Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) got a significant confidence boost for the Tour de France by riding to a storming victory in the unique mountain prologue at the Criterium du Dauphiné. Sprinting up the brutally steep Mont Chery in a time of 11.36, the Spaniard was six seconds faster than Richie Porte (BMC) while defending champion Chris Froome (Sky) was left disappointed with third, 13 seconds behind the Spaniard.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Alberto Contador: It’s not a surprise to beat Froome

The much-anticipated Critérium du Dauphiné began today with a formidable uphill prologue. The route to Le Mont Chery from Les Gets featured gradients of over 20% - a course that would soon mark out who was on form and who wasn’t. As one of the last riders out, Tinkoff’s leader, Alberto Contador, started out strong, first taking the provisional lead, before taking the stage win with an advantage of six seconds.

 

Starting his campaign as one of the last riders out, Contador’s GC rivals had already set some incredibly strong times on the course, with the fastest coming home in under twelve minutes. With Contador passing his minute-man with ease, the scenes on the climb resembled a full mountain stage, with spectators lining the roads to give the Tinkoff leader their full support. Sport Director, Steven De Jongh, said the atmosphere was great for the riders.

 

“There were a lot of people on the climb. There was no room for camper vans so people had to make an effort to walk up the climb, but still there was a great atmosphere.”

 

The split times showed that Contador was performing well, but some of the steepest sections of the day were still to come. The last hairpins out of the way, and looking comfortable, it was a straight run in to the finish line – and the crowds already knew that the Spanish rider was going to start his race with a stage win. Contador crossed the line with a time of 11’36” and held the provisional lead by an incredible thirteen seconds. With all riders in, Contador took the stage win with six seconds separating him and second place.

 

With such a strong field, Contador was surprised to have won the stage.

 

"I started really well. Today was a day to use the form that I had built up in training. I am happy with the sensations. The climb, especially in the final, was tough. It is completely different to doing a time trial on the flat. For riders with characteristics like mine it is very beneficial,” he said.

 

“I knew there was a good time trial on this course but I didn't know if it were tough enough to win. My legs were missing speed, my heart was beating like crazy but I can't say it's a surprise to beat Chris Froome. However, I didn't expect to win. It was a very hard time trial, especially from km 2 to 1km to go with a gradient of more than 20%. You had to do the first part really fast and keep the rhythm there as well. The fact it was hard suited me really well.”

De Jongh was pleased to see Contador come out so strong on the first day of this important race.

 

“We knew that the prologue suited Alberto. With such a steep climb we were hoping for a good result. It was nice to finish the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, have a good rest and then go hard here and win again. It’s good for morale so we’re really happy.”

 

While taking a stage win today, Contador was well aware there was a lot of racing still to come.

 

“Today was a perfect a perfect day. We had a short race, we had to do it a full pace and from now we will take the race day by day. The time gaps are very small and some teams, especially Sky, came here to win. They brought a team with four or five riders that could claim the GC. I think they are the ones that will go for it.”

 

Tomorrow’s first road stage will see Contador wearing the Maillot Jaune of the race leader. The 186km route will see the race cross four fourth category climbs earlier on in the day, before a flat run for the last 50km. This is unlikely to be a stage the GC riders will contest, however, and so the aim will be to keep Contador safe. De Jongh was pleased to see some time gaps early on, but there’s a lot of the race to come.

 

“Ahead of tomorrow there are already some gaps in the GC but the most important thing is to come out better as the race goes on. Of course the GC is important, but not at any price. Tomorrow’s stage suits the sprinters so we’ll see what happens there.”

 

While already ahead in the GC race, the Tinkoff leader was sticking to his plan of building for the Tour de France.

 

“My goal here is to keep building my form for the Tour de France. It will be a long week and the squad and myself will stick to our goal of fine-tuning for the Tour. Aiming at the GC here will be a big wear for us, so we will let other teams take that responsibility.

 

"I gave 100 per cent and I’m content now with the day. The race is a good marker for the Tour, and the general classification will be very difficult, especially with teams such as Sky, who are here with a really potent team. We will just take it day by day.

