Schlagwort-Archive: Critérium du Dauphiné

Criterium du Dauphine Libere 3. Etappe

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Monistrol-sur-Loire – Le Coteau – 194 Km

1 LAPORTE Christophe FRA Jumbo-Visma 04:43:28
2 BENNETT Sam IRL BORA-hansgrohe 00:00 Relegiert auf Rang 33 wegen Verlassens der Fahrlinie im Sprint
3 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
4 TRENTIN Matteo ITA UAE Team Emirates 00:00
5 MENTEN Milan BEL Lotto Dstny 00:00
6 HOFSTETTER Hugo FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:00
7 GOVEKAR Matevz SLO Bahrain Victorious 00:00
8 BAYER Tobias AUT Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:00
9 ZINGLE Axel FRA Cofidis 00:00
10 MIHKELS Madis EST Intermarché-Circus-Wanty 00:00
11 BUGGE Martin Urianstad NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00
12 VAN POPPEL Danny NED BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
13 ABERASTURI Jon ESP Trek-Segafredo 00:00
14 TAMINIAUX Lionel BEL Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:00
15 VAN GILS Maxim BEL Lotto Dstny 00:00
16 OLIVEIRA Ivo POR UAE Team Emirates 00:00
17 VERNON Ethan GBR Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
18 HEINSCHKE Leon GER Team DSM 00:00
19 VERCHER Mattéo FRA TotalEnergies 00:00
20 BRENNER Marco GER Team DSM 00:00

Bennett and Groenewegen are relegated, here’s the new top 5

1. Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)
2. Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates)
3. Milan Menten (Lotto Dstny)
4. Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa Samsic)
5. Matevz Govekar (Bahrain Victorious)

Gesamt:

1 LAPORTE Christophe FRA Jumbo-Visma 12:21:28
2 ALAPHILIPPE Julian FRA Soudal Quick-Step 00:11
3 CARAPAZ Richard ECU EF Education-EasyPost 00:17
4 HERREGODTS Rune BEL Intermarché-Circus-Wanty 00:19
5 VAN GILS Maxim BEL Lotto Dstny 00:23
6 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:23
7 BRENNER Marco GER Team DSM 00:23
8 BOASSON-HAGEN Edvald NOR TotalEnergies 00:23
9 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:23
10 ZINGLE Axel FRA Cofidis 00:23
11 GROSSSCHARTNE Felix AUT UAE Team Emirates 00:23
12 BERNAL Egan COL INEOS Grenadiers 00:23
13 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:23
14 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:23
15 RODRIGUEZ Carlos ESP INEOS Grenadiers 00:23
16 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN Jumbo-Visma 00:23
17 STANNARD Robert AUS Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:23
18 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R Citroën Team 00:23
19 CHAVES Esteban COL EF Education-EasyPost 00:23
20 YATES Adam GBR UAE Team Emirates 00:23

Danny van Poppel Zehnter im Sprint der dritten Etappe des Critérium du Dauphiné, Sam Bennett relegiert

Die dritte Etappe des Critérium du Dauphiné war mit 194km der längste Tagesabschnitt der Rundfahrt. Dank überschaubar topografischer Schwierigkeit bot die Etappe eine der wenigen Möglichkeiten für die Sprinter. Für Chaos sorgte 47km vor dem Ziel ein Massensturz im Feld, der aber glücklicherweise für alle BORA – hansgrohe Profis glimpflich verlief.
Im technisch anspruchsvollen Finale leistete BORA – hansgrohe perfekte Vorarbeit für Sam Bennett, der sich nur C. Laporte geschlagen geben musste. Bennett wurde nach dem Rennen von der Jury auf den letzten Platz seiner Gruppe relegiert, weil er im Sprint seine Linie verlassen hatte.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Wir sind froh, heute trotz mehrerer Stürze und etwas Chaos im Feld, alle Fahrer sicher über die Ziellinie gebracht zu haben. Patrick Gamper kam zwar zu Boden, konnte das Rennen aber mit leichten Blessuren beenden. Die Jungs sind ein super Rennen gefahren, haben Jai Hindley eskortiert und für Sam Bennett den Sprint perfekt vorbereitet. Nach dem Rennen wurde Sam Bennett relegiert, weil er seine Linie verlassen hatte. Klar ist die Relegation von Sam schade, aber wir akzeptieren natürlich die Entscheidung der Jury.“ Bernhard Eisel, Sportlicher Leiter

Laporte keeps the French party going

Make it two stage wins for Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) in the Critérium du Dauphiné 2023, and three for the French stars! With his yellow and blue jersey on his shoulders, the leader of overall standings dominated the sprint of Le Coteau on Tuesday, after Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) won stage 2 on the day before. This is the first time since 1960 that French riders win the first three stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné. In the final run-in to the line, Laporte got the best of the pure sprinters Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla). But the two of them were relegated after the stage. Laporte also strengthens his overall lead on the eve of a 31.1km time trial from Cours to Belmont-de-la-Loire.

The 141-man peloton start from Monistrol-sur-Loire at noon. And two riders immediately get on the move: Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Energies) sets off, Lorenzo Milesi (Team DSM) follows him. They quickly open a gap of 1’55’’ but the Italian youngster doesn’t keep up with his effort after 15km. Burgaudeau is alone at the front. And his lead reaches a maximum of 6’05’’ at km 30.
Dylan Groenewegen’s Jayco AlUla and Sam Bennett’s Bora-Hansgrohe are the first teams to move to the front of the bunch to control the stage. Attacks fly again on the first ascent of the day, the cat-2 Côte de Bellevue-la-Montagne (summit at km 40.9).
Burgaudeau goes first at the summit, and Pierre Latour (Total Energies) follows to take 3 points. But Donavan Grondin’s polka-dot jersey remains out of reach after the youngster from Arkéa Samsic claimed 7 points in the first two stages.

Alaphilippe tries to upset Laporte
With a hardened pace, the peloton only trail by 4 minutes at the summit. Some teams try to create splits in the bunch. But everybody is vigilant and the situation settles down. Burgaudeau waits for the peloton and is caught at km 69. From there, a bunched pack makes its way to the finish in Le Coteau, with a short neutralisation to go past a protest at km 91.

Soudal Quick-Step and Julian Alaphilippe try to make the most of the intermediate sprint. The Frenchman is 2nd in the overall standings, with the same time as Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)… But he also takes the second place in Sainte-Foy-Saint-Sulpice (km 139.5), behind Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), who snatches 3 bonus seconds (vs 2 for Alaphilippe).

Bennett tries, Laporte succeeds
Many riders hit the deck with a mass crash 48 kilometres away from the line. Andrey Zeits (Qazaqstan) is forced to abandon while riders such as Alaphilippe, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) and Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) gradually make their way back to the bunch.
The sprinters survive the final ascent of the day, the cat-4 Côte de Pinay, summited with 18.5 km to go. The sprinters survive the climb and fly to a high-speed battle in Le Coteau. Alaphilippe suffers a mechanical with 7km to go but he manages to get back 3.5km before the finish.
Bora-Hansgrohe launch the sprint for Sam Bennett but the Irish star falters in the final 50 metres. Christophe Laporte seizes this opportunity to claim his second stage win in the Critérium du Dauphiné 2023.

