154 riders started last week’s renamed Critérium du Dauphiné, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, each of them desperate to fine-tune their form ahead of the Tour de France, which is now weeks away. Just 91 riders finished, with 40% dropping out mid-race, or failing to finish the final stage. Last year, 128 riders finished. This year’s finish rate of the key Tour de France warm-up race is the lowest since 2005.

Not all the riders who left the race did so because of serious illness and injury. The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes finished with three brutal back-to-back-to-back mountain stages, and perhaps the parcours just didn’t fit in with a rider’s training plan. There were precautionary abandons, too, the odd slightly sore throat perhaps making a rider think twice about signing on in the morning. The Tour de France is the biggest goal, after all.

However, there were high-profile incidents, and riders involved in crashes throughout the week, with some notable riders now sweating over their fitness or health ahead of the Tour. Among those are Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), a stage winner last week, who reportedly has had a setback on his recovery from an elbow injury sustained in a training crash pre-race. Josh Tarling (Netcompany-Ineos) crashed on stage six and broke his collarbone, requiring surgery; his teammate Oscar Onley crashed into a ravine the same day, and was able to finish, but with a dislocated shoulder. Teenage sensation Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) crashed on stage seven and was forced to abandon the next day.

The majority of these riders should be on the start line of La Grande Boucle in Barcelona next month, on Saturday 4 July, having recovered. But it’s impossible to say whether they will be in the same place physically had they not suffered these crashes. Other incidents may well occur at the five-stage Tour de Suisse, which begins tomorrow, the other final proving ground for those wanting to challenge at the Tour de France. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), the biggest name of all, will no doubt be hoping to get through the week unscathed.

The depleted finisher numbers raise the question of whether racing ahead of the season’s key goal is worth it for riders. The consensus appears to be shifting a little, with the highest profile players embarking on fewer race days before the biggest targets. This is undoubtedly a shame for fans, and is also a repudiation of what was believed to be true. Riders are taking time off from their day job – racing – to train for other races. Altitude camps are thought of as just as important as a preparation event.

Remco Evenepoel won’t have raced for 68 days by the time the Tour de France comes around, with the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider not pinning numbers on again after Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Clearly, his team think that this is a better preparation for the Tour than taking part in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes or Suisse, and the Belgian has done enough racing in the past to know how everything works, but one could still imagine some rustiness in the bunch come July.

Illness and injury don’t just come at races – Van Aert was bashed up in a training crash, while Tom Pidcock won’t start the Tour de Suisse due to a virus picked up away from racing, road racing anyway. To suppose that you’re better protected outside of the bunch might be a little true, but it doesn’t tell the whole story, or prepare you for the intensity of the Tour de France entirely.

Crashes and misfortune are part of cycling, and while I hope that the start list for the Tour de France is as unaffected by that as possible, I also hope that teams aren’t even more minded in the future to hold their big names back. Let them race.

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com.

Maxim Van Gils outsprinted Tobias Johannessen to take victory on a “crazy day” in the Alps during stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

After a big breakaway led the peloton by over four minutes for much of the day, the general classification was decimated and Van Gils’ Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate, Luke Tuckwell, finished third in the stage, to move into first place in the GC. The 21-year-old Australian also leads the young riders' classification.

Although he wasn't part of the breakaway, with just over 3km to go, 19-year-old Paul Seixas (Decathlon) pulled away from the front of the peloton in a show of strength, as fellow young gun Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) desperately held onto his wheel. Seixas has now moved up to seventh in GC, while Del Toro is in tenth spot.

After winning stage five yesterday, against his run of form this week, Wout van Aert did not start stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with Visma-Lease a Bike citing ongoing discomfort from a pre-race training crash.

Van Gils' stage win comes jut four months after he suffered a fractured pelvis in a finish-line crash at the Clásica Jaén, and the 26-year-old Belgian was beaming during the finish-line interview.

"I always stayed positive," he told reporters. "To win here in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in the region of Dauphiné… it's a region I really love, my girlfriend is from here. I'm really, really happy about it.

"It was a really crazy day… My Scottish teammate Callum [Thornley], all the week I was telling him 'Friday we go', and we make it the day. But then we had four guys in the breakaway.

"To achieve this with the team is really great, we are here without a big leader. This morning I was asked some questions in interviews about why we didn't bring a big star, but to win a stage and take yellow is, I think, really really big."

In hot and sunny conditions, riders raced around the 182.3km stage between Saint-Vulbas and Crest-Voland with an average speed of 47.5km/ph.

But, despite riding near-enough through his home town, it was not a good Friday for Alex Beaudin. After spending five days leading the general classification at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the longest period any Frenchman has spent in the yellow jersey at this race since 1964, the EF Education-EasyPost rider tumbled down the table during a mad day in the mountains.

For a long period of the day, a breakaway group of up to 60 riders were leading the peloton by well over four minutes. The lead group had diminished to around 30 by the top of the penultimate climb, Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine, but Beaudin had lost contact by the time the peloton reached the bottom of the final ascent, Côte de Crest-Voland.

The situation played perfectly into Luke Tuckwell’s hands, delivering the yellow jersey to the young Aussie and and taking a sledgehammer to the general classification, with just two stages of the race remaining.

Results

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026, stage 6 Saint-Vulbas › Crest-Voland (182.3km)

1. Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe in 4:06:34

2. Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility "

3. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull Bora hansgrohe, 0:06

4. Pablo Torres (Espera) UAE Team Emirates - XRG, 0:13

5. Raúl García Pierna (Esa) Movistar, 0:33

6. Yannis Voisard (Swi) Tudor Pro "

7. Jordan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies "

8. Cristián Rodríguez (Esp) XDS Astana "

9. Clément Braz Afonso (Fra) Groupama - FDJ United "

10. Lennart Jasch (Ger) Tudor Pro "

General classifcation after stage 6

1. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe, 22:14:55

2. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike, 1:12

3. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Groupama - FDJ United, 2:00

4. Matteo Jorgenson (US) Visma | Lease a Bike, 2:34

5. Cristián Rodríguez (Esp) XDS Astana, 2:37

6. José Félix Parra (Esp) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA, 3:04

7. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, 3:06

8. Juan Ayuso (Spa) Lidl-Trek, 3:15

9. Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl - Trek "

10. Isaac del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 3:22

Wout van Aert will not start stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage race, with the team citing ongoing discomfort from a pre-race training crash.

His decision not to start stage six comes hard on the heels of victory in stage five of the race in a sprint finish – a result somewhat at odds with his performance as a whole over the week, which has seen him off the pace and clearly suffering with the after-effects of the crash.

A team statement released by his Visma-Lease a Bike team on Friday morning said: "Wout Van Aert will not appear at the start of stage 6 of Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes today. He is still experiencing significant discomfort in his elbow related to the crash he sustained last week. Wout will travel back to Belgium for further medical examinations. Join us in wishing Wout a smooth recovery."

Despite his win at Villars-les-Dombes yesterday, which saw Van Aert pull a little-used trick from his extensive repertoire to win a bunch sprint, the Belgian has looked off the pace at times. Comments from his team suggested that too much celebrating following his Paris-Roubaix win in April might have had something to do with it, but it no longer looks as simple as that.

He showed up at Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes sporting gauze bandages, but told reporters at the time that his training crash, which saw him come off his time trial bike, had caused "very limited" damage.

After his win, he said: "I think it was a difficult start. It was even difficult today, mentally... I’m happy with this. I have to keep working now."

Van Aert was dropped and lost 24 minutes on a relatively innocuous first stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, with Visma head of performance Mathieu Heijboer telling Nieuwsblad: "He has to come from further back than usual," he added. "That isn't even about data. It just takes a little longer to get going again.”

That was followed by a disappointing performance in Tuesday's team time trial, which saw him dropped after just eight minutes. Afterwards he admitted that he had hoped to be in better condition so close to July.

"I find it difficult to answer that right now," he conceded, when asked whether he would be fully fit for the Tour de France. "Today was a disappointing day for me; we will see how things develop. I don't intend to give up."

His stage five win and the apparent lingering effects of his training crash may give Van Aert and his team hope that this is not just a simple lack of condition. With his next race set to be the Tour itself, he has a shade over three weeks to rest, recover, and re-find the form he needs to support Jonas Vingegaard in his attempt to complete a Giro-Tour double.

Even when he's not in his finest form, Wout van Aert still manages to show his class, as he proved at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on Thursday, when he soared to victory in stage five's bunch sprint.

The 31-year-old – who crashed in training early last week, started stage one in bandages, and was dropped in stage three's team time trial – led out the dash in Villars-les-Dombes, and held off Hugo Hofstetter (NSN Cycling) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) to the line.

The victory marked Van Aert's first on the road since he won Paris-Roubaix in April. It also dispelled concerns about his shape going into next month's Tour de France.

"Of course, winning is always nice, especially in a race like this. I’m really happy with this stage win," he said afterwards.

Asked if he felt his form had improved since the start of the race, Van Aert said: "Probably the shape is not much different now. The last two days were just a bit easier and suited me better with my current form.

"I think it was a difficult start. It was even difficult today, mentally. It's still painful sometimes after the crash I had just before this race, but the team I had around me, they were chasing the breakaway the whole day. I just had to try.”

After the breakaway stole the spoils on stage four, stage five gave the sprinters one final, flat opportunity before the race enters the mountains.

It was hopeful thinking, then, when a six-rider group escaped minutes after the flag drop in Saint-Chamond, and kicked away on a duo of category-four climbs. The sextet were afforded little time by the chasing peloton; their advantage barely extended beyond two minutes, and after more than four hours out front, they slipped back into the rush of the bunch, which barrelled towards a sprint finale.

Speeds rose up to 70kph as the peloton approached the finish town. Cofidis's Benjamin Thomas was first through the right-hander that unfurled the 3km finishing straight; his sprinter, Bryan Coquard, got lost in the melee, however, as Visma-Lease a Bike and Netcompany-Ineos, riding for French champion Dorian Godon, jostled at the front.

"Honestly, the sprints were going pretty well already the whole year, and also the last few weeks in training. In the sprint, I was definitely confident I had a good chance," Van Aert said.

That much was clear when the Belgian was first to kick with 200m to go. Taking the inside line around a slight right bend, he lashed a bike length ahead, and sat up in his saddle in celebration.

"I’m happy with this. I have to keep working now," he said, with an eye on the fast-approaching Tour.

Stage one winner Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) continues to lead the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 12 seconds ahead of Netcompany-Ineos duo Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley.

Results

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026, stage 5: Saint-Chamond > Parc des Oiseaux Villars-les-Dombes (195.8km)

1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 4:31:59
2. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) NSN Cycling
3. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Victorious
4. Vito Braet (Bel) Lotto Intermarché
5. Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Fra) Picnic PostNL
6. Dorian Godon (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos
7. Nadav Raisberg (Isr) NSN Cycling
8. Henri Uhlig (Ger) Alpecin-Premier Tech
9. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
10. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, all at same time

General classifcation after stage 5

1. Alex Beaudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost, in 18:07:12
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos, +12s
3. Oscar Onley (Gbr) Netcompany-Ineos, at same time
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +15s
5. Juan Ayuso (Spa) Lidl-Trek, +47s
6. Matthias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek, +47s
7. Jørgen Nordhagen (Nor) Visma-Lease a Bike, +50s
8. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Netcompany-Ineos, +57s
9. Léo Bisiaux (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +59s
10. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +1:00

Quinn Simmons charged to victory from the breakaway on stage four of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as the peloton ran out of road on Wednesday.

The Lidl-Trek rider was part of a 10-man group which made it to the finish in Montrond-les-Bains, metres ahead of the on-rushing peloton. After Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) kept the break's hopes alive with a powerful turn, Simmons opened up the sprint, holding off Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies).

Speeds reached 70kph in the closing two kilometres, as the wind pushed the riders along. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) won the sprint for 11th place from the bunch, as they miscalculated catching the break. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) finished in the peloton to remain in the yellow jersey of race leader.

It was the third-fastest stage in Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes history, races at an average of 46.9kph across its 167.4km. Wednesday was Simmons's first victory of 2026, and his first since stage three of the Tour de Suisse last year, also won from the breakaway, although that was solo. The 25-year-old was one of the stars of last year's Tour de France, in the break on four stages, including to Vire Normandie on stage six, when he finished second. Fans can therefore be reassured that he is back in form ahead of July's big race.

"Behind the Tour, this is the biggest stage race of the year for us, so to come here and to take a stage here... It's been a year since I put my hands in the air, so it's pretty special," Simmons said in his TV interview post-stage.

"The biggest six weeks of our season is right now, so to have a confirmation that the form is there is really nice, and I hope I can keep going like this."

"Two days ago I thought I could win a stage, but we needed to save the legs for the team time trial, so today I was finally unleashed, and I wanted to get the job done," he continued. "I was a bit scared when they only gave us two minutes, I was hoping for a bit more, but in the end, it plays to my favour when the break has to ride hard the whole way. If we have to play games in the final, for sure I would be marked, so like this, you can just go. I've never won a sprint before, so that's kinda good.

"The Tour is the biggest goal for everyone, it's easy to say that, and I was quite sure I was going to be there, but you have to show your form. Yesterday and today I showed that, so I'd say hopefully I'm there in July."

The day was dictated by a large breakaway which formed around 90km to go from the finish, on the category-two climb of the Côte de Chougoirand, after 70km of fierce racing to get into the big move.

There were 12 riders up the road: Simmons, Sam Watson (Netcompany Ineos), Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Andreas Kron (Uno-X Mobility), Castrillo and Raúl García Pierna (Movistar), Lars Craps (Lotto Intermarché), Jordan Jegat and Vercher (both Total Energies), Jon Castellon (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), and George Bennett and Marco Frigo (both NSN Cycling).

Watson left the move after crashing heavily with 39km to go, with Bennett moving back to the peloton shortly after.

They were only allowed a maximum of around two minutes on the peloton, with teams behind hoping to control the race for a bunch sprint, chief among them Visma-Lease a Bike and Cofidis.

As the gap tumbled in the final kilometres, the chance of victory swung between the bunch and the riders up the road, with it hovering just under 10 seconds under the flamme rouge. However, due to a powerful final turn from Castrillo and some inspired sprinting, the break won the day.

Results

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026, stage 4: Le Puy-en-Velay > Montrond-les-Bains (167.4km)

1. Quinn Simmons (USA) Lidl-Trek, in 3:34:08
2. Finn Fisher-Black (NZl) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Mattéo Vercher (Fra) TotalEnergies
4. Marco Frigo (Ita) NSN Cycling
5. Raúl García Pierna (Esp) Movistar
6. Andreas Kron (Den) Uno-X Mobility
7. Jorgan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies
8. Lars Craps (Bel) Lotto Intermarché
9. Jan Castellon (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, all at same time
10. Pablo Castrillo (Esp) Movistar, +4s

General Classification after stage 4

1. Alex Beaudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost, in 13:35:13
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos, +12s
3. Oscar Onley (Gbr) Netcompany-Ineos, at same time
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +15s
5. Juan Ayuso (Spa) Lidl-Trek, +47s
6. Matthias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek, +47s
7. Jørgen Nordhagen (Nor) Visma-Lease a Bike, +50s
8. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Netcompany-Ineos, +57s
9. Léo Bisiaux (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +59s
10. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM, +1:00

As a dedicated cycling fan, you'll know only too well that it is now 318 days since our annual dose of French mayhem that we call the Tour de France ended. The wait has been a long one. Nil desperandum though, for there are only 24 left as I write until the show blasts off again and yesterday we were afforded a teasing glimpse as to what it might look like.

The third stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was a team time trial, exactly like we'll see in Barcelona when the Tour de France begins on 4 July, and if yesterday's event is anything to go on, we're in for an absolute treat.

Team tactics, rider hiccups, big stars and even bigger time gaps are what we're likely to be looking at when the dust settles on the stage-one razz around the Spanish city. Far from the usual week-long wait to see which GC hopeful will deign to pop their head above the Tour's parapet first, it's going to take a mere 19 blistering kilometres of breath-holding.

The jeopardy levels have been raised by ASO's new-ish team time trial format, which sees rider times all recorded individually, with the fastest rider home registering the win for their team. It was first trialled at Paris-Nice in 2023, and was used in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on to great effect.

With teams no longer hamstrung by having to wait for a certain number of riders (the time is usually taken on the fourth rider through the finish), they are now free to push on if they think it more efficacious, however many members get tailed off. This in-flight decision pressure was starkly outlined yesterday when Netcompany-Ineos GC hope Oscar Onley dropped his chain. The team waited for the young Scot, but not without much flailing of arms and, one presumes, gnashing of teeth, from his fellow GC man Kévin Vauquelin, who was frustrated by the delay.

In addition, rather than the team having to stick resolutely together all the way to the chequered flag, as the finish approaches the most spritely rider is free to blast off alone to snatch the quickest possible time.

This is exactly what happened yesterday on the 800m climb to the finish – a very similar finale to the one in Barcelona. We saw teams launch their strongest (almost universally GC) riders from the bottom of the climb, with Paul Seixas, Isaac Del Toro and, most successfully, Matteo Jorgenson of winners Visma-Lease a Bike put in all-out solo efforts to the top, while Onley and Vauquelin worked as a duo despite the earlier friction to record the second-best time. Just behind them, yellow jersey Alex B made his own heroic effort, hanging on to the race lead after a nail-biting climb to the finish which looked as though it could go either way almost to the end.

In the final count, more than a minute separated the top-10 finishers and the GC had been chipped, flicked, and volleyed into the crowd – aside from its leader it was almost unrecognisable.

Many of the usual 'best' teams were there or thereabouts, and in Barcelona we can probably expect Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard to be among the top finishers. But they're going to be relying on their teams even more than usual, and the gaps are going to open.

The team time trial, which hasn't been seen in the Tour since 2019, was always a spectacle, but it could also be rather dull, or feel like an unjust punishment for GC hopefuls with weaker teams. Refreshed and liberated in this new format, its reappearance on 4 July has the potential to be remembered as one of the most exciting stages of this year's race.

Matteo Jorgenson sprinted solo through the uphill finish at Perreux to secure victory for Visma-Lease a Bike at the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes stage three team time trial.

It saw the Dutch team place 10 seconds ahead of Netcompany-Ineos, who suffered a dropped chain with Oscar Onley that may well have proved crucial in the final reckoning.

EF Education-EasyPost were third, with their French rider Alex Beaudin clinging onto the leader's yellow jersey by 12 seconds after a gutsy solo assault on the finishing climb.

It offered a thrilling glimpse four weeks into the future, when the Tour de France kicks off in Barcelona with a stage of exactly the same format – including individual timing for each rider rather than whole teams.

Afterwards Jorgenson declared it "seven times better than winning on your own". "Because you get the moment afterwards together, which in cycling you don't often get. It's a really cool discipline," he said, "and a really nice day."

"It didn't really go as planned at all," Jorgenson said. "We lost Wout [van Aert] really early, he wasn't feeling super. And then Ben flatted and almost crashed on the main descent of the day so that was a hairy moment. I think we adapted well to the situation and we rearranged things and readjusted.

"Honestly I think the last 10K downhill we couldn't have gone any faster – Bruno [Armirail], Edo [Affini], Per [Strand Hagenes], were all incredibly strong and I was given a free ride to the last climb."

A victim of a collarbone-breaking crash at Amstel Gold in April, Jorgenson said it was great to be "back on top" and that the performance boded well for the rest of the race, which finishes on Sunday 14 June.

"It feels good to win a race. It's really nice after the spring I've had to come back and be on top again... I'm super happy to be part of this team and take this win together," he said.

How it happened

The race saw the teams compete over a hilly 28.4km (17.6 mile) course based on the town of Perreux in the Loire region. The first third of the parcours was made up of two long climbs, after which 12km of mostly downhill riding delivered the teams to the foot of a final, 800m haul up to the finish.

Jayco-AlUla set an early benchmark, breaking the 50kph barrier with their 33:46 with sprinter-rouleur Michael Matthews leading them in.

But as the later teams began to come through that time was bested, and then routed. Notable among the faster finishers as were Lidl-Trek (4th at 32s) with Juan Ayuso leading the team in alongside Matthias Skjelmose and Decathlon CMA CGM, with the closely watched Paul Seixas leading the team in solo to sixth place at 45sec.

Once Netcompany-Ineos and Visma-Lease a Bike were underway (the fourth and third-last teams respectively) it quickly became apparent that the stage win would likely come down to a battle between the pair. Netcompany-Ineos led comfortably through both time checks, only for Visma-Lease a Bike to run them close shortly afterwards.

Both teams had issues though – Visma earlier on, losing an off-colour Wout van Aert and then Ben Tulett to a puncture. Netcompany suffered a late problem when Oscar Onley derailed his chain, and the decision was made to wait – much to the chagrin of Onley's fellow GC hopeful Kévin Vauquelin, who displayed his displeasure via a series of arm-flails. It was a heaving, uphill sprint to the finish for both Netcompany and Visma, with the efforts of Onley and Vauquelin being pipped by Jorgenson for nine seconds only minutes later.

With Guillaume Martin leading Groupama-FDJ United in well down, the final effort was left to EF Education-EasyPost and their GC leader Alex Beaudin. They put in a thumping performance that was perhaps greater than the sum of their parts, but the final climb provided a nail-biting will-he, won't-he denouement as Beaudin romped away up the climb. His efforts were rewarded – he kept yellow and led the team in to a third-place finish.

Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes 2026, stage 3 TTT: Perreux-Perreux, 28.4km

(Teams with first rider/s to finish)

1. Visma-Lease a Bike (Matteo Jorgenson), 28.4km in 32.52
2. Netcompany-Ineos (Oscar Onley, Kévin Vauquelin), +9s
3. EF Education-EasyPost (Alex Beaudin), +29s
4. Lidl-Trek (Juan Ayuso, Matthias Skjelmose), +32s
5. Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe (Daniel Martínez, Maxim van Gils), +40s
6. Decathlon CMA CGM (Paul Seixas) +45s
7. Movistar (Cian Uijtdebroeks, Diego Pescador), +52s
8. Jayco-AlUla (Michael Matthews), +54s
9. UAE Team Emirates-XRG (Isaac Del Toro), +1:01
10. Bahrain Victorious (Santiago Buitrago), +1:05

General Classification after stage 3

1. Alex Beaudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost, in 10:01:01
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos, +12s
3. Oscar Onley (Gbr) Netcompany-Ineos, at s.t.
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +15s
5. Juan Ayuso (Spa) Lidl-Trek, +47s
6. Matthias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek, +47s
7. Jørgen Nordhagen (Nor) Visma-Lease a Bike, +50s
8. Maxim van Gils (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, +56s
9. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike, +57s
10. Carlos Rodríguez (Spa) Netcompany-Ineos, at s.t.

For the first time since 2019, a team time trial is back on the menu at the Tour de France, but now there’s a twist: times will be recorded individually, not as a team.

Anyone who has watched – or indeed competed in – any of the last four editions of Paris-Nice will already be familiar with this every-man-for-himself timing rule. ASO has been trialling it at the race since 2023, and did so again on stage three of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month, a key dress rehearsal before the Tour’s opening stage in Barcelona on Saturday.

So how does an individually timed team time trial work? Do the riders still race together? And is it the winning team or individual who is declared the stage winner?

Team time trials exist to test speed, unity and cohesiveness against the clock. Riders typically race in a close line, sheltering from the wind and saving the strongest riders for crucial moments.

Historically, and according to standard UCI rules, a team’s time is taken on the fourth rider across the line, with all riders granted that same time in the stage and general classifications. In recent years, however, event organisers ASO have tried to make the format more exciting at their races by introducing individual timing.

The rules in place on the Tour's opening stage in Barcelona dictate that each rider will receive their own individual time in the team time trial. As previous tests at Paris-Nice and the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes have shown, teams tend to treat this as a lead-out effort; many protect their leader for as long as possible, before releasing him to attack the final part of the stage.

The winner of the stage is the entire team, rather than the fastest individual. At the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month, for example, Matteo Jorgenson clocked the fastest time, and so his Visma-Lease a Bike team were declared the stage winners.

In the general classification, it is the riders’ individual times that count. As such, riders aiming for high overall placings will try to finish as quickly as possible, while those unconcerned by the GC may drop off the back of their team’s paceline, and roll across the finish line minutes later.

There is still a time limit, however, and any riders finishing outside a generous extra 30% of the winner’s time will be eliminated from the race. At the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Jorgenson's time was 32:52, meaning the time limit was 42:44, or an extra 10 minutes. No rider missed the time cut.

Announcing the new format ahead of the 2023 edition Paris-Nice, ASO said: “This should force each team to adopt the best strategy to lead out their leader in the final stretch, which is not unlike team spring events on the track. The innovation should also stop a whole team sweeping the top GC standings.”

Six-time British time trial champion Alex Dowsett described the individual timing as “brilliant” at the time.

“The most efficient way of doing the race will be to have your GC guy dropped off with 500m to go," Dowsett explained. "Maybe he has taken some turns, maybe he hasn't, that depends how strong he would be, and how much energy they want to save for days to come.”

Saturday's team time trial at the Tour de France is 19.6km long and finishes with an uphill drag to Montjuïc. The stage begins at 17:05 CET (16:05 BST).

The race’s first yellow jersey will go to the individual rider with the fastest time on the stage.

Danish rider Anthon Charmig escaped to victory on stage two of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after spending his day in the break.

The Uno-X Mobility rider proved himself best of a 10-man breakaway, which had led the peloton with a gap of over 5 minutes for the majority of the day, taking only his second ever pro win (the last one coming four years ago), and his first victory on European soil.

"For me, I don't get too many chances," the delighted Dane told reporters. "It's an incredible feeling! I'm so happy to be here."

"I think the whole team has really stepped up. The atmosphere in the team is really good. We have so much fun together. I have come straight from four weeks at altitude with the team, and we had a really good time. For motivation, it's the perfect environment, and it shows in the results."

Charmig got away from the lead pack after the final climb, the Côte de Saint-Vidal, and just kept increasing his lead, chased by Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Picnic PostNL), Vlad Van Mechelen (Bahrain Victorious) Clément Braz Afonso (Groupama - FDJ United) and Raúl García Pierna (Movistar). Renard-Haquin finished second, ahead of Van Mechelen.

Frenchman Alex Baudin finished 59th but retains his lead in the general classification, after an impressive victory in the opening stage yesterday, having been well looked after by EF Education-EasyPost teammates Ben Healy and Sean Quinn throughout the day. Local lad Clément Braz Afonso deprived him of the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey, however, with an impressively powerful performance on the final two climbs of the day.

The rider everyone is watching this summer, Decathlon's Paul Seixas, rode a measured race, the French teenager finishing safely in the peloton in 30th place for the stage to move into 15th spot in the GC. Britain's Ben Tullett (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos) moved up to fifth and eighth in the GC respectively.

Much less positive news about João Almeida, with the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider dropping out the back of the peloton, clearly still suffering the effects of the illness that put him out of the Giro, with an appearance at the Tour de France looking increasing unlikely

How it happened

Today's 234.3km route from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux to Le Puy-en-Velay was the longest stage in the Critérium du Dauphiné, now known as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, for over 20 years, and there will be some sore legs for the team time trial tomorrow, especially among the 10 riders who broke away from the peloton early on.

Afonso (Groupama - FDJ United) pushed particularly hard in the final 35km, riding hard over the penultimate peak, the category-2 climb of Côte des Baraques (4.2km at 6.6%), with fellow Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarché). Afonso was first over the summit, securing five points and putting himself in pole position for the polkadot jersey, which he subsequently secured.

By the time the breakaway reached the top of the final climb of the day, however, the rearing summit of Côte de Saint-Vidal (which has a gradient of 14% at its apex), Anthon Charmig was preparing to make a move. The Dane seized his chance during the descent, and soon established a commanding lead. With just 5km to go to the finish line, and the terrain flattening out, his lead went out to 30 seconds over the five remaining chasers, and he made the win look easy in the end.

Meanwhile, back in the peloton, EF Education-EasyPost were busy trying to keep control of the GC after the team's first ever win in this race yesterday. Netcompany Ineos started putting the pressure on during final climb, but Healy and Quinn held them off, and Alex Baudin retains the yellow jersey for another day in the alps where he was born.

Results

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage two: Vizille > Saint-Ismier (146.2km)

1. Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Mobility 5:40:29

2. Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Frais) Picnic PostNL 0.:41

3. Vlad Van Mechelen (Bel) Bahrain - Victorious "

4. Raúl García Pierna (Spa) Movistar 0:43

5. Clément Braz Afonso (Fra) Groupama - FDJ United 0:44

6. Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Cofidis 1:56

7. Jordan Jegat (Fra) TotalEnergies 1:59

8. Nadav Raisberg (Isr) NSN Cycling 2:10

9. Finn Fisher-Black (NZ) Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 3:13

10. Maxim Van Gils (NZ) Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe "

General Classification after stage two

1. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost in 9:27:40

2. Ramses Debruyne (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech, +32

3. Kevin Vermaerke (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG "

4. Léo Bisiaux (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM "

5. Ben Tullett (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike "

6. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe "

7. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos "

8. Oscar Onley (GBr) Netcompany-Ineos "

9. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United "

10. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco-AlUla "

As a former winner over Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France you might have expected Wout van Aert to have kicked off the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with something better than the rather inauspicious start he did make.

On stage one yesterday, a 146km mid-mountains outing from Viziers to Saint-Ismier, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider lost 24 minutes and finished way down in 127th place.

The reason for this – or at least part of it – it transpires, is connected with the Belgian's unforgettable victory at Paris-Roubaix in April, and all that came after it.

"After Roubaix, Wout took the time to recover and enjoy himself,” Visma-Lease a Bike head of performance Mathieu Heijboer told Belgian outlet Niewsblad. “A lot has come his way. Many celebrations, especially. When you have to get back into the rhythm of training and racing at some point, it simply takes a little more time.

"He has to come from further back than usual," he added. "That isn't even about data. It just takes a little longer to get going again.”

Van Aert himself, despite being active early on in the stage, conceded afterwards that he "had hoped for a better feeling", and that he'd suffered "a lot of pain in the legs".

In Van Aert's defence, Visma-Lease a Bike coach Maarten Wynants pointed out that the stage, which featured a cat-three, three cat-twos and a cat-one climb along its relatively short length, was always going to be for a GC rider more than for a puncheur like Van Aert, and referenced the work he did for GC man Matteo Jorgenson during the day.

“We knew beforehand that this stage would normally be for the general classification riders and would be beyond Wout’s capabilities,” Wynants told Nieuwsblad. “Anyone who thought he could compete for the win here was being very optimistic. Moreover, Wout was quite active at the start of the stage. He attacked a few times. As a result, he ran out of breath a bit on the first real climb. Afterwards, he sacrificed himself to put Matteo Jorgenson in position.”

Van Aert had already "picked up the rhythm following an altitude camp", Wynants added, pointing out that the Tour de France was still some way off.

"Wout has come down from his pink cloud,” he said. “But in the meantime, he has the harsh reality of an altitude training camp behind him and has already picked up that rhythm again. As far as I’m concerned, he is where he needs to be. Let’s not forget that the Tour is still a long way off. This race should allow him to take another step closer to that top form.”

The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – previously called the Critérium du Dauphiné – runs until Sunday (14 June) and only gets harder – it ends with three consecutive summit-finish days. However, with Wednesday and Thursday offering less climbing and a flat run-in towards the finish, Van Aert hasn't ruled out the chance of nabbing a stage.

“Those are the so-called easiest stages,” he said. “That’s probably why. Although ‘easy’ is relative here. Those remain tough stages too, but with a flat finish. There might be a chance there in the sprint or from a breakaway.”

While EF Education First-EasyPost’s Alex Baudin claimed the spoils on the opening stage of Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a canny late move from the group of favourites featuring Netcompany-Ineos duo Oscar Onley and Kévin Vauquelin set up an intriguing tactical game for the week ahead.

As Baudin powered to a career-best result, the peloton held a solid pace on the Côte de Rousset, allowing the Frenchman to build his lead to 1:20 as he crested the climb. The docile pace continued on the final section into Saint-Ismier as the GC teams appeared keen to absolve themselves of the responsibility to hold the leaders jersey heading into the next few stages.

Attacks flew from the chase group of around 30 began with 7km of the stage to go. It was veteran Frenchman Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ United) who launched the decisive move and was followed first by Vauquelin with Jayco-AlUla’s Luke Plapp in his wheel. Six more including Onley followed and caught UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Kevin Vermaerke, who had accelerated over the final climb.

The group of ten built a maximum lead of just over half a minute and looked set to steal a significant advantage in the overall over pre-race favourites Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM), Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek). However, Ayuso accelerated hard on a short rise in the final 3km to cut the gap drastically.

In the end Onley, Vauquelin and co took nine seconds over the favourites, setting up an interesting tactical game for the rest of the race in which the British team could look to use its numbers and aggression as an advantage over their GC rivals.

“We did manage to take a little bit of time on Seixas and Del Toro,” said Vauquelin after the stage.

“For us it was a tactical game with two riders up front. In the next stages we will see what happens.”

The Frenchman finished the stage in ninth place, one spot ahead of team-mate Onley.

“I was just behind and I was following along,” Vauquelin said how he infiltrated the move.

“We were in the end fighting for second. I didn’t do the sprint 100%. We wanted to get time and with no bonuses on the line it didn’t really matter.”

The likes of Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike), Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon-CMA CGM) were also present in the move.

The Tour Auverge-Rhône-Alpes will continue from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux on stage with several tough days to come.

Alex Baudin took the opening stage of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, attacking from the breakaway in the final 25 kilometres on the Côte de Rousset to take the leader’s jersey.

The EF Education First-EasyPost rider had been part of a strong early move of nine and claimed the stage by 32 seconds ahead of Alpecin-Premier Tech's Ramses Debruyne and Léo Bisiaux of Decathlon-CMA CGM.

Debruyne and Bisiaux were part of a group of ten that had attacked the peloton in the closing stages alongside the likes of Oscar Onley and Kévin Vauquelin (both Netcompany-Ineos), gaining just shy of ten seconds over the race's main favourites in Saint-Ismier.

In the peloton behind, led for much of the day by Decathlon-CMA CGM in support of Paul Seixas, appeared happy to allow the Frenchman to take the win. The group set a controlled pace on the Côte de Rousset, with teams wanting to relieve themselves of the responsibility to pull the peloton along in the coming stages.

Frenchman Baudin took his second career win, topping off a successful first half of the year that also included top-10s at Paris-Nice and Itzulia.

"I don’t think I believe it, I only thought at 500 metres that it was done," Baudin said afterwards, adding that he had a bout of food poisoning the day before the race began.

"It's just amazing to win here with my family here, just one hour from from home. It's just crazy."

"All the stars aligned for me today," Baudin said.

The 25-year-old holds a 32 second lead in the general classification heading into Monday's second stage, a mammoth 234km race to Le Puy-en-Velay.

How it Happened

The opening stage of the traditional Tour de France warm up was not easy, with no fewer than five categorised climbs for the peloton to tackle. While not the toughest stage of the race, the 146km course would provide a stern test.

A nine rider break made it away after a long race to get in the early move. Principle among them were the likes of New Zealand national champion George Bennett (NSN) and Alex Baudin (EF Education First-EasyPost).

The attackers built a lead of just over two minutes with 70km to go, as Decathlon-CMA CGM set the pace in support of Seixas.

Baudin stretched out alone on the final climb, the Côte de Rousset, as the general classification teams set the pace in the peloton. Baudin had an advantage of just over a minute as he crested the ascent with 21km to go.

Baudin’s lead held strong on the descent that followed. On the final, dragging section into Saint-Ismier, he still had 1:10 heading into the last 5km.

With an easy pace sustaining in the bunch, a group of ten attacked from the peloton including Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla), Oscar Onley and Kevin Vauquelin (both Netcompany-Ineos), putting 30 seconds into the peloton.

Concerned by this intermediary group, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) and Seixas attacked in the peloton in an effort to close the gap, reducing the deficit to just nine seconds by the finish.

Baudin powered all the way to the final metres, before taking the applause of the crowd just a few dozen kilometres from his home in the Alps. He said afterwards that he would attempt to hold onto the yellow jersey for as long as possible.

Results

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage one: Vizille > Saint-Ismier (146.2km)

1. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost in 3:43:58
2. Ramses Debruyne (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech, +32s
3. Léo Bisiaux (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM
4. Kevin Vermaerke (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG
5. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United
6. Ben Tullett (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike
7. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco-AlUla
8. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
9. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos
10. Oscar Onley (GBr) Netcompany-Ineos (all same time)

General Classification after stage one

1. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost in 3:43:58
2. Ramses Debruyne (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech, +32s
3. Léo Bisiaux (Fra) Decathlon-CMA CGM
4. Kevin Vermaerke (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG
5. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United
6. Ben Tullett (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike
7. Luke Plapp (Aus) Jayco-AlUla
8. Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
9. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos
10. Oscar Onley (GBr) Netcompany-Ineos (all same time)

Saturday sees the start of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, an eight-stage race much better known to most cycling enthusiasts as the Critérium du Dauphiné, which underwent a name change after last year's event, won by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

First held in 1947, when it was created by the newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré, the race was known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré until 2010, when it was brought under the wing of ASO, organisers of the Tour de France. As the new name suggests, the race route traverses the Avergne-Rhone-Alpes region in France's south-east, and there's no shortage of climbing in the parcours, including on some of cycling's most legendary cols.

The race's mountainous terrain, history and status as a well-respected WorldTour event, plus its close proximity in the calendar to the Tour de France, makes it a must-watch race in its own right, but especially for fans eager to assess the pre-Tour form of GC favourites. Popularly seen as a warm-up event for the Tour de France, since 2012, the winner has seven times gone on to take victory at the Grand Boucle.

That said, Pogačar is not coming back to defend his title this year, with UAE Team Emirates' lead rider missing in action at the Tour de Suisse. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will also be absent, resting up after his recent victory at the Giro d’Italia and preparing for his attempt to achieve a career-defining Giro-Tour double, and Red Bull’s Remco Evenepoel is another notable name not in the frame.

But the line-up remains strong. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) will be racing, and in buoyant form after outsprinting Pogačar to take an emotional victory in a brutal edition of the Paris-Roubaix race earlier this year.

And, of course, all eyes will be on French teenager Paul Seixas, to see how the prodigiously talented Decathlon rider contends with the likes of Lidl-Trek's Juan Ayuso and UAE Emirates-XRG’s Isaac del Toro, ahead of the 19-year-old’s somewhat controversial debut at the upcoming Tour.

Below, Cycling Weekly has compiled everything you need to know about broadcasters and live streams, so you can watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes wherever you are in the world.

Quick guide to watching the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Can I watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for free?

You can watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for free in Australia with SBS On Demand.

Additionally, numerous European countries have free coverage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, including France 3 and the FranceTV streaming platform in the host country of France.

In Belgium, Flemish-language VRT – broadcast on the Sporza website – and French-language and RTBF – available online on RTBF Auvio – both have the rights. Those in Spain can watch on RTVE Play, while in Italy it's on RAI Play.

Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you'll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.

Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

How to watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes while abroad

Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

How to watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the UK

In the UK, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will be available to watch online on TNT / HBO Max.

Both TNT and HBO Max are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and require a subscription.

TNT Sports via HBO Max costs £25.99 a month on a 12-month deal. TNT Sports is £30.99 a month, but is cheaper with certain TV packages. Virgin Media customers, for example, can add it to their bundle for an additional £18 a month. Sky TV customers can do the same for an extra £30 a month. EE mobile customers can purchase TNT Sports as an add-on for £20 a month.

Can I watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the US and Canada?

In the USA, fans will be able to watch the race on Peacock, which is NBC's streaming network. You will need the $10.99/month plan to watch.

Canadian fans can watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes live on the Flobikes network. This costs CA$49.99 monthly / CA$203 annually.

Can I watch the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in Australia?

If you're an Aussie cycling fan you're in luck – you can watch the race for free on SBS, with free live streaming available on SBS On Demand.

What time is the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on?

Start times for the UK coverage of the race varies from around midday to 14:30 BST on TNT and HBO Max.

In the USA, Peacock coverage starts at between 7:00 am ET (stage 1) and 9:30 am ET, while Flobikes coverage in Canada begins at 7:00 am EDT

SBS coverage in Australia begins at between 9:10 pm and 11:40 pm AEST daily.

► Cycling TV and streaming guide

What to expect at theTour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The eight-stage Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes starts out with some stiff climbs and only gets lumpier as it heads from the Auvergne region across to the Alps.

The 2026 race will feature three summit finishes, including climbs of the Grand Colombier and the Plateau de Solaison in the final two days, alongside three lumpy stages, one sprint, and a team time trial stage. The Solaison be be back on screens four weeks later, as climb on tage 15 of the Tour de France.

A team time trial on stage 3 will pit riders against a mostly flat 28.4km course with a couple of 450-metre-plus climbs in the middle. The TTT will follow the format used at Paris-Nice in recent years, where individual times are taken at the finish line, as opposed to as a team.

After that, the race continues to get harder, with summit finishes on the final three stages. Stage 7 looks especially savage, with a Long category-1 climb on Lacets du Grand Colombier (7.7km at 8.4%) and a summit finish on a hors-category climb, an 8.4km haul up Grand Colombier with an average elevation of 10.2%.

Cruelly, the race will culminate with another hors-category climb at the end of stage 8, when riders will finish on the flanks of 1508-metre Plateau de Solaison, ascending for 11.3km at 9.1%.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The cycling world is abuzz following the latest sighting of the unreleased Specialized Tarmac SL9 at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, previously known as the Critérium du Dauphiné.

The bike was first spotted on the roof of a Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team car during an altitude-training camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain. But this time, we got a much closer look.

We spotted the bike outside a team truck where mechanics were setting up the bike on precise measuring equipment, presumably preparing it for its first public race outing on Sunday.

Should this indeed be the new Tarmac SL9, here's what we can glean about the bike's changes and developments.

What's new

Both sightings thus far were of the bike Specialized’s stealthy pre-production "Project Black" livery, a designation the brand uses for developing and testing future products through professional athlete feedback.

The frameset showcases a clear shift toward greater aerodynamic performance compared to its predecessor, the SL8. Notable changes include a reshaped fork with a chunkier crown and deeper blades, alongside a seat tube designed to hug the rear wheel closely.

The seatpost has also evolved into a deep-section aerodynamic blade, signalling Specialized's intent to further optimise its flagship race rig for top-end speed.

As the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes serves as a crucial warm-up for the Tour de France, the presence of the SL9 here suggests that we may see the bike in action at summer's main event.

While Specialized maintains its standard "Project Black" protocol regarding unreleased tech, these considered design choices indicate a machine that aims to balance its legendary comfort with a new benchmark in aerodynamic efficiency.

We reached out to Specialized, but the brand remains mum on the subject, stating: "Specialized relies on feedback from professional athletes in both developing and testing advanced pre-production products in real-world applications. With this top-level feedback, some of these design elements and products eventually show up in future retail product offerings. We call this Project Black."

A 28.4km team time trial is part of the route for the renamed Critérium du Dauphiné, providing a final dress rehearsal for the Tour de France, it was revealed on Thursday.

The French Grand Tour begins on 4 July with a 19km TTT in Barcelona; three and a half weeks earlier, stage three of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will be the same format, providing one last chance for teams to try things. The race runs from Sunday 7-Sunday 14 June.

