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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, June 10, 2023

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2022 Tour de France | 2022 Giro d'Italia

The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion. - Thomas Paine

Les Woodland's book Sticky Buns Across America: Back-roads biking from sea to shining sea is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• June 4 - 11: Critérium du Dauphiné
• June 7 - 11: ZLM Tour

Upcoming racing:

• June 11 - 18: Tour de Suisse
• July 14 - 18: Baloise Belgium Tour
• June 19 - 16: National Championships
• July 1 - 24: Tour de France

Latest completed racing:

• June 4: Brussels Cycling Classic
• June 2: Giro dell'Appennino
• May 26 - 29: Tour of Norway
• May 6 - 29: Giro d'Italia
• May 16 - 21: 4 Jours du Dunkerque
• May 21: Rund um Köln
• May 20: Veenendaal - Veenendaal Classic
• May 7: Tro-Bro Léon
• May 6: GP du Morbihan
• May 1: Eschborn-Frankfurt

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from GC leader Jonas Vingegaard's Team Jumbo-Visma:

The sixth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné did not produce any significant changes at the top of the general classification. On the hilly stage, the early breakaway made it to the finish. Tomorrow is the queen stage.

It took a while for the day's breakaway to take shape. With just over 100 kilometres to go, 14 riders made their move. Team Jumbo-Visma, with race leader Jonas Vingegaard, controlled the race and allowed the breakaway to fight for the stage win.

On the short final climb, Vingegaard accelerated. The Dane attacked from the now-reduced peloton but did not gain the GC rider any time. In the same time as his rivals, Vingegaard crossed the line just under a minute behind stage winner Georg Zimmermann.

Jonas Vingegaard remains the GC leader. Sirotti photo

"I am happy with how today's stage went”, Vingegaard said. "I felt perfect on the way. One of the competitors decided to attack on the last climb. I noticed that my legs felt good, and I counterattacked. Ultimately, the climb was not long and hard enough to create a serious gap. The team did a great job again today. Tiesj Benoot and Attila Valter supported me until the very end. The next two days are going to be difficult. They are long and challenging mountain stages. Hopefully, I will have the legs to do great things.”

Here's the Dauphiné report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

The sixth stage of the French World Tour race featured just four classified climbs, but the profile of this 170.2km day in the saddle was deceptive, as the last two of these – Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe and Crest-Voland – boasted some really tough gradients.

For the second day running, the start was incredibly fast, the peloton averaging close to 50 kilometers in the first hour of racing. After leaving behind the town of Nantua, where Julian Alaphilippe won a Tour de l’Ain stage as a neo-pro in 2014, the fight for the breakaway started. It took around 40 kilometers for a leading group to form, and when this happened, our team had there the strong duo of Andrea Bagioli and Dries Devenyns.

Both worked well together with the other men up the road, helping the move establish a maximum gap of four minutes. In the last 50 kilometers, a change of teams at the front of the bunch signalled a change of pace, and suddenly the escapees’ advantage began going down rapidly, by the time they took on Col des Aravis only 1:40 separating them from the field.

Julian Alaphilippe (shown taking a selfie) remains in third place in the GC standings. Sirotti photo

That was also the moment that the group fragmented, Andrea finding himself chasing a strong trio. The Italian gave his best, but despite his effort he came short of bridging across, and on the last ascent he was reeled in by the yellow jersey group. The small peloton arrived some 50-odd seconds behind winner Georg Zimmermann (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) and Julian sprinted to his third top ten finish of the week, which helped the Frenchman cements his place on the overall podium ahead of the mountainous weekend that will bring down the curtain over this edition.

Here’s the Dauphiné report from third-place Jonathan Castroviejo's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Jonathan Castroviejo fought to third on stage six after being part of a stage-long break that made it to the finish.

Jonathan Castroviejo finsihed third. Sirotti photo

Castroviejo had been part of a 14-rider group that battled to escape after a fast-paced start to the stage, with numerous break attempts thwarted by the peloton.

The numbers slowly dwindled on a punchy, hilly stage which saw the Grenadier prevail as one of the strongest alongside Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché - Circus - Wanty) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies).

This trio worked together to establish a sizeable advantage on both the peloton and their fellow escapees before the final climbs.

Zimmermann attacked on one of the steeper gradients, with Castroviejo trying to bring him back, before Burgaudeau followed to setup a two-up sprint for the line, with Castroviejo finishing shortly behind.

Dani Martinez and Egan Bernal followed home with a reduced peloton to maintain their overall positions ahead of two key stages in the general classification.

And here’s the report from Team Bora-hansgrohe:

The sixth day of the Critérium du Dauphiné was the first of three stages in the Alps.  After the start in Nantua, the riders had to cover 170 km, four second and third category climbs, and a mountain finish in Crest-Voland. Three riders from an initial 14-rider breakaway battled out the stage win, with Georg Zimmermann ultimately taking the victory. Jai Hindley crossed the finish line in 8th, well placed among the GC contenders. In the overall standings, Hindley moves up to 5th, 1.37min. behind GC leader Jonas Vingegaard.

“It was a very hard day, particularly the first 60km until the breakaway went was a proper tough bike race. The boys did a great job looking after me and keeping me in a good position. Emanuel Buchmann was on my side until the last kilometre, so I think overall it was a good day for us. Another day done, two hard days still to come - I’m looking forward to it!” Jai Hindley

“A really hard day today! Everything is going according to plan for us, we are very happy with Jai Hindley in fifth place and have a perfect position for the last two stages. Two hard days to come, it doesn’t get any easier here at the Dauphiné!” Bernhard Eisel, Sports Director

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