Alberto Contador wins the Critérium du Dauphiné prologue to take the first leader's jersey

Starting with what could possibly be the hardest opening stage to a WorldTour race we've ever seen, the prologue of the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné shook up the GC from the go.

The finishing time gaps will oblige many of the GC contenders to attack for the rest of the week if they are to have any hope of making the final podium. This is particularly true for Fabio Aru (Astana) who finished way down.

Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step) set the early time of 12 minutes, but this was bettered by Chris Froome (Team Sky).

Froome knocked 11 seconds off Alaphilippe's time, which until then had looked like a possible winning time.

The Team Sky leader had chosen to go off early in the day and so was leading for quite some time. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), Froome's chief rival - in this race and most probably in the Tour de France later this summer, knocked 12 seconds off the lead time.

Finishing immediately after Contador, Richie Porte (BMC Racing) bettered Froome's time but fell five seconds short of the Tinkoff leader's benchmark.

The prologue was especially hard compared to how many races start: a 4km hill climb with an average gradient of 9.7 per cent.

With no time limit, many domestiques, climbers and those not fancying a steep climb took it easy and left the GC men to fight the climb, the clock and their bikes.

Not all the riders were happy about this as an opening stage, and Tony Martin (Etixx-Quick Step) tweeted his irritation.

Stage one looks like it should be one for the sprinters as the lumps and bumps come in the first half before a fast and relatively flat run in to the finish. The stage covers 186km from Cluses to Saint-Vulbas, with four category four climbs along the way.

Watch: Highlights from the Critérium du Dauphiné prologue

Result

Critérium du Dauphiné 2016, prologue, Les Gets to Les Gets, 4km

1. Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, at 11-36

2. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing, at 6s

3. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, at 13s

4. Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx-Quick Step, at 21s

5. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx-Quick Step, at 24s

6. Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, at 25s

7. Romain Bardet (Fra) ag2r La Mondiale, at 29s

8. Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge, at 31s

9. Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana, at 37s

10. José Herrada (Esp) Movistar, ar 39s

Critérium du Dauphiné 2016, overall standings after prologue

1. Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, at 11-36

2. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing, at 6s

3. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, at 13s

4. Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx-Quick Step, at 21s

5. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx-Quick Step, at 24s

6. Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, at 25s

7. Romain Bardet (Fra) ag2r La Mondiale, at 29s

8. Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge, at 31s

9. Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana, at 37s

10. José Herrada (Esp) Movistar, ar 39s