LIVE stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 | Pogacar wants to wash away bad memory, Vingegaard hoping for the opposite

The riders will start Friday’s stage in Valserhône, setting off on a short route of just under 127 kilometers. The opening phase features mostly rolling terrain, with the steep gradients held off until the second half of the stage.

Climbs like the Côte de Villy-Pelloux (800 meters at 8.1%) and Col des Fleuries (5.1 km at 4.4%), combined with numerous uncategorized uphill sections, won’t intimidate the type of riders who compete in the Critérium du Dauphiné.

With just under fifty kilometers to go, the Côte du Mont-Saxonnex appears, a more serious challenge with its 5.4 kilometers at an average gradient of 8.7%. After that, however, the route drops straight into the valley, continuing all the way to Sallanches.

That name might sound familiar, as Sallanches will host a brutally tough edition of the UCI Road World Championships in 2027. The climbs that will take center stage then also feature in this stage of the Dauphiné. Specifically, the two-step combo of Côte de Domancy (2.4 km at 8.6%) and Côte de la Cry (2.7 km at 8.2%), with the finish line located atop the latter.

These climbs were already featured in the 2023 Tour de France, but in a different context, an individual time trial. A now-famous time trial, in which Jonas Vingegaard, then riding for Jumbo-Visma, delivered a knockout blow to his major UAE rival, Tadej Pogacar.

While the warm weather has even reached Northern Europe, it also remains very hot in France. At the stage start, temperatures are expected to rise to around 33 degrees Celsius, so the riders will need to focus on staying cool during stage six. A light southern wind is forecast, but it won’t offer much relief.

Surely, the general expectation for Friday’s stage is that the big names will battle for the stage win. And who are we talking about then? Current race leader Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), along with the two riders who have split the last five editions of the Tour de France between them, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG).

As for who should be considered the top favorite on this kind of finish, it’s anyone’s guess. Evenepoel showed excellent form in the time trial, but on the climbs in stage one, it was Pogacar and Vingegaard who looked slightly sharper. In the end, it’s all speculation, Friday will give us real answers.

Behind the big names, several other riders have been making their presence known. Guys like Ivan Romeo (Movistar), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe), and Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) were part of the breakaway on stage three and are still in the mix overall. All three are in good form.

The same certainly goes for for Matteo Jorgenson of Visma | Lease a Bike, who, along with fellow American Sepp Kuss, will likely ride in the shadow of team leader Vingegaard. Bahrain Victorious has an explosive duo in Lenny Martinez and Santiago Buitrago, while Decathlon AG2R’s top talent Paul Seixas will be backed by Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Clément Berthet. Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) have also been climbing well.

Anyone else left? Absolutely! Spanish climbers Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers) and Enric Mas (Movistar) are slowly approaching terrain that suits them. And keep an eye on riders like Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL), Alexey Lutsenko (Israel–Premier Tech), and Ben Healy (EF Education–EasyPost), who may try their luck with an early or late attack.

Top favorites: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)