Just time between getting over the excitement of the Giro d�Italia and revving up for the Tour de France to squeeze in the ever excellent Crit�rium du Dauphin� which runs its eight stages between June 3 and 10. Established, like so many great cycling events, by a newspaper (the Dauphin� Lib�r�) looking to promote both itself and the Dauphin� of France, the first running of the event took place in 1947 – Won by Polish rider Edouard Klabinski � and has always been seen as a precursor to the TdF.
Now celebrating its 64th Edition the Crit�rium du Dauphin�, which shortened its name from Crit�rium du Dauphin� Lib�r� in 2010 when Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) took over full organisational responsibility, will once again see top teams sporting top riders lining up for the 5.7km prologue in Grenoble this coming Sunday. Amongst them will be Sky�s Bradley Wiggins who finished first in the 2011 Overall Standings (on time, with 26h 40′ 51″) managing to nudge Cadel Evans into seconds at + 01′ 26″, making it clear what an indicator of the TdF it can be given that Evans went on to win le Tour (Wiggins crashing out).
In many ways the Crit�rium du Dauphin� can also be viewed as a distillation of all that is great about the TdF � the hills, the TTs, the dramatic sprints, the irrepressible French crowd support, the sheer Joie de vivre. Christian Prudhomme, Director of Tour de France, describes the 2012 edition thus: �After a long absence lasting 24 years, the Col du Gran Colombier ascent is back on the Crit�rium du Dauphin� agenda. Sports fans are waiting with bated breath to witness this year�s hot topic � the strengths and weaknesses in the time trials � between the prologue stage in Grenoble and the 53 km individual time trial between Villi�-Morgon and Bourg-en-Bresse. The Rhone Alps region offers competitors a real chance to test their mettle, with its extremely wide range of landscapes, the slog of the roads through the Ard�che and the ascents leading to the mountain passes of Joux-Plane or Colombi�re. Perhaps this is where Bradley Wiggens, expected to reclaim his title this year, will have to fend off the threats of Cadel Evans, four-time runner-up and winner of the 2011 Tour de France.�
Prologue June 3 Grenoble � Grenoble �� 5.7 km
Stage 1 June 4� Seyssins � Saint-Vallier ����������� 187 km
Stage 2 June 5 Lamastre � Saint-F�licien 160 km
Stage 3 June 6 Givors � La Clayette 167 km
Stage 4 June 7 Villi�-Morgon � Bourg-en-Bresse 53.5 km (ITT)
Stage 5 June 8 Saint-Trivier-sur-Moignans � Rumilly 186.5 km
Stage 6 June 9 Saint-Alban-Leysse � Morzine 167.5 km
Stage 7 June 10 Morzine � Ch�tel 124.5 km
Full details at www.letour.fr