It was announced last June that the Dauphiné would now be known as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 2026 will be the first edition of the renamed race.

The 78th edition of the Tour warmup will include three summit finishes, including ascents of the Grand Colombier and the Plateau de Solaison in the final two stages, alongside three lumpy stages, one nailed-on sprint, and the TTT. The Solaison will be tackled a month later as part of the Tour, too, on stage 15.

The team time trial follows the format used at Paris-Nice in recent years, where individual times are taken at the finish line, as opposed to as a team.

"Rooted in its history, the new Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is also very much a product of its time," the race's director, Christian Prudhomme, wrote in the press material. "Its dynamic route promises a thrilling race from start to finish, with an early start that favours attacking riders and a grand mountain finale to crown the champions.

"The team time trial in Perreux will serve as a true dress rehearsal for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in Barcelona. The start in La Bridoire will delight fans of the Classique des Alpes Juniors, particularly Paul Seixas.

"And the stages at Grand Colombier and the Plateau de Solaison will evoke fond memories for Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. New chapters are yet to be written, under a new name, and with unprecedented challenges such as the climb to Crest-Voland."

Stage one, from Vizille to Saint-Ismier, is a hilly 140.1km which includes five classified climbs, including the Côte de Saint-Jean-le-Vieux Montée, 5.6km at 8.7%.

The next day is an epic 237.3km from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux to Le Puy-en-Velay, with four classified climbs, This is 30km longer than the longest stage of this year's Tour.

Stage three is the 28.4km TTT in Perreux, which is not completely flat, before stage four is hilly again, with six classified climbs in 165.8km from Le Puy-en-Velay to Montrond-les-Bains, althgouh the run looks largely flat.

Thursday 11 June's stage five looks like the only nailed-on sprint, 198km from Saint-Chamond to Parc des Oiseaux - Villars-les-Dombers; there are three fourth-category climbs, but nothing in the final 80km.

The mountains then hove into view, with stage six from Saint-Vulbas to Crest-Voland. This includes four categorised climbs, including the first-cat Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine (11.3km at 5.1%) and then Crest-Voland (5.9km at 7.7%). The latter is a summit finish, and the first time it has been raced.

Stage seven is much the same, 133.3km from La Bridoire to the Grand Colombier, with six climbs, including the Lacets du Grand Colombier (7km at 8.4%) midway through the stage, before the Colombier is tackled again via the gruelling Virieu-le-Petit slope (8.4 km at 10.2%).

The race ends with another mountainous day, with four climbs in 120km from Beaufort to the Plateau de Solaison. Those four are the Col du Pré (6.9 km at 10.1%), the Montée de Bisanne (11.4 km at 7.7%), the Col des Aravis (7 km at 6.8%) and the finish at Plateau de Solaison (11.3 km at 9.1%). Simple.

The lineup for the June race is yet to be confirmed, but one rider who will not be there is defending champion Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who will be at the Tour de Suisse the next week instead.

Tadej Pogačar won the final edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné with the race set to be rebranded as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes from 2026, the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) announced on Monday afternoon.

First run in 1947, the Critérium du Dauphiné has become a key build-up race to the Tour de France, typically taking place just weeks before the Grand Départ each year. It was previously known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré until 2009, named after a newspaper that previously sponsored the race in the local area.

In a release to the media announcing the new name, race organiser ASO said the change was part of a “long standing collaboration” between the host region of France and the organiser, and was the “logical next step” in the relationship.

"The Critérium du Dauphiné was created in 1947 by a regional newspaper in love with cycling and has since grown in sync with the roads and slopes that have shaped its history. Buoyed by the steadfast backing of the Region, it will now become the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, taking on a new name that leaves no doubt about the regional roots of the race.

"As we saw in this edition, the region boasts a vibrant palette of landscapes and attracts the best riders in the world with a challenge that takes their breath away in every sense," Christian Prudhomme, ASO’s Director of Cycling and Tour de France race director, is reported to have said.

As well as Pogačar, previous winners of the Dauphiné include multiple Tour de France winners including Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Chris Froome, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Jonas Vingegaard. The late Brian Robinson also won the race in 1961.

"This is a great source of pride for us," Fabrice Pannekoucke, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region said. "As one of the most anticipated events on the international calendar, this race is above all a gathering of top champions and the elite of the global peloton, just weeks before the Tour de France.

"The Region is proud to be the main partner of such a competition, a true flagship of our commitment to supporting cycling."

With two Alpine stages to come, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) overhauled the general classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné on Friday, winning stage six’s summit finish in Combloux, and putting himself in pole position for the overall.

The world champion attacked with 7km to go – still seated in the saddle – dropping the race leader Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), both of whom he had lost time to in Wednesday's time trial.

The sight of the Slovenian in yellow was a familiar one for cycling fans in Combloux. Having started the day in seventh, 38 seconds adrift, Pogačar now leads the race by more than 40 seconds.

"I was feeling really good, and when I attacked, it was an all-out effort," the Slovenian said afterwards. "I knew that it was still around 15 minutes from the Côte de Domancy to the top – I had to pace myself after the attack. The feeling was there, the legs were turning, and it was just in my favour to be in the front and gain some time.”

Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG team-mates set the pace into the final climb, teeing the three-time Tour de France winner up to attack on the steepest ramp. Vingegaard initially followed, but the Dane quickly found himself in pursuit, crossing the line a minute later.

The seconds ceded in stage four's time trial ultimately proved trivial for Pogačar. Still, he said, his losses against the clock are "definitely a concern".

"It’s a challenge for me and the team to improve. The legs are there, the shape is good, we need to hold our horses for the Tour.”

Evenepoel, having worn the yellow jersey, now finds himself fourth in the GC. The Belgian was bunnyhopped by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's Florian Lipowitz, who finished third on the stage, and likewise now sits third overall.

How it happened

Hunting for a swansong victory in his final race, Romain Bardet (Picnic PostNL) joined the breakaway on stage six, which brought the first summit finish. The Frenchman was joined by seven others, including green jersey wearer Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck), who began the day just 14 seconds down in the GC.

With such a short stage – just 126.7km in length – the breakaway struggled to gain a comfortable buffer. Any hopes they had were left in tatters with 45km to go, when Visma-Lease a Bike towed the peloton at pace into the foot of a category-one climb, hoping to take control of the finale.

An initial dummy attack from Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) was countered by Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), but no GC moves stuck so far from the line. Up ahead, escapees Michael Leonard (Ineos Grenadiers) and Alex Baudin (EF Education-Easypost) survived the climb as the only remnants of the breakaway.

The final climb to Combloux – split into two category-two kickers, stacked on top of each other – began with just under 9km to go. It was here, in 2023, that Vingegaard blistered to a time trial victory that sealed his second Tour de France title. On Friday, Leonard and Baudin began their ascent with a one-minute head start. They’d both be tagged within 3km.

Set up by UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and without having to lunge out of the saddle, Pogačar accelerated away from the bunch with around 7km to go. Evenepoel immediately dropped away, and while Vingegaard followed momentarily, the Dane too soon found himself alone against the gradient.

"I had to hurry up to see the finish [of my girlfriend] Urška [Žigart] at the Tour de Suisse," Pogačar smiled afterwards. His winning margin on the day stood at one minute and one second – enough to claim the yellow jersey, and give him a gap as the race heads into the mountains this weekend.

Crucially, too, he was able to watch his partner score a top-15 at the Tour de Suisse. "I was just in time, so all good," he said.

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné, stage six: Valserhône > Combloux (126.7km)

1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 2:59:46
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:01
3. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:22
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:30
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:50
6. Alex Baudin (Fra) EF Education-EasyPost, +1:56
7. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X, +2:03
8. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty, +2:04
9. Ben Tulett (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike
10. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, both at same time

General classification after stage six

1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, in 21:35:08
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +43s
3. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +54s
4. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:22
5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:41
6. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Jayco AlUla, +2:28
7. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty, +2:39
8. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +2:49
9. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X, +3:21
10. Ben Tulett (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike, +3:26

Eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed something peculiar about Remco Evenepoel's helmet in Wednesday's Critérium du Dauphiné time trial.

Barrelling to the stage victory and race lead, the world champion had a new cutaway visor, carved out in front of his eyes, fitted to his Specialized S-Works TT5 lid.

The design appeared novel – was it a new innovation, a special aero hack? According to Soudal Quick-Step's helmet provider, the answer was more elementary than that.

"It's quite simple," a Specialized representative told Cycling Weekly on Thursday morning. "While in the [time trial] position, the previous visor was touching his hands and wrists. With the new one he can get his head lower without touching his hands or wrists. Simple."

According to Cycling Weekly's in-house aero and time trial expert, Michael Hutchinson, the design is a "really neat solution". Still, he added, the contact issue with Evenepoel's hands was likely to be a smaller part of a wider aero fix.

"Clearly there's no way they just made this random shaped visor without testing it," Hutchinson said, "so you've got to accept that everything in that decision is aerodynamically driven.

"I think it's not so much that it was touching his hands – if that was the perfect position and that's what they tested and wanted then he would just have let the old visor bump off his forearms – it's not going to be that annoying. Clearly they just want him to be able to get his head slightly lower."

The Specialized time trial helmet used by both Soudal Quick-Step and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe was initially released with a much larger visor, before a smaller one was used by both teams at various points in the last year. Hutchinson surmised that the new design used by Evenepoel was likely a balance between the two.

He said: "They're trying to have the best of both worlds by trying to have as much of the aerodynamic visor that they can, while also getting the top of his head down. So when they say it's just because the visor was hitting his hands and it's annoying, I'm not terribly cynical about that, I think it clearly was part of the issue."

Flagged on Instagram by Cyclingspy, the new visor appears to be available for purchase on the Specialized website for $449 (£330).

One potential drawback to the deep cutaway design could be a lack of eye protection, although, according to Hutchinson, this is unlikely to be an issue.

"Bear in mind, a lot of the time he's going to have his head right down, because they'll have cut that visor as close to the shape of his forearms as they can, so there won't be a very big gap there," he said. "He'll be protected by his arms as well, but it wouldn't be quite the same protection and optical performance as a full visor."

Interestingly, Hutchinson added that he had recently spent time in a wind tunnel with a rider using the same Specialized helmet with the larger visor, "and the visor was on their forearms".

"But I think that's one of the reasons it can be a good helmet, because for a lot of riders, that's a really good marker to keep your head nice and low, but it's annoying if you get a rough piece of road as you start to bump against the visor," he said.

"I think doing this makes complete sense. I wouldn't find it hard to believe that it could be gaining three or four watts, over the other one. Yesterday's time trial obviously had a hill in it, but if it was kind of a flat and straight, fast TT then it could maybe be as much as three or four seconds, something like that."

Whether it was down to the visor or not, Tuesday's ride brought Evenepoel a yellow jersey and 49 seconds over his GC rival Tadej Pogačar. Expect to see him using a similar set-up at the Tour de France next month.

Remco Evenepoel powered to a sensational time trial victory on stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné, obliterating his rivals on the 17.4 kilometre course to take over the race lead of Iván Romeo (Movistar).

The reigning Olympic and World Champion was simply untouchable, beating the times of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, his Tour de France rivals, with a supersonic time of 20:50:90 in Saint-Péray.

The 25-year-old Belgian averaged 50 kmph across the course, beating Vingegaard and Pogačar by 20 and 49 seconds respectively. Vingegaard’s teammate Matteo Jorgenson also bettered Pogačar’s time at the finish, the two-time Paris-Nice winner finishing in 21:28:69.

Evenepoel now leads the race by four seconds ahead of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Florian Lipowitz in second. Vingegaard jumped up to fifth, 16 seconds behind Evenepoel, with Pogačar in eighth, 38 seconds down on the stage winner and new yellow jersey. Jorgenson sits in ninth, one second slower than Pogačar.

"My goal was to go as fast as possible until the intermediate," Evenepoel said afterwards. "After that I just tried to get a steady pace until the finish line. I think the advantage I had was that there was a lot of headwind, at least before and after the climb, so I used that to really take advantage of my position and the power I can do in my position. On the climb I just went as fast as possible and I think we had a perfect pacing strategy."

"I just wanted to win, then afterwards we were going to see how it would be in terms of GC," he added. "I think I can be very happy with this victory, number 1,000 for our team, so I'm very proud to have done it. This is one for Patrick [Lefevere, former Soudal Quick-Step team boss] and for everything that he did for the team. This victory is one for him and for all of his career."

Evenepoel expressed surprise at taking significant time on Pogačar: "In the end it is quite a big gap on quite a short TT, so I’m very happy to have put over one second per kilometre on everybody. I'm super proud, I'm very happy with the feeling that I have now. It's always nice to bring home a WorldTour victory."

How it happened

Stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné was the first serious GC test at this year’s race between the trio of Tour de France overall favourites, Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, the three podium finishers in Nice last year.

The course was a relatively quick 17.4 kilometre run between Charmes-sur-Rhône and Saint-Péray, with a small climb coming halfway through the parcours. It was a course tailor made for the likes of World and Olympic time trial champion Evenepoel, with many tipping him as the favourite for the stage win.

Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) set an early best time of 22:00:20, powering through the course with an average speed of 47.4 kmph, although his time was later topped by Frenchman Rémi Cavagna of Groupama-FDJ. Cavagna pushed his time under the 22 minute mark, stopping the clock at the finish with a time of 21:57:21. The bottom half of the climb on the course was evidently very steep, averaging 15%, with several riders visibly struggling on their time trial bikes up the ascent.

As the clock ticked past 16:15 local time, American duo Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) headed down the start ramp. Sheffield endured a stressful wait at the start, quickly adjusting his gearing with the help of a mechanic, before eventually getting away on time. Jorgenson, meanwhile, was 15 seconds quicker than Cavagna at the intermediate check point as Evenepoel got set to start.

With all three of the favourites out on the course, the time to beat at the finish was that set by Jorgenson, with the American half a minute quicker than Cavagna at 21.28.69. Evenepoel reached his minute man with ease, Bastien Tronchon of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, powering past him and up the climb. Jonas Vingegaard followed suit just a few minutes later, quickly passing his own minute man.

Evenepoel was evidently in unbeatable form, destroying Jorgenson’s time by 30 seconds at the check point with ease before catching his second minute man. The Belgian went on to top the leaderboard at the finish and pull on the yellow jersey, putting 48 seconds into Pogačar.

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, stage four: Charmes-sur-Rhône > Saint-Péray (17km ITT)

1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 14:31:08
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +21s
3. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +38s
4. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +49s
5. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +57s
6. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, +1:02
7. Stian Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, +1:07
8. Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AlUla, +1:10
9. Tobias Foss (Nor) Ineos Grenadiers, at same time
10. Paul Seixas (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +1:14

General classification after stage four

1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 14:31:08
2. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +4s
3. Iván Romeo (Spa) Movistar, +9s
4. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, +14s
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +16s
6. Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AlUla, +30s
7. Harold Tejada (Col) XDS Astana, at same time
8. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +38s
9. Matteo Jorgenson (Usa) Visma-Lease a Bike, +39s
10. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché - Wanty, 1:03

All eyes are on the world and Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) this Wednesday, as the Critérium du Dauphiné plays host to an individual time trial.

The race's fourth stage offers a 17.4km course from Charmes-sur-Rhône to Saint-Péray, in France's Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. The route is set to be a fast one, albeit with a pair of uncategorised lumps in the middle.

"I just have to go all in," said Evenepoel, the favourite for the stage victory.

The Belgian will roll down the ramp 12th from last, at 16:33 local time (CET), as the 13th rider in the general classification.

Stage three's solo winner and race leader Iván Romeo (Movistar) will be the last rider to start at 16:45. Only 21 years old, Romeo is the under-23 time trial world champion, and has impressed against the clock this year, with a seventh place at the UAE Tour and 12th at the Tour de Romandie.

Other key riders to look out for are Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) at 16:35, and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who starts just two minutes later, at 16:37.

Proceedings for the time trial will begin at 14:15, when Pogačar's team-mate Domen Novak will be the first to begin his effort.

Below are all of the start times for stage four's time trial, all in the local time (CET).

Alongside the racing at this week’s Critérium du Dauphiné, a new bike has stolen headlines. It came out of the blue, startling in design, and stood out among its contemporaries. Our friends at Cyclingnews were on the ground to spot and photograph it, describing it as “insane” and “mad”.

I’m talking about Factor’s prototype aero bike. We know little about it at the moment – we don’t even know its name – other than Jake Stewart rode a blacked-out version to a commendable fifth place on the first stage. One look at the bike’s obnoxiously wide forks tells us this is no typical road machine. No, Factor’s new model marks a new age of road design, a revolutionary idea that breaks the mould of what bikes should look like. Or does it?

Followers of track racing might have felt a sense of déjà-vu when flicking through the photo galleries of the new Factor. Yes, its front fork may be novel on the road, but it’s nothing new inside velodromes. Once again, the old adage was true: tech trends begin on the track. Let me explain a little more.

In track racing, speed is king. Every Olympic cycle, national federations spend millions developing new bikes and components, hoping to edge millisecond margins over their rivals. The Factor bike’s wide forks can be traced back almost six years, to the Hope HB.T track bike, developed for the Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the time, the Hope’s fork blades were ground-breaking. Looping out away from the frame, they were said to be designed in a way to manipulate the air flow, splitting it on impact and guiding it around the rider’s legs. In practice, the bike proved a success; it was ridden in Tokyo to seven medals, of which three were gold, and continues to inspire designs today. At last year’s Games in Paris, for example, France, Japan and Australia all switched to track bikes with wider forks – the Look P24, the V-Izu TCM-2 and the Factor HANZŌ.

Factor, you say? The same brand as Stewart’s outrageous new bike? That’s right. Almost a year after Australia’s men's team pursuit squad won gold on a wide-forked machine, the UK manufacturer appears now to have produced a closely aligned road version. All roads lead back to the velodrome. We should’ve seen it coming.

I’ll give you another example: for Filippo Ganna’s UCI Hour Record attempt in 2022, Pinarello developed a new Bolide F HR 3D frame, with unique aero ridges down the seatpost and tube – these were referred to as 'tubercles', and were inspired by humpback whale fins. Fast forward two years and, lo and behold, the same design showed up on the Bolide F time trial bike, released in time for the Paris Olympics.

It should come as no surprise when successful track trends spill across to the road. So why haven’t we seen wide-forked road bikes before? Well, we have, to an extent. Take Ribble’s Ultra SL, released in 2022, with abnormally wide forks. This was a design that was built for speed, much like the Hope HB.T, but reined in the fork width a bit. It came amid a growing movement of wider forks in recent years, facilitated by the takeover of disc brakes, and catering for demands for wider tyre clearance.

There are, however, reasons we haven’t seen forks as wide as the HB.T’s on the road before. First of all, there were concerns that they could be dangerous, with fears other riders’ forks, handlebars or even body parts could get ‘hooked’ in them mid-crash. This seems not to have been an issue on the track, however. Likewise, straying too far from the norm might have risked putting customers off buying the bike – bike brands are businesses after all.

The most important reason, though, is the difference in racing conditions. Wide track bike forks were designed to face wind resistance from one direction – the front – and to be ridden at speeds of 70kph and beyond. There are no crosswinds in a velodrome. Would they fare so well on the road, and at slower speeds?

Well, it’s been trialled. In 2021, Hope unveiled a prototype time trial bike version of its 2019 HB.T, hoping for a new dawn for the design. It was ridden by Great Britain’s Ethan Vernon in the under-23 TT at the UCI World Championships. Vernon placed seventh, and the prototype never made it to the mainstream.

The logical conclusion, at least from the outside, was that the design didn’t transfer across to the road as hoped. But years have since passed, bike tech has progressed, and there’s no harm in trying out something new.

The forks on the new Factor bike aren’t quite as wide as the HB.T's, but they’re as close as we’ve seen. Perhaps Factor have found gains where others didn’t? Stewart was the fastest rider in the bunch on stage one, after all. Maybe the bike will trigger a domino effect in design in the peloton, like the HB.T did on the track? Or perhaps, like Vernon’s prototype in 2021, Stewart’s wide-forked machine will last only as a short-lived concept…

One lesson remains true: if you want to know what the next big road trend might be, start digging around inside velodromes.

Iván Romeo (Movistar) soloed to his first WorldTour victory from a 13-man breakaway on stage three of the Critérium du Dauphiné, and took over the GC lead from Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) in the process.

The 21-year-old Spaniard capitalised on a lack of cohesion in the group as the finish approached, eventually jumping clear after the final climb of the day once the efforts of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to split the leaders came to nothing.

Lipowitz had repeatedly tried to break free but was persistently tracked by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and others on the Côte du Château Jaune, with approximately 20 kilometres left in the race.

While the rest of the breakaway watched Lipowitz, the most aggressive rider in the group, Romeo took the opportunity to time-trial away as the chasers never regained cohesion.

Romeo clutched his head in disbelief as he crossed the finish line, with Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) taking second and Louis Barré (Intermarché - Wanty) claiming third.

"I can’t believe it," Romeo said afterwards. "I don't know what to say, honestly. I think it was probably one of the toughest days of my life; the breakaway was so hard to get into today. I was feeling really good, and I told the team car that I had to take the risk and not be very active.

"In this kind of final, I knew that if the others gave me some seconds, then I could make it. They didn't immediately chase me for about a minut,e so I thought ok, time to go flat out to the line."

"I think this is the best day of the year so far for sure," he added. "I've worked so hard for this, I'm very grateful for the team for supporting me… we [Movistar] know we can win, we just have to go for it as we did today. This is for all the team and everyone that's supported me."

How it happened

The third stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné traversed the home region of Romain Bardet, rolling out from the Frenchman’s home town of Brioude before heading to Charantonnay. The riders faced five categorised climbs, with the last ascent, the Côte du Château Jaune, coming around 20 kilometres from the finish.

