Rives – Gap – 196 Km

1 FERRON Valentin FRA TOTALENERGIES 04:22:17
2 ROLLAND Pierre FRA B&B HOTELS – KTM 00:03
3 BARGUIL Warren FRA TEAM ARKÉA SAMSIC 00:03
4 BAGIOLI Andrea ITA QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 00:03
5 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:03
6 LAFAY Victor FRA COFIDIS 00:03
7 MOLANO Juan Sebastián COL UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:32 DSQ wegen Faustschlag
8 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald NOR TOTALENERGIES 00:32
9 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE – JAYCO 00:32
10 LOUVEL Matis FRA TEAM ARKÉA SAMSIC 00:32

Gesamt:

1 VAN AERT Wout BEL JUMBO-VISMA 21:27:20
2 CATTANEO Mattia ITA QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 01:03
3 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO-VISMA 01:06
4 HAYTER Ethan GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 01:32
5 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN JUMBO-VISMA 01:36
6 CARUSO Damiano ITA BAHRAIN – VICTORIOUS 01:49
7 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 01:55
8 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 02:00
9 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R CITROËN TEAM 02:10
10 KELDERMAN Wilco NED BORA – HANSGROHE 02:12

Critérium du Dauphiné: Ausreißersieg in Gap, Jordi Meeus auf Platz zehn

Auf der sechsten Etappe des Critérium du Dauphiné stand mit 196,5 Kilometern zwischen Rives und Gap der längste Tagesabschnitt der Rundfahrt auf dem Programm. Eine hügelige, mit zwei Bergwertungen der zweiten Kategorie aber durchaus anspruchsvolle Etappe. Die sechsköpfige Ausreißergruppe des Tages konnte sich zum zweiten Mal während dieser Woche durchsetzen und den Sieg unter sich ausmachen. V. Ferron war am Ende der Schnellste, Jordi Meeus kam im Sprint des Hauptfeldes auf Platz zehn. Die verbleibenden und für die Gesamtwertung entscheidenden Etappen führen das Peloton ab morgen ins Hochgebirge. Für BORA – hansgrohe liegen Wilco Kelderman und Patrick Konrad auf den Rängen zehn und 13 weiterhin in aussichtsreicher Position.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Ziel für heute war ganz klar einen Fahrer in der Spitzengruppe zu platzieren, leider ist uns dies nicht gelungen. Plan B war der Sprint für Jordi Meeus, als aber absehbar war, dass die Spitzengruppe durchkommen würde haben wir unsere Bemühungen in der Nachführarbeit eingestellt. Mit Hinblick auf die bevorstehenden zwei schweren Tage in den Bergen sind wir heute insgesamt relativ ressourcenschonend durchgekommen und gehen jetzt mit unseren beiden Fahrern für die Gesamtwertung zuversichtlich in das Finale der Rundfahrt.“ Christian Pömer, Sportlicher Leiter

Ferron outwits companions for first World Tour win

Valentin Ferron outwitted his breakaway companions in the Gap finale of the 196.5-km 6th stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné on Friday, surging under the red flame to clinch his first World Tour victory. Emulating Total Energies team-mate Alexis Vuillermoz a few days earlier, the 24-year-old Frenchman won ahead of compatriot Pierre Rolland, who strengthened his KOM lead, and a third Frenchman, Warren Barguil.
It was the third French victory in this Dauphiné, two other stages having crowned Wout VanAert, who retained his yellow jersey ahead of a mountainous final weekend.

Seven in the lead
The start was given at 11:34 to 146 riders. The peloton left Rives without white jersey contender Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), who felt unwell and unfit to start. The peloton was jittery from the gun as break attempts multiplied and a group of three finally broke clear: Andrea Bagioli (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Lukasz Owsian (Arkea Samsic). But the trio was reined in at kilometre 36. The first climb of the day, Cote de Ste Eulalie en Royans (4th cat.), was an opportunity for former race leader Alexis Vuillermoz to surge with Kevin Geniets, Mikkel Honoré and Samuele Battistella but they were quickly reeled in. As Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) called it quits, the break of the day took shape in the second climb, the 3rd category Cote des Grands-Goulets, where KOM leader Pierre Rolland led the way, followed by six other riders. The seven escapees were Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R-Citroen), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Andrea Bagioli (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl), Victor Lafay (Cofidis), Valentin Ferron (Total Energies), Warren Barguil (Arkea Samsic) and Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels) and the pack seemed content to let them go as the gap steadily increased.

Rolland strengthens KOM lead
While the lead settled at around four minutes – reaching a maximum of 4:25 –, Pierre Rolland kept collecting points for his polka-dot jersey by finishing first in the second category climbs of the day, Col de Rousset (km 74.3) and Col de Cabre (Km 138.7). The Frenchman picked 12 points to take his overall tally to 29. In this last climb, Armirail lost ground and was dropped by his former breakaway companions. The sprint of the day went to Warren Barguil, who collected ten seconds and three points ahead of Ferron and Bouchard. Dylan Groenewegen also struggled in the final ascent of the fat but still had plenty of time to close the gap until the eponymous finish town.

Jumbo secure the jersey
Jumbo-Visma passed the baton to Trek-Segafredo to lead the bunch but no team seemed really determined to chase behind the break and the lead was still of three minutes with 30 km to go. Wout Van Aert’s team-mates looked content with maintaining a small enough gap not to lose the yellow jersey – Bagioli lying 3:02 at the start –, leaving the six escapees to battle it out for the stage laurels. The gap was down to one minute with 5 km to go, when Bouchard attacked to try to part with his companions. But the six kept working together until the red flame. It was then that Ferron, who had only won a stage in the Tour du Rwanda before this, decided to go for it. He took the five others off their guard and Rolland and Barguil were left to settle for a podium place.

Valentin Ferron : « A reward for a lot of work »
„It’s huge. It’s the result of a lot of work. Every day you hope to win but you have to enjoy a World Tour victory because there won’t be a lot in a career. It’s an achievement, a great satisfaction in a sports career. It was a great breakaway group, with strong guys in the front. I was not the fastest so when I saw that there was a lull I decide to surge and go for it and it worked. It’s great. It’s a special feeling to win here. We’ll celebrate tonight and maybe it will sink in then. This year, you can tell that the dynamics are good in the team, everybody is involved and it’s fine. A lot of riders have already won a race this season.“
@ASO