Favorites stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné | Who's ready to challenge after Thursday's massive crash?

While everyone is still recovering from the horrific crash of stage five, the Critérium du Dauphiné heads into a genuine mountain trilogy starting Friday. With the finish on the Collet d'Allevard, a tough final climb awaits the peloton. On this mountain, as we approach the Tour de France, we will get serious answers to the myriad of questions remaining before the Tour. Who will unleash their demons and can yellow jersey holder Remco Evenepoel make a move? IDLProCycling.com tells you all you need to know about stage six!

The 174-kilometer stage is likely the least difficult of the three mountain stages the peloton has to contend with. Yet, many climbers are eagerly anticipating it. After a rolling start, featuring a fourth-category climb but still quite a few elevation meters, the focus of the stage is in the latter part.

At 45 kilometers from the finish, the riders reach the Col du Granier, a not-too-steep climb of just under nine kilometers. However, the road will have been climbing noticeably even before this. Those who focus on the final climb, the Collet d'Allevard, will understand that the real work only begins here. This climb of 11.2 kilometers at 8.1% is certainly tough enough to create serious gaps among the climbers.

The riders start at just over four hundred meters elevation, with the finish nearly a thousand meters higher. The climb levels off slightly towards the end, although that's relative. Most of the kilometers slope at eight or nine percent, and along the way, riders won’t get a chance to catch their breath. In short: a classic, tough Alpine climb, where the flowers await the true climber in the deserted ski village!

31.6 km: Côte de La Côte-Saint-André (1.8 km at 6.7%)
129.4 km: Col du Granier (8.9 km at 5.4%)
174.1 km: Le Collet d'Allevard (11.1 km at 8.1%)

Times
Start: 12:55 PM
Finish: around 5 PM

It's gradually getting warmer in France, including in the Alps. Around Allevard, temperatures on Friday are expected to be between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. Whether there will be precipitation is highly uncertain. The forecast indicates a mix of sun and clouds. There surely is a chance of precipitation and even thunderstorms.

Assuming most climbers have come through Thursday's crash unscathed, let’s look ahead to Friday's stage. Clearly, the finish on the Collet d'Allevard is tailored for true mountain goats. The GC contenders are expected to shine across all three mountain stages this weekend, as they aim to secure vital time advantages. Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso are the key riders to watch. They need to gain time and are on paper two of the strongest climbers.

Remco Evenepoel is in principle in that group too, but there's still some uncertainty. Is he strong enough to contend for the win after a long climb? Perhaps his status will change after the stage, or it may turn out that his climbing tank isn't quite full yet. Carlos Rodriguez, the winner of the Tour de Romandie, could also get far. Mountain goat Santiago Buitrago has already won several uphill finishes in the Giro. BORA-hansgrohe has Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov, two riders who will likely work for Roglic, but also have a decent chance of making a strong finish themselves.

Besides the aforementioned pack of climbers, it's eagerly anticipated whether Tao Geoghegan Hart can make a significant impact, on his long journey back to the top. And what about Matteo Jorgenson? The American from Visma | Lease a Bike is currently third in the GCs but appears on paper to be the lesser climber compared to those mentioned above. His teammate Sepp Kuss is not, but the fellow American has yet to find his form. The same goes for David Gaudu. Can these men bounce back?

Finally, we will look at a list of riders who may not be chasing the overall classification but are certainly dangerous contenders for the stage win. Think of Giulio Ciccone, Mikel Landa, Warren Barguil and Louis Meintjes.

Top favorites:Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates)
Outsiders:Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
Long shots: Jai Hindley and Alexander Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe), Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step), Warren Barguil (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty), Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek)