Critérium du Dauphiné 2021

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Richie Porte wins the Critérium du Dauphiné

Critérium du Dauphiné stage 8 – as it happened

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Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers) won the overall title at the Critérium du Dauphiné following the stage 8 finale on Sunday. The Australian held off multiple attacks on the final climb and finished in the main GC group winning the overall title by 17 seconds ahead of Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Premier Tech) with his Ineos Grenadiers teammate Geraint Thomas finishing third at 29 seconds back.

The stage 8 victory went to Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious), who secured what was his second stage win in two days. Padun distanced his breakaway companions on the early slopes of the penultimate climb of the Joux Plane with just under 30 kilometres to go. He dropped down into Morzine and climbed the final ascent to the finish line in Les Gets with the stage win.

Padun's nearest rival was Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who finished second at 1:36 back, alongside Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe) in third place.

Porte crossed the line in 8th place, 2:10 behind Padun, but secured the overall title, his first after two previous runner-up spots at the at the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2013 and 2017.

Critérium du Dauphiné date: May 30 to June 6, 2021
Distance: 1205.2km
Start: Issoire, France - 12:25 - 5 p.m. (CET)
Finish: Les Gets, France - 10:20 a.m. - 3 p.m. (CET) 
Cyclingnews live coverage: tba
Live streaming: Eurosport, GCN+ (Europe), Flobikes (North America), SBS (Australia), Sporza, RTBF (Belgium) from the start of the race

The Critérium du Dauphiné has become the go-to preparation contest for the Tour de France in the past decade, delivering a barrage of climbing duels packed into eight days of racing, except last year when the COVID-19 pandemic condensed the racing calendar and the race was shortened to five days.

The 2020 was still part of the buildup for the Tour de France, but it was also the first time in the race’s history of 72 editions that that a time trial was not included, focusing instead on a summit finish each day.

Dani Martínez took the victory on the final day in 2020 after Jumbo-Visma’s Primož Roglič, who led the race for three stages, finished the penultimate stage with his yellow leader’s jersey in tatters after a crash. Roglič abandoned the race ahead of the final stage due to his injuries.  Martínez won by 29 seconds ahead of Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) with Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) third at 41 seconds.

Critérium du Dauphiné route

This year the event returns to a traditional late spring calendar slot, May 30 to June 6, with a 16.4km individual time trial mid-week and back-to-back summit finishes at the Alpine resorts of La Plagne and Les Gets on the final weekend.

The 2021 route begins with the first four stages held mostly in Auvergne and a dip to the Rhône Valley. Then the second half tackles the Alps, with the 147km crescendo on stage 8 with eight classified climbs including the Col des Aravis (6.7km at 7 per cent), Col de la Colombière (11.7km at 5.8 per cent) the hors catégorie Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5 per cent), whose summit comes just under 17km from the mountaintop finish at Les Gets.

Critérium du Dauphiné history

The Critérium du Dauphiné has been held consecutively since 1947, with results voided in three years (2002, 2003 and 2006) because of anti-doping rules violations. Prior to 2010 the event was known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

A number of riders have won the race on two occasions, but a quartet stand out for taking the title three times each – Luis Ocana (1970, 1972, 1973), Bernard Hinault (1977, 1979, 1981), Charly Mottet (1987, 1989, 1992), and Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016).

This year is the 73rrd edition of the French stage race, which will tackle 1,205.2km over eight days. The individual time trial returns, which will be 16.5km on June 2 from Firminy to Roche-la-Molière, plus two flat stages (stage 1, 5), three hilly days (stages 2, 3, 6) and the mountain stages on the final weekend to close the event.

Critérium du Dauphiné stages

• Stage 1, May 30 - Issoire to Issoire, 181.8km
• Stage 2, May 31 - Brioude to Saugues, 172.8km
• Stage 3, June 1 - Langeac to Saint-Haon-Le-Vieux, 172.2km
• Stage 4, June 2 - Firminy to Roche-la-Molière, 16.4km (ITT)
• Stage 5, June 3 - Saint-Chamond to Saint-Vallier, 175.4km
• Stage 6, June 4 - Loriol-sur-Drôme to Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, 167.2km
• Stage 7, June 5 - Saint-Martin-Le-Vinoux to La Plagne, 171.1km
• Stage 8, June 6 - La Léchère-Les-Bains to Les Gets, 147km

Critérium du Dauphiné teams

In the field will be 19 WorldTour teams and 2020 Europe Tour winners Alpecin-Fenix as well as wildcard entries for ProTeams B&B Hotels p/b KTM and Arkéa-Samsic.

• AG2R Citroën Team
• Astana-Premier Tech
• Bahrain Victorious
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• Cofidis
• Deceuninck-QuickStep
• EF Education- Nippo
• Groupama-FDJ
• Ineos Grenadiers
• Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
• Israel Start-Up Nation
• Jumbo-Visma
• Lotto Soudal
• Movistar Team
• Team BikeExchange
• Team DSM
• Team Qhubeka Assos
• Trek-Segafredo
• UAE Team Emirates
• Alpecin-Fenix
• B&B Hotels P/B KTM
• Team Arkéa-Samsic