Etixx - Quick-Step rider Julian Alaphilippe finished 15th in the 132km Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 1 on Sunday, as Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) held off the peloton by attacking a late race escape group to win solo.

Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) was 2nd, and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team MTN - Qhubeka) finished 3rd out of the field sprint behind.

Kennaugh attacked a six-rider breakaway with 2.4km to go, and the gap down to just 7 seconds. The breakaway was a combination of Bjorn Thurau (Bora-Argon 18), who was part of the original four-rider escape group, Daniel Oss (BMC Racing Team), who went over the top of an accelerating Tony Martin to try and bridge to Thurau solo, and a four-rider chase group. Those riders all came together with 4km remaining, and the gap at 14 seconds.

Martin attacked with less than 13km to go, as the peloton was getting over the top of Cote du Villard (1.2km, 8.7%).

The peloton crossed just two seconds behind Kennaugh, with Alaphilippe near the front.

"It was a stage that suited me well, he told Dauphine Libere. "I received the support of my team, especially from Tony Martin, Maxime Bouet and David de la Cruz. But from the start of the stage I did not have good legs. I held on to stay ahead on the last climb. My teammates positioned me perfectly but the legs were not good enough. So I have no regrets. Now I hope it will get better in the coming days to aim for a stage win and help my leaders for the GC."

Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to 173km Stage 2 on Monday, from Le Bourget-du-Lac to Parc des Oiseaux Villars-les-Dombes. The stage is considered medium mountain, but the categorized climbs are early in the stage, with the remaining profile being mostly flat.