2006 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

The 2006 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré was the 58th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré cycle race and was held from 4 June to 11 June 2006. The race consisted of a Prologue and seven stages covering a total of 1,098 km (682 mi), starting in Annecy and finishing in Grenoble.

2006 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

2006 UCI ProTour, race 14 of 27
Race details
Dates	4–11 June 2006
Stages	7 + Prologue
Distance	1,098 km (682.3 mi)
Winning time	28h 07' 06"
Results
Winner  Levi Leipheimer[nb 1] (USA) (Gerolsteiner)   Second  Christophe Moreau (FRA) (AG2R Prévoyance)   Third  Bernhard Kohl (AUT) (T-Mobile Team) Points  Francisco Mancebo (ESP) (AG2R Prévoyance) Mountains  Christophe Moreau (FRA) (AG2R Prévoyance) Combination  Christophe Moreau (FRA) (AG2R Prévoyance)   Team AG2R Prévoyance
← 2005 2007 →

American Levi Leipheimer of Team Gerolsteiner initially captured the overall title and the maillot jaune et bleu ahead of France's Christophe Moreau and Germany's Bernhard Kohl (T-Mobile Team). Christophe Moreau (AG2R Prévoyance) secured the King of the Mountains competition and the combined classification (winner of the maillot bleu). The points classification for sprinters went to Spaniard Francisco Mancebo. French team AG2R Prévoyance captured the team title.

Leipheimer was disqualified from the result in 2012, following a USADA investigation.^[1] After admitting that he had been doping from 1999 to 2007, Levi Leipheimer lost all his results,^[2] and no overall winner is recognised by the race organisation.^[3]

The 2006 edition featured a feast of climbing, and is considered the ideal race for the Tour de France contenders to hone their form. After eight challenging stages, it finished on June 11 – just under three weeks before the start of 'La Grande Boucle'.

Teams

Twenty-one teams, each with a maximum of eight riders, entered the race:^[4][5]

Euskaltel–Euskadi Phonak Gerolsteiner Discovery Channel Würth Cofidis Saunier Duval–Prodir Crédit Agricole Caisse d'Epargne–Illes Balears Davitamon–Lotto AG2R Prévoyance

T-Mobile Team Rabobank Française des Jeux Team CSC Quick-Step–Innergetic Lampre–Fondital Bouygues Télécom Liquigas Team Milram Agritubel

Route

Stage characteristics and winners^[6]

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Winner
P	4 June	Annecy	4.1 km (2.5 mi)		Individual time trial	David Zabriskie (USA)[nb 1]
1	5 June	Annecy to Bourgoin-Jallieu	207 km (129 mi)			Fabian Wegmann (GER)
2	6 June	Bourgoin-Jallieu to Saint-Galmier	203 km (126 mi)			Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
3	7 June	Bourg-de-Péage to Bourg-de-Péage	43 km (27 mi)		Individual time trial	David Zabriskie (USA)[nb 1]
4	8 June	Tain-l'Hermitage to Mont Ventoux	186 km (116 mi)			Denis Menchov (RUS)
5	9 June	Sisteron to Briançon	155 km (96 mi)			Ludovic Turpin (FRA)
6	10 June	Briançon to La Toussuire	169 km (105 mi)			Iban Mayo (ESP)
7	11 June	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Grenoble	131 km (81 mi)			Thor Hushovd (NOR)

Stages

Prologue

4 June 2006 — Annecy, 4.1 km (2.5 mi) (ITT)^[7]

Prologue Result[8][9][10] Rider Team Time 1  David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 4' 35"[nb 1] 2  George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel + 2"[nb 1] 3  Stuart O'Grady (AUS) Team CSC + 6"

General Classification after Prologue[10] Rider Team Time 1  David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 4' 35"[nb 1] 2  George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel + 2"[nb 1] 3  Stuart O'Grady (AUS) Team CSC + 6"

Stage 1

5 June 2006 — Annecy to Bourgoin-Jallieu, 207 km (128.6 mi)^[11]

Stage 1 result[8][12][13] Rider Team Time 1  Fabian Wegmann (GER) Gerolsteiner 5h 06' 36" 2  Thomas Voeckler (FRA) Bouygues Télécom s.t. 3  Egoi Martínez (ESP) Discovery Channel s.t.

General Classification after Stage 1[8][12][13] Rider Team Time 1  Fabian Wegmann (GER) Gerolsteiner 5h 11' 23" 2  Thomas Voeckler (FRA) Bouygues Télécom + 5" 3  David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC + 5"[nb 1]

Stage 2

6 June 2006 — Bourgoin-Jallieu to Saint-Galmier, 203 km (126.1 mi)^[14]

Stage 2 result[8][15][16] Rider Team Time 1  Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Française des Jeux 4h 45' 53" 2  Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance + 5' 19" 3  Peter Wrolich (AUT) Gerolsteiner + 5' 23"

General Classification after Stage 2[8][15][16] Rider Team Time 1  Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Française des Jeux 9h 57' 13" 2  Fabian Wegmann (GER) Gerolsteiner + 5' 22" 3  Thomas Voeckler (FRA) Bouygues Télécom + 5' 27"

