Jesus Herrada (Movistar) finally to a long overdue first win on the WorldTour with a hugely impressive performance in the first summit finish on stage 2 of the Criterium du Duaphiné. With a powerful acceleration inside the final 500m, he sprinted past a strong breakaway that looked like they would ride away with the victory, and put two seconds into the group that was led to the finish by Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) and Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data). Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) suffered in the finale but retained the lead.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Jesus Herrada: We have to seize our chance when Valverde and Quintana are not here

He had claimed victories in nearly every possible way: attacking in mountain finishes, using his tactical nose to perfection in one-to-one finishes and beating some quick guys in reduced field sprints. But he had never done it with so much fury and against such talented riders as he did on Tuesday at the Critérium du Dauphiné. Jesús Herrada exploited the abilities he's developed over the course of six years as pro - yet still being 25 years old - to dominate Chalmazel's slopes (stage two, 168km) and claim an impressive, maiden stage win in 2016 thanks to an intelligent Movistar Team on the way to the final Cat-3 climb.

 

The squad directed by Arrieta and Laguía knew how to keep their plan untouched until the finish, waiting for their moment. It wasn't until the final 6km uphill, already after the wear and tear of the Côte de Saint-Georges (Cat-2), where the Blues started to play their cards, five strong in a 60-rider group. Dayer Quintana went on the attack, following the wheel of Sergio Henao (SKY), one of several big attackers in the ups and downs before the finish, before Dani Moreno, always keeping the remnants of the day's most dangerous move in sight - a four-rider attempt including Frenchman Tony Gallopin (LTS) - paved the way for Herrada, who launched an unstoppable acceleration, mostly like Alejandro Valverde has offered for more than a decade, to claim his eighth success in the pro ranks and the Movistar Team's 22nd - with nine different riders - so far in 2016.

 

The win, the 10-second bonus and the two-second advantage over the main favourites leave him in 5th place overall, 27" behind Alberto Contador (TNK), with Dani Moreno at 1'13". Both will seemingly play the leading role for the Movistar Team in the Alpine course, which will tackle another intriguing finish on Wednesday with the Côte de Sécheras (Cat-2) just 21km away from Tournon-sur-Rhône.

 

“I'm so happy to have won in such an important race, against so many talented riders,” he said. “The pace during the stage was steady, without any real drops, but despite Tinkoff leading for the whole race, there was some point when the breakaway got five or six minutes, and that forced Etixx to take the lead and push hard. That rhythm before the climbs left only one chance and one thing to do for us: follow the wheels and save energy until the ascents.

 

"The team managed the situation perfectly. Fran [Ventoso] and Marc [Soler] kept us well protected, Antonio [Pedrero] helped out as much as he could and it was Rubén [Fernandezz] and Dayer's task, mostly Dayer, to follow those moves. I knew the finish, I kept in mind that it was so good for me, but at the same time, I couldn't spend a bit of energy more than I should, because I only had that one opportunity: the sprint.

 

"I tried to save that bit for the end and succeded in keeping myself calm until the final 500 meters, when Dani attacked, the break was finally caught and I saw my place to try the move in the final turn. I'm immensely happy with how things played out.

 

“I tried to keep as much strength as I could for the finale. I knew how it would be at the end so I didn't want to waste any energy to be at 100% for the sprint. We came across to the breakaway guys 500 metres before the line. Dani [Moreno] attacked, I concluded. I'm very happy.

 

”Tinkoff worked all day and Etixx-Quick Step rode hard before the [second last] climb. The finale suited me well. It was all coming fresh to the last kilometer.

 

“It is a stage suited me well and we respected the established plan this morning. We were two protected riders, Daniel Moreno and me, and we decided both to keep forces for the finale by remaining in the wheels. He launched the sprint and I finished it off.

 

”It is a pride of course but France has always  treated me well. I've won stages of the Route du Sud and the Tour du Limousin (also two at the Tour du Poitou-Charentes). I am confident here.

 

”At Movistar, everyone works for Valverde and Quintana. We, the teammates, do not forget that we are the best team in the world but we still have opportunities to seize in their absence. This is the case here in the Criterium du Dauphine. By working and continuing to grow, I hope to have the opportunity to win.

 

”I'll see day to day. The stages are not long but there is a lot of climbing. I'm in good condition and the key is to do well overall. If this is not possible, I will try to win another stage.

 

”My brother [Jose] and I are different. He works a lot for our two great leaders and is a better climber than me. I do not know the limits but I do not like comparisons. I can say that we are different.”

