nibali in yellow before the start of a stage in 2015
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Stage 6 of the 2015 Criterium du Dauphine was one for the ages
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Tejay van Garderen riding to save his yellow jersey
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Romain Bardet's daredevil descent on the Col d'Allos set up his Pra Loup stage win
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Daniel Teklehaimanot won the KOM classification at the 2015 Dauphine. He went on to wear the same jersey at the Tour one month lateer
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Rohan Dennis back in yellow but this time with BMC
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Peter Kennaugh held off the sprinters on stage 1 of the 2015 Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The final 2014 Criterium du Dauphine podium
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Alberto Contador pulls on the yellow jersey during the 2014 Criterium du Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Lieuwe Westra won the stage to Finhaut-Emosson in 2014. The Tour de France features a stage finish here in 2016
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Chris Froome rides away from Andrew Talansky and Ryder Hesjedal. Talansky would go onto the claim the overall honours
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Alberto Contador was flying during the 2014 Dauphine but ended the race empty handed
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The facade of Rocher de la Baume towers over Sisteron
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Chris Froome gets the better of Alberto Contador in 2014
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Say cheese! Chris Froome bagged from cheese after a stage win in 2014
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Chris Froome with then Sky teammate Richie Porte riding to overall victory in 2013
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Jurgen Van den Broeck doesn't win regularly as his open jersey would suggest
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2010 Criterium du Dauphine podium featured a young Tejay van Garderen
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Christophe Moreau remains the last Frenchman to win the Dauphine. He won the 2007 edition of the race
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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One-two for Antonio Colom and Alexander Vinokourov in 2007 at Digne-Les-Bains
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Race leader Alexander Vinokourov climbing to the Mont Ventoux finish line
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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2006 Tour de France winner Óscar Pereiro at the Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Bradley Wiggins first wore the Dauphine leader's jersey with Cofidis back in 2007
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Christophe Moreau does the 'rock the cradle' celebration in 2007
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2006 Criterium du Dauphine was won by Levi Leipheimer
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Iñigo Landaluze won the 2006 Criterium du Dauphine to make it two wins in a row for Euskaltel–Euskadi
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Lance Armstrong in yellow leads Christophe Moreau back at the 2002 Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Mont Ventoux has been a crucial fixture in the history of the Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The Criterium du Dauphine never fails to deliver a scenic route
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Carlos Sastre was 20th at Criterium du Dauphine before going on to win the 2008 Tour
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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A young Tejay van Garderen back in 2010
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Baby faced Geraint Thomas in the points jersey at the 2010 Tour
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Surprise 2010 Criterium du Dauphine winner, Janez Brajkovič
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Alberto Contador fires off a shot in the 2010 race. He would go on to the Tour one month later but would lose in the race in the courts
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The 2009 Criterium du Dauphine podium
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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The peloton riding the Col du Galibier during the 2009 Dauphine
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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There was still plenty of snow around in June when the Dauphine peloton went over the Col du Galibier in 2009
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Mont Ventoux has hosted several crucial stages of the Criterium du Dauphine over the years
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Sylwester Szmyd wins the 2009 Mont Ventoux stage as Alejandro Valverde celebrates moving into the yellow jersey back in 2009
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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2008 time trial world champion Bert Grabsch won the 2009 test against the clock
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Robert Gesink was fourth overall in 2009
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Pierre Rolland riding the Criterium du Dauphine during his Credit Agricole days
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
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Iban Mayo riding to the overall 2004 Dauphine victory
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
How to follow the Critérium du Dauphiné: Cyclingnews will have live text coverage from start to finish for every stage, as well as rider interviews, race reports, podcasts, video highlights and post-race analysis.
Like several of the major stage races on the cycling calendar, the Criterium du Dauphine was created with aim of boostingthe circulation of a newspaper. Le Dauphiné libéré launched the race back in 1947 and the Tour de France dress rehearsal has been held every year bar two since, with Nello Lauredi, Luis Ocaña, Bernard Hinault and Charly Mottet holding the honour as three time winners.
As an important test for the Tour, the Dauphine takes in some of the most iconic climbs of the French Alps with the 'Giant of Provence', Mont Ventoux, also a regular feature. The Col du Galibier, Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Glandon have also made their mark on the race in recent years.
With ASO ever on the hunt for new and exciting climbs and stage finishes, the Dauphine has included several stages that have gone to be used by the Tour de France. The 2014 stage to Finhaut-Emosson will feature in the third week of the 2016 Tour while the 2015 stage to Pra Loup, won by Romain Bardet via a daring descent on the Col d'Allos, was one of the racing highlights of last season.
In recent years, Team Sky have made the race its own with four overall wins in five years with Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins sharing the honours. Froome is expected to again finish on the podium in what is a stacked field of 2016 Tour contenders, including Alberto Contador, Fabio Aru, Thibaut Pinot, Richie Porte and Bardet.
We've put together a gallery from the turn of the millennium featuring the most memorable riders, climbs and stages. So sit back and click or scroll through the images above.
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