 

"I do not want to make unnecessary efforts or ask my teammates to do so. I'm happy with my victory today, but I do not think we will defend the jersey. There are teams who have come for this, teams like Sky have a very big collective. So for the GC, it will be hard. "

 

Richie Porte after second place: No one had even mentioned my name

Richie Porte powered to second place on the tough opening prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné crossing the line six seconds behind winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff).

 

The 3.9 kilometer course was a brutal first test of the legs, with gradients of 15 percent at the finish, and an average gradient of 9.7%.

 

Chris Froome set the early best time of 11’49 and remained in the hot seat until Contador arrived to clock 11’36, and Porte following just behind.

 

Richie Porte said:

 

“That last 500m! It was just such a hard prologue. I haven’t raced for the good part of a month and a half and I’ve flown under the radar so much this year. No one has even mentioned my name. I think it’s good to be coming into this race with less pressure. There was certainly no hiding today so I think it is good for me in the big picture. At the end of it I could hardly stand up. It’s a nice way to start a race, it’s a bit different to a normal stock standard flat prologue.

 

"I lost the time trial in the last 500 meters. I just exploded. I still think that this result is a good sign after not having raced for a month and a half. At the end, I wanted even more. It was an effort that was more suited to small and punchy climbers. I think this is a great way to start the race, it is different from the prologues that are about power and all flat. I think all those who are in the first ranks are in good shape and able to fight in the race. Now the plan is to stay out of trouble until next weekend. This is where the race will be won. So for me, the plan is to save myself until Saturday.

 

“I’m planning to stay out of trouble for the rest of the stages. We’ve got a strong team and there’s no easy day here really. I think it’s good that Tinkoff have to defend the jersey now. We’ll save it all, as much as we can, for the weekend.”

 

 

Valerio Piva, Sports Director, added:

 

“Of course when you start a race, you start with the objective of winning. Richie finished second, six seconds behind Contador, and we put Froome behind so it was a very good performance from Richie. This is only the start. Richie feels good, he’s strong. We don’t have the jersey now which is less stress for the team. But of course we’re going to try in the next days to get the jersey, and try and have it at the end. The prologue is done and now we look to the stages.”

Chris Froome: This year I am trying to save something for the third week of the Tour

Chris Froome finished third in the opening prologue stage at the Criterium du Dauphine with a strong showing on the first day in France.

 

Froome went early and set a time of 11 minutes and 49 seconds on the brutal four-kilometre uphill test to take a lead he then held for the majority of the stage, until Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) and Richie Porte (BMC) overhauled the Brit right at the death, by 13 and six seconds respectively.

 

Wout Poels was the last man to go in Les Gets and he couldn't match Contador's time but did come home an impressive sixth, 25 seconds down on the new race leader.

 

A relaxed Froome was in good spirits after the stage, and he told TeamSky.com that he was happy with how he felt following a long training stint in Tenerife.

 

He said: "I'm happy with that. It's a good gauge of how I've pulled up after Tenerife and a long break from racing. I felt good, and although you can't read much into 4km, the feelings I'm getting are good. We'll have our work cut out this week though, with Richie [Porte] and Contador here. They are the main guys to beat.

 

"This week is a good chance to get some racing intensity in the legs and given that we've got a few guys here who will probably go into the Tour de France squad, it's really important for us to get through the week as best we can in terms of working together. We've got a fantastic team here: guys who are leaders in their own right, so there could be some really exciting racing.”

 

“It was only a four-kilometre prologue, but that was really tough. There were gradients of 20 per cent, and I was running out of legs and just squeezing every bit out for the line,” he told Cyclingpro.net and Cyclingnews.

“I’m happy with the numbers and the feelings I had on the bike. The sensations show that the form is there I’m in good shape but I’ve still got some work to do, and we’re a month out from the Tour still. I’m glad that’s out of the way.

“I had a look at the weather and in the last few days, it’s been raining in the afternoons here. Also, I just thought it would be easier to just get up and race, rather than wait all day. It also gives me a bit more recovery for tomorrow.
 

“I’m happy with my build up. It’s been very different to last year, much slower of an approach this year and I’m hoping that it will bring me to the third week of the Tour in better shape than in previous years.”

 

"I am here to try to win, for sure.”

