The 68th Criterium du Dauphiné will kick off tomorrow with a short uphill time trial in which all the favorites will test themselves. Alberto Contador and Romain Bardet said they're focused whilst defending champion Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Thibaut Pinot and Fabio Aru are set to be their main rivals.

Les Gets time trial: “It's the Mur de Huy four times!”

The Critérium du Dauphiné will kick off with an unusual prologue in Les Gets: a 4-km long uphill time trial with an average gradient of almost 10%. Gilles Maignan who is in charge of the route, stated that the choice of the format of the inaugural event is not linked to the cronoscalata type of stage scheduled towards the end of the coming Tour de France.

“Stage 18 from Sallanches to Megève will be 17-km long, so it's quite different from this prologue”, he explained. “The length is different but the difficulty is different too. The hill in Les Gets is much steeper. We've wanted to do something radically different from a standard prologue. The terrain offers this opportunity, so we'll have a very spectacular time trial. It's almost four times the Mur de Huy!”

However, considering the short distance, time gaps might be tight.

“It'll put the climbers under the spotlights from the very beginning of the race”, Maignan added. “They'll also be the overall victory contenders but the race will remain open the following days.”

Alberto Contador: “I'm here to test my legs”

On the eve of the Criterium du Dauphiné, Alberto Contador announced that he's close to sealing a two-year deal with a new team. However, he insisted that he remains focused on his goals for the 2016 season.

“My number 1 goal for the Dauphiné is to complete the race in good condition in order to get ready for the Tour de France”, said the Spaniard. “I'm here to test my legs. I'm not thinking of the overall classification until circumstances eventually dictate it. The prologue will be a good test although it's the first day of racing for many of us after a long break so we don't know how the body and the heart will react. It's going to be hard. I'll go flat out and I'll try to win but whether I win it or not, we'll see tomorrow.”

Contador has never won the Dauphiné but finished second in 2010 and 2014.

Romain Bardet: “The uphill prologue is something new to me”

One year ago, Romain Bardet took his first big international victory at Pra Loup prior to winning an Alpine stage at the Tour de France as well. On the eve of his third participation to the Criterium du Dauphiné, the Frenchman declared:

“The course of the prologue is extremely steep. I'm wondering if there isn't a peak above 20%. In such a climb, no one will be able to hide. But I'm very happy to do it even though it'll be my first time taking part in such a time trial. I'm not sure if I'm in the same shape as one year ago because my preparation for the Tour de France is clearly centered on the third week of the race.”

TV distribution: The Alps to be seen in 170 countries

The Criterium du Dauphiné will be broadcasted in 170 countries by 28 networks, 18 of them showing the race live daily. Belgium's VRT and RTP in Portugal will increase the exposure of the event compared to previous years. In Ireland, TGA will show the final program of the Dauphiné for the first time since Irish riders Dan Martin and Sam Bennett are expected to shine on French roads.

Experience the Dauphiné from the inside!

The Dauphiné is more connected than ever! For the second consecutive year, GoPro is present on the Critérium du Dauphiné and it will place its cameras in the peloton to better take us into the heart of the action. 15 GoPro cameras will be mounted daily at both the front and rear of the rider's bikes. A tracking system, will also allow for an ever greater immersion. 

At the front, at the rear and in the heart of the race, the GoPro eye is everywhere. And we will enjoy, once again, the best scraps among the stars of the peloton. A video clip will be uploaded onto the website of the race the following morning of each stage and will be made available to the teams. At the end of the race, a Best Of clip will compile the best moments of the race caught on these cameras.

Each rider will also be equipped with a tracker under the saddle. Data on the position and speed of the riders will be made available to the television networks airing the race so they can be incorporated into the coverage.

All of A.S.O.'s digital resources will be mobilized to relay the video content. Live multi-media content will be published on the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms of the Critérium du Dauphiné, on the Tour Radio dispositive and the British, German, Spanish and Colombian Tour de France Twitter feeds. Near-live videos of the crucial moments of each stage will also be published soon after the finish. A Best of Video will be put online on a daily basis in order, of course, to not miss a single thing from a more than ever before Critérium du Dauphiné 2.0.