# 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.
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. After admitting that he had been doping from 1999 to 2007, Levi Leipheimer lost all his results, and no overall winner is recognised by the race organisation.
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:
| 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 :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| P | 4 June | Annecy | 4.1 km (2.5 mi) | Individual time trial | David Zabriskie (USA) |
| 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) |
| 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)
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | David Zabriskie (USA) | Team CSC | 4' 35" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | + 2" |
| 3 | Stuart O'Grady (AUS) | Team CSC | + 6" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | David Zabriskie (USA) | Team CSC | 4' 35" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | + 2" |
| 3 | Stuart O'Grady (AUS) | Team CSC | + 6" |

### Stage 1

5 June 2006 — Annecy to Bourgoin-Jallieu, 207 km (128.6 mi)
| | 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. |
| | 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" |

### Stage 2

6 June 2006 — Bourgoin-Jallieu to Saint-Galmier, 203 km (126.1 mi)
| | 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" |
| | 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)
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | David Zabriskie (USA) | Team CSC | 52' 48" |
| 2 | Floyd Landis (USA) | Phonak | + 53" |
| 3 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) | Gerolsteiner | + 1' 17" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | 10h 52' 41" |
| 2 | David Zabriskie (USA) | Team CSC | + 2' 47" |
| 3 | Floyd Landis (USA) | Phonak | + 3' 48" |

### Stage 4

8 June 2006 — Tain-l'Hermitage to Le Mont-Ventoux, 186 km (115.6 mi)
| | 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" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) | Gerolsteiner | 15h 47' 53" |
| 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)
| | 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" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) | Gerolsteiner | 19h 55' 30" |
| 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)
| | 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" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) | Gerolsteiner | 24h 58' 49" |
| 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)
| | 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. |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) | Gerolsteiner | 28h 07' 06" |
| 2 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) | AG2R Prévoyance | + 1' 48" |
| 3 | Bernhard Kohl (AUT) | T-Mobile Team | + 2' 51" |

## Final standings
### General classification

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) | Gerolsteiner | 28h 07' 06" |
| 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 | David Zabriskie | Thomas Voeckler | Discovery Channel |
| 2 | Philippe Gilbert | Philippe Gilbert | Sébastien Joly | Philippe Gilbert | Thomas Voeckler | Française des Jeux |
| 3 | David Zabriskie | Philippe Gilbert | Sébastien Joly | David Zabriskie | Philippe Gilbert | Team CSC |
| 4 | Denis Menchov | Levi Leipheimer | Denis Menchov | David Zabriskie | Levi Leipheimer | Discovery Channel |
| 5 | Ludovic Turpin | Levi Leipheimer | Christophe Moreau | Francisco Mancebo | Levi Leipheimer | AG2R Prévoyance |
| 6 | Iban Mayo | Levi Leipheimer | Christophe Moreau | Francisco Mancebo | Christophe Moreau | AG2R Prévoyance |
| 7 | Thor Hushovd | Levi Leipheimer | Christophe Moreau | Francisco Mancebo | Christophe Moreau | AG2R Prévoyance |
| Final | Final | Levi Leipheimer | Christophe Moreau | Francisco Mancebo | Christophe Moreau | AG2R Prévoyance |