# 1997 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

The 1997 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré was the 49th edition of the cycle race and was held from 8 June to 15 June 1997. The race started in Grenoble and finished in Chambéry. The race was won by Udo Bölts of Team Telekom.

## Teams

Fifteen teams, containing a total of 120 riders, participated in the race:
* Banesto
* Festina–Lotus
* Française des Jeux
* ONCE
* Casino
* GAN
* Cofidis
* Rabobank
* Team Telekom
* Lotto–Mobistar–Isoglass
* Kelme–Costa Blanca
* U.S. Postal Service
* BigMat–Auber 93
* Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
* Post Swiss Team

## Route

Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| P | 8 June | Grenoble | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) | Individual time trial | Chris Boardman (GBR) |
| 1 | 9 June | Grenoble to Villeurbanne | 167 km (104 mi) | | Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) |
| 2 | 10 June | Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or to Le Puy-en-Velay | 217 km (135 mi) | | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) |
| 3 | 11 June | Le Puy-en-Velay to Beaumes-de-Venise | 214 km (133 mi) | | Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) |
| 4 | 12 June | Bédarrides to Bédarrides | 45 km (28 mi) | Individual time trial | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) |
| 5 | 13 June | Cavaillon to Digne-les-Bains | 169 km (105 mi) | | Jens Heppner (GER) |
| 6 | 14 June | Digne-les-Bains to Briançon | 187 km (116 mi) | | Abraham Olano (ESP) |
| 7 | 15 June | Briançon to Chambéry | 182 km (113 mi) | | Andrey Teteryuk (KAZ) |

## Stages
### Prologue

8 June 1997 – Grenoble, 5.1 km (3.2 mi) (ITT)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Chris Boardman (GBR) | GAN | 5' 50" |
| 2 | Alex Zülle (SUI) | ONCE | + 3" |
| 3 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | s.t. |

### Stage 1

9 June 1997 – Grenoble to Villeurbanne, 167 km (103.8 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) | GAN | 4h 21' 47" |
| 2 | Giovanni Lombardi (ITA) | Team Telekom | s.t. |
| 3 | Frédéric Moncassin (FRA) | GAN | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Chris Boardman (GBR) | GAN | 4h 27' 37" |
| 2 | Alex Zülle (SUI) | ONCE | + 3" |
| 3 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | s.t. |

### Stage 2

10 June 1997 – Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or to Le Puy-en-Velay, 217 km (134.8 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | 6h 13' 22" |
| 2 | Pascal Chanteur (FRA) | Casino | s.t. |
| 3 | Richard Virenque (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | 10h 35' 02" |
| 2 | Alex Zülle (SUI) | ONCE | + 10" |
| 3 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 13" |

### Stage 3

11 June 1997 – Le Puy-en-Velay to Beaumes-de-Venise, 214 km (133.0 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) | GAN | 5h 28' 08" |
| 2 | Giovanni Lombardi (ITA) | Team Telekom | s.t. |
| 3 | Damien Nazon (FRA) | Française des Jeux | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | 16h 03' 08" |
| 2 | Alex Zülle (SUI) | ONCE | + 12" |
| 3 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 15" |

### Stage 4

12 June 1997 – Bédarrides to Bédarrides, 45 km (28.0 mi) (ITT)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | 53' 02" |
| 2 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 33" |
| 3 | Roland Meier (SUI) | Post Swiss Team | + 1' 26" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | 16h 56' 10" |
| 2 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 49" |
| 3 | Roland Meier (SUI) | Post Swiss Team | + 1' 49" |

### Stage 5

13 June 1997 – Cavaillon to Digne-les-Bains, 169 km (105.0 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Jens Heppner (GER) | Team Telekom | 4h 06' 17" |
| 2 | Javier Pascual (ESP) | Kelme–Costa Blanca | + 50" |
| 3 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | + 1' 14" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | 21h 03' 41" |
| 2 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 49" |
| 3 | Roland Meier (SUI) | Post Swiss Team | + 1' 49" |

### Stage 6

14 May 1997 – Digne-les-Bains to Briançon, 187 km (116.2 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | 5h 07' 27" |
| 2 | Udo Bölts (GER) | Team Telekom | + 1" |
| 3 | Jean-Cyril Robin (FRA) | U.S. Postal Service | + 5" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | 26h 11' 57" |
| 2 | Udo Bölts (GER) | Team Telekom | + 1' 09" |
| 3 | Michael Boogerd (NED) | Rabobank | + 2' 17" |

### Stage 7

15 June 1997 – Briançon to Chambéry, 182 km (113.1 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Andrey Teteryuk (KAZ) | Lotto–Mobistar–Isoglass | 4h 36' 09" |
| 2 | Davide Rebellin (ITA) | Française des Jeux | + 43" |
| 3 | François Simon (FRA) | GAN | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Udo Bölts (GER) | Team Telekom | 30h 49' 58" |
| 2 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 13" |
| 3 | Jean-Cyril Robin (FRA) | U.S. Postal Service | + 1' 42" |

## General classification

| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Udo Bölts (GER) | Team Telekom | 30h 49' 58" |
| 2 | Abraham Olano (ESP) | Banesto | + 13" |
| 3 | Jean-Cyril Robin (FRA) | U.S. Postal Service | + 1' 42" |
| 4 | Michael Boogerd (NED) | Rabobank | + 2' 00" |
| 5 | Andrey Teteryuk (KAZ) | Lotto–Mobistar–Isoglass | + 4' 09" |
| 6 | François Simon (FRA) | GAN | + 4' 12" |
| 7 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | + 4' 17" |
| 8 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | + 5' 03" |
| 9 | Mikel Zarrabeitia (ESP) | ONCE | + 6' 26" |
| 10 | Manuel Beltrán (ESP) | Banesto | + 7' 58" |