Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (FRA) - 10-17.06.2007

The Dauphiné Libéré was voted the best organized UCI ProTour race in 2006 and every rider who takes part each June always praise the racing, the roads and even the hotels where riders stay after each stage. The Dauphiné Libéré is organised by the local French newspaper and has what is great about French stage racing in the Alps. The week-long race comes at a strategic moment in the season as the leading stage race riders begin to fine tune their fitness and always indicates who will be a contender in the summer stage races. In 2006 Levi Leipheimer won the leader’s yellow jersey. He did not win a stage but gave a consistently good performance in both the time trials and the mountain stages to beat French hero Christophe Moreau. The route of the Dauphiné Libéré always includes some of the legendary Alpine climbs, with Mont Ventoux in Provence also a favourite. Technical Director Charly Mottet won the race as a rider and knows how to create the perfect balance of mountain stages, time trials and flat stages to create a thrilling race. As ever it offers a great early summer alternative to the Giro d’Italia without the riders needing to go through three weeks of hard racing.