Criterium du Dauphine Libere 2. Etappe

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Brassac-les-Mines – La Chaise-Dieu – 167 Km


Foto Plomi

1 ALAPHILIPPE Julian FRA Soudal Quick-Step 03:54:53
2 CARAPAZ Richard ECU EF Education-EasyPost 00:00
3 TESFAZION Natnael ERI Trek-Segafredo 00:00
4 LAPORTE Christophe FRA Jumbo-Visma 00:00
5 VAN GILS Maxim BEL Lotto Dstny 00:00
6 STANNARD Robert AUS Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:00
7 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:00
8 ONLEY Oscar GBR Team DSM 00:00
9 BRENNER Marco GER Team DSM 00:00
10 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:00
11 BENNETT Sam IRL BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
12 VUILLERMOZ Alexis FRA TotalEnergies 00:00
13 ABERASTURI Jon ESP Trek-Segafredo 00:00
14 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R Citroën Team 00:00
15 GROSSSCHARTNE Felix AUT UAE Team Emirates 00:00
16 MAS Enric ESP Movistar Team 00:00
17 BOASSON-HAGEN Edvald NOR TotalEnergies 00:00
18 GRMAY Tsgabu ETH Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
19 CHAVES Esteban COL EF Education-EasyPost 00:00
20 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00
21 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN Jumbo-Visma 00:00
22 BERNAL Egan COL INEOS Grenadiers 00:00
23 HARPER Chris AUS Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
24 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:00
25 OSBORNE Jason GER Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:00
26 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00

Gesamt:

1 LAPORTE Christophe FRA Jumbo-Visma 07:38:13
2 ALAPHILIPPE Julian FRA Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
3 CARAPAZ Richard ECU EF Education-EasyPost 00:04
4 HERREGODTS Rune BEL Intermarché-Circus-Wanty 00:06
5 VAN GILS Maxim BEL Lotto Dstny 00:10
6 STANNARD Robert AUS Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:10
7 WRIGHT Fred GBR Bahrain Victorious 00:10
8 BRENNER Marco GER Team DSM 00:10
9 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:10
10 BOASSON-HAGEN Edvald NOR TotalEnergies 00:10
11 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:10
12 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:10
13 BERNAL Egan COL INEOS Grenadiers 00:10
14 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN Jumbo-Visma 00:10
15 CICCONE Giulio ITA Trek-Segafredo 00:10
16 GROSSSCHARTNE Felix AUT UAE Team Emirates 00:10

Sam Bennett verpasst im Bergaufsprint der zweiten Etappe die Top 10 nur knapp

Am zweiten Tag des Critérium du Dauphiné stand eine 167km lange Etappe auf dem Programm. Nach dem Start in Brassac-les-Mines ging es durch hügeliges Terrain, ehe in La Chaise-Dieu eine leicht ansteigende Zielgerade auf die Fahrer wartete. Eine sechsköpfige Ausreißergruppe wurde vom Peloton kontrolliert, die letzten Ausreißer konnten auf den finalen drei Kilometern gestellt werden. Im Massensprint sicherte sich J. Alaphilippe den Tagessieg, Sam Bennett verpasste knapp die Top 10 und landete auf Rang 11.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Ich habe mich zu Beginn der Etappe nicht super gut gefühlt, das wurde dann aber zum Finale hin wesentlich besser. Es war einer dieser Tage, an denen die Beine im Verlauf der Etappe zu drehen beginnen. Auf den letzten 200m war ich in guter Position, habe dann aber vielleicht etwas zu lange gewartet. Im Vergleich zu gestern war ich heute aber immerhin im Finale dabei!“ Sam Bennett

Alaphilippe, the great rebound

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) took a significant stage win on day 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, outsprinting a reduced bunch in La Chaise-Dieu. „I’m tired of speaking of bad luck“, the French star said ahead of the Critérium du Dauphiné. And indeed, he sent a very different message with his legs as he edged the Olympic Champion Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) to take his second victory of the year and the first in the UCI WorldTour since a stage of the Itzulia Basque Country in 2022. Natnael Tesfatsion (Trek Segafredo) rounds out of the podium of the day, just ahead of Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), who retains the yellow and blue jersey ahead of stage 3, leading to Le Coteau. This is the third stage win for Julian Alaphilippe in the Critérium du Dauphiné, after previous successes in 2018 and 2019. Each of them was followed by stellar performances in the Tour de France.

After the showers from day 1, the sun accompanies the 144 riders at the start of stage 2, in Brassac-les-Mines. The first kilometres are nonetheless eventful, with many attacks and a significant crash at km 8. Three riders are forced to withdraw: Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma), Staff Cras (Total Energies) and Romain Combaud (Team DSM).
The first baroudeurs to open differences set off at km 6.5: Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost), Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X), Victor Campeanaerts (Lotto Soudal) and Donavan Grondin (Arkéa Samsic).
Attacks keep flying and three more riders make it a 7-man breakaway: Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën) bridges the gap at km 21, Pierre Latour (Total Energies) and Kenny Elissonde (Trek Segafredo) do it at km 23.

Grondin’s delight
After an intense battle, the peloton let the attackers go. But Jumbo-Visma quickly control the gap at under 2 minutes.
With the polka-dot jersey on his shoulders after his previous breakaway in stage 1, Donavan Grondin makes the most of the cat-3 ascents of the Col de Toutée (summit at km 46.7) and Col des Fourches (km 53.8) to consolidate his lead in the KOM standings
The attackers head to the final circuit with the peloton coming hot on their heels. Grondin lets his companions go 5 kilometres before they cross the line for the first time and take on a 35.1km circuit featuring the cat-4 climb of Côte des Guêtes (1km at 8%, to be summited 9.7km away from the finish).

Grondin’s struggle
Into the last 50km, Soudal Quick-Step and Jumbo-Visma control the gap between 35 and 55’’. The intensity is too high for Grondin, who needs to stop on the side of the road as he visibly suffers from his left thigh. The Frenchman gets back on his bike to try and complete the stage, with another polka-dot jersey to claim on the podium.
Latour goes first atop the first ascent of the Côte des Guêtes but his legs abandon him a few kilometres later and he drops back to the bunch with 39km to go. Peters, Piccolo, Elissonde, Gregaard, Victor Campeanaerts are 35’’ ahead of the bunch as they enter the final lap. Grondin trails by 9’30’’.

Another thrilling finale
The peloton up the ante in the final lap and the gap is down to 15’’ when Campenaerts attacks, with 28 km to go. Only Elissonde follows him. And the two of them manage to bring their lead back up to 30’’ ahead of the final ascent of the Côte des Guêtes. But they’re caught halfway through the climb.
Tobias Bayer (Alpecin Deceuninck) immediately counter-attacks and opens a gap of 13’’ at the summit, with 10km to go. He is caught after 6km at the front. Harrison Sweeny (Lotto Dstny) also attacks but Andrea Bagioli (Soudal Quick-Step) reels him in. And Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) himself pulls in the last kilometre, like he did on the day before.
But this time, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) opens up the sprint. Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) follows him and pounces to victory. Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) retains the yellow and blue jersey but settles for the fourth position on the day, behind Natnael Tesfatsion (Trek-Segafredo).
As the winners of the day collected their prizes, Grondin finished the stage 22’48“ after the leaders, just inside the time-cut of 23’30“.