 

Disappointed Tony Gallopin: There was nothing to do against Herrada

Tony Gallopin finished second behind Jesús Herrada.

 

“I have mixed feelings,” he said. “I am disappointed because we were ahead with three and were close to winning. I was keeping an eye on Serge Pauwels, who seemed to be the strongest. I thought it was possible to win, but in the end Herrada did an impressive acceleration. First, he closed the gap on us and then he sprinted to the finish. There was nothing to do about it. I got second about twenty metres behind him.

 

”It’s a pity that I couldn’t win, this is the second consecutive second place for our team. It does prove that I am in good shape.

 

”In the finale I was doubting if I should wait for the sprint or attack. I made the right choice. When I attacked Kwiatkowski had already taken off, so Sky wouldn’t chase. I did all I could to win this stage, but my attempt wasn’t successful.

 

“I did my best, it was not really in the plans to anticipate but I saw that the legs were there and I wanted to try something on the penultimate climb. It was really good with Pauwels and Jeandesboz. It's a shame. But a rider came back and won. I tried.

 

”I always try to look at how the race goes. When I saw that Etixx and Tinkoff didn’t have many riders and Kwiatkowski was in front, I thought that Sky would not chase. But after Kwiatkowski could not stay with us, I was afraid that Sky took control behind. But hey, I'm here to test myself and it is a bonus ay the Dauphine.

 

“I am still disappointed. When I see that I did a good sprint at the end, it's always a shame but ... It's always difficult to try to speed up in the last kilometer because if one makes the effort too early, a counterattack can be launched. I did not look around so I did not know what was happening. I have regrets. "

 

Strong Serge Pauwels takes his chance as Boasson Hagen fades

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka were at the forefront of the 2nd stage of the Criterium du Dauphine as Daniel Teklehaimanot made the break of the day and Serge Pauwels finished in 3rd place on the stage.

 

As the riders left Creches-sur-Saone Teklehaimanot made his intentions clear straight away as he attacked after just 9km of racing. The Eritrean star managed to get a gap on the peloton before 4 other riders got across to him and together, the 5 would form the main break of the day. As the defending champ of the Dauphine King of the Mountains jersey, Teklehaimanot made sure he won the sprint for the KOM points on offer at the first 2 categorised climbs of the stage.

 

At first, the peloton held the 5 escapees at between 2 and 3 minutes but with 40km to go, the break’s continual effort to push on saw the lead increase to 5 minutes. There were still 2 categorised climbs to race over in the final 18km of the stage and Teklehaimanot would have needed to at least win maximum points on the penultimate climb to pull on the jersey. When the break started the climb the gap had dropped to just under 2 minutes and Etixx-Quickstep were really committed to the chase.

 

Unfortunately, Teklehaimanot would be caught be the main group before the summit but with the points won earlier in the stage, he now sits 3rd in the King of the Mountains competition. With the break being reeled in on the climb, a number of attacks then came from the peloton and a large number of riders were also being shelled out the back of the main group at the same point in time.

 

Pauwels put in a strong acceleration with 10km to go and eventually 3 other riders joined him as they went into the race lead with 8km to go. The quartet was able to work well together and started the final 3km climb with a 20″ advantage. The yellow jersey group which was now only 30 riders strong, never gave up chasing though and the race came back together with 500m to go.

 

Pauwels gave his all to follow the wheel of Jesus Herrada (Movistar) who came flying past with the line in sight but it was Herrada who took the stage win, Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal) just edged ahead of Pauwels to secure 2nd place with the Belgian finishing in the final podium position on the stage.

 

Pauwels said:

 

“On the second last climb I felt very good. Edvald told me he was not feeling so good anymore and that I could do my own race. I took my chance once Daniel was caught. I felt very strong but it was difficult in the last kilometer as the peloton was getting very close. I tried everything I could. I am happy with my form and the result, although it is a missed chance.”

 

Bauke Mollema wins sprint for sixth: I was surprised to be so strong

Bauke Mollema sprinted to 6th place, and Ryder Hesjedal arrived in the same time in 19th place after a punishing fast finish to stage two at the Critérium du Dauphiné Tuesday.

 

The 168-kilometer race was a test for the climbers on a hilly parcours, and with the final 20-kilometers predominantly uphill, albeit gradual, the constant attacks resulted in a super-fast pace and the general classification contenders were kept on their toes.

