Mountain air is invigorating at any time of year, but as summer approaches, it brings a scent that attracts cycling enthusiasts. Certainly, mountain maniacs clash more fiercely than ever in July, but their June battles are full of surprises and emerging stars. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, every detail of the top favorites' performances is analyzed, sometimes even predicting the future.

The 2025 edition will develop progressively over eight stages. Stage 1 in Montluçon and Stage 2 in Issoire will likely go to a sprinter capable of navigating the rolling terrain of the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments. In the third stage, just after the checkered flag in Romain Bardet's hometown, Brioude, breakaway specialists will have the opportunity to launch a double attack on the Côte de la Cornille and the Côte de la Barbate, already in the first 20 kilometers. If they manage to keep the peloton at bay for 202.8 kilometers, a ramp in sight of the Charantonnay finish line will be all that stands between the breakaway and victory.

The state of play will change in Wednesday's time trial: Stage 4 leads to Saint-Péray, measuring 17.7 kilometers in the Ardèche department and features a mid-course climb with the potential to heat up the biggest engines in the group.

Sprinters will have their last chance for victory in Stage 5 in Mâcon before spending the rest of the race in group mode. The most anticipated riders will be out of reach once the road bends towards the sky for the final three days, starting with Stage 6 to Combloux, which could give life to a rematch between the best men from the 2023 Tour. The course is a world apart from the time trial where Jonas Vingegaard crushed his opponents. Tadej Pogačar could use the Côte de Domancy, which leads directly to the final climb of the Côte de la Cry before diving towards the resort, as a launching pad for revenge.

More opportunities will present themselves in the frantic Stage 7 to Valmeinier 1800: 132.1 kilometers with an elevation gain of 4,700 meters and three hors catégorie passes. The man in the yellow jersey with blue bands will still need to defend it until the Plateau du Mont-Cenis (Stage 8), at the end of a 9.6-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 6.9% and almost 75 kilometers of virtually non-stop ups and downs from the Col de Beaune.