 

Mikel Landa made a strong return to racing for the first time since abandoning the Giro d'Italia due to illness, finishing 12th, 44 seconds back on Contador, while Michal Kwiatkowski recorded a time just one second slower than his team-mate to finish 13th, meaning we claimed the team classification prize.

 

The course had an average gradient of nearly 10% and it was clearly a tough day in the saddle for the riders as large time splits emerged on the general classification.

 

Sergio Henao, returning to action for the first time since the UCI announced they would take no action against the Colombian, finished 40th, while Salvatore Puccio, Luke Rowe and Ian Standard all finished safely.

 

 

Sport Director Nico Portal was also happy after the day's endeavours, and he highlighted the strength of the team in France.

 

He said: "I'm really happy. We've got four guys in the top 15 so that shows the strength we have here. It was a really hard time trial and I'm happy with everyone.

 

"It's a very interesting Dauphine actually. We had a really hard prologue today, then tomorrow and Tuesday are likely to be stages for the sprinters, and the last three or four days will be really hard. Before that though, the guys need to be focused. We could have an easy day but the weather may be tough, the speed could go high - the guys need to stay alert."

 

Julian Alaphilippe after fifth place: I am not here for the GC

The Criterium du Dauphiné got underway on Sunday with a short, steep and challenging prologue, which saw the riders tackle Mont Chéry, a 3.9-km long climb averaging 9.7%. Racing his home event for the third season in a row, this time as the winner of the Tour of California, Julian Alaphilippe was among the early starters and rode full gas on the tough slopes of the ascent to the Les Gets ski station, clocking a time of 12 minutes. This result was enough to see Alaphilippe take the hot seat, where he stayed for a fair amount of time, before being dethroned by Chris Froome (Team Sky).

 

For 24-year-old Julian Alaphilippe, the end of the prologue brought a visit to the podium, where he was rewarded with the white jersey, which he'll wear on Monday, during the 186-km long stage between Cluses and Saint-Vulbas, a new addition to the French race. This wasn't the first time he managed to impress this season in a time trial, the performance on Sunday coming after another strong one, albeit on a different parcours, at the Tour of California.

 

"Now I'm more relaxed, but it wasn't easy out there, especially as it was for the first time that I rode such a prologue. I think everybody suffered today, the climb was a nasty one, but luckily it suited me, so I could get this top 5. I am happy for myself and for Dan [Martin], these results are really good for the team. Now I hope to have a good week and maybe go for a stage win at some point", said Alaphilippe, the best young rider of the Criterium du Dauphiné.

 

"I'm already glad I gave everything I had in an effort that suits me. The goal was to see how I had recovered the Tour of California because it is really a difficult thing to do both California and Dauphiné. I cannot do like the great leaders for the mountains but it's not my goal to aim for the general classification here. Instead, I will go for a stage if I feel good.

 

"It was important to go full gas. It's always a good test and it's nice to see how we stand compared to the best. If I want to do the Tour de France, it is an important race. I'll take it day by day.

 

"You had to be careful not to go into the red zone but the differences were made quickly. The most diffiuclt thing was not to explode the engine before the second part which was the hardest. But in a prologue, the winner is the one who pushes the limits of pain. There is not necessarily any tactics, it is an effort base on power-weight. We had to do it full gas.

 

“I am surprised. To finish fifth in the prologue of the Dauphine is a surprise for me but also a satisfaction that I have recovered from the Tour of California. It is a kind of effort which suits me so I gave the best of myself, I'm happy.

 

“It does not change anything. We'll see as the days do how I feel but Dan is on the rise for the Tour de France. In the high mountains, it is really too much for me. I do not have great references, especially at a race like the Critérium du Dauphiné, where there is a very high level. I'll see how I feel throughout the week. I hope I feel good to be able to do something in a stage.

 

“I still need to get the experience but for now I know that my racing style is more for the Classics. I know I can do well in difficult races where there is some mountains. But to compete with the great riders in the high mountains, with Froome, with Contador, is completely different and I've never done a race with them in the front. I hope I can do my first Tour de France this year, it would really be something to discover for me. It would be nice to start the Grand Tours at the Tour de France.”