 

It may not have been a mountain summit finish, but with many riders hungry for a stage win the pressure never eased on the final uphills, and the peloton whittled to 29 riders by the line.

 

It all resulted in a thrilling finish as three men desperately tried to hold off the charging peloton but were tagged at the line. However, only Jesus Herrada of Movistar was able to overtake the trio and pilfer the win as the remaining peloton came in on their heels.

 

Bauke Mollema, consistent and persistent as always, sprinted across the line for 6th place.

 

"The whole day the speed was high in the peloton," said Mollema. "It was not a real uphill finish – the climb was not so hard – and in the end, there was still a fairly big group. I just tried to sprint to a good result, and it was a nice surprise for me that I still had some explosiveness left after a hard day like this.

 

"I like this kind of finish, and all the guys did a lot to help me. Markel (Irizar) and Edward (Theuns) protected me on the flats, and Ryder helped me in the final kilometer to move up. All in all, it was a good day for us. But still there are a lot of riders close to me and the last three days will be the decisive ones."

 

Both Mollema and Hesjedal passed the first GC test after the uphill prologue and moved into 10th and 11th places respectively.

 

However, Hesjedal has no lavish thoughts of riding for the overall and pointed out he is here to rebound to top form after his short rest and support Mollema:

 

"I am still trying to find the rhythm in getting back into the racing," explained Hesjedal. "It was not easy out there, but I was able to stay in the front and be in the final and give Bauke support. I will see how far I can go in the race before it does not really make sense to go deep, deep, but right now it's needed, so I will continue to suffer some more."

 

Greg Van Avermaet: I was surprised to feel so strong on the climbs

Greg Van Avermaet crossed the line in seventh place in the battle to catch the final breakaway on Stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

 

The original five-rider breakaway was caught on the final climb of the day, which made way for multiple attacks off the front of the peloton, with four new riders eventually going clear.

 

BMC Racing Team controlled the chase to bring the group back, with Van Avermaet sprinting off the front of the peloton in the final kilometer to reach the breakaway on the finish line.

 

Porte finished with the rest of the General Classification contenders to maintain his second place overall.

 

Greg Van Avermaet said:

 

“I was feeling really good, even a bit surprised about how good I felt on the climbs. We started pulling because it was a good finish for me but it was hard to catch the break back. With 800 meters to go, a couple of AG2R riders crashed in front of me, and then I started my sprint early but I couldn’t come over them. It would have been nice to win today.”

 

Confident Richie Porte: I felt really good

Richie Porte said:

 

“It was a good day. It went quite fast and the team were good around me today. It would have been better to have a couple of guys around me there in the finish, but we didn’t lose anytime which is good. I felt really good and I’m looking forward to the mountains. In the grand scheme of things that’s where everything can change.”

 

Chris Froome: Why not use our strength in numbers?

Chris Froome finished eighth on stage two of the Criterium du Dauphine to keep up the pressure on race leader Alberto Contador.

 

Froome produced a strong finish to a dramatic stage in France, which was won by Jesus Herrada (Movistar) from a dramatically reduced bunch, to maintain third place overall, 13 seconds back on Contador (Tinkoff).

Team Sky lit up the closing stages with strong attacks coming from first Michal Kwiatkowski, then Mikel Landa and Sergio Henao.

 

And it looked like Henao would do battle for the win once he'd bridged across to the three-man lead group inside the final kilometre, but the peloton made the catch in the nick of time and a fractured lunge for the line ensued.

 

Nobody could get close to the powerful Herrada though, who had time to sit up and celebrate his two-second win, while behind Froome found a burst of pace to claim his top-10 finish.

 

The day's five-man break was slowly brought back at the base of the penultimate second-category climb, before Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) hit out alone.

 

That was when Kwiatkowski made his move and set off in pursuit of the Frenchman, and he was joined by Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Fabrice Jeandesboz (Direct Energie) and Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), before Kwiatkowski fell back as the peloton upped the chase 10km from home.

 

The gap to the front group continued to fall on the final climb as Gougeard was caught, and then Landa hit out 3km from home but couldn't quite get away, before Henao launched a more decisive effort.

 

The Colombian kicked clear with Daniel Navarro (Cofidis) and they caught the trio out front just after the flamme rouge, although the peloton was far from finished behind.

 

Herrada surged through the pack to take an impressive win, while Contador just avoided losing time to Froome, finishing 23rd.

 

"I just tried to stay out of trouble and stay near the front," Froome told Cyclingnews. "We came with numbers, guys who are leaders in Landa, Poels, Kwiatkowski, and Henao. All these guys can win bike races so why not use those cards?