After the day’s only intermediate sprint point, Van der Poel leapt from the peloton and immediately went on the offensive. A large, high-calibre breakaway soon formed and rapidly built up a gap. Along with Van der Poel, Ineos Grenadiers pair Axel Laurance and Michael Leonard were in the 13-man move. Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) were also present.

With 38 kilometres to go, the break held an advantage of a minute and a half over the chasing pack as the start of the Côte du Château Jaune approached, a likely launch pad for an attack. Teams with GC aspirations attempted to organise a chase at the front of the peloton, but the breakaway continued to gain time.

Visma-Lease a Bike, Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates-XRG eventually took control in the main field. The combined efforts of the three teams cut the advantage down to almost a minute, with EF Education-EasyPost also playing a key role in attempting to restore some cohesion in the bunch.

Once the climb began, Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek) kicked clear from the break and took Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) with him. Lipowitz also made it across and attacked over the summit, quickly distancing the duo. The increase in tempo on the climb meant that the race leader, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), was quickly dropped. The dig from Lipowitz also pushed the break’s gap to over a minute again.

A brief drop in pace between the three leaders brought Van der Poel and the rest of the chasers back to them. And, sensing the break was too big, Van der Poel immediately attacked as the group entered the final 10 kilometres of the race. Despite the efforts of the Dutchman and Lipowitz, the break remained together before Romeo attacked and time-trialled away from his rivals to seal a maiden WorldTour win and a first victory for Movistar in over a month.

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, stage three: Brioude > Charantonnay (202.8 km)

1. Iván Romeo (Spa) Movistar, in 4:34:10
2. Harold Tejada (Col) XDS Astana, +14s
3. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché - Wanty, at same time
4. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, at same time
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, +27s
6. Axel Laurance (Fra) Ineos Grenadiers,
7. Brieuc Rolland (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Julien Bernard (Fra) Lidl-Trek,
9. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Uno-X Mobility,
10. Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AlUla, all same time

General classification after stage three

1. Iván Romeo (Spa) Movistar, in 14:09:01
2. Louis Barré (Fra) Intermarché - Wanty, +17s
3. Harold Tejada (Col) XDS Astana, +18s
4. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +24s
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, +29s
6. Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AlUla, +37s
7. Brieuc Rolland (Fra) Groupama-FDJ,
8. Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, at same time
9. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +1:06
10. Fred Wright (Gbr) Bahrain Victorious, +1:12

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) took his first road race win on French soil on stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné, outsprinting Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in Issoire.

The big Italian made use of a sterling leadout from Lidl-Trek in the final kilometre to get ahead of his rivals as he opened up his sprint. After Simon Consonni peeled off, it was over to Milan to finish the job.

Wright and Van der Poel both launched powerful sprints in their own right but could not come past Milan with the line in sight.

The win also meant that Milan will wear the race leader’s yellow jersey on stage three after he jumped ahead of Tadej Pogačar in the general classification.

"It was really tough," he said afterwards. "Our goal was to come here and keep building up the condition and get some good results. Yesterday I was suffering a lot, it was my first race after a long time, but today I suffered a lot again and dropped at one point. I have to thank my teammates as they got me back on and brought me to the last metres. Massive thanks to them."

He added: "We knew that we had to take the last corner in the front, it was perfect the way we did that. It’s pretty nice to take yellow, I have to say."

How it happened

After the unexpected general classification drama that unfolded 24 hours previously, stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné was set to be an undulating, hilly affair across 204 kilometres between Prémilhat and Issoire. On paper, it was a stage for the breakaway experts with six minor classified climbs littering the parcours.

An initial four-man move went clear early on consisting of Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla), Romain Combaud (Picnic-PostNL), Victor Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Paul Ourselin Cofidis). The gap to the lead quartet fluctuated between a minute and a half and two minutes for much of the afternoon’s action in the foothills of the Massif Central.

With 50 kilometres remaining to the finish, Juul-Jensen and Guarnalec were the last men standing and had a gap of just 19 seconds over the chasing peloton. Alpecin-Deceuninck, Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Emirates flooded the front of the main field in an attempt to eat into the remaining deficit to the leaders.

Meanwhile, Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan was dropped due to the increase in tempo and struggled off the back. It was all over for Juul-Jensen and Guarnalec just five kilometres later when the bunch finally made contact with the lead duo.

Once the break had been caught, the peloton appeared to knock off the pace as the finish drew closer, with the average speed rarely climbing over 40 kmph. Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) was ever present at the head of the peloton, marshalling the group as they approached the final climb of the day, the category four Côte de Nonette, which came 18 kilometres from the line in Issoire.

As the summit approached, Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL) jumped clear of the bunch on his local roads and attempted to get away. The move from the soon to retire French was short lived, with the peloton soon bringing him back into their midst.

UAE led the peloton under the kilometre to go banner as the sprint teams looked to wind it up for the run in. Lidl-Trek were the first team through the last corner with Milan perfectly positioned. The Italian launched a devastating sprint that meant he beat Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) comfortably by a few metres.

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, stage two: Prémilhat > Issoire (204.6 km)

1. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek, in 4:54:49
2. Fred Wright (Gbr) Bahrain Victorious,
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck,
4. Stian Fredheim (Nor) Uno-X Mobility,
5. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ,
6. Emilien Jeanniere TotalEnergies,
7. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale,
8. Yevgeniy Federox (Kaz) XDS Astana,
9. Matis Louvel (Fra) Israel-Premier Tech,
10. Clement Venturini (Fra) Arkea-B&B Hotels, all at same time

General classification after stage two

1. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek, in 9:34:51
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, at same time
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, +2s
4. Fred Wright (Gbr) Bahrain Victorious, +4s
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, at same time
6. Hugo Page (Intermarché - Wanty), +8s
7. Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco-AlUla, +9s
8. Nils Politt (Ger) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, at same time
9. Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +10s
10. Paul Penhoët (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at same time

The Critérium du Dauphiné is a long-established eight-day stage race held in the Avergne-Rhone-Alpes region in south-east France. It was the brainchild of local paper the Dauphiné Libéré and first held in 1947. As the regional name suggests the area includes the French Alps and there is always plenty of climbing in the parcours, sometimes on cycling's most legendary cols.

While it stands alone as a well respected WorldTour event, the Critérium du Dauphiné's place in the calendar makes it a perfect warm-up race for the Tour de France and an ideal place for Grand Boucle hopefuls to test their form. Indeed, it often serves as a very useful barometer for July – since 2012, the Dauphiné winner has six times gone on to win the Tour de France.

Because of this status, the race always attracts a strong field, and this year no less than all three of the biggest Tour de France stars will line up against each other: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step). It should be a fascinating race.

Below, Cycling Weekly has compiled everything you need to know about broadcasters and live streams, so you can watch the Critérium du Dauphiné wherever you are in the world.

Quick guide to watching the Critérium du Dauphiné

How to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné in the UK

In the UK, the Critérium du Dauphiné will be available to watch online on Discovery+, with TV broadcast on TNT Sports also available but varying across its different channels.

There will also be free-to-watch evening highlights on ITV4.

Both TNT and Discovery+ are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and require a subscription.

Discovery+ costs £30.99 a month. TNT Sports is also £30.99 a month, but is cheaper with certain TV packages. Virgin Media customers, for example, can add it to their bundle for an additional £18 a month. Sky TV customers can do the same for an extra £30 a month. EE mobile customers can purchase TNT Sports as an add-on for £20 a month.

Can I watch the Critérium du Dauphiné in the US and Canada

In the USA, fans will be able to watch the race on Peacock, which is NBC's streaming network. The standard service costs $7.99 monthly / $79.99 annually, and if you want the ad-free Premium Plus service, that rises to $13.99 monthly / $139.99 annually.

Canadian fans can watch the Critérium du Dauphiné live on the Flobikes network. This costs $29.99 monthly / $150 annually (USD).

Can I watch the Critérium du Dauphiné in Australia?

If you're an Aussie cycling fan you're in luck – you can watch the race for free on SBS, with free live streaming available on SBS On Demand.

Can I watch the Critérium du Dauphiné for free?

You can watch the Critérium du Dauphiné for free in Australia, with SBS, as outlined above.

Additionally, numerous European countries have free coverage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, including France 3 and the FranceTV streaming platform in the host country of France.

In Belgium, Flemish-language VRT – broadcast on the Sporza website – and French-language and RTBF – available online on Auvio – both have the rights. Those in Spain can watch on RTVE PLay, while in Italy it's on RAI Play.

Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you'll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.

How to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné while abroad

Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

What time is the Critérium du Dauphiné on?

Start times for the UK coverage of the race varies from around midday to 14:30 BST on TNT and Discovery+.

Free-to-watch evening highlights on ITV4 run from 19:00-20:00 daily.

In the USA, Peacock coverage starts at between 7:00 ET (stage 1) and 9:30 ET, while Flobikes coverage in Canada begins at 7:00 EDT

SBS coverage in Australia begins at between 9:25 and 11:30 AEST daily.

► Cycling TV and streaming guide

What to expect at the Critérium du Dauphiné

The eight-stage race starts out lumpy and only gets lumpier as it heads from the Auvergne region across to the Alps.

The early stages are peppered with cat-four and cat-three climbs, where punchy riders with a fast finish could thrive. Jonathan Milan and Jake Stewart will both be present and may hope to have their day in the first half of the race.

A time trial on stage four will pit riders against a mostly flat 17km course with a 2km climb in the middle of it, and should start to shape the GC. After that, the race continues to get harder, with summit finishes on stages 6, 7 and 8.

Stage 7 in particular, which takes in three hors-category climbs, culminating in a summit finish on Valmeinier 1800 at 16.2km / 6.8%, looks a particular brute and could well decide the overall.

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Critérium du Dauphiné
Sunday 8 - Sunday 15 June
France
1199.6km

There's a yellow jersey, it's a stage race in France, it's run by ASO... but no it isn't the Tour de France. It's the race's baby brother, the Critérium du Dauphiné, which acts as one of the key warmup races for next month's big event.

It's an exciting prospect itself, however, shorn of the Tour's significance. There's no flat stage to speak of, simply four hilly affairs, three pure mountain days, and an individual time trial. The cast is also top tier, with Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel all present.

Stage table

Five things to look out for at the Critérium du Dauphiné

Big three return

For the first time since last year’s Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard will race each other at this year’s Dauphiné, in a full dress rehearsal for this year’s Tour. With that race just over a month away, this week in France will point towards the form we will see in July. While Pogačar has been his usual winning self in 2025, winning seven times, Vingegaard and Evenepoel have had their seasons affected by injury.

Farewell, Romain

After 13 and a half seasons as a professional cyclist, Romain Bardet will retire after the Critérium du Dauphiné, his eighth time at the race. Fittingly, stage three begins in Brioude, the 34-year-old’s hometown, where there will surely be a carnival atmosphere as Bardet sets off. Maybe, maybe, there could even be a valedictory stage win.

Alpine triptych

The slopes of Combloux, Valmeinier 1800 and the Plateau du Mont-Cenis on three back-to-back stages will decide the race, with stage seven to Valmeinier 1800 in particular one to watch. That day, there are three hors categorie climbs: the Col de la Madeleine (24.6km at 6.2%), the Col de la Croix de Fer (22.4km at 6.9%), and the Montée de Valmeinier (16.5km at 6.7%).

Cheese time

As is tradition, the Dauphiné will reach its crescendo in the Haute-Savoie, the home of some of the cheesiest dishes in the world. This is the land of the tartiflette, fondue, and raclette. Not that the riders will be eating anything this heavy, but some of the staff might very well do. Reblochon, Tome, Beaufort, and Abondance are all from the region. One to ponder during the 17.7km time trial on stage four.

Lost to time

Like many things in cycling, the Dauphiné has a convoluted past. The modern race is named for a region that no longer exists, and gave its name to the crown prince of France when the country still had such things. It actually takes its name from a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, published in Grenoble. These days, it’s run by the Tour’s organisers, ASO.

Focus on: Col du Mont Cenis

The name of the climb apparently comes from mont des cendres - the mountain of ashes - which comes from a forest fire. The pass lies between the Cottian and Graian Alps, on the border between Italy and France. It comes close to the end of stage eight, and is 9.6km at 6.9%, so if there is still a race to be won, the moves will happen here. The Tour de France has been up it five times previously, but not since 1999.

Where can I watch the Critérium du Dauphiné?

It is on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, accessible via a TV package or a Discovery+ subscription. In previous years, highlights have been on ITV4, so do check your television schedule.

Last year's Critérium du Dauphiné podium

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
2. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike
3. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech

Riders to watch at the Critérium du Dauphiné

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) ****

Who else could win the race but Tadej Pogačar? Given everything we know and his 2025 so far, on paper there is only one winner of the Critérium du Dauphiné. However, anything can happen on the road, and it will be fascinating to see the Slovenian back stage racing in Europe for the first time this year.

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) ****

A slow start to 2025 for the Belgian wonderkid came about after he was hit with a car door by a Belgian postal worked in December, but he has won twice, at Brabantse Pijl and the Tour de Romandie. The Dauphiné will be a big test for his fitness and how well he matches up against his GC rivals. Expect him to star in the time trial on stage four.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) ***

Even more than Evenepoel, Vingegaard’s form is completely unknown. Visma-Lease a Bike have made encouraging noises, but he hasn’t raced since abandoning Paris-Nice in March. The Dane has been training at altitude in the Sierra Nevada, having recovered from concussion. He will enjoy returning to Combloux, the scene of his famous TT triumph in 2023.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) ****

The Dauphiné is a funny one for a sprinter like Jonathan Milan. There are no pure sprint days, with the first three stages all hilly affairs, with multiple classified climbs, including some close to the finish. However, Milan can hang in there, and showed at Gent-Wevelgem that he can still sprint after a hard day’s racing.

Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) ***

Fourth last year at the Critérium du Dauphiné, Rodríguez has had a quiet 2025 to date, finishing sixth at Valenciana and at the Tour de Romandie, but he is thought to be Ineos’ main man for the Tour de France. A week-long stage race will tell us much about the young Spaniard’s form ahead of the big race.

Jonas Vingegaard will only ride the Critérium du Dauphiné before the Tour de France in July, Visma-Lease a Bike announced on Thursday morning.

So far this year, the Danish two-time winner of the French Grand Tour has ridden just the Volta ao Algarve, which he won overall, and five stages of Paris-Nice. A crash on stage five of the 'Race to the Sun' meant he was unable to start the following day.

It was initially reported that Vingegaard had suffered a wrist injury in the fall, but he later said that he had experienced a concussion. The 28-year-old was due to race the Volta a Catalunya but was unable to start due to his injuries.

In an announcement on Thursday, Vingegaard's team said "physically everything is back to normal" for the Dane, who has now begun his Tour de France preparation.

This included a recent wind tunnel test in Denmark and will involve a high altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada in Spain before the Dauphiné in June.

"This week I was working in the wind tunnel in Aalborg. We made preparations for the Tour de France there, specifically focusing on my position on the bike. It’s important to work on that and to leave nothing to chance," Vingegaard said.

He added: "The focus is now fully on the Tour de France. The preparations for this race have truly begun. I no longer have any issues from the concussion I sustained earlier, or any other physical problems. It was really unfortunate that I couldn’t finish Paris-Nice and also had to miss the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. But now I’m training without any problems and will soon head to the altitude camp.

"I'm really looking forward to racing again. I haven't raced much this past year, so I'm eager to get started again. That goes for both the Critérium du Dauphiné and, of course, the Tour de France. But first, I'll go to altitude training to get in shape. After that, I’ll try to win those races."

Vingegaard will also be part of Visma’s usual pre-Tour de France camp at Tignes in the French Alps. The race is set to begin on 5 July in Lille before concluding in Paris three weeks later.

Wondering what cycling is on TV this week? Or how to watch each race, wherever you are in the world? You’ve come to the right place. Cycling Weekly’s pro cycling TV and streaming guide is here to keep you updated throughout the 2026 season, so you don’t miss a minute of the action.

Below, you’ll find details about which races are being televised this week, which broadcasters are showing them, and the ways you can access that coverage.

We'll try and make it as simple and cost-effective for you to watch all the cycling you want, with information on subscriptions, streaming deals, free trials, and indeed free streams.

Cycling on TV this week - at a glance

Watch cycling from anywhere

Away from home when the races are on? That doesn't mean you have to miss out...

Many streaming platforms these days are geo-restricted, meaning they'll only work in certain countries, but assistance is on hand, in the form of a VPN. A Virtual Private Network – to use the full name – is a piece of software that lets you alter your device's IP address to make it appear to be in any country in the world, therefore unblocking the streaming services you use back home.

It's great for watching cycling on the move, and the added benefit is that VPNs provide a huge boost to your internet security. Our colleagues over at TechRadar know everything there is to know about VPNs and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN out there right now.

► Should I use a VPN to watch cycling? Explaining the benefits, costs, considerations, and best VPNs for streaming the races

How to watch the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes

Newly christened The Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, the Critérium du Dauphiné takes place between Sunday 7th June and the 14th, covering a total distance of 1,204 kilometres. While the race may have a new name, it remains an important testing ground in the lead up to the Tour de France.

This year's edition of the race will feature the Grand Colombier, among other new additions to last year's route. The mountain has special significance for last year's winner, Tadej Pogačar, who secured his second-ever Tour de France stage win there in 2020.

UK: In the UK, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will be shown both on HBO Max and ITV4.

North America: Fans in the US can watch the race on NBC Sports.

Canada: Those in Canada can watch the race on Flobikes.

Australia: Fans down under can catch the action on SBS.

Free: You can also watch the race free on a variety of local stations, including SBS or Rai Sportvia a VPN.

How to watch the Circuit Franco-Belge

Previously known as both the Tour de Wallonie-Picarde and the Eurométropole Tour, the 2026 iteration of the Circuit Franco-Belge will take a 195.6 tour through Belgium, beginning in Tournai and finishing in Mont-de-l’Enclust. Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) won the 2025 edition with a breakaway sprint in Mont-de-l’Enclus.

Footage of the race for UK audiences will begin at 15:15 on June 10.

UK: In the UK, the Circuit Franco-Belge will be shown on HBO Max.

North America: Fans in the US can watch on HBO Max, with additional footage on Amazon Prime.

Canada: Those in Canada can catch the action on Flobikes.

Free: You can also watch the race free on Sporza via a VPN.

How to watch the Copenhagen Sprint

One of the newest WorldTour races on the calendar, the Copenhagen Sprint takes over the second weekend of June, with the women’s race taking place on the Saturday, and the men’s on the Sunday. While the races vary in length (the women will race 156km while the men will race 228.2km), both will race along flat, exposed roads and into a final circuit that finishes in Copenhagen city centre in a demonstration of speed and sprinting prowess.

Footage of the Copenhagen Sprint will begin at 1pm UK time on Saturday, with the men's race kicking off at 9:35 the following morning.

UK: In the UK, the Copenhagen Sprint will be shown on HBO Max.

North America: Fans in the US can also watch on HBO Max.

Canada: Those in Canada can catch the action on Flobikes.

Free: You can also watch the race free through the Danish broadcaster, DR Sporten via a VPN.

How to watch London Nocturne

This is a bonus extra for fans of London racing. The Nocturne is a night time criterium spanning two days of racing. On Friday, Nocturne’s precursory event, GOSH City Criterium will span 13:00 - 19:00, with the main event happening on Saturday between 20:00 and 22:00. For those seeking out more niche forms of racing, there will also be a Penny Farthing Race, a Brompton Folding Bike Race and a Voi Bike Challenge happening as part of the weekend. The elite races will be broadcast on HBO, with all other races live streamed on YouTube, but if you’re in London head out to watch it in person!

UK: In the UK, London Nocturne will be shown on HBO Max and livestreamed on YouTube.

Free: You can also watch the race free on YouTube.

How to watch Muur Classic Geraardsbergen

A 183 km circuit beginning and ending in the Belgian town of Geraardsbergen, the main attraction of the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen is the famous Mur de Grammont, which riders will lap three times before finishing. Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) will be amongst the riders lining up to race on Sunday, though last year’s winner, Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), is currently absent from the startlist.

Footage of the race will begin at 12:35 for UK audiences.

UK: In the UK, Muur Classic Geraardsbergen will be shown on HBO Max.

North America: Fans in both the US and Canada can watch on Flobikes.

Free: You can also watch the race free through VRT Belgium via a VPN.

Plans and prices

UK

US

Canada

Australia

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After a hard-fought day in the mountains, Carlos Rodríguez emerged victorious on the final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné atop the Plateau des Glières. The Ineos Grenadiers rider attacked on the final climb after a hard turn on the front from his teammate Laurens De Plus and went away with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) in the finale, distancing the overall race leader Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe).

With all of them in search of time in the general classification, they worked well together to extend their gap over the maillot jaune. Gee survived for as long as he could, but was unable to hold the wheel of the other two riders, meaning that it would come down to a two-man sprint in the final few hundred metres.

Jorgenson, who sat in second place in the general classification at the start of the day, went to the front in the final kilometre to try to gain as much time as possible on Roglič. Rodríguez then seized his opportunity to come around the American rider to take the victory, as Jorgenson had nothing left to contest the stage win.

Behind, Roglič had just done enough to hang on for the overall victory, with the gap between him and Jorgenson coming down to just eight seconds once bonus seconds for the stage were taken into account.

Speaking in his post-race interview, Roglič reflected on the week as a whole, as he said “looking to myself, it has been quite crazy. To be able to win the Dauphiné with all of the things that happened in between, it’s beautiful”.

On whether he was suffering on the stage, he went on to say “I have been for the last three days, so it’s definitely something we needed as a team”.