 

Dan Martin surprised to do the time trial of his life in Dauphiné prologue

Alaphilippe wasn't the only Etixx – Quick-Step rider to drive hard on the climb of Mont Chéry, as Dan Martin – who was returning to competition following a break he took after the Ardennes Classics – produced his best ever individual time trial and sloted into fourth, just 21 seconds off Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), who won the prologue ahead of Richie Porte (BMC) and Froome. Obviously, the result left Martin satisfied at the end of the day:

 

"I felt good on the course, enjoyed it and I'm content with my place at the finish. We'll see what will happen next, but Dauphiné is always a super aggressive race, difficult to control and every day will be a tough one.”

 

"I'm obviously pretty happy and surprised," he told Cyclingnews and Spaziociclismo. "I've been in Andorra and just riding my bike. I love riding in the mountains. I’ve not really done any specific training at all and that’s the first time I’ve hit that heart rate since Liege. It bodes well for the rest of the week.

"You could probably have the same result if you put us all on home trainers in a sports hall and see who can do the most power. I know that’s what it looks like at home, but honestly there’s a lot of tactics going on. There’s some big gaps in the overall because if you go too hard at the beginning or in the steep part then you can lose a lot.
 

"I spoke to Julian and his advice helped a lot. He went as hard as he could on the steep part, expecting it to get easier to the line but there was a headwind and if you didn’t stay on it for the final 600 meters then you could lose 15, 20 seconds. It’s very easy to get carried away with the people but I didn’t really ride to power, as I haven’t don’t any training for it. I just used the power meter to stop me from going too deep at the start.
 

"I have zero expectations for this week because I've come into the race not knowing where my form is. I've been good in training but I've not done any test. It's all been endurance rides. My weight is really good. It's a bit different this year because the aim is the Tour but we also have the Olympics, which are nine weeks away. It looks like I'm going well.

"The Dauphine is always a super aggressive race and they've designed the course to provoke open and aggressive racing. It's a really difficult race to control because every day is hard and because everyone here is in good condition. There are no days off."

 

Romain Bardet after seventh place: My main goal is to win a stage

Romain Bardet finished seventh.

 

"Being less than 30 seconds behind Alberto Contador and 15 seconds behind Chris Froome after I had not raced for 5 weeks is reassuring,” he said. “This is the first time mountain time trial I have done since I became professional. Being a climber, I enjoyed the prologue. This is a good start for the team, which will have a nice week at the Criterium du Dauphine.

 

”The goal is to increase the pressure during the week, go get peak shape for the Tour de France. I got my best final rankings when I was not thinking about it. I'll do the same this week. A stage victory remains my main goal.

 

"In other years I could be good at the Dauphiné and be up there with the GC rider. I hope it will happen again this year. But nothing can replace the excitement of a stage win so that's my main goal this week. "

 

Super motivated Adam Yates delivers top performance in Dauphiné prologue

British rider Adam Yates produced a strong performance for ORICA-GreenEDGE in the challenging Criterium du Dauphine prologue today, finishing in eighth place.

 

The eight-day race began in southeastern France this morning with Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) taking the stage win and the provisional top spot on the general classification.

 

Yates’ time of 12minutes seven seconds was the early time to beat on the short yet difficult course that ran entirely uphill and included gradients of 19%.

 

South African Daryl Impey posted the next best time for ORICA-GreenEDGE with 12minutes 34seconds and 27th place on the stage.

 

Sport director Laurenzo Lapage was pleased with the performance of the highly motivated Yates.

 

“It was a great ride by Adam (Yates) today,” said Lapage. “The course was very hard and very steep but Adam likes that kind of terrain and his result speaks for itself today.

 

“He is very motivated at the moment and to be up there with the favourites on the first day will only give Adam more self confidence.

 

“We are approaching the race day by day,” continued Lapage. “No stress and no pressure, but for sure we are happy with today’s performance and our position at the start of the race.

 

“Tomorrow has four categorised climbs and it could be an interesting day, although I think it may be a stage for the pure sprinters, but we will see.”

 

Fabio Aru: I am not worried by the big time loss

“After a very long training period, I finally came back to racing today,” commented Fabio Aru after the finish. I have to say that the sensations were not bad, even if the last part of the climb was really incredibly steep!