Criterium du Dauphine Libere 1. Etappe

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1. Christophe Laporte (FRA, Jumbo-Visma) 3:43:30
2. Matteo Trentin (ITA, UAE Team Emirates) 0:00
3. Rune Herregodts (BEL, Intermarché – Circus – Wanty) 0:00
4. Axel Zingle (FRA, Cofidis) 0:00
5. Maxim Van Gils (BEL, Lotto Dstny) 0:00
6. Danny Van Poppel (NED, BORA – hansgrohe) 0:00
7. Andrea Bagioli (ITA, Soudal – Quick Step) 0:00
8. Fred Wright (GBR, Bahrain – Victorious) 0:00
9. Robert Stannard (AUS, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 0:00
10. Marco Brenner (GER, Team DSM) 0:00
11. Tobias Bayer (AUT, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 0:00
12. Markus Hoelgaard (NOR, Trek – Segafredo) 0:00
13. Giulio Ciccone (ITA, Trek – Segafredo) 0:00
14. Richard Carapaz (ECU, EF Education-EasyPost) 0:00
15. Guillaume Martin (FRA, Cofidis) 0:00

Danny van Poppel zum Auftakt des Critérium du Dauphiné auf Platz 6

Die Auftaktetappe des achttägigen Critérium du Dauphiné (2.UWT) in Frankreich fand auf einem anspruchsvollen, 158km langen Rundkurs in Chambon-sur-Lac statt. Das Rennen war geprägt von immer wieder einsetzendem Gewitterregen und dementsprechend schwierigen Verhältnissen. Der letzte Fahrer einer fünfköpfige Ausreißergruppe wurde erst auf der Ziellinie vom deutlich reduzierten Feld gestellt. Während sich Danny van Poppel im Sprint Rang sechs sicherte, überquerte Jai Hindley ex aequo mit dem Tagessieger C. Laporte und ohne Zeitverlust in der Gesamtwertung die Ziellinie.

Reaktionen im Ziel

„Die Etappe war schwer einzuschätzen, von Sprint bis Ausreißersieg war alles möglich. Am Ende war es ein schweres Rennen mit harten Positionskämpfen auf dem letzten Kilometer. Vielleicht bin ich etwas zu früh gegangen, andererseits wäre ich sonst im Finale blockiert gewesen. Ich freue mich, meine erste Dauphiné in zehn Jahren mit einer Top 10 Platzierung zu beginnen.“ Danny van Poppel

„Wie erwartet ein harter Tag, der durch den Regen noch schwerer geworden ist. Dass es kein klassischer Massensprint werden würde, hatten wir bereits vermutet. Trotzdem hätten wir auf eine Zielankunft mit Sam Bennett spekuliert. Am Ende haben aber nur noch Jumbo-Visma und wir auf einen Sprint hingearbeitet, dementsprechend schnell und schwer zu kontrollieren hat sich das Rennen entwickelt. Insgesamt sind die Jungs heute stark gefahren. Mit dem sechsten Platz von Danny van Poppel sind wir sehr zufrieden und auch mit Blick auf die Gesamtwertung hatten wir einen soliden Start in die Rundfahrt.“ Bernhard Eisel, Sportlicher Leiter

Laporte strikes with the perfect timing

Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) is the first leader of the 75th Critérium du Dauphiné after a thrilling ending of stage 1, this Sunday in Chambon-sur-Lac. The winner of the Tour de France Jonas Vingegaard himself had to pull a reduced bunch to reel in Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), who attacked at the beginning of the day and was only caught inside the last 20 metres. The young Belgian baroudeur even finished 3rd on the day… But he couldn’t resist Laporte, who powered to his third victory in 2023, in only nine days of racing. He now wants to honour the jersey on day 2, another leg sapping stage from Brassac-les-Mines to La Chaise-Dieu.

The 147-man peloton set off from the shores of Chambon-sur-Lac early in the afternoon. The demanding course inspires attackers and it takes 12 kilometres of battle to shape the breakaway of the day. Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Fabio Van den Bossche (Alpecin Deceuninck) are the first riders to get away. They are quickly joined by Donavan Grondin (Arkéa Samsic), and then Dorian Godon (AG2R Citroën) and Brent Van Moer (Lotto Dstny).

The Belgian attacker participates in the Critérium du Dauphiné for the third time, and it’s also the third time he makes the break on day 1. In 2020, he crashed out of the race while riding at the front, but in 2021, he was the first leader of the Critérium du Dauphiné… The peloton may be wary of him and his strong companions: Jumbo-Visma and Bora-Hansgrohe quickly start pulling to control the gap.

Hayter abandons
On roads that will be visited by the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift next month, Donavan Grondin (Arkéa Samsic) chases the first KOM points, up the cat-4 ascents of Côte du Mont-Dore (km 33.8) and Côte de La Stèle (km 41.6). Meanwhile, the bunch control the gap at around 2 minutes.
Rains shower the riders as they reach Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, 75km into the stage. On wet and slippery roads, several riders hit the deck, including Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) one of the favourites for the stage. As he chases his way back to the bunch, the British rising star goes down again and is forced to abandon as the race enters the final circuit, with a loop of 23.1km to cover three times.

Temperature rises despite the rain
As they cross the line for the first time, the gap is up to 2’45’’. It even reaches 3’ on the first ascent of the cat-4 Côte du Rocher de l’Aigle (1km at 7.3%, summit 11.1km away from the line). Donavan Grondin (Arkéa Samsic) goes first over the top and all but secures the polka dot jersey.
The intensity increases on the closing circuit. Grondin is dropped from the breakaway with 44km to go, and Van den Bossche suffers the same fate a kilometre later. Meanwhile, Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step set a strong pace and many riders are dropped, including sprinters such as Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla).

Heartbreak for Herregodts
Into the final lap, Van Moer is also dropped from the lead group with 18km to go. Godon and Herregodts still push together but the peloton is only 20 seconds behind.
The Belgian drops Godon on the final ascent of the Côte du Rocher de l’Aigle. The peloton only trail by 8’’… But Herregodts pushes his lead to 15’’ on the downhill towards Chambon-sur-Lac!
All of Jumbo-Visma teammates are spent and Jonas Vingegaard has to pull the bunch under the last kilometre banner. Herregodts pushes. But it’s heartbreak for the Belgian youngster as Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) flies past him inside the last 20 metres to take the stage ahead of Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) and the attacking hero of the day.

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ 2023 VINGEGAARD… LIKE A BOSS?

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
 Even without the super-domestiques who flanked him last summer, the winner of the 2022 Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard, is the man to beat in the 75th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
 The Jumbo–Visma leader will face tough competition from dogged challengers such as David Gaudu, who finished ahead of him in Paris–Nice, as well as Mikel Landa, Enric Mas, Adam Yates, Egan Bernal and Richard Carapaz.
 Julian Alaphilippe, whose return to the highest level is eagerly awaited by the French fans after a string of crashes and physical woes that have dented his form, could also turn a corner in the Dauphiné.