When asked on how he is feeling ahead of the Tour de France, he replied “one is the Dauphiné, the other is the Tour. First of all I just want to be happy and really enjoy the moment, because it is not every day that you win races like this”.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Several teams were interested in getting up the road at the start of the day, as a breakaway of eleven riders formed on the first categorised climb of the day. Included in that group were Marc Soler and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates), Bruno Armirail and Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Omar Fraile (Ineos Grenadiers), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Eduardo Sepúlveda (Lotto Dstny), Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) and Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana Qazaqstan).

Fortunato took maximum points on the first two climbs of the day to move into the lead of the mountains classification ahead of Primož Roglič, which he would hang on to for the rest of the stage to take the maillot à pois.

The breakaway worked well together, but they were never allowed much more than four minutes of an advantage by the peloton. However, after a long valley the riders hit the slopes of Le Salève and the gap to those at the head of the race immediately began to come down. Some in the front group then began to struggle, with Fortunato the first to be dropped along with Prodhomme a few kilometres later, and it was not long before they were caught by the peloton.

Soler took the maximum points over the top of Le Salève, but with 50km to go their gap had been brought down to under two minutes and some in the group almost looked resigned to the fact that they would be caught.

As they arrived at the foot of the final climb to Plateau des Glières, Bora-Hansgrohe had come to the front of the peloton, with Visma-Lease a Bike and Ineos Grenadiers in good position in the bunch. The gap to the breakaway had been brought down to under thirty seconds and one-by-one they were being caught by the peloton.

An attack by Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) with around 8km to go saw the last of the breakaway riders caught as the action main group really began to start. The Italian looked to extend his advantage as Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) continued to set the tempo in the peloton in service of Roglič.

The gap sat at around fifteen seconds when Laurens De Plus began to increase the pace at the front of the group ahead of an impending Carlos Rodríguez attack. The pace set by the Belgian quickly saw Ciccone caught and was too much for the likes of Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), with Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) also distanced as the selection began to be made.

Rodríguez then made his move with just over 5km to go, with Matteo Jorgenson immediately on the Spaniard’s wheel, whilst Derek Gee waited before bridging across. Roglič was unable to follow and was clearly under pressure from those at the head of the race.

The trio at the front worked together to try and build a sizeable gap over the Slovenian, with Jorgenson doing the majority of the work as he stood to gain. Gee and Rodríguez also worked well, as they were interested in the stage win and if those behind them continued to crack then the time taken could be valuable in terms of the general classification.

Gee then began to lose the wheel with 1.5km to go and it looked like it would be a two-man battle to the finish for the stage win, but Jorgenson continued to press on in the hopes that he could snatch away the maillot jaune from Roglič, who was continuing to gradually concede time.

As they reached the final few hundred metres, it was clear that Jorgenson had nothing left after all of his efforts and Rodríguez came around him fairly easily to take the stage win. Gee limited his losses to just a handful of seconds to secure his place on the final podium, but the attention immediately shifted to Roglič further down the road, as he gave everything that he had left in reserve to power to the line and seal the overall victory by eight seconds.

RESULTS: CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ 2024, STAGE EIGHT, THÔNES > PLATEAU DES GLIÈRES (161KM)

1. Carlos Rodriguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, in 4:18:02
2. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, at same time
3. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +15s
4. Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, +35s
5. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious, at same time
6. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, +48s
7. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, at same time
8. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +58s
9. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Bora-Hansgrohe, at same time
10. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:10

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE EIGHT

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 25:35:40
2. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +8s
3. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +36s
4. Carlos Rodriguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:00
5. Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, +2:04
6. Aleksandr Vlasov Bora-Hansgrohe, +2:06
7. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +2:25
8. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +2:54
9. Oier Lazkano (Esp) Movistar, at same time
10. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal Quick-Step, +4:13

Every year the Critérium du Dauphiné is used as a form-checker, and in some cases a form-finder, ahead of the biggest race in the cycling calendar, the Tour de France. 

This year two of the Tour’s ‘big four’ arrived at the race in unknown condition having both fallen victim to the same crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April, a crash which also took down two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike). 

The Dane, still recovering from his injuries, was not deemed fit enough by his team to take part in the Dauphiné this week and his Tour participation remains in doubt. Meanwhile, Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick-Step) have both had the opportunity to test their shape during the race often referred to as the ‘mini Tour de France’.

The signs looked good for Evenepoel during stage four’s 34 kilometre time trial as he took victory over Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) by 17 seconds and put 39 seconds into Roglič. However, as the race has headed into the mountains the tide has turned, Roglič looking every bit like a Tour de France favourite, while Evenepoel seems to have work to do.

“The shape is just not there,” Evenepoel said to reporters after finishing 13th on the Dauphiné’s queen stage, 1:46 down on stage winner Roglič.

Evenepoel had explained at the start of the week that he had no ambitions for the overall title at the Dauphiné, recognising that his fitness is not where it needs to be. The challenging mountain top finish up to Samoëns 1600 on stage 7 revealed all.

“Finishes like this, you need to be at 100% to perform at your best,” Evenepoel continued. “I mean, it's a 10% climb, so it's a climb that doesn't lie. I think it's clear that there's still some work, but like I already said in the beginning of the week, if I drop, I will keep pushing just to train, I mean, to improve my shape, so that's what I did.” 

“I don't think I did bad with the focus on the Tour,” Evenepoel added, keeping his focus on the weeks ahead.

The 24-year-old Belgian is confident that with three weeks still to go until the start of the Tour de France in Florence, his condition can improve and reckons that this week of hard racing is exactly what his body needs. 

“I need a race to really improve, to build shape, so that's why I'm here...I think it's good to suffer like this,” Evenepoel said.

“It's good for my shape, it's good for my head and just for my fighting spirit. So, yeah, nothing strange happened today. I expected this in the morning, and in the last valley, I think with 25 km to go, I said to the team that I was just not feeling good enough, so I was going to drop straight away at the bottom and then do my own pace, which was the best decision that I could take.”

Roglič 'happy' with his condition

While Evenepoel’s form is a point of concern ahead of the Tour, Roglič has cemented himself as one of the top favourites to take the yellow jersey with his performances in the Dauphiné. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider never looked in danger throughout the first two mountain stages and his team look ready to support him at the Tour.

When asked about his form after winning stage 7, Roglič said "I'm just happy about it. We put a lot of work with the whole team and it's nice to see that it pays off quite fast, that we did the right things."

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), the fourth expected figurehead in the battle for the Tour de France’s maillot jaune, showed imperious shape during his dominant Giro d'Italia victory last month. However, with the denouement of the Tour de France coming a whole eight weeks after that of the Giro, can he really hold that condition all the way to Nice and through the Tour’s difficult final week in the Alps?

Doubt remains over that question. Even more questionable is the form of Evenepoel and Vingegaard respectively as the Tour’s Grand Départ looms ever closer.

Meanwhile, having won the first two mountain stages at the Dauphiné, there is a case to be made that it is Roglič who is now emerging as the favourite to win the Tour. Of the ‘big four’, it is he who is showing the best form at the perfect time with the smoothest, most predictable run into the 2024 Tour de France.

Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) has won stage 7 of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné with a typical late surge on the mountain top finish of Samoëns 1600.

Roglič won his second stage of the week and extended his lead in the general classification and will hold a healthy lead heading into the final stage as Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick-Step) fell down the standings on a tough day in the Alps.

Matteo Jorgensen (Visma-Lease a Bike) was closest to the Slovenian, finishing second, while Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) was third.

The American also climbed up to second on the overall standings and Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) moved onto the podium in third.

The difficulty of more the 4,000 metres of elevation over the day's 155 kilometres was magnified by the inclement weather that the race has been used to all week. Roglič was pleased to make it through the stage and to be able to reward his team-mates for their work.

"It was a hard day, but guys did an amazing job having everything under control from the very start till the finish, so I'm glad I had the legs at the end to finish top," Roglič said whilst warming down after the stage. 

"The guys did an incredible job," he continued. "We all still feel it, after the crash and putting now these hard days in the legs. I mean, for sure nobody feels better, but with the commitment and work they put in [it's] another day that we can celebrate and be happy."

With one day to go, Roglič looks set to win the Dauphiné for the second time. He's keeping calm, as ever, and is focused on the job at hand with a final stage in the mountains.

"First things first, let's try to finish tomorrow also on two wheels. We do our best and we'll see what happens then," he concluded.

How it happened

The day began in Albertville with the reverberations of stage 5's horror crash still ringing through the race. Eight riders had abandoned before the first pedal was pushed, including Lidl-Trek's British Tour de France hope Tao Geoghegan Hart.

The early attacks began on the on the first big climb of the day, the Col des Sais, with dozens of riders seemingly keen to make the move of the day.

As things eventually settled there were eleven riders who made up the breakaway: Koen Bouwman (Visma-Lease a Bike), Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), Dorian Godon & Nicolas Prodhomme (both Decathlon-AG2R), Kevin Geniets (Groupama-FDJ), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Davide Formolo (Movistar), Warren Barguil (dsm-firmenich-Post NL), Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost), Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana Qazaqstan) and Mark Donovan (Q36.5).

Once formed, that group largely stayed together up until the penultimate climb, the 14 kilometre Col de la Ramaz, when Marc Soler took off. He was initially pursued by Fortunato ahead of the rest of the chasers. Soler's lead peaked around the the 5:30 mark towards the top of the Ramaz, meaning that for a while Soler was in the virtual lead of the race having started the day 3:45 down on Primož Roglič.

The risk to Roglič's jersey was rubbed out on the valley road before the final climb up to Samoëns 1600. Soler's lead was close to four minutes as he reached the foot of the savage nine kilometre ascent.

Bora-Hansgrohe set a firm pace on the front of the favourites' group at the bottom of the climb. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick-Step), sitting second on GC coming into the day, was the first big name to to be distanced by the group with seven kilometres to go. The world time trial champion measured his effort well and would go on to lose 1:46, slipping to sixth overall. Remarkably 19-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider Josh Tarling would out-last Evenepoel, riding in support of team-mate Carlos Rodriguez.

As he entered the second half of the climb, Soler's lead began to melt away. The Spaniard appeared to be labouring, contrasting Alexandr Vlasov who looked light on the pedals as he guided Roglič and the rest of the group. With three kilometres to go, Soler's advantage slipped to less than a minute. A kilometre later Soler seemed to slow to walking pace and the catch was made.

Vlasov continued to set an infernal pace under the flamme rouge, meaning that no one was able to launch an early attack. Santiago Buitrago was the first to go with 600 metres left, Oier Lazkano and then the rest of the group was on his wheel. Lazkano attacked with 300 left and whittled the group down before Roglič launched his sprint.

Jorgensen was the only rider able to go with Roglič, but a second burst of speed in the closing moments sealed a second stage win of the week for the Bora-Hansgrohe rider. 

Roglič now heads into the final stage of the race with just over a minute's advantage on Jorgensen and looks good to hold onto that lead to claim his second Critérium du Dauphiné crown.

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné 2024, stage seven: Alberville > Samoëns 1600 (155km)

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 04:29:16
2. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, at same time
3. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +2s
4. Oier Lazkano (Esp) Movistar, at same time
5. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, at same time
6. Carlos Rodriguez (Esp), +8s
7. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious, +14s
8. Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, at same time
9. Aleksandr Vlasov Bora-Hansgrohe, at same time
10. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal - Quick-Step, +33s

General Classification after stage seven

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 21:16:50
2. Matteo Jorgenson (Usa) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:02
3. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +1:13
4. Aleksandr Vlasov Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:56
5. Carlos Rodriguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:58
6. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +2:15
7. Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, +2:17
8. Oier Lazkano (Esp) Movistar, +2:20
9. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +2:54
10. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal - Quick-Step, +3:51

Primož Roglič took control of the Critérium du Dauphiné by taking victory on stage six at Le Collet d'Allevard which saw him move into the overall race lead ahead of the final two stages. 

The Slovenian appeared to be back to his best since his winter move to the German team from Visma-Lease a Bike, and launched a trademark powerful sprint in the final kilometre of the mountain stage which comfortably dispatched Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) from the back wheel of his Specialized Tarmac. 

Roglič’s win was partly down to sterling work from his teammate, Aleksandr Vlasov, who tracked an attack from Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) before Ciccone, Roglič and a select group of other riders, including Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), joined them. Vlasov then set a blistering pace to tee up his team leader and reduced the group to just the two Bora riders and Ciccone. 

Once Roglič took flight, there would be no stopping him and the 34-year-old comfortably took his 81st career victory on the steep summit finish. Evenepoel crossed the line in eighth, 42 seconds back on the stage winner, which meant that Roglič now holds a 19 second lead on the Quick-Step man in the general classification. 

After being caught up in the huge crash on stage five, Roglič said at the finish that he had hurt his shoulder in the fall and was in discomfort throughout Friday’s stage. 

"I’m quite limited with the left shoulder actually," he said. "I couldn’t reach in my [jersey] pocket or anything… the legs were working so about both legs, I cannot complain." 

"Finally I won a race, it’s been a while," he added. "The whole team, the guys showed commitment from the very start, from day one. And then chasing on the second stage, it didn’t work out. Yesterday hit us quite hard, all of us, but today again they showed a great performance so a big thanks to them, we can enjoy today."

How it happened

Stage six, the first of three summit finishes to wrap up the French stage race, was a 173 kilometre affair between Hauterives and Le Collet d’Allevard. The riders faced two smaller climbs before reaching the hors categories ascent to the finish. 

A six-rider strong breakaway soon got up the road and established an advantage. Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) was present in the move, as was Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Arjen Livyns (Lotto-Dstny), Alessandro Fancellu (Q36.5) and Mason Hollyman (Israel-Premier Tech). 

Hollyman, however, later dropped out of the lead group after coming down on the descent from the penultimate climb of the day. Guernalec also came down but was able to re-join the Cort led breakaway. 

The breakaway lost half a minute from their lead after being sent the wrong way on the course. 

With 11 kilometres to go the leaders began the final climb with an advantage of just under two minutes on the chasing peloton led by Soudal Quick-Step and Josh Tarling of Ineos Grenadiers. A double salvo of attacks from Grégoire in the break pulled him and Cort away from the rest of the group as the peloton drew near. 

At seven kilometres to the line, Grégoire was clear of Cort by a handful of seconds with the peloton 55 seconds back. A big shift from Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) on the front of the main field meant that Cort was reeled back in. 

Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) then launched an attack straight after the catch was made. De Plus took Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) with him and the duo soon caught the lone Frenchman. 

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) then took off in search of the two leaders and Roglič was on his wheel. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) went with them, as did Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers). The chase group soon joined De Plus and Vlasov and the two Bora-Hansgrohe riders soon ramped up the pace.

Vlasov then buried himself with a huge effort which distanced everyone except for Roglič and Ciccone. 

Once Roglič then took control there was no looking back, and he launched a brutal sprint for the line which Ciccone couldn’t match. The Slovenian comfortably took the stage win and took over the race lead. 

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné 2024, stage six: Hauterives > Le Collet d'Allevard (173km)

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 04:19:59
2. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +3s
3. Aleksandr Vlasov Bora-Hansgrohe, +11s
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +13s
5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +17s
6. Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, +22s
7. Carlos Rodriguez (Esp), at same time
8. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +42s
9. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, +50s
10. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe, +53s

General classification after stage six

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 16:47:44
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +19s
3. Matteo Jorgenson (Usa) Visma-Lease a Bike, +58s
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +1:01
5. Aleksandr Vlasov Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:32
6. Carlos Rodriguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:40
7. Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:53
8. Oier Lazkano (Esp) Movistar, +2:08
9. Callum Scotson (Aus) Jayco-AIUla, +2:15
10. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, 2:31 

Remco Evenepoel stormed to victory in the individual time trial on stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné, his first win since he was involved in the horror crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April.

The Soudal Quick-Step rider, the time trial world champion, went 17 seconds quicker than the European champion, Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), and as a result also claimed the race lead on Wednesday. Evenepoel averaged 49.353km/h over the 34.4km course; he and Tarling were the only riders to average over 49km/h.

Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe), another rider caught up in the Itzulia crash, and also racing this week for the first time since then, finished third, a further 22 seconds behind Tarling.

Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), the race leader ahead of stage four, finished 1:25 behind Evenepoel, losing the yellow jersey in the process.

"I’m very proud and happy, and my team around me, my family, the staff members, can be really proud of all the support they gave me," Evenepoel said post-race. "It has been quite a long way, three weeks with almost no bike, and only four weeks of training.  

"Being at this level already is a good sign towards the Tour, and in my preparation. I can only be happy and proud of what I did today, and now we focus day by day."

The 24-year-old also paid credit to the equipment that had brought him to this point; he rode stage four on a Specialized Shiv TT bike and in a helmet in a new design.

"It was a very nice present from Specialized, a new bike, a new helmet, which gave me an extra push," he explained. "We try to optimise all the materiel that I’m using to try and win the TTs on this very high level. It’s not only the legs, but also the detail of the equipment."

Tarling, for his part, claimed to not feel fast, despite being one of two riders to go over 49km/h on average.

"It felt slow," he said. "It’s the tarmac that’s quite grippy, so it felt hard to get the speed up, especially over the top of the climbs. I think I did a decent enough ride, so fingers crossed."

However, it was Evenepoel who triumphed in Neulise on stage four. The Belgian will now head into the high mountains in the final four stages with 33 seconds of advantage over Roglič.

How it happened

The fourth rider off the start ramp on Wednesday for the 34.4km individual time trial, Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), was the first man to finish the course, and spent the next couple of hours in the hot seat.

The Welshman set a blistering time at each checkpoint, and finished in 42:06, which was minutes faster than anyone else for the first part of the day. 

Time trial specialists like Matteo Sobrero (Bora-Hansgrohe) attempted to lay a glove on the Ineos rider, but could not match his speed.

It was not until Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), almost two hours after Tarling, took to the course, that Tarling’s time looked under threat. The Belgian world champion went through the first checkpoint two seconds quicker than his rival, then under a second slower at the second checkpoint. However, it was the finish that counted, and here Evenepoel was 17 seconds up on Tarling, claiming the hot seat and the victory.

Following the young Belgian, Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) looked closer to his top form, improving with each time check to finish 39 seconds behind Evenepoel. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), too, looked good, finishing 1:07 behind Evenepoel, proving that he deserves the leadership at that squad this week.

Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), walked away with one of the results of his season, finishing 10th, 1:38 behind Evenepoel, proving that he is well on his way back to his top condition as well.

The last man on the road, Derek Gee (Israel Premier-Tech), the race leader, put in a valiant effort to hold onto the yellow jersey, finishing in sixth, 1:24 down on the winner, Evenepoel.

Results

Critérium du Dauphiné stage four: Saint-Germain-Laval > Neulise ITT (34.4km)

1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 41:49
2. Josh Tarling (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, +17s
3. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, +39s
4. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:07
5. Oier Lazkano (Esp) Movistar, +1:21
6. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, +1:24
7. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost, +1:24
8. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, +1:26
9. Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, +1:27
10. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Lidl-Trek, +1:38

General classification after stage four

1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 12:27:22
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Bora-Hansgrohe, +33s
3. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:04
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech), +1:11
5. Oier Lazkano (Esp) Movistar, +1:21
6. Bruno Armirail (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +1:25
7. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost, at same time
8. Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, +1:27
9. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Lidl-Trek, +1:39
10. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:41

After recently teasing a new bike on social media during the Giro d’Italia, Lidl-Trek riders have been spotted aboard what appears to be a new edition of the brand’s Madone aero bike at the key Tour de France tune up race, the Critérium du Dauphiné. 

Shots of the bike show the word Madone clearly marked on the top tube. However, Trek is evidently keen to keep the guessing game going, with closer inspection revealing the name Émonda just showing through beneath the white lettering.

Since Trek's climbing focused Émonda hasn't been updated since 2020, whilst the aero Madone had a refresh in 2022, knowledge of cycling's product cycles would suggest the former would be next in line for a renewal. However, when it became clear that a new bike was on the cards, at Cycling Weekly, we placed our bets on a Madone. 

Now that the bike is being ridden at the Tour warm-up race, it looks more and more likely that we're anticipating an aero racer, and perhaps even the end of the Émonda climbing machine.

Other brands, most notably Specialized with the Tarmac SL8, have converged their aero and lightweight bikes, to create one all purpose machine, and it looks as if Trek may be aiming to provide the same for the likes of Mads Pedersen and Tao Geoghegan Hart. 

The new bike still features Trek's 'IsoFlow' tech, a hole in the seat tube which replaced the compliance boosting 'Isospeed' that Trek was so well known for, in the name of improved aerodynamics. 

Of course, it's possible Trek may have applied this tech to its climbing machine. However, the fork legs have a similar depth to the brand’s aero machine and the kink in the downward surface of the bike’s top tube is still present. 

Clearly, whatever name the bike will take, it works - Pedersen rode to victory and claimed the race’s first yellow leader’s jersey aboard the new weapon. 

Having been the source of speculation for several months, it's obvious that this bike is primed to be used by Lidl-Trek riders during the Tour and other major races this season. 

Meanwhile, other brand new bikes have been spotted at the Dauphiné last weekend. This included the new Pinarello Dogma F and a fresh new Canyon Aeroroad. 

It was a long day in the saddle for Mark Donavan on stage 1 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, as the Q36.5 Pro Cycling rider went up the road 5km into the stage and was alone for around 30km before being joined by Arkéa-B&B Hotels rider Mathis Le Berre, to make it a two-man breakaway at the head of the race, which would not be caught until 16km to go.

When asked in his post-race interview whether he would have liked more companions with him in the breakaway, Donovan said “I was hoping a couple more guys would have come. Those same thoughts ran through my head a few times when I was there on my own. Luckily, at least one guy caught up and I had a bit of company for about four hours. It was a nice first day, but definitely took a bit out of the legs”.

On whether he thought they had a chance of making the move stick until the finish, the British rider stated “not really, no. It was only the two of us. If it had maybe been four or five, then we could really get a good group rolling through, but the numbers were just against us. You could tell that they had us in check pretty early. Also maybe if the profile was a bit different and the climbs came towards the end, but with the flat two laps that we had in the end, it was always going to come down to a sprint really. But it was nice to be out the front anyway”.

