Critérium du Dauphiné 2017 Route stage 8: Albertville

Critérium du Dauphiné 2017 Route stage 8: Albertville – Plateau de Solaison

Sunday, 11 June 2017 - The last stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné amounts to merely 115 kilometres, yet the course is packed with mountains. In theory the route is perfect for compelling and explosive racing. Three tough intermediate climbs and a summit finish on Plateau de Solaison after a 11.3 kilometres closing climb at 9.2%.

In last year’s Tour de France, stage 19 set off from Albertville to finish in Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. That day, Romain Bardet soloed to victory and second place overall.

The last stage in the 2017 Critérium du Dauphiné leaves from Albertville to travel to a summit finish on Plateau de Solaison. Almost every 30 kilometres the riders crest another pass. Like clockwork.

The first one is Col des Saisies, a climb of some 10 kilometres, and back in the valley the next challenge appears. Starting in Flumet, an initial climb and short drop usher in the KOM climb up the Col des Aravis, which is 6,7 kilometres and averaging 7%.

Starting in Flumet to the top of the next climb, Col de la Colombière, the riders are racing the same roads as the penultimate stage of last year’s Tour de France. Both on the Aravis and the Colombière Thomas De Gendt pocketed most KOM-points, yet Ion Izagirre ended up as the victor ahead of Jarlinson Pantano.

Col de la Colombière is climbed from the south side, which is the easiest side – at 12 kilometres, the ascent is averaging some 6%. A long drop leads to a flat section of almost 10 kilometres in the valley. Then the riders tackle the last climb in the 2017 Dauphiné.

The climb up to Plateau de Solaison amounts to 11.3 kilometres. While the average gradient is 9.2%, the first 4 kilometres are steepest with the inclination never less than 10%.

The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.