 

"We've got some great signings for this year and it's great that we're able to ride like that. The legs felt good in the final.

 

"As we're not in the leader's jersey at the moment we need to put pressure on the guys who are defending by riding with an aggressive tactic. We didn't end up with the stage but it worked out how we wanted it to."

 

"In the last few hundred meters for me I felt good so I pushed on and got a top 10. I’ve had good feelings so far and there's still a lot of racing to come this week. From the prologue and from today I've got a good feeling about it."

 

Valerio Conti confirms huge potential in Dauphiné mountains

The name of Valerio Conti stands out in the stage classification which was full of top riders: the twenty-three-year old cyclist from LAMPRE-MERIDA obtained the 9th place.

 

The final climb reduced the main group and Conti and Meintjes avoided the crash of Vuillermoz and Barde. The young Italian rider was in the front positions when Herrada made the winning attack. Conti was 9th, Meinties 29th, both at two seconds from the winner.

In the general classification Conti and Meintjes are 13th and 14th at 52" and 54" respectively.

 

"It was a nice try of Conti and Meintjes. They arrived at the finish line in the GC group and showed a good condition,” said sports director Philippe Mauduit. “It should be emphasized that the whole team has worked well during the stage, each rider contributed to the performance Valerio and Louis: in particular, Zurlo and Cattaneo were instrumental in the approach to the penultimate climb and Mori remained with the lead group until 4 km from the finish, while Grmay was unfortunate to be left behind due to an unexpected mechanical caused by accidental contact with the wheel of another rider.”

 

Conti was satisfied:

 

"It's nice to be able to exploit the good condition with which I finished the Giro and I'm happy to have arrived with a chance to get a good result alongside the established stars. It is a step forward in my maturing as a rider. 
 

”The important thing is to give my contribution to the team and stay as long as possible with Louis when the climbs will become more challenging.”

 

Joaquim Rodriguez tests his legs in first mountain stage at the Dauphiné

It wasn’t so steep at the end of Tuesday’s stage 2 in Chalmazel-Jeansagnière, but it was still enough for Team KATUSHA’s Joaquim Rodriguez to test his legs and see how his form is coming along in the 68th Critérium du Dauphiné. At the end of the day, ‘Purito’ Rodriguez is happy with what he sees and so is his team director.

 

”The last two climbs were really fast. In the end I tried to participate in the accelerations of the last kilometer, but I ended up being a bit boxed in when I was near the front and everyone started braking for a right corner. At that moment Herrada jumped away on my left and took the win. But all in all I am OK and happy with my overall feelings, especially on the last climb I felt good. Earlier on the second-category climb I was suffering a bit,” said team leader Joaquim Rodriguez.

 

Jesús Herrada (Movistar) jumped away to earn the win by two-seconds to Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal), Serge Pauwels of Dimension Data and Fabrice Jeandesboz (Direct Energie). The latter three were in front for the last 7 km but were caught on the finish line. Rodriguez was tenth in the same group.

 

”This was not a steep climb in the final, but the group was going super fast and this is the first day we have had such warm temperatures. In the last 30 km there were many attacks resulting in many riders being dropped. Joaquim and Jurgen Van den Broeck remained in the front and for the final Joaquim tried to play for the stage. He finished in the front and he has good feelings so we continue to be optimistic for the week,” said team director José Azevedo.

 

U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner beats the stars at the Dauphiné

The team Wanty-Groupe Gobert again played a significant role in the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Guillaume Martin perfectly followed the best riders on the final ascent of Chalmazel - Jeansagnière. The French rider took the 11th place.

 

"First I want to enjoy it. Afterwards, we’ll analyse the race", Guillaume Martin said.

 

A breakaway of five riders - without any rider of Wanty-Groupe Gobert - quickly got clear. Their riders were waiting for the final kilometres of the stage with two long climbs.

 

Most of the riders were dropped on the category two climb, the Côte de Saint-Georges-en-Couzan. Two riders of Wanty-Groupe Gobert Guillaume Martin and Björn Thurau managed to stay in the group of favourites.

 

About fifty riders started at the last climb of the day, the ascent of Chalmazel-Jeansagnière. In the last kilometre the group of favourites totally exploded. The winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 in 2015 gave everything and easily followed the best riders on the climb. Jésus Herrada (Movistar) attacked and won the stage. Guillaume Martin finished only at two seconds behind the Movistar's rider and was 11th of the stage.