The Critérium du Dauphiné, a week-long showdown for all-rounders, is a litmus test that gauges the potential of the favourites to shine in July. Will the pedal strokes between Chambon-sur-Lac, near Clermont-Ferrand, and the Bastille in Grenoble make sparks fly and bathe the air in bright yellow? It is up to Jonas Vingegaard, the reigning champion of the Tour de France, to figure it out. Last year, he laid the foundation for his triumph in Paris by taking second in the Dauphiné in a friendly scuffle with his teammate Primož Roglič. The Dane has since risen to a new level and no longer has to share the leadership of Jumbo–Visma, which he will lead in his quest for success with the backing of Christophe Laporte, Dylan van Baarle and others. Before coming here, the hero of last summer took a barnstorming victory in the Tour of the Basque Country —a good omen ahead of the Grand Départ in Bilbao. Also on his mind will be the fact that David Gaudu finished one step higher than him on the podium of Paris–Nice, his latest appearance in France. The Breton’s track record in the Race to the Sun makes him a serious contender for the Dauphiné, but he is far from the only one. Mikel Landa’s dazzling performances in the first part of the season (runner-up in the Vuelta a Andalucía and the Tour of the Basque Country and third in the Flèche Wallonne) suggest that the 33-year-old is finally ready to grab the big win that has eluded him so far. Similarly, his 28-year-old compatriot Enric Mas could build on his second place in the last Vuelta and blossom into a champion on the roads of the Alps.

No review of the favourites would be complete without mentioning UAE Team Emirates, which is fielding Adam Yates, fresh off his triumph in the Tour de Romandie, and Marc Soler, fourth in Catalonia. Ineos Grenadiers, a regular fixture at the top of the classification, with seven wins out of the last twelve, are an unknown quantity this time round, with question marks hanging over Egan Bernal’s form and the condition of the winner of the 2020 edition, Dani Martínez. Same story for their former star Richard Carapaz, who has been stuck in the doldrums since his transfer to EF Education–EasyPost, and the Australian Jai Hindley, whose rise seems to have stalled since his 2022 Giro victory. Meanwhile, over at AG2R Citroën, Ben O’Connor is a cut below the level that saw him finish on the bottom step of the podium last year.

Besides the podium hopefuls, the start list includes riders who are expected to spice up the race, starting with Julian Alaphilippe. The two-time world champion, who has a couple of Dauphiné stage wins to his name (2018 and 2019), could strike gold in Chambon-sur-Lac (stage 1) or La Chaise-Dieu (stage 2) if he can find the legs of his halcyon days. Finally, the sprinters will get their day in the sun in Le Coteau (stage 3), where Dylan Groenewegen, Ethan Hayter, Sam Bennett and Axel Zingle will jostle for glory.

21 teams, the leading riders (as of May 24)

Australia
Jayco AlUla: Groenewegen (NED) and Craddock (USA)

Bahrain
Bahrain-Victorious: Landa (ESP) and Haig (AUS)

Belgium
Soudal Quick-Step: Alaphilippe, Cavagna (FRA) and Bagioli (ITA)
Lotto Dstny: Kron (DEN), Van Gils and Campenaerts (BEL)
Alpecin–Deceuninck: Stannard (AUS)
Intermarché–Circus–Wanty: Meintjes (RSA)

Germany
Bora–Hansgrohe: Hindley (AUS), Bennett (IRL), Buchmann and Politt (GER)

France
AG2R Citroën Team: O’Connor (AUS), Bonnamour (FRA) and Van Avermaet (BEL)
Groupama–FDJ: Gaudu, Madouas and Martinez (Fra)
Cofidis: Martin, Perez and Zingle (FRA)
Team Arkéa–Samsic: Champoussin, Delaplace, Hofstetter (Fra)
TotalEnergies: Latour, Vuillermoz (FRA) and Boasson Hagen (NOR)

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: De la Cruz (ESP)

Netherlands
Jumbo–Visma: Vingegaard (DEN), Laporte (FRA) and Van Baarle (NED)
DSM: Combaud (FRA) and Poole (GBR)

Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: T. Johannessen (NOR) and Charmig (DEN)

Spain
Movistar Team: Mas (ESP) and Jorgenson (USA)

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Soler (ESP), Yates (GBR), Trentin (ITA) and Großschartner (AUT)

United Kingdom
Ineos Grenadiers: Bernal, Martínez (COL), Rodríguez (ESP) and Hayter (GBR)

United States
EF Education–EasyPost: Carapaz (ECU) and Chaves (COL)
Trek–Segafredo: Ciccone (ITA) and López (ESP)

@ASO

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ 2023 BASTILLE ON THE HORIZON

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
 The route for the 75th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which will take place between 4th and 11th June, was unveiled this morning in Lyon by Bernard Thévenet, a two times winner of the race (1975-76) and Gilles Maignan, the race director, in the presence of the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council, Laurent Wauquiez.
 Eight stages are on the programme, covering a total of 1207.2 kilometres, starting from Chambon-sur-Lac in the Puy-de-Dôme department.
 The confrontation between the pretenders for the title should increase in intensity with the time-trial that winds through the Loire department, before reaching a climax during the final weekend. The highest stage finish in history will take place on Saturday at the Col de la Croix-de-Fer pass, while on Sunday the race will reacquaint itself with the Bastille climb on the heights above Grenoble, which the race has not visited since the edition in 2000.

Because Critérium du Dauphiné week is considered as decisive in preparing for the Tour de France by the riders taking part, they would be well advised to show balance in all circumstances and rely on strategy to gain a real grasp of the route for the 2023 edition. This was the way Jonas Vingegaard did it last year, launching his summer campaign by taking second place on the Alpine race behind his team-mate Primoz Roglic. The Dane’s example could be followed by all the pretenders for victory on the Dauphiné and the Tour de France, starting with the race’s sequence in the Auvergne. In the Puy-de-Dôme department at Chambon-sur-Lac to kick off proceedings or on the way to La Chaise-Dieu in the Haute-Loire department, the undulating profile of the stages as well as the dynamics of the circuits will encourage the riders to be both watchful and to show initiative. The sprinters will very likely have pride of place as the race heads to Le Coteau during stage 3, before another phase in the event unfolds as from the traditional time-trial on Wednesday and its 31.1-km route between Cours and Belmont-de-la-Loire.

The most powerful pedallers will have certainly taken command of the provisional race hierarchy that will have been established before the riders tackle a progressive increase in pressure and altitude. The visit to the Jura department and Salins-les-Bains could just as easily be dominated by a spontaneous breakaway or battle between the favourites. The contest will be even more serious on the road to the Savoy department resort of Crest-Voland, which they will reach after having climbed over the Col des Aravis pass and battled it out on a final ascent of 2.5 km and 6.2% average gradient.

However, nothing will be decided before the weekend, during which each day may give rise to major upheavals. Sudden developments are customary on the Dauphiné and the programme for Saturday could indeed blow apart the general classification, with a total of more than 4,000 metres of climbing over a distance of 147.7 kilometres. Never before has a Critérium du Dauphiné finishing line been held as high as on the Col de Croix-de-Fer pass, at an altitude of 2,067 metres, three more than at La Plagne two years ago! The terrain is ideal for a climber to make a major statement, but the following day, the road to Grenoble contains all the ingredients for another to take revenge. In the last fifty kilometres, the climbs up the Col du Granier, Col de Cucheron and then the Col de Porte passes boast gradients conducive to attacks. All that will remain is to plunge down into Grenoble to then confront the short but formidable climb up to the Bastille Fort. In 1977, a very young Bernard Hinault crossed the finishing line as winner, with blood stains on his face and his first major leader’s jersey, which just goes to show that there is not just one famous Bastille in France’s history!

