View source for Dauphiné Libéré

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<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="300">
<tr><th colspan="2" bgcolor=darkred><big>Dauphiné Libéré</big></th></tr>
<tr><td width="80">Local name:</td><td>Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré</td></tr>
<tr><td>Region:</td><td>[[Dauphiné]], [[France]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>Date:</td><td>Early June</td></tr>
<tr><td>Type:</td><td>Stage Race</td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2" bgcolor=darkred>History</th></tr>
<tr><td>First Edition:</td><td valign="top">1947</td></tr>
<tr><td>Editions:</td><td valign="top">56</td></tr>
<tr><td>First Winner:</td><td valign="top">[[Eduard Klabinski]] ({{POL}})</td></tr>
<tr><td>Most Recent:</td><td valign="top">[[Iñigo Landaluze]] ({{SPA}})</td></tr>
<tr><td>Most Wins:</td><td valign="top">[[Nello Lauredi]] ({{FRA}}), [[Luis Ocaña]] ({{SPA}}), [[Charly Mottet]] ({{FRA}}) and [[Bernard Hinault]] ({{FRA}}), 3 times</td></tr>
</table>
The '''Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré''' is an annual [[cycling]] [[road bicycle racing|road race]], run over eight stages in the [[Dauphiné]] region in [[France]] during the first half of June. It is organised by the ''Le Dauphiné Libéré'' newspaper.  Along with the [[Tour of Switzerland]], the Dauphiné Libéré is an important race in the lead-up to the [[Tour de France]] in July.

Because the Dauphiné is a mountainous area, the winners are often [[climbing specialist (cycling)|climbing specialists]]. Many climbs that are famous from the [[Tour de France]], like the [[Mont Ventoux]], the [[Col du Galibier]] or ''Col de la Chartreuse'' appear often in the Dauphiné Libéré. All cyclists who have won the Tour de France 5 or more times have also won the Dauphiné Libéré.

The first Dauphiné Libéré was held in [[1947]] when [[Eduard Klablinski]] from [[Poland]] was the winner. [[Nello Lauredi]], [[Luis Ocaña]], [[Charly Mottet]] and [[Bernard Hinault]] share the record of the most wins, with three each.

The Dauphiné Libéré was used as preparation for the Tour de France by riders such as [[Lance Armstrong]]. He won the Dauphiné in 2002 and 2003, but was defeated by [[Iban Mayo]] in 2004, primarily by Mayo's strong climb of [[Mont Ventoux]]. Armstrong finished 4th in the 2005 Dauphiné, finishing 59 seconds off the pace of overall winner Inigo Landaluze, of the [[Euskaltel-Euskadi]] squad.

==Winners==
{| width=66% border=5
| valign=top align=left width=33% |
*2006 -	[[Levi Leipheimer]] (USA) 
*2007 -	[[Christophe Moreau]] (FRA) 
*2008 -	[[Alejandro Valverde]] (ESP) 
*2009 -	[[Alejandro Valverde]] (ESP) 
*[[2005]] - [[Iñigo Landaluze]] {{SPA}}
*[[2004]] - [[Iban Mayo]] {{SPA}}
*[[2003]] - [[Lance Armstrong]] {{USA}}
*[[2002]] - [[Lance Armstrong]] {{USA}}
*[[2001]] - [[Christophe Moreau]] {{FRA}}
*[[2000]] - [[Tyler Hamilton]] {{USA}}
*[[1999]] - [[Alexander Vinokoerov]] {{KAZ}}
*[[1998]] - [[Armand De Las Cuevas]] {{FRA}}
*[[1997]] - [[Udo Bölts]] {{GER}}
*[[1996]] - [[Miguel Induráin]] {{SPA}}
*[[1995]] - [[Miguel Induráin]] {{SPA}}
*[[1994]] - [[Laurent Dufaux]] {{SUI}}
*[[1993]] - [[Laurent Dufaux]] {{SUI}}
*[[1992]] - [[Charly Mottet]] {{FRA}}
*[[1991]] - [[Luis Herrera Herrera|Luis Herrera]] {{COL}}
*[[1990]] - [[Robert Millar]] {{GBR}}
*[[1989]] - [[Charly Mottet]] {{FRA}}
*[[1988]] - [[Luis Herrera Herrera|Luis Herrera]] {{COL}}
*[[1987]] - [[Charly Mottet]] {{FRA}}
*[[1986]] - [[Urs Zimmermann]] {{SUI}}
*[[1985]] - [[Phil Anderson]] {{AUS}}
*[[1984]] - [[Martin Ramirez]] {{COL}}
*[[1983]] - [[Greg LeMond]] {{USA}}
*[[1982]] - [[Michel Laurent]] {{FRA}}
*[[1981]] - [[Bernard Hinault]] {{FRA}}
*[[1980]] - [[Johan van der Velde]] {{NED}}
*[[1979]] - [[Bernard Hinault]] {{FRA}}
*[[1978]] - [[Michel Pollentier]] {{BEL}}
| valign=top align=left width=33% |
*[[1977]] - [[Bernard Hinault]] {{FRA}}
*[[1976]] - [[Bernard Thévenet]] {{FRA}}
*[[1975]] - [[Bernard Thévenet]] {{FRA}}
*[[1974]] - [[Alain Santy]] {{FRA}}
*[[1973]] - [[Luis Ocana]] {{SPA}}
*[[1972]] - [[Luis Ocana]] {{SPA}}
*[[1971]] - [[Eddy Merckx]] {{BEL}}
*[[1970]] - [[Luis Ocana]] {{SPA}}
*[[1969]] - [[Raymond Poulidor]] {{FRA}}
*[[1966]] - [[Raymond Poulidor]] {{FRA}}
*[[1965]] - [[Jacques Anquetil]] {{FRA}}
*[[1964]] - [[Valentin Uriona]] {{SPA}}
*[[1963]] - [[Jacques Anquetil]] {{FRA}}
*[[1962]] - [[Raymond Mastrotto]] {{FRA}}
*[[1961]] - [[Brian Robinson]] {{GBR}}
*[[1960]] - [[Jean Dotto]] {{FRA}}
*[[1959]] - [[Henry Anglade]] {{FRA}}
*[[1958]] - [[Louis Rostollan]] {{FRA}}
*[[1957]] - [[Marcel Rohrbach]] {{FRA}}
*[[1956]] - [[Alex Close]] {{BEL}}
*[[1955]] - [[Louison Bobet]] {{FRA}}
*[[1954]] - [[Nello Lauredi]] {{FRA}}
*[[1953]] - [[Lucien Teisseire]] {{FRA}}
*[[1952]] - [[Jean Dotto]] {{FRA}}
*[[1951]] - [[Nello Lauredi]] {{FRA}}
*[[1950]] - [[Nello Lauredi]] {{FRA}}
*[[1949]] - [[Lucien Lazarides]] {{FRA}}
*[[1948]] - [[Édouard Fachleitner]] {{FRA}}
*[[1947]] - [[Édouard Kablinski]] {{POL}}
|}

== External links ==
* [http://www.criterium.ledauphine.com/ Official website]

[[Category:UCI ProTour]]
[[Category:Cycle races]]
[[Category:Cycle racing in France]]