 

“I didn’t understand what I did among the big stars but my legs were good. So I gave everything. I tried to get a good result. It is a good day for me.”

 

The French rider hopes to get a top ten by the end of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

 

“It was close today. I’ll try again in the next few days”, he concluded.

 

Julian Alaphilippe with no excuses: If I had felt better, I would have been in a better position

Once Etixx – Quick-Step hit the front of the peloton inside the last 30 kilometers, the stage came to life, as Tony Martin, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh chewed into the escapees' advantage, bringing it down to just 1:30 with 17 kilometers to go, on the penultimate ascent of the day.

 

Both Dan Martin and Julian Alaphilippe came with what was left of the bunch, two seconds behind the winner, and will rest for another day in the top 5 of the French race. Still, despite finishing in the same time as the other contenders, it wasn't all roses for the Etixx – Quick-Step duo, as Alaphilippe explained:

 

"There was a crash of Romain Bardet with around one kilometer to go and both of us got caught behind, so had to brake and then chase hard to return to the front. That was a really big effort, which meant we couldn't contest the sprint, but we are keen to try again this week. What matters is that we showed we are a good and strong team, commited to take the responsibility in the peloton and go after the break so we can have a shot at victory.

“It was really full gas in the last kilometers. There was a small crash after the flamme rouge because it was nervous in the finale. Dan Martin and I touched some guys and needed to brake. At the end, I don't lose any time so it's fine. I lost a few position and it was hard to make it back to the front.

 

”The race was really fast and hard so it wasn't possible to go for the stage victory. However I gave it all until the finishing line. Had I been in a better condition, I would have been positioned better and I would have fought for the victory but I couldn't. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed by my feelings. We're not a lot of riders in the first group at the end so I have no regret.”

 

Crash costs Fabio Aru more time at the Dauphiné

Fabio Aru lost 21 seconds as he was caught behind the crash in the finale.

 

"It is a real pity because of the guys (four riders of the AG2R Team) who crashed in front of us at just 600 meters to go,” commented Andrei Grivko after the finish. My team mates and I were well positioned on the 'good wheels' but unfortunately the crash of those riders forced us to brake in the key moment.

 

"It has been a challenging stage, the kind of stage that is really helpful to prepare the Tour de France in the best way. We did 2300 meters of elevation gain and even without very long climbs, we did a very good step in our preparation."

 

Nacer Bouhanni: I hope to survive the climb tomorrow

“There might be a sprint tomorrow but it'll be very different from the finish of stage 1 at Saint-Vulbas,” Nacer Bouhani said. “There's a 3-km long hill where I'll have to hang on. I've won in those conditions before, notably during Paris-Nice this year but the climb is harder this time. Our team's goal is already fulfilled with a stage win and the green jersey seems quite far away for now. Let's start with overcoming tomorrow. It might be touchy again in the sprint, as it often is, but with the climbs in the finale, there might be fewer sprinters in contention. It's hard to say if I'm the strongest sprinter in this peloton because every sprint is different.”

 

Strong Daniel Navarro close to victory in Dauphiné mountains

With his late attack, Cofidis captain Daniel Navarro was close to the victory.
 

“It was a difficult stage with a final for climbers,” he said. “The sensations were really good. After my attack, I managed to catch the top three close to the finish. I thought that I was going to do a sprint for victory but behind the pack was strong and we were caught. However, the key was not to lose time. I gained two places in the overall, so it's a good day for me.”

 

His teammate Rudy Molard added:

 

“My role was to support Daniel Navarro on the last two climbs. I managed to stay with him for a long time. On the the final climb, we were sixth and seventh. He attacked and was not really far from victory. I finished a bit behind the first group that had to brake when there was a fall with Alexis Vuillermoz.”

 

Sports director Didier Rous said:
 

"The goal for Dani was to follow the best, not to lose time. Rudy Molard did well to assist in this task. They were instructed to ride in front in the final kilometers as the final had many changes of direction and a crosswind. They did very well and Dani’s acceleration was really strong. He did not miss much. It was not necessarily expected that Dani would attack, but he seized his chance. He gained two position overall. In the last three stages, he will have to maintain his position and maybe improve it.

 

Manager Yvon Sanquer said: 

"We came to the Dauphiné to win a stage. We had a positive pressure for this objective. Now it is acheived and the key is serenity. On Wednesday, we will try to survive the climb in the final in the best conditions to allow Nacer Bouhanni to go for another success. We will try to allow Daniel Navarro to defend his good position overall. I'm not too worried me after what he showed on Tuesday.”

