It’s historic! For the first time since its creation in 1947, the Critérium du Dauphiné will start from Ardèche. More precisely, from Voulte-sur-Rhône, on June 5, 2022. “It’s very useful because it’s not far from the highway. There is the possibility of housing the teams and the organization, that represents 550 people to accommodate. And then the arrival at Beauchastel is a very beautiful finish line“, explains Bernard Thévenet, double winner of the Tour de France and current director of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
– Maya Baldoureaux-Fredon
Cyclists will ride 192 kilometers between Voulte-sur-Rhône and Beauchastel. “There is a start from La Voulte, we do 5 to 6 kilometers with a contained start, that is to say that there is a fictitious start and a real start. And after, the race is on, we will take a walk in the community of municipalities, after we return to La Voulte, we return to Beauchastel and we repeat a loop of 60 km, so _people will be able to see the runners three times_, once at the start, once at Beauchastel and once at the final finish“, explains Bernard Thévenet.
A beautiful course to allow the riders to test themselves, just before the Tour de France. “The Critérium is everything we love in terms of emotion at the Tour de France, with the same champions and the same challenges, but with proximity and friendliness in addition“, remarks Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region who came to present the race.”With _8 million spectators_, it’s time to show all the beauty of the Ardèche. “