The Queen stage of the race with the royally difficult climb of Alpe d’Huez to start the day before a succession of climbs before the tough Col du Noyer and its ski station at Superdévoluy.
This stage can’t be seen in isolation as it both complements and contrasts with Sunday’s final mountain stage, a procession of steep and awkward climbs as compared to the final day which offers more regular ramps. In fact this stage is probably the last chance for a shake-up on the overall.
A good stage but it’s possible the best part is hidden from view as the tricky Col du Barioz will be climbed before the TV coverage begins. This climb is difficult and could be selective. It won’t trouble Chris Froome and his team but it could see sprinters ejected for good despite the promise of a flat finish in Grenoble.
The first mountain stage of the race, Stage 5 takes the riders across the Alps to Valmorel for a summit finish but don’t mistake this for the high mountains, this is a gentle introduction to the mountains although enough to provide a worthy winner.
If the time trial provided plenty of information on the relative form of riders, now it’s time for a ramp test.
A flat time trial might not make for good TV viewing but it’s Act 1 in this summer’s duel between Alberto Contador and Chris Froome and the first time we get to see the relative form of all the other candidates to win this race and the Tour de France.
It’s sometimes regrettable all this gets reduced to a mere prism through which we view the Tour de France but it’s how the sport works and this stage is purposefully included to act as a dress rehearsal for the almost identical first solo time trial of the Tour.
Stage 3 takes the riders away from the Alps but the cols keep on coming although the monts of the Beaujolais are gentle and should suit the sprinters. But a tricky finish awaits, a downhill run into town and then some sharp bends all the way to the finish.
Listed as a flat stage by the race, Monday’s 191km routeis harder than it looks with the last 60km loaded with climbing, twisting roads and even a forest track before a downhill rush to the finish in the town of Oyonnax.
The town was once home to Bollé, the sunglasses company and is the setting for one of the few well-regarded literary works to feature a bicycle race so tacked onto the stage preview is a quick look at Oyonnax and Roger Vailland’s 325,000 francs.
The Dauphiné race starts on Sunday and whilst it will take a week to discover the winner, Stage 1 doesn’t waste any time in testing a riders’s climbing legs, ascending a first category for the first twenty minutes.
But the big mountains are yet to come and this is more a test for ambitious teams to control the race and we’ll see if any of the sprinters have what it takes to get over the climbs, a skill they’ll need all week.
A miniature de Tour de France concentrated in the Alps, there’s something for everyone in this race with its variety of stages although 2013 is particularly mountainous. The race normally captures France in the summer but the wet spring looks set to continue into June.
We’ll soon discover the relative form of Chris Froome and Alberto Contador but if these two are the prime picks, there’s a big cast of contenders with Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez, Andrew Talansky, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Tony Martin and many more.
Here’s a preview of the race including with a short take on each stage plus a look at the likely contenders and plenty more including the new TV schedules.
The Tour de France last three weeks but the build-up begins in October when the route is announced. The road to victory isn’t about the finish line, it’s the journey too and so this time there’s more than one racing winning moment.
And if you think Wiggins won because of the time trials, think twice. Strip away the time trials from the overall results and he would still have the fastest time.
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) is on his way to Stage 4 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, a 53.5km time trial. The route featured a fast downhill start through vineyards and then a rolling road all the way to the finish in Macon. The wind was blowing strong, some riders were blasted off the road by gusts whilst fallen branches forced others to swerve. But Wiggins won the day, 34 seconds ahead of Tony Martin but more importantly, 1.43 on Cadel Evans. During the latter part the route used a long straight road and Wiggins could see Evans ahead. This was the moment the race was won.