Vingegaard and Van Baarle to resume season in Critérium du Dauphiné
Team Jumbo-Visma will take part in the Critérium du Dauphiné from 4 to 11 June. Jonas Vingegaard and Dylan van Baarle, returning to racing after a severe crash at Paris-Roubaix, are part of the seven-man squad.
The 75th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné starts in Chambon-sur-Lac, followed by three hilly stages, including an individual time trial of around 31 kilometres. The seventh day features the queen stage to the Col de la Croix de Fer. The riders will face the Col de la Madeleine and the Col du Mollard, two hors category climbs.
On the final day, the peloton will face a challenging 152-kilometre alpine stage to Grenoble Alpes Métropole, containing six classified climbs. One of them is the Col du Granier. The Dauphiné's finish will be at the Bastille in Grenoble. To get there, the riders have to conquer a steep final climb of about two kilometres with a gradient of 14.2 percent.
"This year I want to win the Dauphiné"
Tour de France winner Vingegaard returns to competition after winning the Itzulia Basque Country. "I feel good. My spring has already gone well and my form is OK. I always enjoy coming here for the Dauphiné because it is a wonderful race. Last year we won it with Roglic. This year I want to win the Dauphiné."
"I might take it easy in the first stages. Then I will try to get everything out of the time trial before we head into the mountains. I have a strong team and I know everyone is in good shape. We will take things day by day. It has been a while since I have raced, so I am looking forward to it", Vingegaard said.
The Dauphiné will also be Van Baarle's first race since early April. The 31-year-old Dutchman suffered a broken hand and shoulder in a crash at Paris-Roubaix. "The preparation for the Dauphiné has gone well. In the Sierra Nevada, we enjoyed an effective training period. It took a little while to determine how much my form had suffered following the injury, but everything turned out great. I finished my training sessions as I had planned. I'm ready."
"A first real test for the Tour"
Van Baarle has handled his move to Team Jumbo-Visma well. He will soon be riding his first race in the service of Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard. "I have had several training camps with Jonas, but the Dauphiné will be our first race together. I'm looking forward to it. I see it as the first real test before the Tour. It will also be a good learning process for us as a group. I will share my experience with them as much as possible."
In addition to Jonas Vingegaard and Dylan van Baarle, Team Jumbo-Visma will also be represented by Tiesj Benoot, Nathan Van Hooydonck, Steven Kruijswijk, Christophe Laporte and Atilla Valter.