Of the 172.5km that featured on the opening stage, Donovan spent 152km at the head of the race, winning the combativity award for the stage, as well as taking the lead in the mountains classification after he took the maximum points on all three of the categorised climbs. He also took two bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint, which means that he currently sits in fifth place in the general classification and third in the youth classification. 

However, this will likely be of very little significance to him, as his sights seem to be firmly set on holding onto the maillot à pois, as he said “it was a goal before to get in a jersey from the start. It’s great for the team and really good visibility. Now it’s a nice thing to focus on for the rest of the week”.

Donovan is currently in his second year with Q36.5 Pro Cycling after moving across from Team DSM. He had a strong season in 2023, in which he took the overall victory at the Sibiu Tour in Romania, along with fifth place finishes in the general classification at both the Tour of Britain and the Giro di Sicilia.

At a race as big as the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Cumbrian from Penrith will be well aware of what a strong showing here could mean for his future, as he is currently set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

With four categorised climbs and more points on offer in the mountains classification on stage two, which features a summit finish on the Col de la Loge, Donovan will have to work hard to maintain his lead in that competition in order to hold on to the polka dot jersey.

This year’s edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné got underway with a 172.5km-long flat stage around Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, with Mads Pedersen emerging victorious in the final sprint. The Danish rider was given a textbook leadout by his Lidl-Trek teammates, who delivered him perfectly into the final bend with around 200m to go and nobody was able to come around him once he opened his sprint.

Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was the closest to Pedersen, as the Irishman finished in second place, but was unable to come out of the slipstream to launch his sprint, as he was forced to sit back down in the saddle before the finish line.

After a lengthy break from racing following a successful Spring Classics campaign, in which he won Gent-Wevelgem and finished third at Paris-Roubaix, Pedersen was back to winning ways with his eighth victory of the season, seven of which have come on French roads.

Speaking in his post-race interview, Pedersen stated that “I think I’ve said it many times this year that I like to race in France. From the small races to the big races, it’s always well-organised and nice racing, so of course it’s nice to keep winning”.

When asked how this win will help him ahead of the Tour de France, which starts later this month, the Dane replied “of course every win gives more and more confidence. I’m also racing my bike to win races, so it’s nice”.

On whether he can contest anymore stages at this Critérium du Dauphiné, Pedersen said “maybe during the week, but I don’t think tomorrow, I think it’s too hard in the finale. Now being in the lead of the race, I don’t think anyone will let me in the break as well. I think tomorrow, we control to respect the jersey and we also have one GC guy here, who we have to take care of and that’s my job from now until stage five”.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Few riders seemed interested in getting themselves in the breakaway at the start of the day, as British rider Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) went solo up the road around 5km into the stage. He took maximum points on the first two categorised climbs of the day before being joined by Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), who had launched a counter-attack from the peloton.

The leading pair worked well together to maintain their gap over the main group, as Donovan took the maximum points on the Côte de Chouvigny to secure his lead in the mountains classification, whilst Le Berre was first across the line at the intermediate sprint in Chantelle.

The sprinters’ teams of Lidl-Trek and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale both sent riders to the front of the peloton to control the gap for Mads Pedersen and Sam Bennett respectively, with Soudal Quick-Step, Ineos Grenadiers and Bora-Hansgrohe also staying well-positioned in the bunch to keep their leaders out of trouble.

As the two men at the front entered Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule to begin two laps of a finishing circuit their advantage sat at around three minutes, but that gap was quickly coming down and by the time they took the bell with 29km to go, it had come down to just over a minute.

There was a small crash in the peloton with around 21km to go, which saw Steven Kruijswijk (Visma-Lease a Bike), Kenny Elissonde (Cofidis) and Luca Vergallito (Alpecin-Deceuninck) involved, as well as James Whelan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), who stayed down after the crash and was forced to abandon the race due to the injuries that he sustained.

The breakaway was then caught with 16km to go and the peloton briefly paused to catch their breath ahead of the finale. The peace was then broken by an attack by Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) with around 12km to go, which saw several riders try to go with him, but that was quickly brought back by those in the peloton.

The riders then left the narrow country lanes and went onto a wide main road, which saw them reach speeds of around 100km/h on a downhill section. As they carried their speed into the final few kilometres, the sprinters’ teams came to the fore and it was Lidl-Trek with Toms Skujiņš, Alex Kirsch and Ryan Gibbons on the front as they went under the flamme rouge.

Gibbons then hit the front with around 600m to go to begin his final leadout, delivering Pedersen perfectly into the final bend with around 200m to go to launch his sprint. Bennett attempted to challenge the Dane, but did not have the legs in the end, making it a comfortable victory for Pedersen.

RESULTS: CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ 2024, STAGE 1, SAINT-POURÇAIN-SUR-SIOULE > SAINT-POURÇAIN-SUR-SIOULE (172.5KM)

1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, in 4:01:30
2. Sam Bennett (Ire) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
3. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty
4. Clément Venturini (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
5. Owain Doull (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
6. Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
7. Iván García Cortina (Spa) Movistar
8. Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
9. Clément Russo (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Uno-X Mobility, all at same time

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 1 

1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, in 4:01:20
2. Sam Bennett (Ire) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +4s
3. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty, +6s
4. Mathis Le Berre (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels, +7s
5. Mark Donovan (GBr) Q36.5 Pro Cycling, +8s
6. Casper Pedersen (Den) Soudal Quick-Step, +9s
7. Clément Venturini (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels, +10s
8. Owain Doull (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
9. Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
10. Iván García Cortina (Spa) Movistar, all at same time

This feature originally appeared in the 29 June 2023 issue of Cycling Weekly magazine.

The northernmost corner of Denmark at the top of the Jutland Peninsula is an exposed, windswept and unforgiving landscape. Surrounding the harbours of the Thy district - which were once used as staging posts for Viking raids across Europe in the 9th and 10th centuries - are vast plains, without a knoll, hill nor mountain in sight.

As the local people will tell you, to be a cyclist in the area means first knowing how to fight against the wind. Local riders simply don’t have the luxury of long, warm drawn out evenings that many of their contemporaries in Europe’s southern climes enjoy. 

Perhaps that’s why a young Jonas Vingegaard - who’d go on to win the 2022 Tour de France - would often require a gentle nudge to get out of the house and out on the road with his friends, Karsten Mikkelsen and Jesper Odgaard, to train.

“They often had to go to his house, knock on his door and say ‘Jonas!’ now we ride’, but he couldn’t get his ass out riding,” says EF Education-EasyPost’s Michael Valgren, a childhood friend of Vingegaard. “If it wasn’t for Jesper, Karsten and all the other guys at the old club, I’m not sure he’d have been a pro. Along with his parents they really took care of him.”

Cycling was just for recreation for young Vingegaard. Most sports are littered with stories of young athletes making grand statements of intent in the early days, shouting from the rooftops about just how good they were, puffed out chests filled with more promise than palmares. Not Jonas. 

The reality is that he was only ever just Jonas Vingegaard, the friendly, polite and happy go lucky teenager from Thy, who didn’t ever envisage the sporting immortality that seemed almost inevitable once he arrived at Jumbo-Visma. 

“I’m not sure Jonas was ever aware back then of how good he would be,” recalls Karsten Mikkelsen, Jonas’ long standing friend and first cycling mentor. “He was and still is a pretty ordinary, normal guy in the best way. He just wanted to see how far he could take cycling and he took it the whole way.”

Full of potential

“Jonas was the type of guy - I would not call him lazy - but if a trainer told him ‘you have to ride for three to four hours a day tomorrow’ he would go and do three,” adds Mikkelsen. “It developed though and that's why he became so good when he turned professional, there was still a lot of potential.” 

It’s hard to imagine that the same rider who recently achieved the biggest winning margin at the Critérium du Dauphiné for 36 years was once reluctant to train, although despite his occasional unwillingness to ride, his friends remember that Vingegaard simply oozed potential in the early days. He rapidly developed a willingness to fight in local races when the going got tough out on the roads of the Thy district.

But he nearly didn’t go down that path at all. Long before cycling became the centrepiece of his identity - Jonas Vingegaard was a talented young guitarist, whose enthusiastic teacher was adamant that his future lay in music. 

“Back in school he played guitar and for quite some time he was taking lessons,” says Claus Rasmussen - Vingegaard’s father - as he recalls his son's formative years in northern Denmark while speaking to Cycling Weekly.

“The teacher would say to us and Jonas ‘He has to do something with this, maybe be a guitarist or something’” but then he tells us something that seems in keeping with young Vingegaards approach to cycling. “Jonas would always smile and say it was just for fun.”

Remembering Jonas’ early years in education, Rasmussen explains his son enjoyed school, rarely returning with homework to do as he’d already finished it before heading home. He was particularly fond of mathematics, Rasmussen says, to the extent that his primary school teacher in Hillerslev would sometimes ask Jonas to help out the other children in class. 

Thy Cykle ring

Around that time Vingegaard played football. Although thanks to a few heavy tackles from older children, he never took to it as Rasmussen explains. 

“The only thing he wasn’t good at was football actually,” Rasmussen says. “Actually that was why he began on the bicycle, because he was very small.”

“I could see he was going off it and didn’t want to play in the matches,” he adds. “So I told him that the Tour of Denmark was starting in our town soon and asked if he wanted to go and see it.”

After initial hesitation, Rasmussen explains that his son eventually agreed to go along, leading to him meeting members of Thy Cykle ring - the local club. While at the race he rode a time trial of sorts for children, and suddenly, he was hooked.

“Jonas had a good time actually, so suddenly he was a little bit interested,” says Rasmussen. “We then borrowed a bicycle from the club, as some of the local clubs had organised a small race for some of the kids so we went along to it.

“He didn’t finish first but came second I think,” he recalls. “Jonas got 50 Danish krone, but that was no big deal as he got a little trophy. All the way home in the car he was sitting and looking at it, he was just ten years old back then.”

As their son’s interest really began to bloom, Rasmussen explains that both he and his wife, Karina, reiterated to him that winning wasn’t everything. Instead his parents simply wanted to encourage him to have fun.

“We went to a lot of races in Denmark in that first year, and we actually saw that many of the other children were living like professionals even then,” Rasmussen says. “The other parents were saying ‘you need to eat this, you have to drink that’ but we’d never done things like that with Jonas. You need to have fun at the start, enjoy it and make new friends.”

Holidays in the mountains

Over the summers, the family would often holiday in the French Alps, giving Jonas a taste of some of the iconic passes he was starting to hear about. Claus and Karina regularly stayed with their children in a campsite at the base of the mythical Alpe d’Huez.

“For years we went on holiday in that area,” Rasmussen says. “There’s so many mountains you can ride. We could see when he was really young that he was very good at that. It was mainly because of his size. If you’re on a two week holiday there and nobody is able to come and ride in front of you then you know you’re very good, even at 15 or 16.”

Being introduced to some of the toughest climbs in Europe at that young age would prove to be instrumental for Vingegaard. Rasmussen explains that at that point, his teenage son had grown increasingly frustrated with his lack of regular success on the flat roads of Denmark. 

Eventually his naturally lightweight build and knack for climbing, combined with his large engine, would eventually see him turn professional.

In 2016 Rasmussen recalls his son undergoing tests while riding for Odder Cykle club - the same team that helped develop future Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen, now at Soudal Quick-Step - which revealed that he had an exceptionally high VO2 max while still just a teenager.

“They were testing all the guys in the team,” says Rasmussen. “I think there were about ten. They did seven of them and everything was normal, then they did Jonas and everything went out of order.”

According to Rasmussen, the man carrying out the test initially thought his machine was broken, such were the numbers involved. 

“He said ‘oh this cannot be right, I think my machine is broken’ then he tested three other guys after that and it was normal again,” he adds. “So it was not his machine, he’d just never seen anything like that before. At 17, Jonas’ VO2 max was something around 97.” Legendary Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain’s VO2 Max has been reported at anywhere between 78 and 95 millilitres per kilogram of body weight per minute.

Always fighting

Later in the year, he began to draw interest from UCI Continental team ColoQuick-CULT. He would soon sign with the Danish squad led by Christian Andersen, now on the staff of the Norway-based Uno-X team.

Andersen explains that while he didn’t know him at an early age, word had spread about the fearless young warrior from Jutland.

“He had always been fighting since he was little,” says Andersen. “In Denmark you have to fight against the wind, not the mountains, so you really suffer if you don’t have the power.”

Vingegaard would soon flourish under Andersen, finishing second overall at the 2.1 class Tour of China in his first few months with his new team. According to Andersen, there was immediate interest in his young star from a team that had another future Tour winner, Egan Bernal, in its midst.   

“At that time there was interest in him from Androni Giocattoli,” he explains. “I told him I didn’t think it was the right team to join. He was still young. It was a team with a lot of different nationalities so he would first need to learn Italian, Spanish or Portuguese so I thought it could be difficult.”

Vingegaard would heed Andersen’s advice, soon impressing on home soil for ColoQuick with second behind Asgreen at the GP Viborg in early 2017. However, misfortune followed as later that year an innocuous crash at the Tour des Fjords in Norway left him with a fractured leg. 

As winter approached, Vingegaard was back training, determined to pick up where he had left off under Andersen’s tutelage. It wasn’t long before his climbing prowess, built during those holidays in France, would shine through. 

During a training camp in Spain, 20-year-old Vingegaard broke the record for the fastest ascent of the Coll de Rates, near Alicante, which was previously held by WorldTour pro Tejay van Garderen. He rode the 6.5 kilometres in 13.02 minutes, beating the American by 12 seconds. 

Captured on a video which soon went viral, Andersen believes it was partly responsible for attracting the attention of Jumbo-Visma.

Emil Vinjebo, formerly of ColoQuick, rode with Vingegaard on that March afternoon. Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Vinjebo says that while his potential was clear, he never imagined that his teammate would go on to win the biggest bike race in the world.

“I remember I was the last guy with him that day,” says Vinjebo. “I went halfway up the climb at 500 watts, then he just went. I think Jumbo saw that and thought woah this guy can push some good power."

Vinjebo says that he believes that his former teammates' ability to maintain a “laid back, stress-free” attitude helped carry him to the top. 

“He has a great sense of humour,” adds Vinjebo. “He was the kind of guy who could do crazy efforts as well as drink a beer or two during a training camp, he was quite relaxed. To be at the top level in the cycling world you have to do it your own way, he’s always had direction but stayed true to himself.”

Hard graft in Hanstholm harbour

Despite his rapid development, Vingegaard wasn’t a professional yet. He still needed a second job to earn extra money. In 2017, he took up work in a fish auctioneers in Hanstholm, before moving across the harbour to work for Karsten Mikkelsen, at a local seafood wholesaler.

Vingegaard worked the morning shift at Chrisfish, filleting then packing into ice a vast array of North Sea produce ready to be shipped to customers across Europe. 

Mikkelsen, the co-owner of Chrisfish says: “Every day he’d start at six or seven am and work till 12 so he still had time to train in the afternoon.”

The importance of starting a second job and having a backup option in case cycling didn’t work out was something which Rasmussen remembers his son always understood. 

“At that age we said to him, maybe it would be good to make some more money and have a plan b,” Rasmussen says. “When you’re young you need to learn that not everything is coming down from the heavens.”

Eventually the hard graft at Chrisfish, the training camps with ColoQuick and the encouragement from his friends and family would pay off when in 2019, Dutch WorldTour giants Jumbo-Visma came calling. 

Vingegaard completed a series of tests at Jumbo’s base in Sittard, the Netherlands, before then being offered a contract. Andersen recalls that it was instantly clear that a move to the Dutch team was the right next step to make.

“We knew it was the right thing to do,” he says. “It wasn’t about the contract, it was about the team’s mentality. It’s important to go to a team where you can perform in a good structure and feel comfortable and that’s how he felt with Jumbo-Visma.”

In the aftermath of last year’s Tour win, there was a lot of noise around Vingegaard and his quiet off the bike demeanour. Many even speculated that the reserved kid from northern Denmark had struggled with confidence, and being able to adapt to his new found fame. However, those closest to him soon debunked that myth.

“If you ask me, his confidence and self-esteem is much higher than people think,” says Mikkelsen. “He just stays himself and knows what he wants. He is just satisfied with riding his bike, then going home to his family. He doesn’t want anything else.”
 

Unchanged from sporting success

Mikkelsen revealed that to those who knew him, and still know him now, he is the same Jonas they knew in the early days - a kind, hard working and fiercely loyal friend and family man - remaining unchanged from experiencing the glamour that comes with sporting success. Just like before, he remains indifferent to online social media chatter and not impressed by flashy expensive cars, money or fame.

According to former ColoQuick teammate Christian Moberg, Vingegaard is still the down to earth character that he always was and despite moving away to Glyngøre, has never lost touch from his roots in the Thy district and the start in sport and general life that it gave him.

“He could have gone to ten criteriums after the Tour last year, but he didn’t,” says Moberg. “Instead he put himself, his family and other parts of his life first which shows what kind of person he is.”

“Once he delivered a big suitcase of jerseys and shorts to our old club in Odder. So the young boys who are just ten can ride around at home in a Jonas Vingegaard jersey. For me, That really shows who he is,” he adds. “He knows and hasn’t forgotten where he comes from.” 

In three weeks, the 110th Tour de France begins in Bilbao. In six weeks time, Jonas Vingegaard hopes to win his second yellow jersey. To that end, it appears rather helpful that the Jumbo-Visma rider won the Critérium du Dauphiné on Sunday by the largest winning margin in 30 years.

Through a combination of an impressive time trial on stage four, and then stage wins on Thursday and Saturday, plus a bonus few seconds gained on the final stage, Vingegaard won the Dauphiné by 2-23 over Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates).

The French race, traditionally a crucial warm-up for the Tour, does not always mean triumph in July at its bigger brother; only 10 riders have won both races in the same year over its 75 editions. However, Vingegaard's performance over eight days in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region will surely give his rivals more than a little pause for thought.

It was the biggest winning margin between the Dauphiné winner and the runner up since Laurent Dufaux beat Oliverio Rincón by three minutes in 1993, and Vingegaard looked good in every aspect of the race.

“I can be very happy with this week," Vingegaard said post-final stage. "I'm in good shape and the team rode great too. I am a bit surprised that the differences in the standings are so big, but I know that I am in good shape at the moment.”

Yates, and the Australian trio of Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) proved no match for the Dane, while the Ineos Grenadiers trident of Carlos Rodríguez, Egan Bernal and Dani Martínez finished ninth, 12th, and 23rd respectively. The Dauphiné might not have every GC contender that will appear in Bilbao, but it was quite a statement.

"It s very very big for me to win this race. It's one of biggest races in the world, so I'm very happy to win," Vingegaard said. “I'm going to relax for a few days now and then get ready for the Tour. I still have some work to do, but not much more."

Last year, the Jumbo-Visma rider came into the Tour in similar form after the Dauphiné, a race he finished second in then after winning the final stage, and after a slightly mixed start to the year - dominant victories at O Gran Camiño and Itzulia Basque Country, but third place at Paris-Nice - this week's result has put him in a good place.

However, it is the man who soundly beat him at Paris-Nice who is still an unknown, who will be the biggest rival for Vingegaard across the Tour de France: Tadej Pogačar.

The Slovenian has not raced since crashing out of Liège-Bastogne-Liège back in April, and will pin on numbers just twice more before Bilbao, but is still the man regarded as the best rider in the world, the man who has the ability to beat Vingegaard.

It is shaping up to be a titanic battle for a second year in a row, if Pogačar can match the form of Vingegaard in three weeks time. Roll on the Tour de France.

When he arrived at the course for stage four's time trial at the Critérium du Dauphiné, Mikkel Bjerg doubted himself, fearing the hilly profile of Wednesday's race was too hard for him.

Hours later, as he stood on the top step of a professional race for the first time in his career, pulling on the maillot jaune, the UAE Team Emirates rider no longer had any reason to do so, given the extent of his triumph.

The 24-year-old is a three-time under-23 world time trial champion, but that promise had not yet translated into success in his three and a half years as a WorldTour rider. There had been 10 podiums, but never a win until a hot day in the Loire.

The Dane averaged just under 50km/h - 49.804km/h in fact - to win stage four of the Dauphiné by 12 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).

Rémi Cavagna (Soudal Quick-Step) was the man in the hot seat before Bjerg, but despite looking significantly slower over the first sector, the UAE rider was able to turn it around over the second half of the course, seemingly accelerating to the finish.

"The first climb, I wanted to go hard but not above my limit, because there were some hard climbs coming later in the race," Bjerg explained post-stage. "I just stayed within my limits, did the descent as good as I could, didn’t take too many risks, and then the last 10km, David, the aerodynamicist of the team was really pushing me. The last 5km, I think I was on time, and then I could just power it home. I thought about my wife and powered it home."

His wife, incidentally, is Emma Norsgaard of Movistar, who has already won races in her career. "She had a long ride today, but then I think she made it back before I finished the race," Bjerg laughed.

The relief of a first victory, after so many years of trying, is still a great thing to see, and a visibly emotional Bjerg could barely contain himself. "I managed to live up to the expectations," was his conclusion.

"I’ve worked so hard for this first pro victory," he said. "I’m just so relieved that I‘ve finally got it now. I’ve had so many chances to do it, and I just didn’t live up to my expectation. This morning I doubted myself, I said the course was too hard. My manager texted me that I should go for it, I have nothing to lose, and I’m just so happy."

The Dane was one of three UAE Team Emirates riders in the top 10. While two were TT experts in Bjerg and Felix Großchartner, the other was Adam Yates, who finished 57 seconds behind his teammate. 

This TT prowess is promising for Tadej Pogačar ahead of the Tour de France, where a vaguely similar time trial awaits on stage 16. Vaguely similar, because there are 200m more of elevation over 10km less of distance.