 

“Alberto Contador has delivered a great performance and I congratulate him. On my side, I’m here to prepare at the best for my debut at the Tour de France so I’m not worried about the gap between me and the winner at the finish line. On the contrary, I’m happy to be back at a race.”

 

Diego Rosa takes over from Aru in Dauphiné prologue

As opposed to Aru, Diego Rosa delivered a very good performance to take 9th at 37 seconds: 

 

“Such a short climb can say everything and nothing at the same time,” he said. “I believe it was a climb to be managed well: I felt quite good and I think I managed the effort in a good way. Let’s continue the preparation for the Tour de France.”

 

Jesus Herrada surprises in Dauphiné prologue

Jesús Herrada, one of the Movistar Team's 12 riders shortlisted for the Tour de France, surprised in Sunday's opening mountain TT of the Criterium du Dauphiné (4km at 9.7% average gradients, from Les Gets to the top of the Mont Chéry) to place in 10th overall, with Alberto Contador (TNK) in the lead.

 

Rain did not show up as abundantly as forecast, as Chris Froome (SKY) -3rd, 13" from Contador and 7” from Richie Porte (BMC), 2nd - took the start way earlier than the other GC contenders. The prologue started to set things straight in the GC, with Marc Soler (37th) also sitting in a decent place after finishing with the same time as Fabio Aru (AST), 1’09” behind Contador.

 

Monday's racing will be one for the sprinters as the 186km route from Cluses to Saint-Vulbas precedes the first mid-mountain stage on Tuesday, the Cat-3 finish in Chalmazel – Jeansagnière, where the squad directed by José Luis Arrieta and José Luis Laguía hopes to shine in their approach to the Tour de France, weeks before Nairo Quintana resumes racing.

 

Bauke Mollema targets top result at the Criterium du Dauphiné

A four-kilometer brutally steep climb opened the Critérium du Dauphiné Sunday, and Bauke Mollema and Ryder Hesjedal finished within one second of each other for 15th and 16th places respectively.

 

The Mont Chery climb out of Les Gets started with a gentle up but soon pitched to vicious double digit gradients: There was no easing into the general classification fight and no hiding on the narrow, twisty road to the top. It was an early assessment of who will be the main players in the eight-day race, and the time gaps were hefty for some.

 

The Tour de France big hitters came out swinging in the preliminary test to the most prestigious event in just under a month's time. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) won the first small battle in a time of 11 minutes and 36 seconds, grabbing the leader's jersey that he may well hold to the final day. Richie Porte (BMC) and Chris Froome (Sky) rounded out the top three.

 

Bauke Mollema fought his way over the line in 12 minutes and 24 seconds, ceding 48 seconds but finishing around the times of most of the GC contenders on a short course suited better to explosive climbers.

 

He said: "I am satisfied. It was a hard TT, and it was important to not start too fast in the first two kilometers. The last 1.5kms were really, really steep, and if you started too fast, you would really pay in the end.

 

"I think I had a good strategy – I had something left for the final 1.5kms to go full gas until the finish. My last race was five weeks ago, more or less, so this was a good start. I had a good training camp last week, and I could prepare this race really well so let's see what it brings this week.

 

"It was a nice prologue, okay, yes it was a really hard, but it was something different, and I think the people watching really enjoyed this.

 

"Of course, the most important goal is the Tour, and this race will help prepare that, but it's a nice race here, the legs feel good, and the last three days will be really hard with a lot of uphill finishes. It would be nice to get a good result here."

 

Hesjedal’s diesel engine surprises in short Dauphiné prologue

Ryder Hesjedal crossed the line in 12 minutes and 25 seconds, a mere second behind Mollema, to show he is ready to make amends after a respiratory infection forced an early exit from the Giro d'Italia. 

 

He said: "I felt pretty good. I think I struggled a little bit on the steep part, but it was not the easiest effort to gauge, especially coming off two weeks of not much effort, more rest and recovery. In that respect, I am definitely happy with the ride and if you look at the final results – it's the Dauphine, there's a lot of good guys here! – it's a small indicator, but pretty straightforward.

 

"The feeling in general is good and an effort like this shows encouraging signs. I think I am in a good way. The team was supportive to allow me to come here after a break. I am certain I can come through this week and be better for it. I am here to help the team in any way I can, to support Bauke in the GC, but also take opportunities to race and try to win for the team. We shall see – the first uphill finish will be more of an indicator of what to really focus on, and we'll go from there."