 

Orica-GreenEDGE: We tried to go for the win with Simon Gerrans

23-Year old Briton Adam Yates crossed the line with the leaders on the summit finish of stage two of the Criterium du Dauphine today, moving up to seventh on the general classification.

 

Yates and ORICA-GreenEDGE rode a measured, intelligent race as the stage came to life on the final climbs of the day with the British rider staying comfortably with the leaders when the selection was made.

 

A late breakaway was caught in the final few hundred metres by a heavily reduced peloton that included Yates for ORICA-GreenEDGE and race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff).

 

The stage was eventually won by Jesus Herrada (Movistar), who sprinted clear at the last moment finishing a couple of bike lengths ahead of the bunch.

 

Sport director Laurenzo Lapage praised the work of the team on a hot and humid day.

 

“It was a hard stage today,” said Lapage. “It was very hot and difficult work going over the climbs. The team did a fantastic job of holding our position throughout the day especially as we hit the last climbs.

 

“Adam (Yates) rode really well in the finale, one of our objectives was to try not to lose any time and in the end we gained a little. I’m very happy with how all the riders performed.”

 

“The winning move came very late,” explained Lapage. “We tried with Simon Gerrans towards the finish but, the pace on the final climb was really high and it turned out be a smaller selection who went on to contest the win.

 

“As always in this race we are building up slowly to the big mountain stages and tomorrow will be another tough day.”

 

Alberto Contador: I am still missing the explosiveness for such a finish

Alberto Contador crossed the line with the bunch, a couple of seconds down on the stage winner. Having kept the yellow jersey safe, Contador goes into stage 3 retaining his six second lead in the GC.

 

From the finish, the Spanish rider was making sure he kept his goal of performing well at the Tour de France in sight, in spite of a lot of effort from other teams to push the GC race.

 

"It's always nice having the yellow jersey but our main goal here is to build our form for the Tour de France. However, it would always be better to have it on the last day rather than now. Today was a very fast day, with other teams interested in working for the stage win, which allowed me to keep the leader's jersey. It was another training day.”

 

Sport Director Sean Yates echoed the Tinkoff leader’s comments.

 

“In a short race like the Dauphiné it’s important to defend the jersey. Unlike the Grand Tours where you can see how the race unfolds over three weeks, you only have five days, without the big mountains, to take or make up time.”

 

The team made a huge impact on the way the day unfolded, Yates continued.

 

“Today we used the riders as best as we could, using some for the first half of the stage and others for the second. Jesper and Roman did a sterling job on the last climb, keeping Alberto out of trouble and they did their fair share of chasing.”

 

When the pace picked up towards the end, Yates was pleased that Contador finished safely.

 

“It was an exciting finale, but another day ticked off for the team. With the breakaway and the way the attacks came at the end, the result could have been a lot worse. The break went early, and the team worked hard to control it, and then Etixx-Quick Step took it up with 30km to go to reduce the deficit as they had aspirations for the stage. On the final climb, it was a bit of a long drag with two sections, and that’s where the war started and everyone started going.”

Contador found the parcours straightforward, but it was the racing that was the real challenge today.

 

“The climbs weren't difficult but there was a lot tension because everybody is fighting for a good position. I still haven't reached the optimal race rhythm, speed or high cadence in the legs but this is precisely the reason we are here. We keep adding training days. It was a complicated stage finish where everybody wanted to stay ahead. The wind was blowing quite hard so if you tried to be in front you had it against you. At the end it was a day where we spent a lot of energy in an up and down terrain but it's another day in the bag.

 

“It's been a quick day, very quick till the last moment. At the end I've seen the situation was good for us. It's always nice to have the yellow jersey but… The team is in good form. We came here to work ahead of the Tour de France. It would be better to have the yellow jersey at the end than now.

 

“Today it was all about positioning. I don't have the speed in the legs yet but it's been a good day of training in that perspective. It was a complicated stage at the end, with climbs to finish and some riders at the front. There was some wind and the terrain was up and down all day.

 

“When Sky attacked, it wasn't a problem for us. We have the yellow jersey but we don't mind losing it now, especially if we get it back on the last day. It was more about maintaining the rhythm of the race high and passing one more day without any problem.

 

"It was a difficult day because from the start of the stage it was really fast. The team had to work all day for me and in the final we just continued with our plan. Other teams started to work really hard as they tried to win the stage,” he told Cyclingnews.

