De Gendt adds Dauphiné stage to his collection

June 4 ^th 2017 - 15:17

Seven riders in the lead after the first climb

176 riders took the start of stage 1 of the 69th Critérium du Dauphiné. A seven-man breakaway was formed as the col du Pilon (km 11.5) was crested: Axel Domont (AG2R-La Mondiale), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Antonio Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Romain Sicard (Direct Energie), Silvio Herklotz (Bora-Hansgrohe), Delio Fernandez and Angel Madrazo (Delko Marseille Provence KTM). They got a five-minute lead at km 50 while the bunch was led by Team Sky. De Gendt rode for the polka dot jersey. After cresting the côte de la Roche (km 57) in first position, he continued riding solo at the front before awaiting his breakaway companions after the côte de Périgneux (km 61.5) where the maximum deficit of the bunch was recorded: 6.35.

Dimension Data in the chase

The five-minute difference between the seven leaders and the peloton was back in the books at km 100. Dimension Data took over from Team Sky at the head of the peloton and did an enormous work along with Astana to bring the breakaway back as they eyed a fifth stage victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné for Edvald Boasson Hagen. With 40km to go, their deficit was reduced to 3.15 but the lack of cooperation in the bunch led to an increase ten kilometers further: 3.45 with 30km to go. The difference was 2.45 with 20km to go as De Gendt and Domont had gone clear off the breakaway group in the second ascent of the côte de Rochetaillée on the final circuit in Saint-Étienne.  

De Gendt wins solo

De Gendt rode Domont off as he accelerated in the climb with 8km to go. There was more action at the head of the peloton after Orica-Scott significantly reduced the gap as Diego Ulissi (UAE), Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Pierre Latour (AG2R-La Mondiale) rode away. The Belgian from Lotto-Soudal reached the finishing line in Saint-Étienne with an advantage of 43 seconds over Domont while Ulissi crossed the line in third place. De Gendt will wear the yellow jersey on stage 2 from Saint-Chamond to Arlanc.