Critérium du Dauphiné 2024 Route stage 8: Thônes

Critérium du Dauphiné 2024 Route stage 8: Thônes - Plateau des Glières

Sunday 9 June - The final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné covers 160.6 kilometres between Thônes and the Plateau des Glières. The race includes 3,640 metres of climbing, while the finishing ascent is 9.4 kilometres long and averages 7.1%.

The route climbs from the start. Initially non-classified, but then the Col de la Forclaz de Montmin serves up a 7.3% gradient over 7.1 kilometres. Straight after the descent it goes back uphill on the Col des Esserieux, an ascent of 4.2 kilometres at 5.4%. Following a neglectible downhill and a similar uphill, the riders plunge down to starting venue Thônes. The opening circuit lasts 42.9 kilometres.

From Thônes, the riders head for the intermediate sprint in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, which is situated on a 6.3 kilometres climb at 4.6%. The sprint precedes a quiet phase in the race, starting with a gradual downhill of 20 kilometres and another 20 kilometres on the flat. Then it’s time for the ascent up La Salève.

La Salève is a mountain south of the Swiss town of Geneva, very close to the border. The riders tackle the ascent from the north, making it a 12.1 kilometres climb with an average gradient of 6.8%. The stretch between kilometres 5 and 7 goes up at double digits.

Following the sprint for KOM points, the riders plunge down a short descent before the route returns to climbing for 4.3 kilometres at 3.8%. Then, a proper descent leads back into the valley, where an uphill stretch of 5 kilometres at 3% precedes the remainder of the downhill to Thorens-Glières. Moments later, the finishing climb kicks in.

In 2018 and 2020, the Plateau des Glières was included in the Tour de France, which resulted in a lot of discussion regarding the dirt roads at the top. No risk of that this time, as the riders tackle the ascent to the limestone plateau in the Bornes Massif from another side. This way, the climb is 9.4 kilometres long and averages 7.1% – or, a better way to describe it would be, 7 kilometres at 9%, as the final 2.4 kilometres even out to a false flat.

Julian Alaphilippe cherishes fond memories of the Plateau des Glières from Thorens-Glières. In 2013, he won the final stage of the Tour de l’Avenir on this climb, outperforming Matej Mohoric and Adam Yates.

The first three riders at the finish gain time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint has 3, 2, and 1 seconds on offer.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX 8th stage 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Another interesting read: final GC + results 8th stage 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.