 

"I just looked after the leader's jersey but that's not the objective to think about one day. The aim is mainly to improve day by day and if possible we'll win the yellow jersey on the last day. Finally, the race situation meant that we could keep it but it is secondary. The objective is to work towards July and the Tour.

 

"Sky are here with a clear objective and that's to win the GC. For us it's a little different. They have four or five riders with options for this but our race is calm at the moment and we'll carry on taking it day by day and work on training all ahead of July."

 

Yates predicted that the hot weather was having an impact on the riders, being one of the first races in more summery conditions and with the fast pace of the race so far.

 

“The breakaway wasn’t a danger to the GC race, but they weren’t the only ones chasing at the end. Their chances of staying out were slim, and they put up a great fight, but the break riders came second, third and fourth, which showed how close it came. It was always going to go fast up the climb and it was tough because of the humidity and that made the stage a lot harder. No one’s raced in really hot weather yet and the humidity definitely takes it out of the riders.”

 

Tomorrow sees a more relaxed parcours, with two fourth category climbs and the second category Côte de Sécheras, but a less challenging profile does not mean an easier ride, with the 187.5km stage the longest of this year’s race and the route steadily creeping uphill from the start. The second category climb comes 20km from the finish, and may help a breakaway stick or form a launch platform for an attack, but with a downhill section before a flat run to the finish in Tournon-sur-Rhône, the race may still come down to the final push to the finish line.

 

“Our strategy for tomorrow will be the same as today,” said Yates of tomorrow’s stage. “There’s a steep climb at the end, which the sprinters are unlikely to be able to get over and still contest the stage win, as it’s not far to the finish. We want Alberto to remain in contention at the end of the race but don’t want to jeopardise the jersey.”

 

Romain Bardet and Alexis Vuillermoz crash out of GC contention at the Dauphiné

The AG2R La Mondiale team has gone through all the feelings in the second stage with Alexis Gougeard in the break and then a crash involving Alexis Vuillermoz and Romain Bardet.

 

"We crashed 700 meters from the line,” Bardet said. “Alexis Vuillermoz fell. I was on his wheel. We both went down. We had done a nice climb. Everything went well. We had everything ready to do the finish. 
 

”It's a shame to lose those seconds I had won during the prologue with a great effort due to a second of inattention. I'm not injured but the GC is over. 45 seconds is a lot. I’ll have to change my goal and get a beautiful stage win like last year.

 

"I am not hurt and then fortunately nothing is unsalvageable.”

 

"I'm disappointed because until that moment, everything went well for us,” Vuillermoz said. “Cyril Gautier brought be to the finish. There was a swerve on his left. I touched his wheel and I crashed. I was treated at the finish and got two stitches in the right hand but it is nothing serious.”

 

"There was a lot of tension in the final,” said managerVincent Lavenu.” There was a swerve and our riders crashed. Until then, we had the perfect race and we did not deserve that. After the good prologue with Romain Bardet and the work at Sierra Nevada, all investments had been made to do well so it's frustrating!”

 

 "We had very motivated boys so this frustration is enormous," said sports director Julien Jurdie.

 
Alexis Vuillermoz suffered multiple abrasions to the lower limbs, upper limbs and back and has some bruises. He got two stitches in the right hand according to Dr. Eric Bouvat, medical director of the AG2R La Mondiale team. 

 

Alexis Gougeard ready for Tour de France debut after great attack at the Dauphiné

"The race started pretty quickly with a group of good climbers,” Alexis Gougeard said. “At the beginning I did not feel good. Gradually I got better. In the end, I felt that the other riders were going strong. I managed my effort. I decided to go 12-13 km from the finish as the peloton came back fast.Iit was an attempt to find a good feeling. It's good. I hope to continue to grow during the Dauphiné and emerge even stronger.

 

"It was complicated. I felt the peloton chased hard. We have been making efforts for a long, long time since we have not had more than 3 minutes. I tried and the legs were good which is nice. When we had 5 minutes at the bottom of the climb, I thought it was possible. My sports director Stéphane Goubert was enthusiastic but I soon realized it wasn’t possible.

 

“I managed my escape. The sensations return. I'm here to find out where I am after a big two-week camp in Sierra Nevada with the team. It's important for me to get reassured. I hope to get to the Tour with big sensations, with the capacity to do great things." 

