Who else but Tadej Pogačar? One day intended for fast men, the world champion won an incredible stage of opening of the Dauphiné Critirium, going beyond Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lail Vélo) and Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) of a star break in Montluçon.
The move to five men, which also contained Remco Minepoel (Sudal-Quckstep) and Santiago Buitrago (victory of Bahrain), was triggered by Vingegaard inside a last chaotic final filled with attacks after the last categorized climb.
OnePoel worked the hardest of the movement after wearing late with a feeling that he could stay away, but the punch was missing in the final sprint to come around Van der Poel, who opened things and finished third behind the two stars of the GC.
Pogačar exploded late from the Slipstream, with Vingegaard almost on the line. The pair of champions shared a good time after the line, before the high -level world champion, two fans, making their day after having clearly appreciated the late attack.
The Sprint Bunch was led by Jake Stewart (Israel Premier Tech), but they could not refuse the best rider in the world to still take the yellow jersey of another leader, ending the same time as him a few meters behind. THE Tour de France is still a few weeks old, but the stars are already coming in the foreground.
Did he expect this? “No, I was not, I was ready to come back quickly enough on the bus, to take a shower, take a comfortable seat and enjoy the rest of the day, but I don’t mind being here too,” said Pogačar in the maintenance of his winner.
“I followed the movements on the steep part of the climb, then Visma went clearly for the victory on stage; they tried with everyone to attack at the top. Fortunately, I had good legs and I covered all the attacks. Then, even Jonas, for the icing at the end, so I was able to recover a little.
“(With) 2 km to go, I thought more of the sprint than the GC. I knew that Van der Poel was the fastest obviously of the group, but after such a finish, you cannot count the rest, they can also be fast. I changed my goal and it worked.
“I can already go home from Dauphiné, but I want to see how the shape will be in the TT and on the steps of the mountain. I cannot say after today that the shape is incredible, it’s obviously good, but the real test arrives on weekends.”
He even had time to joke, recognizing how a ridiculous achievement of his continuous success is. “Don’t worry everyone, I may be retiring soon when my contract is finished (in 2030).”
How it went
There was an enormous anticipation for the start of the Dauphiné Critérium, with Stade 1 taking the riders at 195.8 km from Domérat in Montluçon for an expected sprint finish for the first yellow jersey.
With the stars of GC Tadej Pogačar (Emirates-XRG water team), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-lease a bicycle) and Remco Evenepoel (Sudal-Quickstep) at the start, the Dauphiné is the first look of all the protagonists of the Tour de France together in a race this season.
New bikes and techniques ready for the largest cycling race also added to the excitement for the start, but when things withdrew from the neutral area, it was relatively calm.
A break from two men was formed in the mainly flat opening phase, with Paul Ouryselin (Cofidis) and Pierre Thierry (Hotels Arkéa – B&B) deciding to attack. They were allowed to build a three-minute advantage, but were kept relatively close by Lidl-Trek and Israel Premier Tech, who were stimulating for their respective sprinters.
Thierry survived Urselin, after going to the first Kom sprints, leaving the first one with 54 km, but the peloton was starting to close quickly.
The action started while the race reached the penultimate ascent of the Côte de Buffon (0.6 km at 8.8%), where EF Education-Epost decided to test everyone’s legs with a move by long-range specialist Ben Healy and his compatriot Archie Ryan.
However, they had not made it possible to breathe the place, because suddenly, the rainbow stripes of Pogačar responded, perhaps showing its intentions, which, of course, encouraged Vingegaard to be attentive and to rush on his wheel.
Things were calmed down, but it was a glimpse of the climb, which would arrive as the characterized final test of the scene, 8 km from the finish in Montluçon.
Fred Wright (victory of Bahrain) countered over the soothing, with Thierry’s day at the front after the Brit crossed him. However, the Bahrain rider was soon back with 7 km to go, while the peloton straightened up to the rhythm at the foot of the final climb.
Axel Laurence (ineos grenadiers) opened the race on the steep 600 -meter ascent, but there was little separation with all the favorites for GC after near behind. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lail a bicycle) made a small movement once he flattened, but that prompted Van der Poel to answer, with Pogačar and Vingegaard on his wheel, the cancellant.
The big blow, however, came from Vingegaard himself with a counter 5.5 km from the finish. Pogačar and van der Poel went with him, just like Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victoire). Noticing the danger, evenpoel then exploded solo on the apartment.
All the Sprint teams behind had difficulty finding the figures necessary for the pursuit, several small attacks only injure the chances of the peloton. As the race reached the red flame, those at the front had worked well enough so that it seemed to be there.
Van der Poel in high level would have cleaned the GC stars in a sprint, but with his recent wrist fracture, he showed signs of weakness in the final sprint. He opened things, but all the Elepoel, Pogačar and Vingegaard ended.
The former world champion has become, with the current rainbow jersey that bypassed him, Vingegaard, Pogačar affirming a famous victory to open Dauphiné this year, after a finish dominated by four of the best absolute cycling runners.
The Tomorrow from Prémilhat à ISOIRE scene presents a similar park and could be one for sprinters, but after today’s dramatic events, who knows if Pogačar and the rest of the superstars will decide if it is a day for them.
Results
Results fed by First cycle