Stage 3

7 June 2006 — Bourg-de-Péage, 43 km (26.7 mi) (ITT)^[17]

Stage 3 result[8][18][19] Rider Team Time 1  David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 52' 48"[nb 1] 2  Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak + 53" 3  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner + 1' 17"[nb 1]

General Classification after Stage 3[8][18][19] Rider Team Time 1  Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Française des Jeux 10h 52' 41" 2  David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC + 2' 47"[nb 1] 3  Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak + 3' 48"

Stage 4

8 June 2006 — Tain-l'Hermitage to Le Mont-Ventoux, 186 km (115.6 mi)^[20]

Stage 4 result[8][21][22] Rider Team Time 1  Denis Menchov (RUS) Rabobank 4h 50' 37" 2  Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance s.t. 3  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner + 15"[nb 1]

General Classification after Stage 4[8][21][22] Rider Team Time 1  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 15h 47' 53"[nb 1] 2  Denis Menchov (RUS) Rabobank + 28" 3  Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Française des Jeux + 1' 08"

Stage 5

9 June 2006 — Sisteron to Briançon, 155 km (96.3 mi)^[23]

Stage 5 result[8][24][25] Rider Team Time 1  Ludovic Turpin (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance 4h 06' 49" 2  Iban Mayo (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi + 26" 3  Francisco Mancebo (ESP) AG2R Prévoyance + 27"

General Classification after Stage 5[8][24][25] Rider Team Time 1  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 19h 55' 30"[nb 1] 2  Denis Menchov (RUS) Rabobank + 28" 3  Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance + 1' 48"

Stage 6

10 June 2006 — Briançon to La Toussuire, 169 km (105.0 mi)^[26]

Stage 6 result[8][27][28] Rider Team Time 1  Iban Mayo (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi 5h 01' 42" 2  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne–Illes Balears + 1' 21" 3  Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance + 1' 37"

General Classification after Stage 6[8][27][28] Rider Team Time 1  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 24h 58' 49"[nb 1] 2  Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance + 1' 48" 3  Bernhard Kohl (AUT) T-Mobile Team + 2' 51"

Stage 7

11 June 2006 — Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Grenoble, 131 km (81.4 mi)^[29]

Stage 7 result[8][30][31] Rider Team Time 1  Thor Hushovd (NOR) Crédit Agricole 3h 08' 17" 2  Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance s.t. 3  Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Française des Jeux s.t.

General Classification after Stage 7[8][30][31] Rider Team Time 1  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 28h 07' 06"[nb 1] 2  Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance + 1' 48" 3  Bernhard Kohl (AUT) T-Mobile Team + 2' 51"

Final standings

General classification

Final general classification[31] Cyclist Team Time 1  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 28h 07' 06"[nb 1] 2  Christophe Moreau (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance + 1' 48" 3  Bernhard Kohl (AUT) T-Mobile Team + 2' 51" 4  José Azevedo (POR) Discovery Channel + 3' 00" 5  Francisco Mancebo (ESP) AG2R Prévoyance + 3' 29" 6  Denis Menchov (RUS) Rabobank + 4' 14" 7  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne–Illes Balears + 4' 21" 8  Leonardo Piepoli (ITA) SDV + 5' 13" 9  Pietro Caucchioli (ITA) Crédit Agricole + 5' 45" 10  George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel + 6' 48"

Points classification

	Cyclist	Team	Points
1	Francisco Mancebo (ESP)	AG2R Prévoyance	69
2	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)	Française des Jeux	60
3	George Hincapie (USA)	Discovery Channel	57

Mountains classification

	Cyclist	Team	Points
1	Christophe Moreau (FRA)	AG2R Prévoyance	162
2	Levi Leipheimer (USA)	Gerolsteiner	126
3	Denis Menchov (RUS)	Rabobank	119

Combined classification

	Cyclist	Team	Points
1	Christophe Moreau (FRA)	AG2R Prévoyance	224
2	Levi Leipheimer (USA)	Gerolsteiner	221
3	Denis Menchov (RUS)	Rabobank	171

Jersey progress

Stage	Winner	General classification	Mountains classification	Points classification	Combined classification	Team Classification
P	David Zabriskie	David Zabriskie	George Hincapie	David Zabriskie		Discovery Channel
1	Fabian Wegmann	Fabian Wegmann	Thomas Voeckler		Thomas Voeckler
2	Philippe Gilbert	Philippe Gilbert	Sébastien Joly	Philippe Gilbert		Française des Jeux
3	David Zabriskie			David Zabriskie	Philippe Gilbert	Team CSC
4	Denis Menchov	Levi Leipheimer	Denis Menchov		Levi Leipheimer	Discovery Channel
5	Ludovic Turpin		Christophe Moreau	Francisco Mancebo		AG2R Prévoyance
6	Iban Mayo				Christophe Moreau
7	Thor Hushovd
Final		Levi Leipheimer	Christophe Moreau	Francisco Mancebo	Christophe Moreau	AG2R Prévoyance

Notes

1. In 2012, Zabriskie, Leipheimer and Hincapie were disqualified from the result, according to the findings of a USADA investigation.^[1]