The finishes of the Critérium du Dauphiné at La Bastille
. 1977: Romans-sur-Isère > Bastille (214 km), won by Bernard Hinault
. 1979: Bastille > Bastille (Ind. t-t., 4 km), won by Bernard Hinault
. 1981: Bastille > Bastille (prologue, 3 km), won by Johan Van der Velde
. 1982: Bourgoin > Bastille (187.5 km), won by Robert Alban
. 1988: Grenoble > Bastille (Ind. t-t., 26.7 km), won by Lucho Herrera
. 1989: Crest > Bastille (230 km), won by Thierry Claveyrolat
. 1993: Bonneville > Bastille (192 km), won by Laurent Dufaux
. 1996: Briançon > Bastille (174 km), won by Luc Leblanc
. 2000: Bastille > Bastille (prologue, 3.6 km), won by Alberto Lopez de Munain

The stages of the 75th edition:
Sunday 4 June stage 1: Chambon-sur-Lac > Chambon-sur-Lac, 157,7 km
Monday 5 June, stage 2: Brassac-les-Mines > La Chaise-Dieu, 167,3 km
Tuesday 6 June, stage 3: Monistrol-sur-Loire > Le Coteau, 191,3 km
Wednesday 7 June, stage 4: Cours > Belmont-de-la-Loire, 31,1 km (clm-ind.)
Thursday 8 June, stage 5: Cormoranche-sur-Saône > Salins-les-Bains, 191,1 km
Friday 9 June, stage 6: Nantua > Crest-Voland, 168,2 km
Saturday 10 June, stage 7: Porte-de-Savoie > Col de la Croix de Fer, 147,7 km
Sunday 11 June, stage 8: Le Pont-de-Claix > La Bastille – Grenoble Alpes Métropole, 152,8 km

22 teams selected

In accordance with Union Cycliste Internationale rules, the following eighteen UCI WorldTeams are automatically invited to the race:

AG2R Citroën Team (Fra)
Alpecin-Deceuninck (Bel)
Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kaz)
Bahrain Victorious (Brn)
Bora – Hansgrohe (Ger)
Cofidis (Fra)
EF Education – Easypost (Usa)
Groupama – FDJ (Fra)
INEOS Grenadiers (Gbr)
Intermarché – Circus – Wanty (Bel)
Jumbo-Visma (Ned)
Movistar Team (Esp)
Soudal Quick-Step (Bel)
Team Jayco AlUla (Aus)
Team Arkea – Samsic (Fra)
Team DSM (Ned)
Trek – Segafredo (Usa)
UAE Team Emirates (Uae)

Furthermore, the first two teams in the 2022 classification of UCI ProTeams will take part by right in Critérium du Dauphiné 2023.
Lotto Dstny (Bel)
TotalEnergies (Fra)

The organisers have invited the following teams:
Israel – Premier Tech (Isr)
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Nor)

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ: A VOLCANIC START AMONG THE ‘PUYS’

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points :
 Proceedings for the 75th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné will be kicked off in Chambon-sur-Lac, at the heart of the Auvergne region’s ancient volcanoes. It will be the second start of the event in the Puy-de-Dôme department following the gathering of the peloton in Clermont-Ferrand in 2020.
 The route of the first stage is 158-km long, beginning and finishing in Chambon-sur-Lac: the surrounding relief will already give observers an indication of who are the riders in form at the time.

The riders take part in the Critérium du Dauphiné to find the answers to all the questions concerning them with a month to go before the Tour de France and, naturally, to achieve prestigious victories likely to boost their confidence. For this date inscribed in their diaries on the first weekend of June, they will find themselves in familiar territory. While Chambon-sur-Lac will be proudly adding its name to the map of the event for the first time, several neighbouring municipalities have recently given the elite riders opportunities to express themselves on a variety of terrains. In 2020, it was in the Puy-de-Dôme department, in Clermont-Ferrand, that Wout van Aert victoriously opened an edition reduced to five stages and moved to August due to the exceptional “Covid year” schedule. The following year in Issoire, Brent Van Moer made a solo breakaway to pick up his finest victory. Finally, in 2022, it was even nearer to the slopes of the Puy de Sancy that David Gaudu surprised Wout van Aert to pip him at the post on the finishing line in Chastreix.

On the programme for 2023, the route of the first stage has been traced out to start and finish at Chambon-sur-Lac, taking in a 158-kilometre expedition among the direct surroundings of the town, spread over four loops. In particular, the first will take the peloton to the ski resort of Mont-Dore, while the second, measuring 23 kilometres and containing three laps of the same circuit, will include obstacles to the sprinters’ ambitions such as the Côte du Rocher de l’Aigle (900 m with an average gradient of 6.7%). In total, there will be 2,860 m of climbing during the day, with the relief of the Auvergne putting the riders to the test from the outset. The visit to Chambon-sur-Lac will also offer the riders a short preview of the 10th stage of the Tour de France 2023, since the peloton will be passing through the municipality midway between Vulcania and Issoire in July.

@ASO

Criterium Dauphine Etappe 8

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Teamnews, , , , , ,

Saint-Alban-Leysse – Plateau de Solaison – 139 Km

1 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN JUMBO – VISMA 03:49:20
2 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 00:00
3 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R CITROEN TEAM 00:15
4 CHAVES Jhoan Esteban COL EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 0,353
5 ALMEIDA GUERREIRO Ruben Antonio POR EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:53
6 CARUSO Damiano ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:55
7 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATER. 00:55
8 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:55
9 KRUIJSWIJK Steven NED JUMBO – VISMA 01:20
10 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 01:40
11 MCNULTY Brandon USA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 01:45
12 BENNETT George NZL UAE TEAM EMIRATES 02:01
13 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 02:08
14 KONRAD Patrick AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 03:03
15 BARGUIL Warren FRA TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 03:03

Endstand:

1 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 29:11:22
2 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN JUMBO – VISMA 00:40
3 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R CITROEN TEAM 01:41
4 CARUSO Damiano ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 02:33
5 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 03:13
6 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATER. 03:17
7 CHAVES Jhoan Esteban COL EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 03:18
8 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 03:44
9 ALMEIDA GUERREIRO Ruben Antonio POR EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 03:48
10 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 03:51
11 MCNULTY Brandon USA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 04:57
12 KONRAD Patrick AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 05:37
13 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 07:06
14 CRAS Steff BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 07:10
15 HAYTER Ethan GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 08:06

Patrick Konrad beendet das Critérium du Dauphiné auf Platz zwölf der Gesamtwertung

Der letzte Tagesabschnitt des Critérium du Dauphiné führte über bergige 138,8km von Saint-Alban-Leysse zum Plateau de Solaison. Mit dem ersten Anstieg direkt nach dem Start, dem Col de la Colombière und einer schweren Bergankunft ein weiterer Tag für die Kletterer. Matteo Fabbro schaffte auch heute wieder den Sprung in die Ausreißergruppe des Tages, fiel aber am Anstieg zum Col de la Colombière zurück in das Hauptfeld. Der letzte Berg hinauf zum Ziel war zugleich der schwerste des Tages. Mit einem beherzten Kampf in der Gruppe der Favoriten konnte sich Patrick Konrad noch um einen Rang in der Gesamtwertung verbessern und die Rundfahrt auf Platz zwölf abschließen.