"Everybody worked really hard behind this winter with TT equipment," Bjerg explained. "The team pushed the sponsors, and the sponsors really tried to deliver the fastes equipment possible. Now we have a fast bike and really fast clothes. Now it’s the riders’ time to shine."

While Pogačar will be impressed by how well the Colnago TT1 performed, and the PISSEI clothing acted in helping Bjerg's aerodynamic ability, he might be worried by Vingegaard's performance.

The Jumbo-Visma rider, the defending Tour champion, finished second, but the first of all the GC contenders. He put 29 seconds into Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), 45 seconds into Yates, both of whom impressed, 55 seconds into Dani Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers), and a huge 2-10 into David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).

"Of course I would hope to win the stage and take the yellow jersey, but I think Mikkel did a really good time trial today," Vingegaard said. "I also think I did a good time trial, but yeah it was really impressive by Mikkel. By now, it looks like he will take the jersey, but hopefully then I can take it in the next few days.

"It was the plan to go off hard. Maybe, I went a bit too hard. I tried to save a bit in the middle and then go again in the last part, and then when I had to go there was nothing to go with. So maybe I should have been going a little bit easier in the start, and then I would have a bit more at the end, maybe."

It won't matter too much to Vingegaard, whose eyes are on loftier goals - the overall, and the Tour de France - but for Bjerg, this is one big mission accomplished.

Christophe Laporte outfoxed the pure sprinters to grab an "unexpected" second stage victory in three days at the Critérium du Dauphiné, despite not targeting the win.

As the peloton thundered into Le Coteau on Tuesday afternoon, multiple riders were held up in a series of small crashes that rippled through the main field in the dash for the line. Wearing the yellow jersey of the race leader, Laporte was forced to go up against a Bora-Hansgrohe sprint train looking to tee up Sam Bennett.  

The Irishman launched his sprint with 200-metres to go, but Laporte was locked into his back wheel and rocketed through space left open by Bennett to steal the victory on the line. Behind the duo, Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUla) grabbed third place, although was clearly unhappy with Bennett’s movement in the sprint.

Groenewegen and Bennett were both subsequently relegated from the sprint for deviating from their line. 

Speaking after the stage, Laporte said his second-victory of the week-long stage race was an “unexpected” surprise.

“I was looking forward to the sprint,” Laporte said. “Obviously I wasn’t going to be fast enough to beat the likes of Sam Bennett or Groenewegen, you would have thought, but then again Groenewegen was blocked on the left and I was able to take the other side. So it was unexpected but I’m very happy.”

The Frenchman explained that in the chaotic finale - which saw overall second placed Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) held up by a puncture - Jumbo-Visma’s aim had been to ensure that their team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, was protected from any incidents on the road and that sprinting for the win wasn’t originally the plan.

“We were protecting Vingegaard out there, it was not about a lead out,” he added. “I enjoyed it like that, all in around Jonas, and then I could benefit from that work out there. I just followed the quick guys, I was blocked with about 500 metres to go so I thought it was finished, then it just opened up and the door came open for me and I was able to finish, so it was a good day for me.”

Laporte’s victory, his second win of the week after he took the honours on stage one in Chambon-sur-Lac, meant that he has now extended his overall race lead with bonus seconds accrued on the stage.

The Jumbo-Visma rider now leads yesterday’s winner Alaphilippe by 11 seconds with Richard Carapaz (EDF Education-EasyPost) in third overall at 17 seconds.

Despite proving that he is entering a rich vein of form ahead of the fast-approaching Tour de France, Laporte explained that he expected to lose the race lead on stage four’s time trial.

"I like short time trials, but this is a long one. I think it will be very hard for me to hold on to the yellow jersey."

Wednesday’s stage four is a 31.1 kilometre time trial between Cours and Belmont-de-la-Loire.  

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) sprinted to his first WorldTour victory in over a year on Monday, claiming stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné in La Chaise-Dieu. 

The win marked a "promising" return to form for the two-time road world champion, who rounded EF Education-EasyPost’s Richard Carapaz in the finale, and held off the Ecuadorian to the line. 

Metres before the victory was guaranteed, Alaphilippe sat up in his saddle and gestured down towards the floor with his palms. Tranquille, was the message. The Frenchman is back. 

"It was a difficult victory to go after, but it feels good because these last few months have been long,” he said post-race. “I stayed patient, I worked hard and now I’m back to winning ways.”

For Alaphilippe, 2022 marked a season fraught with crashes and injuries. His last WorldTour triumph came at Itzulia Basque Country in April, before he was hospitalised at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and withdrew from September's Vuelta a España with a dislocated shoulder.

Victory earlier this year at the 1.Pro-ranked Faun-Ardéche Classic brought hope for the Frenchman, and his win at the Dauphiné - a career third - proved his calibre ahead of next month's Tour de France. 

“I surprised myself,” he said. “We set out with the goal to set up a sprint for Ethan Vernon, and if it was too difficult for him, then we had Florian [Sénéchal], or even Andrea Bagioli or me - I know I can do a decent sprint, even if it’s been a little while since I’ve found myself in the situation.”

However, with his team-mates absent in the finale, the Soudal Quick-Step rider had to react quickly. “I had good legs, I saw that everyone was á bloc, and I saw the finish line approaching, so I started my effort at the right moment," he said. 

“You can’t dream much bigger than winning a stage of the Dauphiné. I told myself before I came here that if I won a stage, I’d be really happy, and voilá, I’ve done it, on the second day. I can be more relaxed for the rest of the week, but still give my all every day.”

What does the victory mean for the upcoming Tour de France? “It’s always promising,” Alaphilippe smiled. 

Stage two brought a spattering of categorised climbs, with a pairing of two third-category ascents, followed by two category fours. Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) and Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) held on as dogged survivors of the early breakaway, but the duo were reeled in with 10km to go, when Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Tobias Bayer launched a counterattack. 

The Austrian’s move, though, was short-lived. Led by Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, the peloton hurtled towards the line, where Alaphilippe proved to be the strongest. Carapaz finished second, Natnael Tesfatsion (Trek-Segafredo) came third, while race leader Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) trailed the podium in fourth.

Alaphilippe now sits second in the general classification, level on time with yellow jersey-wearer Laporte. 

The Critérium du Dauphiné gets underway this weekend and is one of the traditional warm up races for the Tour de France.

Many of the general classification favourites for the Tour will be on the start line, ready for one final opportunity to test the legs before they head to Bilbao for the Grand Départ on 1 July. After only recently winning the Giro d’Italia, reigning champion Primož Roglič will sit out the week-long stage race in south east France.

Jonas Vingegaard heads up Jumbo-Visma in his absence as the Danish rider continues his preparation ready to attempt to defend his Tour title.

Vingegaard will face the likes of Richard Carapaz, Mikel Landa and Jai Hindley as he goes for Dauphiné victory.

The race promises to be an exciting week of action, here are Cycling Weekly’s eight riders to watch at the Critérium du Dauphiné. 

Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën)

Australian Ben O’Connor has enjoyed success at the Dauphiné in the past, finishing third on the podium behind Roglič and Vingegaard last year.

The previous year he finished eighth overall and was on the attack in many of the final mountain stages. In time it was clear that was a sign of what was to come as just a month later, O’Connor finished fourth at the Tour and won a spectacular stage in Tignes.

While he lacks the same explosivity of the likes of Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, on his day O’Connor is one of the best climbers in the men’s WorldTour peloton.

The Aussie hasn’t raced since the end of the spring Classics. Although if the form is there, he could well challenge for a Dauphiné podium once more before another spectacular showing at the Tour.  

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)

Back in action for the first time since winning Itzulia Basque Country in April, Jonas Vingegaard is undoubtedly the favourite for the Dauphiné title. 

The reigning Tour de France champion won three stages on his way to overall victory in the Basque Country and looked unstoppable when the road went uphill. However, the Dane did not face the same kind of opposition that he was met with at both Paris-Nice and that he will face next week.

At Paris-Nice, Vingegaard will have been disappointed to have been dropped by the overall winner, Pogačar, three times in the high mountains.

The Slovenian won’t be present at the Critérium du Dauphiné. Nevertheless Vingegaard will be looking to make one final statement of intent before he heads to the Tour by dispatching the other challengers here.  

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)

Ecuadorean and Olympic champion Richard Carapaz will lead his new team EF Education-EasyPost next week as he builds towards team leadership at the Tour in July.

As well as previously winning the Giro, Carapaz finished second at last year’s Italian Grand Tour and took third at the Tour two years ago. Those kinds of results, with his Olympic gold medal factored in, should make him on paper one of the best general classification riders currently operating.

However, he’s not yet shown the kind of form in 2023 which saw him achieve that Giro podium last year as well as three stage wins at the Vuelta a España.

Despite the relative lack of form, the 2023 Tour route suits Carapaz to perfection. A strong showing in the latter half of the Critérium du Dauphiné next week should put to bed any doubt that he isn’t capable of a strong ride this July.   

Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe)

All eyes will be on Jai Hindley next week as he makes his Critérium du Dauphiné debut ahead of a debut at the Tour in July.

Last year’s Giro champion skipped the Italian Grand Tour this year due to the large amount of time trialling it involved and instead chose the Tour. The Australian climber has started 2023 in a relatively low key fashion, without any major wins or results but could be building towards peaking in the coming weeks instead.

Hindley has already beaten the likes of Carapaz and Landa, famously dropping the former on the Marmolada at the Giro as he snatched the pink jersey from Carapaz’s shoulders. However, he is yet to face the likes of Vingegaard and Pogačar on the big stage.

Expect to see the Aussie gunning for a stage win next week and a potential podium finish as a confidence boost before heading to Bilbao.  

Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious)

Unlike some of the other contenders outlined here, Mikel Landa heads to the Dauphiné with a solid list of results to his name so far this Spring.

The 33-year-old Spaniard finished on the podium at Izulia Basque Country, taking a respectable second place behind Vingegaard. He also took third at La Flèche Wallonne behind Pogačar, finished fifth at the Volta a Catalunya and took seventh at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Ahead of leading Bahrain Victorious at the Tour, Landa will be looking to shine in the mountain stages in the south east of France as he builds form for the bigger tests to come.

While he has not won a race since the Vuelta a Burgos in 2021, his increase of form so far in 2023 suggests that a big result is just around the corner, perhaps next week. 

David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ)

Gaudu is the next Frenchman to take over the mantle of being the next great French hope for success at the Tour.

Despite being blighted by illness in the latter half of his spring campaign, Gaudu and his Groupama-FDJ squad will have been given a real confidence boost by his strong showing at Paris-Nice which resulted in second overall behind Pogačar.

His result at Paris-Nice is his best result so far in the current season, and ever. Gaudu followed that up with fourth overall at Itzulia Basque Country.

An explosive climber, who has already proved to himself and those watching on that he can ride with the best, Gaudu will have the full backing of his team next week.

A stage win and maybe even another podium finish will then put him right into contention for the Tour podium, particularly with the amount of climbing the riders will face in July.  

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)

After joining UAE in the off-season, Yates will inevitably head to the Tour in service of Tadej Pogačar this July as the Slovenian looks to reclaim the overall title he conceded to Vingegaard last July.

Before heading to Bilbao, the Dauphiné presents the British rider with another opportunity to show the UAE hierarchy what he can do when given the opportunity to race for himself. A few weeks ago Yates took an impressive stage win on the way to overall victory at the Tour de Romandie, adding another WorldTour stage race to his list of solid results across the years.

Yates will arrive in France after an altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada where he had Pogačar for company as the core of UAE’s Tour squad continued its preparation for July. Despite not racing since his win in Switzerland, Yates’ form suggests he’s more than capable of challenging Vingegaard in the battle for overall victory next week.  

Dani Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers)

Ineos Grenadiers used to win the Criterium du Dauphiné for fun, enjoying a plethora of overall wins at the race since Bradley Wiggins took victory in 2011.

However, the British squad have lost their iron grip on all three Grand Tours of late and will be turning to Dani Martínez as one of their best hopes at the Tour this July. There is no doubt that Martínez has what it takes to get the job done next week and put himself in contention. The Colombian rider won the 2020 edition in the colours of his former team EF Education-EasyPost, but that was only after Primož Roglič withdrew on the final stage.

Martínez won the Volta ao Algarve earlier this year, although in the three months since that victory he has failed to set the world alight. With that said, Ineos can call upon the likes of Egan Bernal - who continues to make steady progress since his shocking training crash last year - as well as young Spaniard Carlos Rodríguez next week in support of the Colombian.

Between the three riders, there’s another there to challenge for the podium.  

The Critérium du Dauphiné beings on Sunday, one of the final events in the run up to the Tour de France, which is just over four weeks away. There are opportunities for sprinters, puncheurs, rouleurs and climbers over the eight days.

There will be an almighty tussle between general classification contenders for the yellow jersey at the end of the race, with defending Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) lining up with Dani Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) and Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) among others.

Keep reading to find out how to watch all of the key race in the southeast of France. Make sure you also read our guide to the riders to watch.

Quick guide to watching the Critérium du Dauphiné 2023

Like most big races the you can watch the Critérium du Dauphiné on the live-stream on GCN+, Discovery+ and Eurosport in the UK and in Europe. Subscription costs are £6.99/month or $8.99/month, and £39.99 or $49.99 for a year.

Flobikes will be showing the race in Canada; a year-long subscription will set you back $209.99. Meanwhile, NBC Sports via Peacock Premium ($4.99 per month in the US) will show the race in the USA. In Australia, you can watch for free on SBS on Demand.

Dates: 4-11 June

AUS FREE live stream: SBS On Demand

UK: Stream on GCN+ and Eurosport Player (£6.99/mon)

US: Stream on NBC Sports ($4.99 a month)

Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with ExpressVPN

There are many VPN options out there but ExpressVPN has consistently been highly rated by our colleagues at Cycling Weekly sister site TechRadar.

What to expect at the Critérium du Dauphiné

There are just eight days in the Critérium du Dauphiné, but those eight days will seem endless to the riders involved, as over 1,200km is tackled, with barely a flat road in sight.

The 75th edition starts in Chambon-sur-Lac, in the Puy de Dôme region, before crossing the Massif Central, heading into the Jura, and then in the Alps. There are four hilly stages, three mountain days and an individual time trial on the way to Grenoble.

There will possibly be only one sprint, on stage 3, and there is one ITT, on stage 4.

How to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné in Australia

Cycling fans in Australia get to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné live stream, and plenty of other races, for free on SBS. You can head to the SBS On Demand streaming service and watch the action live as well as full stage replays. 

They can also watch uninterrupted on GCN+. A monthly subscription will cost you $15.99AUD while a yearly subscription costs $64.99AUD.

Aussies away from home can use a VPN to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné live stream free from abroad. Download the VPN, set your location to 'Australia' using the in-app menu and watch live as if you are back at home.

How to watch a Critérium du Dauphiné live stream from outside your country

If you’re abroad during 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné, you might have a problem accessing your regular streaming service because of geo-blocking restrictions. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution.

Try a VPN, a piece of software which offers both online privacy and ability to change your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV like you would back at home while in another country. There are plenty of free VPNs but our sister site TechRadar recommends the paid ExpressVPN which it consistently rates as the best VPN provider.

Use a VPN to watch the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné from abroad:

How to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné in the US

In the US, the Critérium du Dauphiné will be aired live on NBC Sports via Peacock Premium ($4.99 per month in the US) .

How to watch the Critérium du Dauphiné in the UK

In the UK you can buy a month-long pass to get access to the live streams  of the Critérium du Dauphiné available via the GCN+ site or app, Eurosport player or the Discovery+ website.  Buying a pass costs just £6.99, although do remember that it will then auto renew at the same price each month unless you cancel.

However, you can also get a year-long pass for £59.99, which means a saving of £23.89.

If you’re based in the UK, you will be able to watch all of the live coverage from regular cycling broadcasters GCN+ and Discovery+ / Eurosport. 

If you only want the cycling, and not the other things that Eurosport offers, you can get a GCN+ subscription at a cost of £39.99 for the year, or you can buy a race pass for £6.99 per month. A GCN+ account also means you'll then have access to both live and on demand race footage as well as long or short highlight streams and in-depth analysis. There is also a library full of documentaries on the sport for you to check out.

If you happen to be out of the country when the race is on then you can just download a VPN and choose your location to watch live as if you are back at home. Setting up a VPN is simple – just download, install, open the app and select your location.

There are several VPN options out there, but we think going with Express VPN is the best.

ExpressVPN will also give you a 30-day money-back guarantee.  

What time is the Critérium du Dauphiné on?

UK coverage of the race will begin on GCN+ and Eurosport at about 14:00 BST every day. Highlights will be available later in the day. 

In the US coverage begins at about 18:00 EST every day. Replays are also available after the event.

You can find the full list of races that GCN will be broadcasting around the world over on their helpful racing schedule.

For ten months Ben O'Connor was the biggest general classification hope from Australia. After his fourth place at last summer's Tour de France, the third best GC result by an Australian at the race, he shouldered the expectation of a nation at the biggest cycling event in a world.

Then Jai Hindley went and won the Giro d'Italia last month. Another man from Perth, Hindley became the second Australian ever to win a Grand Tour, after Cadel Evans, and inherited that pressure and responsibility.

At his first opportunity to do so, O'Connor sent a reminder of how good a GC rider he is, finishing third overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné. It was his first podium at a WorldTour stage race, and was a result he could be proud of, even if he finished well over and a minute and a half behind the winner, Primož Roglič.

With fourth on stage seven, and third on stage eight, the AG2R Citroën rider showed that he is one of the best stage racers in the world, just days ahead of the Tour. His third place at the Dauphiné followed him finishing seventh at the Ruta del Sol, sixth at Volta a Catalunya, and fifth at Tour de Romandie.

There is no real competition between O'Connor and Hindley, of course, but it is interesting that the pair - separated by just a few months in age, the former is older - are coming to the top of the sport at about the same time. It is a golden age for Western Australian cycling, with Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ) up there as well.

Last year, O'Connor was surprised to finish fourth at the Tour, but this time around there will be more expectation around him, but he is on track to handle this well.

"It is not what I thought would happen, and nobody would have thought that I could ever have finished fourth," he told Procycling magazine last summer. "Maybe I could do 10th, I thought, possibly, but I guess it's a good resilience for everyone, to never give up and keep pushing. Even just in general life too."

This weekend, despite finishing behind the Jumbo-Visma pair of Roglič and Vingegaard, both on the final two stages, and the overall GC, O'Connor said he was proud of the result.

“I can be super proud of this,” he said. “Jonas was second in the Tour last year, Primož has won the Vuelta three times and pretty much every other stage race. It just means you’re there fighting with the best guys, so I can be really proud today.”

O'Connor admits he still lacks the high-octane acceleration of his two Jumbo rivals, but this may prove less of a handicap on the long climbs of the Tour and multiple stages in the mountains.

“I would have loved to have been able to be with Jonas and Primož, but it was too explosive for me,” O’Connor explained. 

“I tried to see if I could get back, but we just stayed the same distance. I thought I might get back to them, I still had legs, never exploded, I just couldn’t go with the first acceleration.” 

After a couple of fallow years, 2021 was a breakout year and he's backed that up in 2022. He won a stage of the Volta a Catalunya on the way to sixth overall there, and his team can be proud of his progress. 

“It’s kind of clear, I’m moving really well,” O’Connor said. 

“All the work we’ve done as a team has paid off. We’re really not far away from fighting with actually the very best in the world, and that’s something we can be proud of.

“I just need to get to the Tour now, not get too tired beforehand, and hopefully not having too many problems in the Tour.”

Come July there will be more eyes on Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Roglič than O'Connor but rest assured the Slovenians will not want to let the Aussie out of their sights.

Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard make a dream yellow team

Just over two weeks from the Tour de France, and Jumbo-Visma's general classification plans look like they are set, and that they are working well. Primož Roglič maintained that he was not at his best throughout the week, but still comfortably won the Critérium du Dauphiné overall, 40 seconds ahead of his teammate Jonas Vingegaard, and over a minute and a half ahead of Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën).

Roglič built his lead on the stage four time trial, and then showed his superiority on stage seven to climb into the yellow jersey. The Slovenian now has won the Dauphiné to add to Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico, Itzulia, the Tour de Romandie, a list of the top week-long stage races. He is the pre-eminent stage racer of his generation, and is looking close to his best form.

After winning Paris-Nice in March, he suffered a knee injury which prevented him from racing much in the last couple of months. Now he looks very much on track to challenge Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), and unseat his compatriot as Tour champion.

In Vingegaard, who finished second at the Tour last summer in Roglič's absence, Jumbo have the second part a two-pronged attack that could do damage at the three-week race. One attacks, while the other sits back and forces their rivals to chase; or they could both just attack at the same time, as happened on stage eight.

The Dane will be excited to start the Tour in his home country, and could prove the better option in time, who knows. Either way, as long as they both stay upright, Jumbo have an excellent set-up in place.

Jumbo-Visma's split strategy works, good news for Wout van Aert

For the second time this year, at a French WorldTour stage race, Primož Roglič won the yellow jersey while Wout van Aert won the green. It happened at Paris-Nice, and happened again at the Critérium du Dauphiné last week. It's what Jumbo-Visma wants to happen at the Tour de France next month as well, with Van Aert there for stages and points, but also there with a strong GC hope.

On the evidence of the Dauphiné, the split strategy will work. Van Aert could have won all of the first six stages, justifiably, and looks like he might win any race that is not in the high mountains. Therefore, the Belgian will be able to collect points throughout the Tour, and must be the favourite for the green jersey in Paris. 

There would be a worry, on another team, with another rider, that the two competing strategies might not lead to success. But Van Aert is not like a normal puncheur or sprinter; he can do it all pretty much on his own, relying on other sprint teams to bring the breaks back. 

