The Criterium du Dauphine has always been seen as the precursor to the Tour de France. With Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung all set to start the Grande Boucle in July, the Criterium du Dauphine will form part of our African team’s final build up to the Tour.
The Criterium du Dauphine is an 8 stage UCI World Tour event that gets underway on Sunday 7 June. As Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali are expected to start, and with a number of the same roads being used as in the Tour de France, one would think it could be a dress rehearsal for what is to come in a month’s time.
A demanding course lies ahead of the peloton over the coming 8 days. Stages 1, 2 and 4 are the only possible stages that could see a bunch kick, but that is a real maybe as the routes are littered with cat 3 climbs as well as the cat 1 Col de Cuvery on stage 2. Stage 3 is an undulating 24.5km team time trial, which will serve as a good test considering stage 9 of the Tour de France is 28km team test against the clock. The race will be won over the final 4 stages, as each are raced through the high mountains with all concluding with a summit finish.
Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will head to the start of the Dauphine with a team made up totally by the riders selected on our Tour de France long list. Our 3 South Africans, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg & Louis Meintjes all start. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Steve Cummings, Tyler Farrar & Serge Pauwels will also all line up on Sunday with Daniel Teklehaimanot completing our roster.
Louis Meintjes – Rider
Jens Zemke – Head of Performance
