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Monday, June 3, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

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Current racing:

• June 2 - 9: Critérium du Dauphiné

Upcoming racing:

• June 5 - 9: ZLM Tour
• June 7: GP Canton Aargau
• June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse
• June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour
• June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
• June 21 - 26: Many National Championships
• July 1 - 23: Tour de France
• July 27 - August 11: Olympic cycling

Latest completed racing:

• June 2: Brussels Cycling Classic
• May 29: Circuit Franco-Belge
• May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
• May 23 - 26: Tour of Norway
• May 26: Rund um Köln
• May 14 - 19: 4 Days of Dunkirk
• May 18: Veenendaal - Veenendaal Classic
• May 11: Tour du Finistère
• May 5: Tro-Bro Léon
• May 4: GP du Morbihan
• May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt

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Critérium du Dauphiné stage one reports

We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Mads Pedersen's Team Lidl-Trek:

The Danish powerhouse finished off a perfect lead-out from his Lidl-Trek teammates to seal victory and the first yellow jersey of the race in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule.

Lidl-Trek’s plan was clear right from the start of the day: go all-in for Mads Pedersen.

Mads Pedersen gets the 2024 race's first yellow jersey. Sirotti photo

The Team made sure to control the opening part of the race and once a manageable two-rider breakaway was up the road, Carlos Verona took control of the peloton.

From that moment, it was a case of keeping the leading duo at a comfortable distance and Verona, with the help of Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale, did just that before eventually the race was brought back together with 15 kilometers to go.

The pace was high and the race only got faster and faster with the peloton flying along at speeds of almost 100km/h as Toms Skujins pulled off the front with around 2 kilometers to go, making way for the final lead-out from Alex Kirsch and Ryan Gibbons to pilot Pedersen towards the line.

Gibbons took over the reins around 800 meters from the finish with the South African national champion expertly pulling Pedersen into to the final corner and it was from here, with 200 meters to go, that the great Dane was able to unleash his characteristically powerful sprint.

Others might have been breathing down his neck but Pedersen was not going to let the win slip out of his hands and he made sure he was the one punching the air with delight at the end of Stage 1.

Mads’ Reaction:
"You can't complain when you win. Of course, we will look into the details. We want to make it perfect every time and if we can learn from today, we will definitely do it but this is as close to perfect as it gets so I am super happy with the boys. Carlos did super good pulling, it’s not easy even with two guys who were going quite fast in the beginning. Alex is controlling this leadout to perfection and of course, Toms and Ryan need the power to deliver it. Toms is doing an incredible job, the same with Alex, and Ryan also delivered me perfectly today. I think we've set up the right train and now we just have to keep repeating it every time we can.

"The sprint itself today was not downhill but if you come too early with the team then you are short on people and that's why it's really impressive how Alex is guiding the team and making sure everyone is moving at the right moment. Plus you need a lot of horse power and today we had it all.

"Every win gives me more and more confidence. I’m racing my bike to win races, so it’s nice. The object coming here was to win a stage and we have that now so from now on it's keep racing, get a lot of "training" out of it, get back into the rhythm in the peloton. My last race was Paris-Roubaix so it's been a long time of just training and racing is just different so I am really happy with this win especially we only have two chances here as sprinters to it's pretty nice to start this week and getting the sprint train right. I am just really happy that we worked this well together today.

"I think tomorrow is too hard in the final, and now being in the lead of the race I don’t think anyone will let me in the break. I think tomorrow we’ll control to respect the jersey and we also have one GC guy here, Tao, that we have to take care of, and that’s my job until Stage 5.

"It's always nice to wear a yellow jersey, of course. I tried in Paris-Nice already, now here, and so the next goal should be the Tour at one point."

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

Soudal Quick-Step’s 24-year-old and his teammates came home with the bunch on stage one.

Remco Evenepoel enjoyed a quiet day in the saddle as he returned to competition for the first time since the Itzulia Basque Country crash which forced him to miss the Ardennes Classics. The Belgian Champion, who sits on four victories since the start of the season, pinned on a number for the 76th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which got underway Sunday.

Remco Evenepoel before the stage start. Sirotti photo

Starting and finishing in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, the opening stage welcomed the riders with a weather more typical for Paris-Nice than for the month of June – fog, wind and low temperatures all contributing to a rather bleak day in the saddle. Two men went in an early move, which remained at the front until the last 20 kilometers, when the peloton brought it back. In the end, a bunch sprint determined the day’s winner, who was Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), on a slightly uphill drag to the line.

Evenepoel concluded with the peloton and will now set his sights on the first test of the French race, Monday’s summit finish on Col de la Loge, where the first gaps between the general classification contenders should appear.

Here's Team Visma | Lease a Bike's report:

The first stage of the 76th Critérium du Dauphiné presented no problems for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. In a stage for sprinters, the Dutch WorldTour team stayed out of trouble. The win was for Mads Pedersen.

The opening stage of the eight-day French stage race had its start and finish in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule. A duo formed the breakaway for a long time, but the sprinters' teams always kept the leaders within reach. At 15 kilometres from the finish line, the two were eventually caught. Team Visma | Lease a Bike did not get involved in the battle for the day's victory. In the bunch sprint, Pedersen proved to be the fastest.