Reaktionen im Ziel

„Auch wenn ich hier bei der Dauphiné Rundfahrt kein Top-Ergebnis erreichen konnte bin ich mit meiner Leistung zufrieden. Die letzten Monate waren nicht einfach für mich und in Anbetracht dessen war die Dauphiné ein wichtiger Schritt sowie ein wichtiger Baustein in meinem Formaufbau. Jetzt geht es mit vollem Fokus auf die nächsten Ziele in ein Höhentrainigslager.“ Patrick Konrad

„Matteo Fabbro hat sich auch heute wieder stark präsentiert und den Sprung in die hart umkämpfte Spitzengruppe geschafft. Mit Patrick Konrad sind wir mit Top-10 Ambitionen in den letzten Tag gegangen, am Ende hat es leider nicht ganz gereicht. Auch wenn wir uns etwas mehr erhofft haben von dieser Rundfahrt, die Leistung von Patrick ist nach seinen gesundheitlichen Problemen in den letzten Monaten definitiv ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung und stimmt uns mit Blick auf die kommenden Ziele auf jeden Fall positiv. “ Christian Pömer, Sportlicher Leiter

Roglic and Vingegaard share glory

Jonas Vingegaard has powered to an impressive stage win at the Plateau de Solaison ahead of Primoz Roglic, who sealed his overall victory at the final summit of the 74th Critérium du Dauphiné.
The Jumbo-Visma collective had already taken a significant advantage ahead of the final stage, with the Slovenian leader wearing the yellow and blue jersey ahead of his Danish lieutenant.
They put even more emphasis to their domination with the support of the whole black and yellow train and especially Steven Kruijswijk, who smashed the GC group to pieces on the final ascent. Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) was the last rival to resist, but he couldn’t keep up with Vingegaard’s decisive acceleration 5km away from the finish.
The Australian climber rounds out the podium of the stage and the overall standings.

The final summit of the Critérium du Dauphiné is almost in sight, as the 134-rider peloton (1 non-starter: Enric Mas) roll from Saint-Alban-Leysse towards Plateau de Solaison. They immediately face the climb to Col de Plainpalais (cat.1, summit at km 8.8), where a major battle for the breakaway unfolds.

15 riders at the front
After many attacks and counter-attacks, Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) goes first over the top with the polka-dot jersey on his shoulders and 13 companions by his side : Eddie Dunbar, Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers), Matteo Fabbro (Bora-Hansgrohe), Bruno Armirail, Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ), George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates), Antonio Tiberi, Kenny Elissonde, Antwan Tolhoek (Trek-Segafredo), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies), Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) et Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels-KTM).
Gorka Izagirre (Movistar) makes it 15 riders at the front as he bridges the gap towards the second ascent of the day, Col de Leschaux (cat.3, km 30.8), also summited first by Rolland. Primoz Roglic’s Jumbo-Visma control the gap between 2’ and 2’30’’ on the valley leading to the final challenges of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2022.

Attackers try to fend off Jumbo-Visma
The gap is down to 1’35’’ at the bottom of the climb to the Col de la Colombière (cat.1, km 100.5). Armirail and Storer immediately accelerate and only three riders follow the Groupama-FDJ duo at the front: Dunbar, Bennett and Elissonde. The gap increases to 2’15’’ with 6km to go to the summit, but Jumbo-Visma also pick up the pace. They trail by 2’ when Armirail steps aside with 3km to go to the summit.

De Plus and Hirt join the front of the race in the last km of ascent. The gap to the bunch is down to 1’35’’ again when they dive into the downhill towards the final climb of the day.

Kruijswijk, Vingegaard, Roglic: collective dominance
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) drives the bunch on the downhill and the valley. At the bottom of the climb to Plateau de Solaison, the gap is down to 1’05’’. Steven Kruijswijk sets a brutal pace in the bunch. Bennett is the last attacker to be caught, 6.5km away from the finish. By that time, only six riders remain at the front: Kruijswijk, Vingegaard and Roglic for Jumbo-Visma, Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën), Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost) and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious).
Kruijswijk keeps pushing until Vingegaard accelerates with 5.3km to go. O’Connor tries to resist but he can’t keep up with the Jumbo-Visma duo, who collaborate at the front and share the prizes at the summit: the stage win for Vingegaard and the overall victory for Roglic. O’Connor finishes with a gap of 15’’.

Vingegaard: “Very happy and proud”
„It was quite incredible. We had planned to attack and that [Primoz Roglic] should follow me because we wanted to see if we could drop everyone. We succeeded with that so I think we can be very happy and proud of what we did. In the Ardennes classic, I didn’t have the best period but now I’m back at a really high level adnn for sure I’m really happy about it. It’s one of the biggest races in the world. To win a stage and to be second overall is great for me. To be honest, it would be hard to be 1-2 in the Tour because there will be many GC contenders. But we aim to at least have one of us win the Tour.“
@ASO

Criterium Dauphine Etappe 7

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Saint-Chaffrey – Vaujany – 135 Km

1 VERONA Carlos ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 03:53:35
2 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 00:13
3 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN JUMBO – VISMA 00:25
4 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R CITROEN TEAM 00:27
5 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:39
6 CHAVES Jhoan Esteban COL EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:40
7 GAUDU David FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 00:40
8 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATER. 00:40
9 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 00:48
10 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:56
11 CARUSO Damiano ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:56
12 ALMEIDA GUERREIRO Ruben Antonio POR EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 01:13
13 KONRAD Patrick AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 01:19
14 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 01:19
15 VERMAERKE Kevin USA TEAM DSM 01:26

Gesamt:

1 ROGLIČ Primož SLO JUMBO – VISMA 25:22:08
2 VINGEGAARD Jonas DEN JUMBO – VISMA 00:44
3 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R CITROEN TEAM 01:24
4 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 01:30
5 CARUSO Damiano ITA BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 01:32
6 GAUDU David FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 01:40
7 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 02:05
8 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 02:06
9 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 02:12
10 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATER. 02:16
11 CATTANEO Mattia ITA QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 02:17
12 CHAVES Jhoan Esteban COL EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 02:19
13 KONRAD Patrick AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 02:28
14 HAYTER Ethan GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 02:43
15 ALMEIDA GUERREIRO Ruben Antonio POR EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 02:49

Critérium du Dauphiné: BORA – hansgrohe im Finale der siebten Etappe geschlagen

Auf der siebten Etappe des Critérium du Dauphiné wartete die Königsetappe der Rundfahrt auf die Fahrer. Auf nur 134,8km galt es den Col du Galibier, den Col de la Croix de Fer und einen 5,7km langen Schlussanstieg nach Vaujany zu bewältigen. Matteo Fabbro war Teil einer großen Spitzengruppe, die in der Abfahrt vom Col du Galibier zustande kam und im Anstieg zum Col de la Croix de Fer wieder auseinander fiel. Zu Beginn des finalen Anstiegs nach Vaujany waren Wilco Kelderman und Patrick Konrad noch in der Gruppe um die Favoriten für die Gesamtwertung vertreten bevor dann zuerst Wilco und später Patrick die Tempoverschärfungen nicht mehr mitgehen konnten. Der Sieg ging an C. Verona, Patrick Konrad kam auf Platz 13 über die Ziellinie und behält ebendiesen auch in der Gesamtwertung.

