Favorites stage 1 Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 | If his wrist doesn't bother him, van der Poel could strike immediately

It's an early start on Sunday, with the riders set to get underway at 10:10 AM local time in Domérat. From there, the riders will make a northern loop before heading slightly further down towards the finish in Montluçon, just below the start. The peloton will have two nasty final laps on the menu, bringing the total number of categorized climbs to seven. All of these climbs have been classified as category four.

In the run-up to the final lap, we will tackle the Côte de Sainte-Thérence (2.6 km at 4.6%), which is the first climb 88 kilometers from the finish, and the Côte d'Argenty (2.1 km at 5.4%). This is followed by the Côte de Domerat (1.9 km at 4.0%) and the Côte de Buffon (0.6 km at 8.6%), the decisive climbs of the final circuit. The riders will face the latter, a steep climb for the last time seven kilometers from the finish. Punchers could start attacking earlier in the final lap, but if the sprinter teams maintain control, it could end in a sprint.

Climbs
Côte de Sainte-Thérence (2.6 km a 4.6%)
Côte d'Argenty (2.1 km a 5.4%)
Côte de Domerat (1.9 km a 4.0%)
Côte de Buffon (0.6 km a 8.6%)

Times
Start: 10:10 AM local time (04:10 AM EDT)
Finish: approximately 2:50 PM local time (09:50 AM EDT)

The riders who line up at the start on Sunday morning will have very little to complain about regarding the weather. The forecast is for sunshine, with temperatures rising to around 22 degrees Celsius. The wind, which will be moderate from the northeast, will not hinder the riders either.

As mentioned earlier, the attacking riders may have their sights set on this stage. One name stands out on the start list: Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck suffered a fracture in his wrist while mountain biking, but if his wrist has healed, this could be a stage for MVDP.

Looking at other pure attackers, we also see Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Axel Laurance (INEOS Grenadiers), Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek), and Magnus Cort (Uno-X) on the start list. The latter, in particular, often has a strong finish in his legs after going on the offensive. At the start, uno-X has another fast man in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner, Søren Wærenskjold.

With the current level of sprinters, however, it will likely come down to a sprint in the streets of Montluçon. In that case, Jonathan Milan is the man to beat. The Italian from Lidl-Trek should be able to handle the short climbs well and has already shown this year that he is in good shape with five victories (four of which were at WorldTour level). The competition in the sprint should then come from the Israel-Premier Tech duo of Pascal Ackermann and Jake Stewart, the fast Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ), or home rider Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies).

The list of fast riders who could also be a threat in the attack includes the experienced Matteo Trentin (Tudor), the ever-fast Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Emirates-XRG), and Laurence Pithe (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), last year's spring revelation. And what about XDS Astana, whose riders are in excellent form this year? They could try their luck with a very offensive Simone Velasco.

Top favorites: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Axel Laurance (INEOS Grenadiers), Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) and Magnus Cort (Uno-X)
Long shots: Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek), Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ), Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Emirates-XRG), Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X) and Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies)