# 1998 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

The 1998 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré was the 50th edition of the cycle race and was held from 7 June to 14 June 1998. The race started in Villeurbanne and finished in Megève. The race was won by Armand de Las Cuevas of the Banesto team.

## Teams

Fifteen teams, containing a total of 120 riders, participated in the race:
* Team Telekom
* Festina–Lotus
* Casino–Ag2r
* ONCE
* Rabobank
* Banesto
* GAN
* Lotto–Mobistar
* Française des Jeux
* Cofidis
* Kelme–Costa Blanca
* U.S. Postal Service
* Vitalicio Seguros
* BigMat–Auber 93
* Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne

## Route

Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| P | 7 June | Villeurbanne | 5 km (3.1 mi) | Individual time trial | Chris Boardman (GBR) |
| 1 | 8 June | Villeurbanne to Charvieu-Chavagneux | 190 km (120 mi) | | Max Sciandri (GBR) |
| 2 | 9 June | Charvieu-Chavagneux to Vals-les-Bains | 198 km (123 mi) | | Damien Nazon (FRA) |
| 3 | 10 June | Vals-les-Bains to Mont Ventoux | 164 km (102 mi) | | José María Jiménez (ESP) |
| 4 | 11 June | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux | 41.2 km (25.6 mi) | Individual time trial | Chris Boardman (GBR) |
| 5 | 12 June | Crest to Grenoble | 160 km (99 mi) | | Max Sciandri (GBR) |
| 6 | 13 June | Challes-les-Eaux to Megève Côte 2000 | 161 km (100 mi) | | Richard Virenque (FRA) |
| 7 | 14 June | Megève to Megève | 144 km (89 mi) | | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) |

## Stages
### Prologue

7 June 1998 – Villeurbanne, 5 km (3.1 mi) (ITT)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Chris Boardman (GBR) | GAN | 5' 40" |
| 2 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | s.t. |
| 3 | Laurent Jalabert (FRA) | ONCE | + 3" |

### Stage 1

8 June 1998 – Villeurbanne to Charvieu-Chavagneux, 190 km (118.1 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Sciandri (GBR) | Française des Jeux | 5h 15' 04" |
| 2 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | s.t. |
| 3 | Christophe Capelle (FRA) | Cofidis | + 1' 30" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | 5h 20' 49" |
| 2 | Max Sciandri (GBR) | Française des Jeux | + 2" |
| 3 | Chris Boardman (GBR) | GAN | + 1' 25" |

### Stage 2

9 June 1998 – Charvieu-Chavagneux to Vals-les-Bains, 198 km (123.0 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Damien Nazon (FRA) | Française des Jeux | 5h 03' 48" |
| 2 | Stéphane Barthe (FRA) | Casino–Ag2r | s.t. |
| 3 | Christophe Capelle (FRA) | Cofidis | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | 10h 24' 37" |
| 2 | Max Sciandri (GBR) | Française des Jeux | + 2" |
| 3 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | s.t. |

### Stage 3

10 June 1998 – Vals-les-Bains to Mont Ventoux, 164 km (101.9 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | José Maria Jimenez (ESP) | Banesto | 4h 26' 28" |
| 2 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | s.t. |
| 3 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 31" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | 14h 52' 45" |
| 2 | José Maria Jimenez (ESP) | Banesto | + 18" |
| 3 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 34" |

### Stage 4

11 June 1998 – Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, 41.2 km (25.6 mi) (ITT)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Chris Boardman (GBR) | GAN | 49' 39" |
| 2 | Gilles Maignan (FRA) | Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne | + 45" |
| 3 | Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) | U.S. Postal Service | + 1' 03" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | 15h 45' 02" |
| 2 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | + 2" |
| 3 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 38" |

### Stage 5

12 June 1998 – Crest to Grenoble, 160 km (99.4 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Sciandri (GBR) | Française des Jeux | 4h 12' 00" |
| 2 | Giovanni Lombardi (ITA) | Team Telekom | + 1' 26" |
| 3 | Nicolas Jalabert (FRA) | Cofidis | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | 20h 00' 14" |
| 2 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 38" |
| 3 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | + 48" |

### Stage 6

13 May 1998 – Challes-les-Eaux to Megève Côte 2000, 161 km (100.0 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Richard Virenque (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | 4h 47' 34" |
| 2 | Jean-Cyril Robin (FRA) | U.S. Postal Service | + 1" |
| 3 | Rik Verbrugghe (BEL) | Lotto–Mobistar | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | 24h 49' 01" |
| 2 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 34" |
| 3 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | + 54" |

### Stage 7

14 June 1998 – Megève to Megève, 144 km (89.5 mi)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | 3h 19' 55" |
| 2 | José Maria Jimenez (ESP) | Banesto | s.t. |
| 3 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | s.t. |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | 28h 08' 56" |
| 2 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 34" |
| 3 | Andrey Teteryuk (KAZ) | Lotto–Mobistar | + 2' 17" |

## General classification

| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Armand de Las Cuevas (FRA) | Banesto | 28h 08' 56" |
| 2 | Miguel Ángel Peña (ESP) | Banesto | + 34" |
| 3 | Andrey Teteryuk (KAZ) | Lotto–Mobistar | + 2' 17" |
| 4 | Dariusz Baranowski (POL) | U.S. Postal Service | + 2' 19" |
| 5 | José María Jiménez (ESP) | Banesto | + 2' 41" |
| 6 | Richard Virenque (FRA) | Festina–Lotus | + 2' 45" |
| 7 | Jens Voigt (GER) | GAN | + 2' 56" |
| 8 | Thierry Bourguignon (FRA) | BigMat–Auber 93 | + 4' 13" |
| 9 | Patrick Jonker (AUS) | Rabobank | + 4' 35" |
| 10 | Jean-Cyril Robin (FRA) | U.S. Postal Service | + 4' 36" |