 

Excellent Enrico Gasparotto mixes it up with the climbers in Dauphiné prologue

The team Wanty-Groupe Gobert had a good start at the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Italian rider Enrico Gasparotto took the 14th place in Sunday’s prologue on the difficult Mont Chéry climb in Les Gets conceding 46 seconds to the winner Alberto Contador.

 

"I’m happy with this performance. It was a difficult prologue. I managed my effort," Enrico Gasparotto said.

 

The Mont Chéry climb was on riders’ schedule this Sunday with sections around 20% in the second part of the prologue. The Italian rider used his experience to achieve a good result.

 

"I’m used to train with watts. It helped me a lot. I tried to ride as regular as possible. I saved energy for the last kilometer and especially for the last 500 meters."

 

Enrico Gasparotto already participated in the 2005 Critérium du Dauphiné which he got two top ten in the first and second stages.

 

"I hope to get the same results for Wanty-Groupe Gobert."

 

The winner of the Amstel Gold Race expects a lot from the first stages of this Dauphiné.

 

"I think I make a chance in the first stages. The last three stages are too difficult and really suit the climbers."

 

The first stage between Cluses and Saintes-Vulbas (186 km) takes place tomorrow.

 

"I did a recon of the last 20 kilometres. The final suits the sprinters", the French rider Guillaume Martin said.

 

Thibaut Pinot: It is my worst result this year

Thibaut Pinot could onlu manage 17th.

 

"It was a complicated prologue,” he told Cyclingpro.net. “It was a fair race. I finished far behind but I did not expect more.

 

"I did not have a good feeling and after a day like this, we hope it will be better the next day. In this prologue, you had to be strong because it shows the shape of the moment. I started well and I faded gradually towards the finish. You had to be good on the wall to save time or you could lose a lot. I did not know how to accelerate at the right time. I'm a little disappointed. It is my worst result of the year. It's a pity but we are still far from Tour and the big goals.

 

"It was a mountainous prologue and one that I should do with the best. We'll look at the rankings but the Criterium du Dauphine is almost decided when it comes to the podium. This weekend, if I am not well placed, I would not fear losing the race so I would not be afraid to attack. If I'm away, I'll try things. "

 

"It was a very tough course, very violent. It's been a month since I have worked that hard. And a prologue like that hurts. I knew it was a really hard prologue for puncheurs. Alaphilippe is good and he was one of the riders that I had as one of the favorites. This prologu plays a big role in the GC.. Anyway, the important thing for me will be next weekend. I did not expect to be on top at the beginning of the Dauphiné, that's for sure ... "

 

Solid ride by Stephen Cummings in Dauphiné prologue

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka had Steve Cummings up near the pointy end of the results sheet after he posted a good early time of 12’29” for the difficult 4km category 1 mountain climb. At the time Cummings crossed the line, his result was good enough to slot into 3rd position. Obviously things would change as the climbing favourites began later in the day.

 

The African Team riders all put in solid performances, although the mountain prologue was not a stage that was particularly suited to them. Cummings would be the highest placed at the end of the stage, in 19th overall.

 

Igor Anton, Omar Fraile and Serge Pauwels all completed the hill within 1’30” of Contador’s winning 11’36” time while somewhat amusingly, Daniel Teklehaimanot, Nathan Haas and Edvald Boasson Hagen all finished with the exact same time of 13’22”. Youcef Reguigui was just a few seconds down on the “triplet”, ensuring all Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka riders are well placed heading into the next 7 days of racing.

 

Sports director Jean-Pierre Heynderickx said:
 

“It was a very hard prologue to start with and today was a race for all the big GC guys. You can just see this by the riders on the podium.  As a team we are happy with our performance today. Steve did a really good time and Serge was also up there, and for both of these riders it was the first race after a good training block. Igor was also really good so we are happy with how the guys have started the Dauphine, they did what they could today and everyone is positive for the upcoming week.”

 

Emanuel Buchmann shows good form in Dauphiné prologue

Best BORA – ARGON 18 rider was Emanuel Buchmanm in 25th place. The German Champion proved to be on target regarding his build-up to the Tour de France. Just 55 seconds behind the race leader, Buchmann can be really satisfied with his performance even though the big mountain stages at the end of the race should suit him even more.

