Preview - Critérium du Dauphiné 2022 stage 1

The Critérium du Dauphiné opens with a complicated stage, however one that is quite open to many different types of riders. The first day takes the riders into Beauchastel, with 2500 meters of climbing and a tricky final loop to tackle. There is an uphill start which may see a strong breakaway go up the road as happens from time to time, and it may not be easy to bring back a yellow-jersey seeking group.

It is a day that suits the sprinters, however those that have some climbing abilities, to which there are some at the startlist. However it's not an easy day to control.

The main feature of the day is an ascent that will be tackled twice. It is the Col du Moulin à Vent, not a brutal climb but certainly one where the pure sprinters will struggle if the pace is something other than calm. That’s unlikely to happen though, it summits with 94 and 31 kilometers to go. It’s a climb of two halves with gradients above the 4% average, and the descent into Privas is technical – favours attacks.

If the attacks aren’t strong enough though, there are still very significant chances of a bunch sprint – perhaps reduced – to occur. The final kilometers are not technical and they also do not feature any gradient that is noteworthy.

CyclingUpToDate prediction:

**** Wout van Aert

*** Ethan Hayter, Dylan Groenewegen

** Phil Bauhaus, Jasper Stuyven, Juan Sebastián Molano

* Luca Mozzato, Christophe Laporte, Clément Venturini, Edvald Boasson Hagen