Reaktionen im Ziel

„Bereits am Croix de Fer wurde das Finale eingeleitet, das Tempo war extrem hoch, um die Spitzengruppe einzuholen und das Feld zu dezimieren. Am letzten Anstieg wäre ich gerne eine Gruppe weiter vorne dabei gewesen, aber morgen kommt noch ein schwerer Tag und die Top-10 sind auf jeden Fall in Reichweite.“ Patrick Konrad

„Wir wollten heute um jeden Preis mit Matteo Fabbro in der Spitzengruppe vertreten sein. Matteo hat dies perfekt umgesetzt und bei schwierigen Windverhältnissen am Col du Galibier den Sprung in die Gruppe des Tages geschafft. Am nächsten langen Anstieg hinauf zum Croix de Fer konnte er nach dem Kraftakt vom Galibier der Spitzengruppe nicht mehr folgen. Beim großen Showdown am letzten Anstieg hatten dann leider weder Wilco Kelderman noch Patrick Konrad die Beine, um ein Spitzenergebnis auf dieser Etappe einzufahren. Vor der letzten Etappe sind die Top-10 der Gesamtwertung für Patrick noch in Reichweite, insgesamt aber hätten wir uns für heute und auch für Gesamtwertung etwas mehr erhofft.“ Christian Pömer, Sportlicher Leiter

Verona wins, Roglic dominates

The first Alpine stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2022 has brought an all-out battle in the mountains until Carlos Verona (Movistar) took the win in Vaujany and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) powered to the yellow and blue jersey. The Spanish climber was the strongest from an impressive group that went away on the first ascent of the day, the mighty Col du Galibier. He maintained a gap of 13’’ to Roglic, who finished 2nd of the stage ahead of his teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Wout van Aert was dropped on the climb to Col de la Croix-de-Fer but Jumbo-Visma still smashed the final ascent of the day and they dominate the overall standings ahead of the final stage: Roglic is the new leader, 44’’ ahead of Vingegaard. Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) is their first chaser, with a gap of 1’24’’.

The race sets off into the Alps with 138 riders (3 non-starters: Meeus, Froome, Groenewegen) and countless candidates for the breakaway. With an uphill start leading to the Col du Galibier (HC ascent, summit at km 26.5), attacks fly left and right, with Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) among the most active riders to defend his polka-dot jersey.

A massive breakaway
The French climber is the first over the top, alongside Matteo Fabbro (Bora-Hansgrohe). Chasers are all over the road, and 16 of them bridge the gap on the downhill towards Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne: Andrey Amador (Ineos Grenadiers), Luis Leon Sanchez (Bahrain Victorious), Gregor Muhlberger, Carlos Verona (Movistar), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Omer Goldstein (Israel Premier Tech), Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Andres Ardila (UAE Team Emirates), Kenny Elissonde, Toms Skujins, Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Victor Lafay (Cofidis), Simon Guglielmi (Arkea-Samsic), Laurens Huys (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Mark Donovan, Kevin Vermaerke (Team DSM).
Jumbo-Visma drive the bunch and the gap increases to 2’30’’ on the valley leading to the second HC-climb of the day, towards the Col de La-Croix-de-Fer. Mark Donovan attacks on the first slopes. Into the last 50km of the stage, he has a 30’’ lead to his chasers, and the peloton trail by 3’30’’. Luis Leon Sanchez leads the virtual standings as he was trailing by 2’47’’ on GC at the start of the day.

Van Aert is dropped as the pressure increases on La-Croix-de-Fer
Halfway through the 29km ascent, the gap between Donovan and his chasers is up to 1’05’’ and the peloton trail by 4’05’’. Jasper Stuyven drives the chase behind Donovan and Uno-X up the pace in the bunch. Donovan is caught with 7km of ascent remaining, and the gap to the bunch is down to 2’50’’.
Five riders emerge at the front on the final kilometres of ascent: Rolland, who takes the 15 KOM points at the summit, Muhlberger, Verona, Lafay and Elissonde. In the bunch, Groupama-FDJ and then Bahrain Victorious increase the pressure and Wout van Aert is dropped inside the last 3km. Cattaneo also struggles, and Primoz Roglic is the virtual leader as he summits with a gap of 1’50’’ to the front of the race.

Vingegaard prepares Roglic’s assault
Verona and Elissonde accelerate on the downhill, while stragglers return to the chase group. At the bottom of the final ascent to Vaujany (5.7km at 7.2%), Guglielmi, Vermaerke, Skujins and Muhlberger are 25’’ behind the lead duo. The peloton trail by 1’30’’.
Verona immediately attacks and drops Elissonde. In the GC group, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) sets a brutal pace for Primoz Roglic, who attacks in the final 2km of ascent. Verona can feel the pressure behind him, but the Spaniard maintains a gap of 13’’ on the line. Vingegaard finishes 3rd (+25’’), ahead of Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën, +27’’) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X, +39’’).
@ASO

Criterium Dauphine Etappe 6

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Teamnews, , , , ,

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

Criterium Dauphine – BEN O’CONNOR: “I AM JUST MATURING”

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The Australian rider has made a great start as leader of the AG2R Citroën Team in 2021, finishing his first Tour de France just off the podium after winning the Tignes stage. Consistently well placed since the beginning of the year, Ben O’Connor will be competing in the Critérium du Dauphiné with the highest of ambitions… and why not that of succeeding fellow Aussie Richie Porte.


Photo by Plomi

Ben O’Connor, you have had a very successful start to the season with honourable finishes in all the stage races you have completed. What have you changed to become so consistent?
I am rather pleased with how I have been riding so far, but it could have been even better. For example, I was fifth in the Tour de Romandie but I felt that I could have finished on the podium and why not win if everything had gone better.
However, you can’t say that I have changed much about how I ride or my training. I’m just maturing, I’m still developing physically and my level is rising naturally. I am 26 years old and the years of hard work are starting to pay off. My body is adapting to the demands of these races and is responding better and better to very ambitious goals. I am also becoming more confident. I used to hope to become a general classification rider. Now I am a general classification rider.

Among the highlights of your 2022 season so far, there was that prestigious stage win in the Tour of Catalonia.
On Paris-Nice, I was both very proud and very disappointed. I had to pull out of the race because I got sick but there is no doubt that the form was there. So, when I arrived at the Volta a Catalunya, I wanted to get some revenge. And when I won the La Molina stage, I got the validation I was waiting for and that all the work I put in over the winter paid off. In terms of confidence, of course, it is one of the important days of this year.

„The days when climbers were inevitably bad on flat roads are over; I can also do well in time trials“

The Critérium du Dauphiné is a new opportunity to continue your progression. Have you drawn up a strategy?
The time has come to go for a podium in a major World Tour event. It would be my first and I know that it is now possible for me to win these types of races. I have some ideas in mind but, for example, I am not sure that it is necessary to push on the Sancy stage. Clearly it is a challenge but the last climb is not steep enough to make a big difference. On the other hand, the time trial will be crucial. I haven’t done many this year and I am eager to see where I stand in this respect. I believe that the days when climbers were inevitably bad on flat roads are over. I can also do well in time trials.

