Pogacar Claims Critérium du Dauphiné Stage With Sprint Finish

⁣ Updated June 08,2025
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Tadej Pogacar secured a surprising victory in the ⁢opening stage of the⁢ Critérium du Dauphiné,showcasing his‍ sprinting prowess ⁤against top contenders.The world champion conquered the stage into⁢ Montluçon, out-sprinting⁢ Jonas vingegaard and Mathieu van der ⁣Poel.

Vingegaard initiated the decisive five-man breakaway within the final 6 kilometers, following the last categorized climb. Remco Evenepoel and Santiago ⁢Buitrago also joined the move, contributing too the frantic pace.

Evenepoel drove the breakaway,⁣ but lacked the final burst to overtake Van der poel, who ⁢finished ‍third. Pogacar ⁣launched his sprint from behind, narrowly edging out Vingegaard at‍ the finish line. ⁤The pair shared⁣ a moment of camaraderie after the stage.

Jake‍ Stewart led the peloton across the line, unable to deny Pogacar the stage win and the leader’s yellow jersey. The Tour de France looms, ⁢and the top riders are already displaying strong form.

“No,⁢ I was not, I⁢ was all prepared to come back pretty fast to the bus after the finish… but⁤ I don’t ⁢mind being here as well,” Pogacar saeid after his unexpected win.

Pogacar explained that he followed the attacks on the climb, and then the⁢ Visma team launched repeated attacks. He managed to cover them, including a ⁤”painful” attack from Vingegaard. The downhill run to the⁢ finish allowed him to recover.

With 2km remaining,⁣ Pogacar shifted his focus to the sprint, recognizing Van der poel’s speed. ⁤He adjusted his strategy ⁤and it paid off.

“[With] 2km to go I ⁣was thinking more about ⁤the sprint than just the GC. I knew Van der Poel was the fastest obviously in⁢ the group… I switched my focus, and it worked,” Pogacar⁤ stated.

Pogacar added that he is already happy with his performance at the⁣ Dauphiné, but looks forward to testing ⁣his form in ⁤the time trial and mountain‍ stages. He joked about potentially retiring in 2030 when his contract ends.

What’s next

The Critérium du Dauphiné continues with challenging stages,offering further⁢ opportunities for the GC contenders to test their⁤ form ahead of the Tour de France.All eyes will be on Tadej Pogacar to see if he can maintain his lead.