 

“I felt pretty good today, but I started a little too fast and then struggled on the last steep part. But with the time I am really happy,” Emanuel Buchmann said.

 

“I said in the morning that if someone would lose less than 1 minute today, his performance would be a good one. Emu achieved that so we are happy. The climb was really hard, it was steep but also not rhythmic. Therefore, it was also really hard to find a good pace,” said Enrico Poitschke, sports director.

 

Louis Vervaeke: I lost 20 seconds in the final 500m

Louis Vervaeke was the fastest Lotto Soudal rider, he was 28th at 59 seconds of Contador.

 

“I didn’t have a bad feeling, but I didn’t feel great either,” he said. “At first, I thought I shouldn’t be satisfied, but eventually it isn’t a bad result, even though it’s not a top result. In the last 500 metres I definitely lost twenty seconds. It got flat at that point and you could get the big gear out. I then wanted to go full on the last uphill part, but I couldn’t. I was almost standing still.

 

”It’s been a week since I came back from an altitude training camp and it might be too soon to get beneficial effects from it. But I’m looking forward to the rest of this Dauphiné.

 

"Being the best Belgian not interest me. More importantly, I think that I lost a minute to Contador. In the last kilometer I exploded. I came to a standstill. I could barely push 300 watts. I must have lost about twenty seconds there. My feeling was not super. Perhaps this is normal after altitude training in the Sierra Nevada which ended only nine days ago. Hopefully I'll be there this week.”

 

Katusha: We had expected more from Joaquim Rodriguez

It’s time for the lead-up races for July’s Tour de France, starting with the 8-day, eight-stage Critérium du Dauphiné. Sunday’s opening prologue brought a 3,8km uphill course at the ski resort in Les Gets. Team KATUSHA’s Joaquim Rodriguez took an early start on a day where rain was predicted later in the afternoon and for a time his results looked good, but as the other favorites came to the start house, the Spaniard ended up losing just over a minute to winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff). His results don’t discourage sports director José Azevedo, however.

 

”It was only 4km but it was very steep and very hard right from the beginning. After only 200 meters it went up. The last kilometer was around 14-15%. It was a good parcours for us with Joaquim. We have big expectations from him and today’s results were not quite what we expected, but he’s just coming back from a long break from racing. We hope in the next days on the climbs he will be in the front. I was in the car behind him and in general I liked what I saw, he looked OK but of course a one minute loss is a big difference from the others,” said team director José Azevedo.

 

”Tomorrow is a good day for Alexander Kristoff so it will be his turn to try for the stage. There are not so many sprinters here so it can be hard to control the race but I think there are enough. For sure there are two stages for the sprinters, maybe a third one. The teams of the sprinters all have the same goals on those days,” concluded Azevedo.

 

George Bennett drops himself in Dauphiné prologue

The Team LottoNL-Jumbo riders weren’t able to fight for the top results during the prologue of the Criterium du Dauhpiné.

 

”Messy start to the dauphine- tried to pull out something special and dropped myself. Nearly had to put the new balances on to get me home,” George Bennett tweeted after having taken the best result for the team in 60th.

 

Difficult day for Giant-Alpecin in Dauphiné prologue

Lars van der Haar was the fastest rider for Team Giant-Alpecin in 103rd place. Van der Haar completed the tough uphill prologue in a time of 13’36”, two minutes down on the stage winner.

 

“Disappointing prologue @dauphine. Had wrong food before start and felt sick. No power:( had more ambition than I showed. Better next time,” he tweeted after the stage

 

Tony Martin and Tom Dumoulin disagree on Dauphiné mountain prologue

For once, Tony Martin was not a contender as he had to settle for 62nd.

 

“Who want to see professional bike riders going 15 kmph uphill in a prologue? For me it's no cycling anymore. It's circus,” he tweeted after the stage.

 

Fellow TT specialist Tom Dumoulin who is not at the race, replied promptly.

 

”@tonymartin85 Disagree! Like you, my chances of winning such a TT would be lower than a flat one. But I think this is nice and cool to watch,” he tweeted.