After your unanimously acclaimed performance in the 2021 Tour de France, you still said that you were „still far from the riding level of the best, I can’t even begin to think about it“. In hindsight, do you still feel the same way?
My Tour adventure last year was extraordinary and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what happened. To win a stage and finish fourth overall in Paris is something huge. And I did it! But of course, you always want to do better. That’s why you become an athlete and why you have to invest so much in this job. So I have changed my view compared to last year and I feel capable of aiming for the top this summer. It was also encouraging to see my friend Jai Hindley win the Giro. He is also from Perth and we have known each other for a long time. When I saw him win, I told myself I too can do it.
@ASO

Criterium Dauphine Etappe 5

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Thizy-les-Bourgs – Chaintré – 162 Km

1 VAN AERT Wout BEL JUMBO-VISMA 03:38:35
2 MEEUS Jordi BEL BORA – HANSGROHE 00:00
3 HAYTER Ethan GBR INEOS GRENADIERS 00:00
4 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald NOR TOTALENERGIES 00:00
5 PAGE Hugo FRA INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:00
6 STUYVEN Jasper BEL TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
7 BAGIOLI Andrea ITA QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 00:00
8 BAKELANTS Jan BEL INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:00
9 LOUVEL Matis FRA TEAM ARKÉA SAMSIC 00:00
10 MOLANO Juan Sebastián COL UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
11 SCHÖNBERGER Sebastian AUT B&B HOTELS – KTM 00:00
12 VENTURINI Clément FRA AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:00
13 CLARKE Simon AUS ISRAEL – PREMIER TECH 00:00
14 LAPORTE Christophe FRA JUMBO-VISMA 00:00
15 THOMAS Benjamin FRA COFIDIS 00:00
16 MOZZATO Luca ITA B&B HOTELS – KTM 00:00
17 POLITT Nils GER BORA – HANSGROHE 00:00

Gesamt:

1 VAN AERT Wout BEL JUMBO-VISMA 17:04:31
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 AYUSO Juan ESP UAE TEAM EMIRATES 01:58
9 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 02:00
10 O’CONNOR Ben AUS AG2R CITROËN TEAM 02:10
11 KELDERMAN Wilco NED BORA – HANSGROHE 02:12
12 GAUDU David FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 02:13
13 MAS Enric ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 02:17
14 KONRAD Patrick AUT BORA – HANSGROHE 02:22
15 TEUNS Dylan BEL BAHRAIN – VICTORIOUS 02:25

Jordi Meeus sprintet in einem extrem knappen Finale zu Platz zwei auf der fünften Etappe des Critérium du Dauphiné

Die fünfte, 162,3km lange Etappe des Critérium du Dauphiné von Thizy-les-Bourgs nach Chaintré war topographisch die leichteste der Rundfahrt. Für die endschnellen Fahrer die vielleicht letzte Chance auf einen Massensprint bevor es auf den verbleibenden Etappen in deutlich bergigeres Terrain geht. Eine frühe Ausreißergruppe wurde erst auf dem letzten Kilometer vom heranrasenden Feld gestellt. Nach einer starken Teamleistung und perfekter Vorarbeit von Nils Politt konnte Jordi Meeus in einem extrem knappen Finale zu Platz zwei sprinten. Nur wenige Zentimeter trennten den Belgier dabei vom anvisierten Etappensieg, der heute an seinen Landsmann W. Van Aert ging.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Für mich galt es zuerst die kurzen und steilen Anstiege vor dem Finale zu überleben, um dann im Sprint dabei zu sein. Vielen Dank an die Jungs, die heute eine super Arbeit geleistet haben und speziell an Nils Politt, der mich den Sprint perfekt vorbereitet hat. Ich bin längere Zeit keinen Sprint mehr gefahren und auch wenn das Ziel heute klar der Etappensieg war bin ich mit Platz zwei sehr zufrieden und glücklich.“ Jordi Meeus

„Das war knapp heute! Das Rennen ist grundsätzlich so verlaufen wie wir es erwartet hatten. Zu Beginn der Etappe gab es einen harten Kampf um die Spitzengruppe, die uns heute trotz intensiver Bemühungen aus taktischen Gründen verwehrt geblieben ist. Im Folgenden galt es speziell an den letzten Anstiegen die Sprinterteams unter Druck zu setzen, um so die Chancen für Jordi Meeus zu erhöhen. Knapp war es zuerst für die Fluchtgruppe, die erst auf dem letzten Kilometer gestellt werden konnte, noch knapper war es dann für Jordi Meeus, dem nur wenige Zentimeter zum anvisierten Etappensieg gefehlt haben. Trotz der hauchdünnen Entscheidung freuen wir uns sehr über diesen zweiten Platz heute.“ Christian Pömer, Sportlicher Leiter

Van Aert bounces back to victory in a thriller

„I love to win“, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) claimed on Wednesday, and so he did on Thursday, in Chaintré, after a thrilling finale to cap off stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, covered at blazing speeds.
The Belgian star, narrowly beaten on the past three days, outsprinted Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) with a minimal margin after the attackers were caught inside the last 100 metres! Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) rounded out the podium. The 10 bonus seconds see Van Aert increase his lead in the overall standings ahead of the final three stages.

The start from Thizy-les-Bourgs sees 148 riders set off towards Chaintré, with 162.5 rolling kilometres on the menu. Attackers are inspired and the battle for the breakaway is a very intense one, with 46.2km covered in the first hour!

3+2=5 riders at the front
After many attempts, the first ascent of the day, Col des Escorbans (cat.3, summit at km 27.9), serves as a springboard for three riders to launch themselves at the front of the race: Fabien Doubey (TotalEnergies), followed by Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis).
Two more attackers set off in pursuit, the polka-dot jersey Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) and Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis). They bridge the gap to the leaders at the bottom of the 2nd ascent of the day, Côte de Dun (cat.2, km 52.3). Jumbo-Visma control the gap under 3 minutes.

Full-on battle between the bunch and the break
Rolland takes the 5 KOM points at the summit and then drops back to the peloton while Dylan Groenewegen’s BikeExchange-Jayco start pulling behind the four attackers remaining at the front. They bring the gap down to 1’15’’ with 70km to go.
The attackers accelerate cover 47.1km in the third hour and their lead is back up to 2 minute with 30km to go. Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) sets the pace in the bunch as they face the penultimate climb of the day, Col du Bois Clair (cat.4). The Italian star cuts the gap down to 1’25’’ at the summit (km 138.2).

A thrilling finale
Ineos Grenadiers maintain a hard pace on the final ascent, Côte de Vergisson (cat.4, km 149.6). Groenewegen is dropped in the last km of ascent. At the summit, the peloton trail by 35’’. And the Dutch sprinter is 35’’ further behind.
Thomas, Doubey, Bakelants and Schönberger are still 10’’ ahead as they enter the last kilometre. Even Primoz Roglic has to take a turn at the front of the bunch. The attackers are eventually caught inside the last 100 metres, when Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) powers to victory just ahead of Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe).

Van Aert: „If even GC guys with 60kg pull…“
„Until the last kilometre, I was focused on catching the break and then I quickly shifted to trying to do a good sprint. Luckily Christophe [Laporte] did a master pull in the end and before I asked the boys to do everything they could. If even GC guys with 60kg pull in the front, you know you have to finish it off. It’s huge to win again on the Dauphiné. Today it was really hard again to catch the break. I needed all my teammates to bridge the gap and it worked out in the end. I’m really proud of my teammates.“
@ASO