For the first time in the race's history, the 2020 Criterium du Dauphiné will not feature a time trial.

The route for the 2020 event was announced in Lyon on Monday, with organizer ASO declaring the race a "true celebration of high altitude."

The Dauphiné is positioned as an important preparatory race for the Tour de France, and as has been the tradition in recent years, the route includes several roads that the peloton will later face in July's heated La Grand Boucle.

Due to the impact of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the cycling calendar, the Dauphiné will start a week earlier than usual, with the opening day coinciding with the final stage of the Giro d'Italia; the 2020 Dauphiné will be held from May 31 to June 7, so the race will be held on June 27 in Nice The 2020 Dauphiné will be held from May 31 to June 7, which means there will be a three-week gap until the Grande Pearl in Nice on June 27.

The Dauphiné will open with a 197-km opening stage from Clermont-Ferrand to Lyon. The hilly terrain of the Massif Central continues in stage 2, with the Category 4 La Gachet pass (3.3 km, 4.6%) just 1 km from the finish at Saint-Christophe-en-Jarres.

The third stage from Saint-Chamond to Saint-Vallier includes the short but steep Côtes du Montlebut (1.3 km, 12%) in the finale, providing an obvious springboard for late attackers. Perhaps reminiscent of the Côte de Mutigny, where Julien Alaphilippe attacked and won the maillot jaune in Epernay in the 2019 Tour de France.

Sprinters should enjoy a more straightforward chance of victory on stage 4 in the Rhone Valley, a flat and fast ride to the finish in Bourg-de-Peage.

But it will be only a temporary respite, as the second half of the Criterium du Dauphiné takes place in the high mountains from Vienne to the Col de Porte on stage 5. The riders will tackle the Côte de Villeville, the Côte de Roibon, and the demanding Côte Maillet (6.2 km, 8%).

The following day, the Tour's 17th stage, the Madeleine Pass, will be followed by a summit finish on the Category 1 Saint-Martin-de-Belleville Pass (14.8 km, 6%).

The Dauphiné will conclude with a weekend of stages around Megève, mirroring the closing week of the 1998 Dauphiné, won by the late Armand de Las Cuevas.

The final stage packs seven mountains into just 156 km. It begins with the Category 1 climbs of the Pass de l'Epinay, the Pass de Plan Bois, and the Pass de la Croix-Frais, while the Pass de Bisanne (12.4 km, 8.2%) is a prelude to the Category 2 climb of the Pass de Méjève (7.4 km, 4.7%).

Stage 8, which concludes the race, includes eight climbs, including two climbs on the Côte de Domancy, the centerpiece of the 1980 World Championships Salanche circuit, which Bernard Hinault won solo.

The category (8.8 km, 8.5%) pass de l'Homme is included early in the stage, and the climb to Altiport in Megève should be a dramatic conclusion to the week.

Race director Bernard Thevenet, a two-time Tour and Dauphiné winner, said of the difficulty of the final weekend.

"The Altiport is spectacular and you can use two different approaches on the final climb," Thevenet told L'Équipe newspaper.

"I think Saturday's stage will be the one that makes a bigger difference. But on the final day, the GC leader's teammates have work to do. There is a lot of climbing and steepness; nearly 8,000 meters over two days. The winner will be a resilient climber."

Cycling News will have live breaking news and full coverage of the 2020 Criterium du Dauphiné in June.

Sunday, May 31: Stage 1. Clermont-Ferrand-Lyon, 197 km

Monday, June 1: Stage 2: Saint-Germain-Haut-Mont-Dore-Saint-Christ-en-Jarres, 181 km

Tuesday, June 2: Stage 3: Saint-Chamont-Saint-Vallier, 175.5 km

6 Wednesday, June 3: Stage 4 Lauriol-sur-Drome-Bourg de Péage, 173 km

Thursday, June 4: Stage 5. Vienne-Col de Porte, 132.5km

Friday, June 5: Stage 6: Colinque-Saint Martin de Belleville, 156.5km

Saturday, June 6: Stage 7: Eugene-Megeve, 156.5km

Sunday, June 7: Stage 8 Stage. Megève-Méjève, 153 km