As this week proved, Jumbo-Visma can work across their plans to make things happen and bring victories. The Belgian might also be a useful ally for Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard in the mountains, slipping back into domestique duties.

Ben O'Connor proves that 2021 was not a fluke

Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) came into the Dauphiné aiming for his first podium finish in a WorldTour stage race, and this is exactly what he achieved. Mission accomplished.

The Australian finished fourth at last year's Tour de France, and had a quiet end to 2021, but has looked incredibly consistent so far this year. He has finished in the top ten of every stage race he has finished, including a career-best sixth at the Volta a Catalunya, before going one better with fifth overall at the Tour de Romandie.

It was time to go even better and finish on the podium, and so he did just that. It was a shame for him that the Jumbo-Visma pair of Vingegaard and Roglič were in such outstanding form, otherwise he might have won a stage, or won the whole thing overall. As the best of the rest, he can certainly be proud of his performance over a week.

It will do wonders for his confidence, as he heads into his second Tour for AG2R. Last year was a bit of a surprise, but people will be expecting more from him this time around. On this evidence, he will be one of the contenders for a podium at the Grand Tour, maybe even better if the stars align.

What's going on with breakaways?

At the Giro d'Italia there were a couple of days where the breakaway managed to outfox the peloton, and this trend continued at the Dauphiné. Two separate stages of the eight-day race went to the break, to riders from TotalEnergies in fact, as the peloton mismanaged the chase, and ruined the occasion for the sprinters.

On stage two, Alexis Vuillermoz was the winner as the escapees beat the onrushing peloton by just five seconds, and then on stage six, the break has a more comfortable 30 second gap, as Valentin Ferron triumphed. Breakaway wins are nothing new, of course, otherwise the whole exercise of going up the road would be futile. 

What is seemingly new is the break's ability to conspire cleverly against the main bunch. This week's Dauphiné was a bit different because there were not many sprint options and teams at the race, so not many people there to control the race, but it was still interesting to see. It might have something to do with advances in aerodynamics, but it is always intriguing to see a few riders stick away from a charging peloton.

Ineos Grenadiers' Dauphiné squad looks like it might be the B team

The Dauphiné was just the sixth time that Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) finished in the top ten overall at a WorldTour stage race, so on that metric it was a good week for the Englishman. However, after sitting in fourth on the penultimate day of the race, there might be some disappointment that he was not able to stay in the top five on the final day.

Admittedly, he did not have the best warm-up to the race, being hampered by crashes, injuries, and illness. He missed the Giro because of illness, and does not look likely to be in the Tour squad, which is a shame for him, but it is difficult to find a spot in such a stacked team.

The same is true of most of Ineos' Dauphiné riders, most of whom look unlikely to be part of their Tour plans. The A-team are those at the Tour de Suisse, including Adam Yates and Dani Martínez. The exceptions are Michał Kwiatkowski and Filippo Ganna, who one would assume would be in Copenhagen for the Tour, but nothing is certain.

Jonas Vingegaard won stage eight of the Critérium du Dauphiné after a powerful attack on the day's final climb. 

Only his team leader Roglič could hold the Dane's wheel and they crossed the line hand in hand. 

It was a great day for Jumbo Visma who secured the overall victory through Roglič. 

Ben O'Connor rode valiantly to secure third place on GC, but was no match for the Jumbo Visma machine. 

With this victory, Jumbo Visma have made a powerful statement ahead of the Tour de France throwing down the gauntlet for Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The final stage of the Dauphiné packed four mountains into the 138km route, including a summit finish on the Plateau de Solaison (11.3km at 9.2%). 

Jumbo Visma started the day in first and second with Primož Roglič leading Jonas Vingegaard by 44 seconds. 

The day began on the lower slopes of the Col de Plainpalais where a break of 13 riders formed, none threatening on GC. Among the riders hunting for a stage win were Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM), Jan Hirt (Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux), Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies).

But Jumbo Visma dragged the peloton towards the mighty Col de la Colombière never allowing the break to get too far ahead. 

With the gap hovering around the two minute mark, the break began to disintegrate and Kenny Elissonde, Eddie Dunbar (Ineos Grenadiers), Laurens de Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ) and George Bennet (UAE Team Emirates) emerged at the front of the race. 

The quintet took a lead of 1 minute 35 seconds over the summit of Colombiére, but it didn't look like it would be enough as Jumbo Visma powered down the descent in pursuit. 

Wout van Aert took up the chase for Jumbo Visma who were clearly intent on winning the stage. 

At the bottom of the Solaison the gap had fallen to a minute. In the break, Laurens de Plus and George Bennet cracked before Jan Hirt attacked and went clear. But Hirt's effort proved in vain as Steven Kruijswijk caught the break 6.8km from the finish. 

As Krujswijk pulled over, Jonas Vingegaard launched a blistering attack dropping everyone but his team leader Roglič. 

The Jumbo pair opened up a 16 second gap over third-placed Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën Team) and rode to the finish together where, riding hand in hand, Vingegaard took the stage.

RESULTS

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ, STAGE EIGHT: SAINT-ALBAN-LEYSSE TO PLATEAU DE SALAISON (138.8KM)

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo Visma, in 3-49-20
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo Visma, same time
3. Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team, +15secs
4. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education Easy-Post, +53secs
5. Ruben Guerrerio (Por) EF Education Easy-Post, same time
6. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +55secs
7. Louis Meintjes (Rsa) Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux, same time
8. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, same time
9. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo Visma, +1.20
10. Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Uno X Pro Cycling Team, +1.40

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE EIGHT

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo Visma, in 29-11-22
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo Visma, +40secs
3. Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team, +1.41
4. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +2.33
5. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, +3.13
6. Louis Meintjes (Rsa) Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux, +3.17
7. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF Education Easy-Post, +3.18
8. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Gbr) Ineos Grenadiers, +3.44
9. Ruben Guerrerio (Por) EF Education Easy-Post, +3.48
10. Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Uno X Pro Cycling Team, +3.51

Carlos Verona held off a rampaging Primož Roglič to win stage seven of the Critérium du Dauphiné. 

The Spaniard proved to be the strongest rider in the 18-man breakaway as he time-trialled up the final climb to take an impressive solo victory. 

Jumbo Visma chased hard on the final climb with Jonas Vingegaard emptying himself to set up a late Roglič surge, but the Slovenian could not quite bridge the gap finishing thirteen seconds down.

However it was still a good day for Jumbo Visma who lead the race through Roglič with one day's racing left tomorrow. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Stage seven was always going to be targeted by the general classification contenders with two Alpine behemoths, the Col du Galibier and the Col de la Croix de Fer, packed into the 134km stage. 

The stage started on the lower slopes of the Galibier where multiple riders tried but failed to break away from the peloton. 

Eventually Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) and Matteo Fabbro (Bora-Hansgrohe) escaped, and it was the Frenchman who summited the col first making his lead in the KOM classification unassailable. 

More attacks from the peloton followed and soon a large break of 18 riders formed, with Luis León Sánchez (Bahrain Victorious), Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) and Toms Skujiņš (Trek-Segafredo) the closest on GC at 2-47, 3-31 and 3-44 respectively. 

Mark Donovan (Team DSM) attacked at the bottom of Croix de Fer (29km @ 5.2%), while the other 17 riders in the break held a lead of three minutes over the peloton. 

The British rider opened up a handsome gap of one minute 20 seconds over the break, but was reeled back in promptly. In the peloton, Jumbo Visma hit the front and began setting the pace up the giant mountain. 

Gradually the gap began to fall and the break slowly disintegrated. First to go was Omer Goldstein (Israel Premier Tech) after crashing, followed by Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Andrey Amador (Ineos Grenadiers) and Laurens Huys (Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux). 

With the air thinning, Kenny Elessonde attacked the break and went clear with four other riders who began attacking each other. Back in the peloton race leader Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) cracked from an already decimated peloton. 

Pierre Rolland led the quintet over the Croix de Fer with the gap to the peloton at 3-47. 

But it was Kenny Elessonde and Carlos Verona (Movistar) who emerged at the front of the race thanks to a rapid descent. The pair hit the final 5.7km climb to the finish in Jauvany together, but Verona dropped the Frenchman quickly with the peloton 1-30 down. 

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) attacked from the peloton with teammate and virtual race leader Primož Roglič (Jumbo Visma) on his wheel. 

With 2km to go, Verona still had 45 seconds, but the gap was dropping fast.

Then Roglič launched a blistering attack and it looked as though Verona would be caught. 

However, the grimacing Spaniard managed to hold off Roglič and take a superb win for Movistar. 

RESULTS

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ, STAGE SEVEN: SAINT-CHAFFREY TO JAUVANY (134.8KM)

1. Carlos Verona (Esp) Movistar, in 3-53-35
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo Visma, +13s
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo Visma, +25s
4. Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team, +27s
5. Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team, +39s
6. Esteban Chaves (Col) EF-Education Easy-Post, +40s
7. David Gaudu (Fra) Grouparma FDJ, same time
8. Louis Meintjes (Rsa) Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux, same time
9. Tao Geoghan Hart (Gbr) Ineos Grenadiers, +48s
10. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, +56s

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE SEVEN

1. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo Visma, in 25-22-08
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo Visma, +44s
3. Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team, +1-24
4. Tao Geoghan Hart (Gbr) Ineos Grenadiers, +1-30
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorius, +1-32
6. David Gaudu (Fra) Grouparma FDJ, +1-40
7. Tobias Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team, +2-05
8. Matteo Jorgenson (Usa) Movistar, +2-06
9. Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, +2-12
10. Louis Meintjes (Rsa) Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux, +2-16

Juan Sebastián Molano has been thrown out of the Critérium du Dauphiné after hitting another rider late on Friday's stage six.

The UAE Team Emirates sprinter was caught by the helicopter camera exchanging angry words with Hugo Page (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), before pushing him and then raising his hand from his bars to strike the Frenchman on the helmet.

The incident continued after the stage, as footage showed the pair remonstrating outside the Lotto-Soudal bus, with Molano once again hitting Page on the head, although this appeared to be more of a demonstration.

Shortly after the finish, and after his final altercation with Page, the 27-year-old was summoned to the UCI commissaire's truck, where he was able to mount a defence, but was disqualified from the race.

While it would be unlikely that the Colombian sprinter would have had any great opportunities in the final two Alpine days, it remains an ignominious end for him, to be sent home early from the race solely through his own actions.

"On the run-in to the finish it was fast and tense and in the heat of the moment I made a dangerous mistake," Molano said in a UAE team statement released after the stage.

"I'd like to apologise to Hugo Page and to all the riders for what happened," he continued.

"I understand why I was disqualified and can only say that I regret it and learn from it."

The pair are understood to have clashed earlier in the Dauphiné, and then again earlier on stage six, with both alleging that they were cut up by the other in the bunch.

Page, 20, has had an impressive race, finishing in the top five twice on stages, and eighth on another. As a result, he sits third in the points competition, and was wearing the green jersey on behalf of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) on Friday.

Molano finished seventh on stage six, but this result was expunged from the record due to his disqualification. The Colombian finished tenth on Thursday, his best result at the race.

The day was won by Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies), as the breakaway beat the peloton to the finish line; Molano actually won the sprint behind, which might have been more awkward for the race organisers had it been the race for first.

Valentin Ferron clinched victory from the breakaway on stage six of the Critérium du Dauphiné as the day's escape lasted the distance yet again.

The TotalEnergies rider was a member of the final six-man group, which still had over half a minute over the peloton in the last kilometres. He attacked with about 800 metres to go and held off his pursuers to take his team's second victory of this race.

Behind, Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) and Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic) left their attacks far too late, as they finished second and third behind the Frenchman, respectively.

The sprint teams tried valiantly, but for the second time in this race, the breakaway stayed out in front, and a TotalEnergies rider won.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) remains in charge of the general classification, as he came over the line with the main peloton just over 30 seconds behind the day's winner.

How it happened

Friday was probably the last opportunity for a breakaway to succeed at this Critérium du Dauphiné, ahead of two final days in the Alps which will surely be targeted by the general classification riders.

As a result, there was a fierce fight to get into the day’s big escape. The riding was so fast early on that there was a split in the peloton on the flat, with Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) briefly in the wrong part. It all came together soon, however.

Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Andrea Bagioli (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) and Lukasz Owsian (Arkéa-Samsic) finally established a gap about 30km into the stage, but this trio were caught just 8km later.

Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) attacked over the top of the first climb, the Côte de Sainte-Eulalie-en-Royans, to claim the first KOM point. He stayed in front of the peloton, and was joined by Kevin Geniets (Groupama-FDJ), Mikkel Honoré (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) and Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) with about 152km to go. They were caught by the peloton, as again the group failed to establish themselves.

The next to attack was Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM), who went over the top of the Côte des Grands Goulets to extend his lead in the mountains classification. Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic) followed him, and then they were joined by Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Andrea Bagioli (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Victor Lafay (Cofidis), and Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies) shortly after.

With 140km to go, this was the day’s break established, and they built up a lead of four minutes over the chasing bunch.

Behind, Trek-Segafredo, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert and Team BikeExchange-Jayco led the charge as they looked to secure a bunch finish at the end of the day in Gap, however, the gap to the break was stubborn and refused to come down quickly.

The six up the road worked hard together, and still had 2-30 over the peloton into the final 15km, which meant it looked like game over for the sprinters, possibly for the whole race.

Bouchard was the only rider to attempt something in the run in, surging off the front with about 5km to go, but this move was quickly mopped up.

It took Ferron to move off the front inside the final kilometre, attacking with about 800 metres to go. The others left it too long to try and catch the Frenchman up the road, with Rolland and then Barguil following in behind. It looked like the group was waiting for Bagioli to sprint, and this allowed Ferron to claim the biggest win of his career.

Ahead of two days in the mountains, this Dauphiné is finely poised. Friday's only change in the top ten of the general classification was Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) dropping out of the race, allowing Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) and everyone below him to move up one place.

Results

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ, STAGE six: Rives to Gap (196.5km)

1. Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies, in 4-22-17
2. Pierre Rolland (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM, at 3s
3. Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkéa-Samsic
4. Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
5. Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R Citroën
6. Victory Lafay (Fra) Cofidis, all at same time
7. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates, at 32s
8. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies
9. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
10. Matis Louvel (Fra) Arkéa-Samsic, all at same time

General classification after stage six

1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma, in 21-27-20
2. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, at 1-03
3. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 1-06
4. Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-32
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma, at 1-36
6. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious, at 1-49
7. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-55
8. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar, at 2-00
9. Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën, at 2-10
10. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 2-12

Wout van Aert would not let victory slip through his fingers once again. Three times this week at the Critérium du Dauphiné the Belgian, who is clearly in electric form, has been denied by seconds.

Considering this is his second stage win of the race, it has not been a bad week for the Jumbo-Visma rider. But in a different world, he could have won five out of five stages, a clean sweep so far.

There was the miscalculation with the break on stage two, which saw Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) triumph, with Van Aert leading the peloton in five seconds behind. The next day, he celebrated too early and was beaten on the line by David Gaudu - "Today I am the loser". Then stage four saw Filippo Ganna beat the Belgian by just two and a half seconds.

It simply would not be allowed to happen on Thursday. Every member of the Jumbo-Visma team, even three-time Vuelta a España champion Primož Roglič, was press-ganged into chasing down the break, and it paid off.

While Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) came close - and one does not even want to imagine the expletives used if Van Aert did not succeed - the Jumbo-Visma man sprinted to victory.

"It was a nervous final," he explained after the race. "In the beginning it looked like it was finally going to be the first controlled stage. I thought we had the breakaway in check but then they started to speed up and we started to lose ground. In the final kilometres, I was stressed that it was too short to catch them but in the end I think I passed them a few metres before the line and I could win."

It was inside the final 200 metres, but they all count. No opportunity to victory is slipping through Van Aert's fingers now. He has had enough disappointment.

"I have to thank all my teammates," he continued. "I know everybody says it, but in the end if you watch today, all six others were there for me and that makes today’s victory more special.

"I think until the last kilometre I was focused on catching the break and then I shifted to trying to do a good sprint. Luckily we had Christophe [Laporte] with a master pull in the end, and before that, I had asked the boys to do everything they could. And if even your GC guys who weigh 60 kilos are pulling, you have to finish it off."

The Belgian champion is having a remarkable season. We all knew he was one of the leading riders of his generation, winner of a unique hat-trick at the Tour de France last summer - wins on Mont Ventoux, in a time trial, and on the Champs-Élysées - but he is seemingly getting better. 

In just 19 race days in 2022 he has had five victories. He has only finished outside of the top-ten on a stage or in a one-day race three times, and one of those was twelfth at Gent-Wevelgem. His record since recovering from Covid reads: second at Paris-Roubaix, third at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, then first, sixth, second, second, and first at the Dauphiné.

"It’s huge to win again here at the Dauphiné," Van Aert said. "Today was again very difficult to catch the front group, so I needed my teammates to close the gap. I’m very proud of all my teammates."

It is hard to see him slowing. The next three stages of this race will prove if he has the ability to hang with some of the best in the mountains, but that is not out of the question, is it? Anyone who saw his work for Roglič on the final stage of Paris-Nice this year, or his exploits on Ventoux last July, would say he can climb.

He is in yellow, and leads by over a minute. Even if he drops off in the Alps, one would expect Van Aert to bounce back, to continue to win, one of the most consistent riders in cycling. There will be no more disappointments.

Wout van Aert sprinted to victory on stage five of the Critérium du Dauphiné, speeding past the breakaway in the final 100 metres of the race.

The Jumbo-Visma rider was clearly the fastest rider in the bunch, but that almost wasn't enough, as the break survived until the closing moments of the stage. 

In the end, they were caught in the final metres, and Van Aert clung on to take victory, staying in front of a charging Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe). Behind him, Ethan Hayer (Ineos Grenadiers) took his third podium placing of this week's race.

The win, and the bonus seconds, means the Belgian extends his lead in the general classification. It was heartbreak for day's escape, who were so close to a famous victory in Chaintré, after staying away for 128km.

A day that was set up for the puncheurs ended up being exactly that, although there were heart-in-mouth moments for them and their teams in the final kilometres of the stage. 

Rather than celebrating early, as he did on stage three to miss out on the win, Van Aert made sure he was first before punching the air. With good reason.

How it happened

After Wednesday’s day out time trialling, Thursday’s stage five looked like it might be a day that was suited more towards the sprinters, or potentially the puncheurs instead.

Two riders who performed well on stage four without winning, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers), were among the favourites at the beginning of the day, but it might still be a day for a pure fast man like Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco).

The peloton left Thizy-les-Bourgs facing a lumpy day of 162.3km of riding, which included almost 2000 metres of climbing, with four categorised climbs. 

It looked like breakaway territory, and therefore it was a long wait for the day’s escape to be established, as lots of different riders fought to get up the road. Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies) were among the early attackers, but their attempt came to nothing.

French champion Rémi Cavagna (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies), a pervious stage winner at this year’s Dauphiné, were the next to try something, before Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels-KTM) tried and failed to join them.

With 137km to go, Cavagna and Vuillermoz were caught. 

It was not until 128km to go, over 30km into the day’s race, that a proper break got away. The original trio were Fabien Doubey (TotalEnergies), Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), and Sebastian Schönberger (B&B Hotels-KTM). Bakelants won the first classified climb of the day. 

Almost reacting to this, the KOM leader Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) attacked from the peloton, and was joined by Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis). This pair took around 10km to bridge across to the leading group, and finally the day’s race was set.

Rolland won the sprint atop the Côte de Dun to extend his lead in the mountains competition, and the break had 2-40 with 100km still to go. Shortly after, the Frenchman sat up and allowed himself to be swallowed by the peloton, his job for the day done. Therefore Doubey, Bakelants, Thomas, and Schönberger were left alone.

Behind, it was Team BikeExchange-Jayco who were riding hard, attempting to set the pace for Groenewegen. The gap was stubbornly staying high, however, with the break working well together.

On the Col du Bois Clair, the final classified climb of the day, Ineos Grenadiers came to the front to blow BikeExchange out the back of the bunch, with Filippo Ganna leading the charge. Growenewegen was dropped with about 12km to go, which left the sprint for Van Aert and Hayter, as long as they caught the break.

With BikeExchange looking out of the picture, the next task was to catch the four men still out front.

It was looking incredibly close in the final kilometres of the day’s stage, as Jumbo-Visma and Ineos Grenadiers burned through their riders in order to set their fast men up for the finish. The gap was stubbornly holding, with the world time trial champion Ganna failing to bring down the gap too much.

As a result, both team’s GC riders were forced into the chase, with Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič (both Jumbo-Visma) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) towards the front of the chase.

Into the barriers, the final 400 metres, and it was still unclear what was going to happen. However, the riders of the peloton carried a lot more speed.

Van Aert launched his sprint earlier and held his speed to the line, not celebrating early this time, and while Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) looked close to pipping him, he ran out of road, and so the Belgian could punch the air with good reason this time. Behind, Hayter was the best of the rest.

The highest finisher of the heroic break was Bakelants, who finished eighth. To prove how quickly the peloton was going, Doubey finished 25th after being in front with less than a kilometre to go.

Van Aert's victory extended his lead in the general classification. Thanks to bonus seconds, he is now 1-03 ahead of Mattia Cattaneo (Movistar) in second, and 1-06 ahead of his teammate Roglič.

Results

CRITÉRIUM DU DAUPHINÉ, STAGE five: Thizy-les-Bourgs to Chaintré, 162.3km

1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma, in 3-38-55
2. Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe, at same time
3. Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies
5. Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
6. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
7. Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
8. Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
9. Matis Louvel (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
10. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates, all at same time

General classification after stage five

1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma, in 17-04-31
2. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, at 1-03
3. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 1-06
4. Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-32
5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma, at 1-36
6. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious, at 1-49
7. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-55
8. Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, at 1-58
9. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar, at 2-00
10. Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën, at 2-10