The prestigious cycling race, the Critérium du Dauphiné, will change its name after 78 years, organizer ASO announced on Monday. The French stage race, which was won by Tadej Pogacar on Sunday, will be known as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes from next year.
The new name is a reference to the French regions through which the Dauphiné mainly passes. In recent days, several climbs from the Alpine region were on the program, such as the Col de la Madeleine and the Col de la Croix de Fer.
The cycling race was founded in 1947 by the regional newspaper Dauphiné Libéré. The competition quickly gained an important status in the peloton as a preparation race for the Tour de France.
Legendary riders such as Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault have won the French stage race. Three-time Tour winner Pogacar won the race for the first time on Sunday.
“The new name reflects the regional roots of the competition,” says ASO director Christian Prudhomme. “The region attracts the best riders in the world for a competition that is as demanding as it is beautiful due to the beauty of the landscapes.”