 

Bartosz Huzarski back in form with great ride at the Dauphiné

BORA – ARGON 18 decided to be active on the front from the beginning. Bartosz Huzarski was in the break. He made a strong impression.. After his injury last winter, the Polish vetera of the team seems to reach his top level again. He was also part of the group of riders that prepared at the team’s altitude training camp in Livigno.

 

With 20k to go the leading group was down to 2 riders, Huzarski and Gougeard. Huzarski had to let Gougeard go but he later made it back with the late attackers. He was the last man standing from the early break but he lost contact 3 kilometres to the finish.

 

With Buchmann, Konrad, Voss and Nerz, BORA – ARGON 18 had 4 riders in the first group.

 

“Bartosz did a great job today and he looked really strong. But also with 4 riders in the first group we can be really happy today. Even two of them had to stop because of a crash in the last kilometre,” said Enrico Poitschke, sports director.

 

“With 20k to go we still had 3 minutes, sometimes that’s enough, but most of the final kilometres were uphill and then it’s really hard against the peloton. Especially when you have to pull hard on the front all day long, there is nothing left in your legs in the end. I was close, but on the other hand far away from taking the win,” said Bartosz Huzarski.

 

Stef Clement tests his legs in comeback at the Dauphiné

Having not been able to compete for several weeks on account of a broken collarbone, Stef Clement is launching his comeback at the Dauphiné.  In search of confidence and eager to test himself at the highest level, the four-time Dutch time trial champion tried to surprise the peloton with an attack five kilometers from the finish on Tuesday. 

 

“I was in the vanguard,” Clement explained.  “I doubted my strength two different occasions, then I just decided to try it and go all out.  I attacked alone.  I had nothing to lose.  And I certainly do not want to have any regrets once I cross the finish line.  Having been able to sustain an attack, even if this particular attempt did not result in a victory, bodes well for the coming days.  It helps me to regain some confidence in my abilities.  Now I will no longer doubt myself.”

 

“We had two cards to play for this first summit finish,” IAM directeur sportif Lionel Marie said.  “First, if Sondre Holst Enger managed to get over the day’s climbs, then we wanted to take him in for the sprint.  And then on the other hand, Oliver Naesen had a free hand.  But before the climb, both were frank with their teammates, and told them that they were not going to be able to be in the shape needed to succeed in this stage.  By being honest and respecting the established tactics, this team will build itself and remain united.  Special mention for the day should go to Stef Clement who went on the offensive having just returned from injury.  Similarly, Jérôme Coppel had the misfortune to be behind the small crash between Romain Bardet and Alexis Vuillermoz who fell ahead of him.  He risked losing some time in the overall, but I am satisfied with what the boys did today.”

 

Jonas Van Genechten was experiencing breathing difficulties throughout the stage, which forced him to abandon Tuesday.  The team’s sports management and medical staff will discuss when he will be fit to return to competition.

 

George Bennett loses time due to crash in Dauphiné finale

George Bennett followed the best climbers during the second stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné today to Chalmazal-Jeansagnière, France. The Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider from New Zealand, however, lost 20 seconds due to a crash and finished 34th. Jesus Herrada (Movistar) won the day.

 

“He was able to follow the best riders,” Sports Director Merijn Zeeman said. “It’s a pity that he was involved in that crash in the final 500 metres of the stage. He didn’t crash himself, but he was bothered by it a lot.”

 

A couple of Team LottoNL-Jumbo riders took to the front of the peloton in the final kilometres towards the important penultimate climb of the second stage in the Criterium du Dauphiné. Moreno Hofland and Mike Teunissen led out Bennett to the foot of that climb so he could start the final part of the race in good position.

 

“There’s a great atmosphere in the team,” added Zeeman. “The guys want to help each other as much as possible although we don’t have a real leader this week. Today, they did the best they could for George. He delivered a strong race afterwards.”

 

On Wednesday, the attackers might have a chance in the third stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné to Tournon.

 

“It will be a big fight to make the breakaway, but we want to compete in that fight,” Zeeman said. “We’re going to give it all to be part of the break.”

 

Giant-Alpecin save energy at the Criterium du Dauphiné

The stage really came to life on the penultimate climb of the day. The pace in the peloton was extremely high and the Giant-Alpecin riders decided to save some energy for the upcoming stages.

 

Lars van der Haar was the first to cross the line for the team in 96th on the tricky uphill drag to the finish.

 

Coach Aike Visbeek said: “Today we decided to save our energy for the next two sprint chances. Our guys were never in difficulties and we look forward to the next stages.”