Steven Kruijswijk before the stage. Sirotti photo

Co-leader Matteo Jorgenson is already looking forward to the tougher stages in the coming days. “I am satisfied that we all crossed the line safely”, the 24-year-old American said afterwards. “There was very hard riding in the finale, but fortunately it remained safe. It wasn't an overly tough opening stage of this race, but there is still a lot to come in the coming week.”

Sports director Frans Maassen saw how his riders executed the plan well. “This was a stage as we expected. It was up to the sprinters' teams to take control in the peloton, so we didn't have to take the initiative. Our aim was to keep our leaders Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss well in front and we succeeded with verve. There are still a lot of important stages to come in this Dauphiné. The final weekend is very tough. There we definitely want to play our part in the general classification.”

Clément Russo's Team Groupama-FDJ posted this Dauphiné report:

This Sunday, the sprinters had perhaps their only opportunity of the week on the Critérium du Dauphiné. The bunch finish couldn’t be avoided, and the Dane Mads Pedersen claimed victory. For the occasion, Clément Russo joined the party in the last kilometre and obtained ninth place. A first hard finish is on the menu on Monday.

Mads Pedersen wins the stage. Sirotti photo

The profile wasn’t completely flat and straightforward on the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné this Sunday. However, the most difficult climbs were tackled at the start of the race, which therefore suggested a bunch sprint at the finish in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule. This scenario took shape very early on the French roads since Mark Donovan (Q36.5) and Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) were the only ones to hit the front.

“There are only two pure sprinters at the start, Pedersen and Bennett, so we had to stay careful at the beginning because we know that the breakaways sometimes make it to the end on the Dauphiné’s first stage,” recalled Benoît Vaugrenard. “That didn’t happen today because only two riders went away, so it was easier to control.” The duo had a maximum lead of almost five minutes, but the peloton was never worried, and even waited until the last fifteen kilometres to bring them back. “We had to be careful with the bad weather and humidity today,” Benoît also said. “Fortunately, they got back on dry roads on the final circuit.” “We rode well with the team, we were always together and very focused,” said Clément Russo.

The latter also left the rest of the group in the very last kilometres to get involved in the bunch sprint. “I knew it was going to be difficult to win but Benoît and the guys were happy to give me the opportunity,” he said. “It was cool. Still, I wanted to wait and see a bit, because the finish was quite dangerous, and I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. In the end, I didn’t feel too bad, so I fought for position, and it was fun. I haven’t taken part in many finishes this year, so it feels good!” “He likes these finishes where you have to position yourself, he does that well,” added Benoît. On the line, Clément Russo eventually took ninth place, but will return to a domestique role on Monday towards the uphill finish at the Col de la Loge. “The Dauphiné is now underway, but I hope that my colleagues will do better than me,” he smiled. “Now it’s all for David and the others.” “Tomorrow several scenarios are possible,” concluded Benoît. “We’ll need to see who will control. On quite a short stage of 145 kilometers, a strong breakaway can make it to the end, but I am thinking more of a small group finish for punchers. It’s a good stage for Romain if he’s got the legs.”

And here's the report from Emils Liepins' Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:

The opening stage at the Critérium du Dauphiné offered one of very few chances for the sprinters in the race, so from the flag drop the peloton made it clear that it would be a bunch sprint finish with only a two rider break escaping early on. Staying within the peloton, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL looked to keep each other in position, with the aim of setting up Emils Liepins for the finale.

The two-rider break of Mathis Le Berre & Mark Donovan shortly before they were caught.

Coming into the last local lap with around 25 kilometres to go the break was almost all but caught, but Liepins unfortunately had an issue and had to stop to switch onto his spare bike. Making his way back through the convoy on the twisting roads, the guys then dropped back from the group and helped bring him back to the bunch. Yet, it was difficult to move up so he and the team had to bide their time until the road became wider in the closing eight kilometres. A fantastic job by the squad saw Martijn Tusveld and Warren Barguil do some early positioning work, before last lead-out rider Niklas Märkl expertly dropped off Liepins in the wheel of Pedersen coming under the flamme rouge. Using his bike handling skills, Liepins held firm from any challenges and was locked in for the sprint finish but a terrible bit of misfortune with a dropped chain at 500 metres to go completely derailed he and the teams efforts; meaning no result on the day.

At the finish line Märkl expressed: “It was a pretty controlled stage throughout the day. It wasn’t a totally flat parcours but the peloton was keen from the start to make it a bunch sprint. We rode pretty well together I think. We were really vocal with each other and communicated well throughout the day. Coming into the last lap we had to change Emils’ bike after a mechanical. On the narrow roads it was hard to move up but we had two guys help bring him back up for the final. We then did a pretty good lead-out I think and I dropped off Emils in Pedersen’s wheel for the sprint. Unfortunately his chain then dropped and we couldn’t go for a result in the end, but I think we have shown that we have good legs and that we can do something here. The next few days are in the mountains but stage five is again more for the fast guys, so we will see for that, or if there are chances for the breakaway. The morale is high and we will keep on going.”

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